Disgusted by my local Walmart

[DaisyCrab]

I'm SO disgusted by whats going on at my local Walmart. They recently started selling Hermit Crabs. Not to my surprise, the conditions are HORRIBLE.

I sent them an email a few days ago, stating that they needed to improve the conditions and to please email me and I would send them proper care sheets.

They have these poor crabs in a plastic carrier, like the ones stores sell for small Rodents. No heater, no gauges, they're using that very gritty "sand" sold for Hermit Crabs, there are at least 20 crabs in this small container. The store is super air conditioned so it's FREEZING in this tank.

I received a message on my voicemail from the store manager, stating that basically my concerns were bogus and the crabs were being taken care of. "Their water and food is being changed appropriately, blah blah blah."

That was yesterday. I went there today and went to check out the crabs, and nothing had changed, no one cares. And to top it off, I leaned forward a sniffed the top of the container and all I could smell was death. A big population of those crabs are dead. I was so revolted that I left the store.

I don't know what to do. I thought of printing off a care sheet and just leaving it at the counter where the crabs are being kept.

No one there cares, I don't know what to do.

[HERMEZ]

This is what you will hear us refer to as crab in a cup it is indeed a very sad plight--I have only seen it once- there was a very ill little crab in a ton of water- it struggled to stay above the water line- was missing a leg I dumped the water out when noone was looking........

This has been a battle for a long time and Walmart is not doing a thing - the fact that you saw 20 together seems that they arent all in individual cups anymore- or maybe that store does it different

Write to corporate and explain that the manager of the store was rude and that you went to see if the changes were made and they were the same........being rude will get you nowhere--being sugary sweet wont either--I would offer care sheets but being a store like they are ...I would show them an alternative they would find feasible--keeping the crabs away from drafts--keeping a glass lid (heck plastic even) offer to show them how to set it up--In all the letters I send to store I show them how much money they would make by having the right set up (trying to hit the purse strings so they would care right?) NOPE not one store changed a thing...........

Some people are sucessful-- if all else fails- simply boycott them

[Chuck_Norris]

It seems like more and more Walmarts are starting to sell crabs... geez...

I guess I'm lucky, none in the STL area sell crabs (yet)!

[Markie]

Our local wal mart does not sell crabs, fortunately.

However, they sell newts and frogs in cups, and the majority are already dead at the store. The staff are terrible, they NEVER clean out the fish tanks or any of that stuff. I went to Wal Mart once and there was a little goldfish dead in a tank with some big pale yellow fish. I came back three days later and it was still decomposing in the tank. They provide really terrible conditions. I mean, the least they could do is dispose of the dead stuff.

[DaisyCrab]

An update.

I went down that isle again, stupid move. Nothing has changed, and I don't think anyone has bought any crabs at all because the population hasn't gone down any.

I'm going to try once more with these idiots. The Walmart in the north end of town has a great set up, I don't know why this new one insists on keeping the crabs in the conditions they're in.

[krackersmom2]

DO take a caresheet with you! Ask to speak with the department manager, not just a sales associate. I would mention that you enjoy keeping hermit crabs and prefer to purchase crabs from stores with healthy populations.
You might also ask the Wal Mart with the better set-up what their care policy or guidelines are and mention what you saw at the other Wal Mart. It could be that the better Wal Mart has a crab enthusiast working there You could say, "Wow, I noticed that you are taking good care of the hermit crabs! I was in another local Wal Mart and their crab set-up was awful and the population was either dead or dying. What are you doing differently?" Be sure to thank them for talking to you.

[DaisyCrab]

I've decided to report the store to the Better Business Bureau. I took yet another jaunt over to that store, and the entire pet isle smells of dead crab. They're all dead now/still.

The fish tanks are also FILTHY and there are dead fish in every tank also. Enough is enough. The fish tanks are full of algae and growing what looks like under water mold everywhere.

This store is ridiculous. No one is buying fish or crabs from here for obvious reasons, all the tanks are full. How are people this STUPID?????

[krackersmom2]

If it were dogs and cats, it would be animal cruelty.....no justice for our littlest friends