HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Here it is.Dear Beth,Thank you for taking the time to contact PETCO Customer Relations. We apologize for the delay in responding to your e-mail. In regards to the improper hermit crab care at your local PETCO store, PETCO is dedicated to ensuring that all animals receive more than just the basics to survive. We truly care about the quality of life animals have while in our care and their lives once they've joined their new families. Our standards of care ensure that all animals are checked-on every hour. During this check, we observe the health and behavior of the animals, refill food & water and tidy up as needed. This check is in addition to the regular full service feeding and cleaning that all animals receive daily. Our associates treat the animals as if they were their own pets. They often spend a great deal of time playing with, talking to and socializing with the animals so they will make good pets for their new owners. If you're ever in one of our stores and you see something that you believe would not meet our high standards for animal care, I urge you to contact the manager on duty immediately. We have every confidence our managers will respond with urgency to make sure an animal has everything it needs and is in good health. If you feel that the manager does not respond appropriately to a situation, please don’t hesitate to call us toll free at 888-824-PALS.Sincerely, Scott L.Customer Relations Coordinator At PETCO, Animals Always Come First... Our People Make it Happen! Talk about not addressing the whole email that I sent to them. Today I went into the store located at, Hillcrest Mall Shopping Center, Joliet, IL 60435 (815) 744-7387 I don't have the store number. The employees there never seem to know it. I have been shopping in there a lot because it is fairly close to my home. I have alot of concerns about this store. Everytime that I go in there it seems that the employees are to busy talking instead of taking care of the animal and cleaning the store. This store does not have a clean smell to it. Also, I have hermit crabs, which require certain care. They need a proper subtrate, salt water, NON-painted shells. Also, the temperature in the tank needs to be between 75&83 degrees +/- and the humidity needs to be in the mid to upper 80%, especially when you have Strawberries in the tank. I noticed that the tanks humidity was only 50%. "It is against corporate policy to raise the humidity." the manager told me.I then offered to print out care sheets that show what the crabs needs were. "We have a corporate vet that specializes in hermit crabs and he says that they only need 50% humidity. We cannot change what corporate tells us."Hermit Crabs have modified gills and when their gills do not stay moist they begin to blister and cause a very slow and very painful death. With the care that you give your in this store there is a reason that they die so quickly. They are already dying a slow death. I am asking that you please correct this problem at this location.BethWould anyone like me to add anything to my response to them? I know that some of us other crabbers have had some horrible issues with them. Let me know.

No, they didn't address the whole issue. Talk about a letter full of fluff.They are telling you to talk to a manager at the local store when you have a problem, which you did and got no satisfactory results. 50 percent humidity is terrible for hermit crabs. I know they have care sheets, do they specify humidity level on them?

It says right on it humidity 70-80%. And of course you have the corporate vet who specializes in hermit crabs. ARGH!! I can't stand it when corporations try to be so vague on things. Of course, now I am going to be a pain in their behinds until I get the answers that I want.

They're all full of crap. My local Petco had them in a custom built tat, kind of like a very tall hex with two doors that had major gaps, what I thought was a harsh red reptile heat lamp (one of those large ones, like a halogen spotlight), just one water dish, about 1 1/2" of dry coconut fiber substrate and a humidity gauge that always read 50%/60%; no temp gauge.I tried to address the issues of temp, humidity and water with them and I got, "I appreciate the help but we can't even add a sponge without corporate approval and what you see in the tank is all we're allowed." I got a standard reply from Petco, never a personal one.

Did you look for a care sheet when you were in the store? They have them, or should, and if it's put out by corporate, it's the same one I've seen in the store near me. I was impressed with it to say the least. It's by far the best and most up to date I've seen. The recommended conditions as well as necessary items for housing and care (including a word or two on molting) are on it. I'd go back to the store when that manager is on duty and ask him for one. If he tells you they are out or don't have one, pull a copy form the web out of your purse and point out that corporate seems to understand the care needs of hermit crabs and suggest that he read it. Then go home, with his name and call the number you were given. Grrr .

I didn't see CA's post there. If he gives you any more BS about corporate, fax the person you speak to on the phone a copy of their care sheet and highlight all the things that are NOT being done in that store.The only thing missing in the tank at the store here was deep substrate. The temp and humidity were within range and I know that because it had both gauges in it. Fresh and salt water, food in bowls they could reach, things to climb and hide under. It wasn't perfect, but I don't think much more can be asked of a retail store.

When I go to work tomorrow I will print out the care sheet and stop in on my way home. My daughter is home sick today and I have no printer here. Hopefully the same manager is working that I dealt with before. I hate to see any animal that is not well cared for. And to see all those poor hermies barely struggling it makes me so furious. I would bring them all home if the BF wouldn't get mad. But that would also defeat the purpose of boycotting them. I will let you guys/gals know what happens when I do this.

Here's an e-mail I sent to a distributor once.Funny thing is, this was an LHC forum thread. But for some reason, the LHC forum thread is gone now, so I just have the copy I posted on HCA.(That's like the 3rd time in the last 3 months too, it seems all of my best posts are getting deleted from LHC!)viewtopic.ph...ighlight=distributor

q- if all Petco's are the same (and they appear to be) somewhere around the reptile tanks you should see a podium type stand near the end of an aisle that houses the hermie sale and guarantee form they fill out when you buy the little guys. It also stores in a visible area the caresheets for all the reptiles, fish and hermit crabs. That's the one I'd look for before pulling out my own. Grab it from the folder and wave it under his nose.

The last time I was in there, just after I brought PDGH home, I looked around for care sheets. In fact I don't think they have ever had them in there. When I was first buying different foods and other necessities for them I had to get a hermit crab book to look at. Wow! Come to think about it, they don't have any care sheets for any of their reptiles. This particular Petco is not like what they represent in the commercials. In fact some of the people that work in there are a little, to highon life, if you catch my drift. I kinda wish I had one of those camera phones so I could take pics of the conditions in the store all around. Constant dead fish in the tanks and beta's. Cages are alway dirty. The list could go on and on.