LETTER: Selecting a pet: Do your homework, know the law

By Steve Barton

For those of those who don’t know me, I would like to introduce myself. AKA “Fish,” I have owned Aquaria Pets in downtown Hutchinson for almost 40 years. My wife Deb joined me in the business 15 years ago. As the name implies, Aquaria Pets was started as a fish store. As a growing number of customers requested a bigger selection of pets, our selection grew. In the process, we’ve learned a lot from our customers.

This is National Pet Week. In the spirit of helping you and your family select your next family member, I want to share some concerns and tips with you.

The value of a pet is priceless. Pets provide companionship, while providing a common interest for your family to bond with. We are owned by three Italian Greyhounds, Misti, and Mickey, (also known as Mirth and Mayhem) and Tawny. Their value has been proven repeatedly as tired and tense moments have been turned to laughter at their antics.

A living creature will teach your children responsibility and compassion. Sadly, at some point a lesson of life and death will be administered. Obviously, with my last comment I was trying to get your attention and make you think.

Fitting your lifestyle
The first question is … Does it fit your life style? If you have a hectic schedule, we wouldn’t suggest a puppy. Perhaps a smaller caged pet would be better. The second question is, once you buy a pet, can you afford to care for it? We see many people fixating on the price of the pet, but not considering or understanding that, the $10 bird will need the $20 cage, plus food, vitamins and toys. As a result, they attempt to cut corners proving disastrous for the pet.

Speaking of price, a growing number of folks are stopping in looking for a $100 puppy. They want a “purebred” that is papered, trained, spayed, vaccinated and guaranteed. That’s not a very practical wish considering the price of a tank of gas!

Be advised that in many cases buying the low-priced puppy will quite likely keep an irresponsible or “amateur” breeder in business as well as your vet. There is a reason you got it so cheap. You got what you paid for!

Know the puppy law
If you are buying a puppy from a private breeder or a pet store, you should know that Minnesota has a puppy law. Did the breeder inform you of it? Did you get it in writing? Did you know that you have the right to take the pet to your trusted vet within 48 hours and return it for a full refund if it was not fit for sale? Minnesota law requires that most puppies and kittens come with a one-year congenital guarantee.

If price is an object, visiting the local shelter is a great idea. Take heed that you need to understand each breed’s temperament, size and required care.

Remember that no matter what type of pet you choose you need to make a commitment for the life span of that pet. To our absolute amazement, we receive numerous calls daily from pet owners who need to “immediately” place their 4-year-old dog or cat. Isn’t that like throwing away a child?

If a wrong decision is made
Many times, we haven’t even sold them the pet. Yet they inform us that, “Since we sell pets, it is our job.” They made a decision based on how cute it looked. They never thought about if their wife or landlord would want them to have it. Once the realization of a bad decision has been reached, here are a few possibilities.

• Place an ad and ask a nominal fee for the pet and supplies to stop someone from taking it just because it is free. You also have the right to say NO! We sadly have to periodically say no at the shop. We may lose a sale but we can sleep at night.

• The shelter is also an option, but they will charge a surrender fee. They have to defray their costs until they can find the right person to adopt. The cleverest solution I’ve seen was one fellow who couldn’t keep his dog because of severe allergies. He worked out a time-share with his neighbors that involved visiting privileges and shared expenses. This gentleman’s idea was brilliant!

• Another concern we have is selling pets to minor children. We were all idealistic kids once. Our concern is if the child has just enough money for the pet, will the pet receive the proper care?

• Do their parents want them to have the pet? Pardon the pun, but we seem to step in this one every time. Some parents are outraged that we dare call to confirm that the child is allowed to make a purchase. Others are furious that we made the sale. They then march in with the embarrassed child in tow to return the now used fish bowl and damaged products.

We respectfully ask that the parents, i.e., the “decision makers,” accompany their kids when they wish to shop for a living creature. It will assure the best service and success with the pet.

Like many pet care professionals, we take our job seriously. Whenever we sell someone a pet, we are affecting someone’s life. We want to make it a positive experience.