Michael wrote:No, it's not. Because the store will go on doing what they do for all the time after I leave. However, by pissing off stores and getting a bad reputation, I would shut myself out of the potential of reaching the people online. Some stores let me post fliers and some day I hope to sell some of my products through them. Some stores recommend my sites or forum for people to get more information. To talk one person out of overpaying on a single bird would just get me shut out and lose the chance to reach even more people. I can't stop them from buying on impulse or get the store to improve the diet they ween their parrots onto. The best I can hope for is to educate people online and let them learn enough for themselves that they wouldn't want to further patronize stores like that.
Michael, I really appreciate that you're able to keep your cool to be able to stay in a position where you can reach and help more bird owners and potential bird owners. It's great that you can see the bigger picture and are able to see how you'll be able to do the most good.
I'm also thankful that I'm not in the same position as you and am able to say whatever I please! I've never had to say anything in a store, I've never been to a really bad one. I did see some very poorly treated parrots in Puerto Rico. One Blue and Gold Macaw had it's wings cut so short and they must have been blood feathers that were cut. I could see about an inch of the bare quill and there was stained blood all over them. I don't know why there were no barbs (feathery part of the feather) for that inch but it was an awful sight. It made me absolutely sick to see it. The gentlemen (if you could call them that) had about a dozen parrots from a few macaws, an amazon, a grey, a cockatoo, a couple love birds, conures, and cockatiels. They were charing $10 a photo to place them on you and take a picture. It took everything I had to not say anything, I was honestly worried about getting stabbed or something if I confronted them! They did not look like friendly men, they treated the birds and the customers very rudely.
