florida80

Mouse Versus Evil
PET STORE, USA | RIGHT | JANUARY 5, 2018
CONTENT WARNING: ANIMAL ABUSE

(I own a small, local pet shop. We have a variety of small pets, including rodents like rats and mice. We breed all of our animals ourselves, and I personally couldn’t bear knowing they’d be eaten, so I do not sell feeder mice. I do, however, sell a variety of frozen rodents, as big as rabbits. Due to owning the shop, I refuse to sell to certain people if they tell me they’re using my animals as food or they’re going to put them in very incorrect conditions. If they claim they’ll put one in a large cage but try to buy a cage meant for smaller animals, I won’t sell. I’ve just opened up shop when a woman walks in. She seems polite enough, though a little strange. She goes to the mouse section and looks at a cage of female mice.)

Woman: “I want one of these.”

Me: “Ma’am, these are actually female mice. I’d highly suggest getting two, or getting a male if you just want one. Sorry if I’m coming off as rude.”

Woman: “Oh, it’s no bother. I’m just getting one to feed my ball python.”

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I can’t sell mice to you as feeders.”

Woman: “Uh, actually it’s just a pet.”

Me: “Ma’am, you’ve led me to believe you’re going to feed her to your snake. I can’t sell you any mice, but I can sell you supplies for a pet mouse and you can but your pet mouse somewhere else? I could sell you frozen mice.”

Woman: *huffily* “Well, fine. I don’t want ANYTHING from your rotten store! My baby will only eat live! I’m going to [Chain Pet Store That Takes Horrible Care Of Their Animals]!”

Me: “You’re free to go there, ma’am. Apologies.”

(She storms off. About an hour later, we’re a bit busier and I have two workers working with me. I’m walking around giving people advice and asking if they need help, one coworker is working the register, and my other coworker is cleaning out cages and feeding. A man walks in.)

Man: “Yes, I’ll take one male mouse, please.”

Me: “Okay, sir! Might I suggest this 10-gallon fish tank? I have packs made with everything you need for a mouse. It’s $120 and includes a mouse.”

Man: “I’ll take that.”

(I sell it to the man and he leaves, I think nothing more of it. The next day, the woman triumphantly stomps in, holding printed out pictures with her and a little box.)

Woman: “My snake didn’t like your stupid mouse, but look!”

(She showed me several horrible pictures of her holding the mouse I sold to the man. One was of her dangling it by the tail over boiling water, dangling it by the tail over her dog, the mouse flying through the air while they play catch with it, and the last photo was it swimming in the toilet. She dropped the box in front of me, ranting about how she really showed me. I motioned my coworker over and walked in the back to make a call about animal abuse. When I walked back out, she was still there, and we continued to stall her until the police arrived. She got a short sentence, one month, and had to do community service. She’s banned from owning any rodents and, of course, is banned from my store. She left the box when she was arrested, and what did I find inside? The mouse. He was still alive, though soaking wet, bruised, and a little cut up. I kept him personally, and he’s still alive to this day.)