Watchdog claims 'misleading' says Pets at Home
Diseased and dead fish were found in display tanks, animals were purchased without health checks and incorrect advice was given on lizard care.
Pets at Home recently came under scrutiny in a damning BBC Watchdog programme, which revealed undercover footage from eight UK stores. The pet shop chain has, however, branded the claims "misleading and in many cases simply wrong."
An undercover team, including veterinary surgeon Mike Jessop, visited eight of the company's 400 UK stores.
Key findings reported on Watchdog:
- Sick fish were found in display tanks in all eight stores. Diseases observed included fin rot, white spot and ulcer disease.
- Dead fish were also found in all eight shops. In total, the team found 53 dead fish, with 17 of these in the Chatham store alone.
- In four of the stores, animals were purchased with no sign of a health check at the point of sale.
- A store leaflet on caring for bearded dragons gave incorrect advice on the correct tank size, stating 90cm in length is sufficient, while the Model Conditions for Pet Vending Licensing guidelines advise 120cm
- Four stores gave the wrong advice on the correct tank temperature for bearded dragons, while two advised a temperature so hot that Mr Jessop said it could even result in the death of the animal. One member of staff is recorded saying the tank should be a minimum of 35 degrees and can go up to 50 degrees, whereas guidance recommends a mixture of temperatures ranging from 15 degrees to 41 degrees in the hot spots.
In a statement, Pets at Home's CEO Nick Woods said: "We have been at the forefront of pet welfare for nearly 25 years and our number one value is ‘Pets before Profit’. That’s what drives us; nearly all of us are pet owners, we all love pets, and we are constantly challenging ourselves to find new ways to get better.
"We have looked in detail at every single claim put to us by Watchdog, which are misleading and in many cases simply wrong."
In the company's response to Watchdog, it said it has doubled the frequency of fish tank checks since 2012, when a previous Watchdog programme on Pets at Home aired. It also claimed Watchdog was "mistaken" in saying health checks are not carried out before animals are sold.
The company further disagreed with the view that 50 degrees would be a dangerous temperature at which to keep a bearded dragon as the animal would move away from hot spots if it wanted to be cooler. It also said its bearded dragons are kept in tanks of sufficient size, though it apologised for incorrect advice in its care leaflet, which it says has now been amended.
Watch the full Watchdog programme on BBC iPlayer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05zt74r/watchdog-series-35-episode-7
View Pets at Home's statement: http://petsfirst.petsathome.com/?cm_mmc=PPC-_-Google-_-Brand-_-Watchdog&gclid=CP73tMakt8YCFYIewwod7d8B8Q
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
