Update on Puffer tragedy at W@#-M@*#

euRasian32 · 08-03-2005, 08:30 AM

(the beginning)
We received a phone call after submitting complaints to the store and headquarters, and we're still not satisfied. One thing that irked me is that the store manager was clueless to both our concerns and life in general. One thing she said in our conversation was that she initially wanted some jack dempseys but she couldn't find any small and colorful ones??? I began to tell her that the colors show up later, but that would've been like shooting a dead terrorist, although it would've felt good it wouldn't make a difference. Stupid is as stupid does. Anyhoo, I'll post the new letter in just a moment...

euRasian32 · 08-03-2005, 08:31 AM

August 5, 2005

Wal-Mart Supercenter
Central Park
1800 Carl D. Silver Parkway
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Phone: (540) 786-2090

To Whom It May Concern:

I write this letter to express a concern I have with Wal-Mart’s continuation to sell fish and its lack of care for such a product. I visited the Wal-Mart Super Center at Central Park in Fredericksburg, Virginia on July 19, 2005 to purchase some necessities.

As fish are one of my hobbies, I visit local fish stores, large pet stores, and aquariums alike on a regular basis. I own numerous varieties of fish and have several aquariums. I pride myself on researching the proper habitats and companionships of my fish and those of interest.

I was excited and then horrified to find that Wal-Mart decided to stock a species of puffer fish. When I noticed that store had placed not one puffer but several (more than 5), in a community tank (less than 10 gallons in size) with other fish, I was alarmed. Let me explain why.

Puffers are a unique variety of fish, because of their cartoon-like movements and appearance, permanent smile, and their social interaction with their outside world. As an experience aquarist, I appreciate fish that are unusual and present a challenge in the aquarium and the puffer fish fits the bill.

There are three different types of puffer fish. Those that live in fresh water, such as ponds, the upper reaches of rivers, lakes, and streams; in the brackish waters of river estuaries, deltas, the lower reaches of a river and mangrove-type habitats or salt water (marine); and the marine varieties require a high level of specialized marine mix salt. Most of the species seem to reside in true marine conditions, though there are a few puffers that are strictly fresh water. In fact, most species of brackish water puffers can actually be kept in full marine conditions.

The species that Wal-Mart stocked is commonly known as the leopard-green spotted puffer. These puffers originated in South East Asia and reside in brackish to marine water conditions. Wal-Mart had them in FRESHWATER. Although often sold as a freshwater or brackish water fish, this species requires full saltwater conditions as an adult to really thrive. They should only be introduced to a fully cycled aquarium matching the salinity they were being kept in previously. The salinity should slowly be raised to at least 1.015, preferably full marine conditions. This species will not do well for an extended period in freshwater conditions. They need high-end brackish water to full-marine conditions as they grow. The green-spotted puffer is an active fin nipper and will predate smaller fish and invertebrates. Most of the puffers I observed were bitten on all of their fins, some missing a tail and side fins altogether, not to mention the other fish in the tank were missing fins. Although a peaceful fish, a puffer should still be kept in a solitary tank that is no smaller than 30 gallons.
Just for the record, I have not purchased a puffer because of the level of care that is involved in taking care of this precious animal. Apparently, Wal-Mart does not share my concern for the health and safety of these living creatures. I attempted to rescue one of these puffers by purchasing it and a small tank. However, after careful inspection of each fish, I realized none of the badly bitten fish would survive, or they were overcome with ick (the most common external parasite) .
Having seen all I could bare, I returned home and composed a letter to the headquarters of Wal-Mart.
Much to my surprise, I received a phone call from the Central Park location. I spoke with a daytime manager with regard to my concerns. In truth, she seemed clueless to the true distress that I was under for the lack of care her store gave to their fish.
We discussed the fact the puffers were purchased in attempt to increase sales as the “fish of the month” and that they would probably not purchase any more of this species, and seemed content on purchasing more fish they knew nothing about in the following months. I expressed to her my feelings that her vendor was also to blame for the lack of respect these fish were given, not only had they sent them damaged, but, obviously, had not educated her or her staff on the proper care of such fish or made certain her store could properly stock them. With all that was discussed, she assured me she would talk to her manager and resolve the problem. Later that same day, I received a message from her stating that they were going to send the fish back to the vendor.
Although I have shopped at Wal-Mart on a regular basis, I am truly hurt that they would treat these animals with less respect than their perishables in the grocery aisles. If Wal-Mart cannot supply a proper environment for the fish they intend sell, then they should not be a proprietor of pets. Even though fish are not fuzzy and cuddly, that does not mean that they are not loved pets. They are not toys, fads, or decorations for home or office and should be taken very seriously.

I am attempting to appeal to a larger audience, in hopes that something more will be done for the fish stocked at Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, I do not believe much can be done for the poor little puffers I saw just a few weeks ago. I hope someone, maybe you, can help me to make this more than a cry from my heart and help put an end to an attempt to sell a product that Wal-Mart does not seem to care about.

I trust you will take this letter seriously, given that you have a heart, and address the issue immediately with those individuals in the Wal-Mart organization responsible for the massacre of this living being.

Sincerely,

Cc:

Wal-Mart Online Customer Service
http://www.walmartstores.com/wmstore...OnlineForm.jsp

Fredericksburg Animal Control
P.O. Box 828
Fredericksburg, VA 22408
(540) 373-3122

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
501 Front Street
Norfolk, VA 23510
(757) 622-PETA

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
424 E. 92nd St
New York, NY 10128-6804.

The Nature Conservancy
4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100
Arlington, VA 22203-1606

World Wildlife Fund
1250 24th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 293-4800

Letters to the Editor
The Free Lance–Star
616 Amelia Street
Fredericksburg, VA 22401

fishboy · 08-03-2005, 10:19 AM

i don't know about everyone's opion but i liked it

blixem · 08-03-2005, 11:20 AM

Speak of the devil, maybe you are the reason...

I was shopping at the local Wal-Mart day before yesterday and checked out the fish section for the hell of it. There was a sign taped onto the puffer tank that said, "These fish are for advanced fish keepers, please do not consider them unless you have spoken with a sales associate first."

I was amazed, and happy.

euRasian32 · 08-03-2005, 11:37 AM

SWEET! THAT'S AWESOME

I guess it did work. I spoke with a rep with The Coral Reef Alliance (CRA), they said if it got into their hands they'd stomp a mudhole in WM's (o), so they suggested for me to give them a chance to fully remedy the situation before they step in.

I donate money regularly to the CRA, so if anyones interested I can get some info.

IloveCichlids · 08-03-2005, 12:20 PM

Excellant work! YOu should be commended.

euRasian32 · 08-03-2005, 12:37 PM

I can't be for sure if the GA WM put up the warning sign on account of me and my girl, so I won't take credit for it. I'm glad that at least 1 WM is concerned about the fish they're keeping.

Lydia · 08-03-2005, 04:00 PM

Great job! Congrats for doing something to make wal-**** hopefully change!

fishfreaks · 08-03-2005, 06:48 PM

Wow, nice work. I dont ever see anyone in the fish department at walmart unless theyre kids looking at the fish.

**Baby_Baby** · 08-03-2005, 08:32 PM

ya. very nice work. *pats on back*

**TheOldSalt** · 08-03-2005, 11:42 PM

Hhrrrmm. You should have left PETA out of it. The involvement of those morons tends to destroy any credibility the cause may have had.

mrmoby · 08-04-2005, 12:31 AM

You are definitely to be commended for your efforts! I do have to agree with Old Salt though as far as PETA is concerned. Good job though!

Lexus · 08-04-2005, 06:05 PM

I would have sent the letter not to the Super center but to the home office in ARK. That usually gets you a little farther.

euRasian32 · 08-04-2005, 10:42 PM

Well thanks everyone. She said she needed stamps, so we'll omit PETA.

We'll also add the home office as one of the recipients. If you could hook me up with that address Lexus, that would be great. What's the fish of the month supposed to be next? We should all be prepared for the worst. Someone said that they had stingrays a few months back?

Lexus · 08-04-2005, 10:56 PM

Well last month was Albino Rainbow Shark... dont know lol

This is listed on the site... I take it everyone knows where walmart mail goes

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Bentonville, Arkansas 72716-8611

1-800-WAL-MART

**TheOldSalt** · 08-05-2005, 02:46 PM

Oh, you haven't sent it yet. Okay, good.
I thought it was already too late, but your letter could stand some polishing before it's sent. Okay, a lot of polishing. I don't want to insult, but if you want this letter to have any impact, it has to be perfect.
Grammatic errors aside, it is too vague in some areas and too detailed in others. You want to deliver the correct message and in such a way that the readers understand what the problem is and why it's a problem, all without losing them in a haze, and you want them to get the impression that you are someone with whom to be reckoned.
As currently written, this letter conveys the message that there is something possibly very wrong, whatever that may be, but the person who wrote it is likely some flakey treehugger safely brushed off with a patronizing form letter. I know that sounds snarky, and I'm sorry about that, but you have to consider these things when going up against the corporate machine, which will always do it's level best to ignore any outsider it can.

I can help if you'd like assistance and aren't too mad at me.

Don't bother with the Nature Conservancy either; they're not much better than PETA, and their focus is on an arena quite different, that is, there's nothing they would do even if they could.

Vivid-Dawn · 08-07-2005, 08:54 AM

I have to agree with Old Salt. The letter is nice, if you were writing to maybe a small, LFS... but for a corporation, it's a bit too... I dunno, "soft". It sounds like you're pleading and asking, rather than telling them to be better. "Please be nice to the little fishies", is what I got.
While you obviously don't want to be offensive, you also need to be firm in the request (maybe make it seem almost more like a demand).
Old Salt would probably be a better choice for helping you with a final draft, but I could give some ideas too if ya want.

I also have to agree with a few others. It may not do much. I'm surprised you got a phone call. I would've expected a form letter. Maybe if hundreds of people complained, they might take it into consideration. But if this is one of only a few (even a few dozen), they'll probably just think "well, nobody else has issues, why bother?"
I know that seems pessimistic...but I like to think of it as realistic, because it's what DOES happen in large companies like that. If they're making money, they don't care what a few bleeding hearts think.

I just quit buying fish from WM... the tanks at my store LOOK clean. And the Neons are wonderfully vibrant...but every time I bring something home, Ich breaks out (and even with medicine, I've had 2 sets of fish die anyway).

euRasian32 · 08-10-2005, 07:50 AM

I always appreciate straight forward opinions, olSalt. We had mailed them off moments after the post, but if we do anything more in the future I'll consult you.

My girlfriend is in fact, a tree huggin hippie from the sticks, so you're right on the money. We don't want to go global and be on the news or anything, we wanted someone to get those puffers out of there. After the first letter we knew that it just got blown aside, so we targeted a larger audience and tried to better explain our concern. The store manager said she was going to send the fish back to the vendor, but that didn't happen. They did isolate all the puffers to one tank, and out of the 25-30 original fish, there were 5 left, and they were looking tattered and engulfed in Ich.
Oh, and they labeled the fish "highly aggressive".

We got a call yesterday from Officer Worthy, he read the letter and contacted the store, and stated that they don't know what they're doing - nor do they know what they've gotten themselves into. He asked permission to forward the letter to the Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, and we kindly agreed.

C

Jonno · 08-10-2005, 03:27 PM

I'm so happy there are no wal ^%^$ in the UK, but i have been to a place like that but not so bad, anyho well done u should be knighted!

fishfreaks · 08-10-2005, 05:09 PM

nice work eurasian!! Now that you've got someone on your side, maybe you can get somewheres now!

08-03-2005, 08:30 AM	#1
euRasian32 Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Virginia Age: 33 Posts: 752 User Feedback: (2)	*Update on Puffer tragedy at W@#-M@#** (the beginning) We received a phone call after submitting complaints to the store and headquarters, and we're still not satisfied. One thing that irked me is that the store manager was clueless to both our concerns and life in general. One thing she said in our conversation was that she initially wanted some jack dempseys but she couldn't find any small and colorful ones??? I began to tell her that the colors show up later, but that would've been like shooting a dead terrorist, although it would've felt good it wouldn't make a difference. Stupid is as stupid does. Anyhoo, I'll post the new letter in just a moment... __________________ “Corporations pay people just enough money so they won’t quit. People work just enough so they don’t get fired. What's that about?” – Christopher Walken, Pool Hall Junkies

08-03-2005, 08:31 AM	#2
euRasian32 Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Virginia Age: 33 Posts: 752 User Feedback: (2)	August 5, 2005 Wal-Mart Supercenter Central Park 1800 Carl D. Silver Parkway Fredericksburg, VA 22401 Phone: (540) 786-2090 To Whom It May Concern: I write this letter to express a concern I have with Wal-Mart’s continuation to sell fish and its lack of care for such a product. I visited the Wal-Mart Super Center at Central Park in Fredericksburg, Virginia on July 19, 2005 to purchase some necessities. As fish are one of my hobbies, I visit local fish stores, large pet stores, and aquariums alike on a regular basis. I own numerous varieties of fish and have several aquariums. I pride myself on researching the proper habitats and companionships of my fish and those of interest. I was excited and then horrified to find that Wal-Mart decided to stock a species of puffer fish. When I noticed that store had placed not one puffer but several (more than 5), in a community tank (less than 10 gallons in size) with other fish, I was alarmed. Let me explain why. Puffers are a unique variety of fish, because of their cartoon-like movements and appearance, permanent smile, and their social interaction with their outside world. As an experience aquarist, I appreciate fish that are unusual and present a challenge in the aquarium and the puffer fish fits the bill. There are three different types of puffer fish. Those that live in fresh water, such as ponds, the upper reaches of rivers, lakes, and streams; in the brackish waters of river estuaries, deltas, the lower reaches of a river and mangrove-type habitats or salt water (marine); and the marine varieties require a high level of specialized marine mix salt. Most of the species seem to reside in true marine conditions, though there are a few puffers that are strictly fresh water. In fact, most species of brackish water puffers can actually be kept in full marine conditions. The species that Wal-Mart stocked is commonly known as the leopard-green spotted puffer. These puffers originated in South East Asia and reside in brackish to marine water conditions. Wal-Mart had them in FRESHWATER. Although often sold as a freshwater or brackish water fish, this species requires full saltwater conditions as an adult to really thrive. They should only be introduced to a fully cycled aquarium matching the salinity they were being kept in previously. The salinity should slowly be raised to at least 1.015, preferably full marine conditions. This species will not do well for an extended period in freshwater conditions. They need high-end brackish water to full-marine conditions as they grow. The green-spotted puffer is an active fin nipper and will predate smaller fish and invertebrates. Most of the puffers I observed were bitten on all of their fins, some missing a tail and side fins altogether, not to mention the other fish in the tank were missing fins. Although a peaceful fish, a puffer should still be kept in a solitary tank that is no smaller than 30 gallons. Just for the record, I have not purchased a puffer because of the level of care that is involved in taking care of this precious animal. Apparently, Wal-Mart does not share my concern for the health and safety of these living creatures. I attempted to rescue one of these puffers by purchasing it and a small tank. However, after careful inspection of each fish, I realized none of the badly bitten fish would survive, or they were overcome with ick (the most common external parasite) . Having seen all I could bare, I returned home and composed a letter to the headquarters of Wal-Mart. Much to my surprise, I received a phone call from the Central Park location. I spoke with a daytime manager with regard to my concerns. In truth, she seemed clueless to the true distress that I was under for the lack of care her store gave to their fish. We discussed the fact the puffers were purchased in attempt to increase sales as the “fish of the month” and that they would probably not purchase any more of this species, and seemed content on purchasing more fish they knew nothing about in the following months. I expressed to her my feelings that her vendor was also to blame for the lack of respect these fish were given, not only had they sent them damaged, but, obviously, had not educated her or her staff on the proper care of such fish or made certain her store could properly stock them. With all that was discussed, she assured me she would talk to her manager and resolve the problem. Later that same day, I received a message from her stating that they were going to send the fish back to the vendor. Although I have shopped at Wal-Mart on a regular basis, I am truly hurt that they would treat these animals with less respect than their perishables in the grocery aisles. If Wal-Mart cannot supply a proper environment for the fish they intend sell, then they should not be a proprietor of pets. Even though fish are not fuzzy and cuddly, that does not mean that they are not loved pets. They are not toys, fads, or decorations for home or office and should be taken very seriously. I am attempting to appeal to a larger audience, in hopes that something more will be done for the fish stocked at Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, I do not believe much can be done for the poor little puffers I saw just a few weeks ago. I hope someone, maybe you, can help me to make this more than a cry from my heart and help put an end to an attempt to sell a product that Wal-Mart does not seem to care about. I trust you will take this letter seriously, given that you have a heart, and address the issue immediately with those individuals in the Wal-Mart organization responsible for the massacre of this living being. Sincerely, Cc: Wal-Mart Online Customer Service http://www.walmartstores.com/wmstore...OnlineForm.jsp Fredericksburg Animal Control P.O. Box 828 Fredericksburg, VA 22408 (540) 373-3122 People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals 501 Front Street Norfolk, VA 23510 (757) 622-PETA American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) 424 E. 92nd St New York, NY 10128-6804. The Nature Conservancy 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22203-1606 World Wildlife Fund 1250 24th Street, NW Washington, DC 20037 (202) 293-4800 Letters to the Editor The Free Lance–Star 616 Amelia Street Fredericksburg, VA 22401 __________________ “Corporations pay people just enough money so they won’t quit. People work just enough so they don’t get fired. What's that about?” – Christopher Walken, Pool Hall Junkies Last edited by euRasian32; 08-03-2005 at 08:35 AM.

08-03-2005, 10:19 AM	#3
fishboy Custom User Title Join Date: Feb 2005 Age: 16 Posts: 1,655 User Feedback: (0)	i don't know about everyone's opion but i liked it __________________ It is only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything

08-03-2005, 11:37 AM	#5
euRasian32 Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Virginia Age: 33 Posts: 752 User Feedback: (2)	SWEET! THAT'S AWESOME I guess it did work. I spoke with a rep with The Coral Reef Alliance (CRA), they said if it got into their hands they'd stomp a mudhole in WM's (o), so they suggested for me to give them a chance to fully remedy the situation before they step in. I donate money regularly to the CRA, so if anyones interested I can get some info. __________________ “Corporations pay people just enough money so they won’t quit. People work just enough so they don’t get fired. What's that about?” – Christopher Walken, Pool Hall Junkies

08-03-2005, 12:20 PM	#6
IloveCichlids Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: St. Louis, MO Age: 29 Posts: 456 User Feedback: (0)	Excellant work! YOu should be commended. __________________ When you feel like this... , just watch your fish, & have a tasty beverage (of your choice, I like Kool-Aid)!

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08-03-2005, 11:20 AM	#4
blixem Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Athens, GA Age: 33 Posts: 145 User Feedback: (0)	Speak of the devil, maybe you are the reason... I was shopping at the local Wal-Mart day before yesterday and checked out the fish section for the hell of it. There was a sign taped onto the puffer tank that said, "These fish are for advanced fish keepers, please do not consider them unless you have spoken with a sales associate first." I was amazed, and happy.

08-03-2005, 12:37 PM	#7
euRasian32 Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Virginia Age: 33 Posts: 752 User Feedback: (2)	I can't be for sure if the GA WM put up the warning sign on account of me and my girl, so I won't take credit for it. I'm glad that at least 1 WM is concerned about the fish they're keeping. __________________ “Corporations pay people just enough money so they won’t quit. People work just enough so they don’t get fired. What's that about?” – Christopher Walken, Pool Hall Junkies

08-03-2005, 04:00 PM	#8
Lydia Ichthus Owner Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: FL Posts: 1,907 User Feedback: (0)	Great job! Congrats for doing something to make wal-** hopefully change! __________________ Vote for FishForums!** Last edited by Lydia; 08-04-2005 at 06:23 AM.

08-03-2005, 06:48 PM	#9
fishfreaks M&F Couple Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: PA Age: 21 Posts: 4,303 User Feedback: (5)	Wow, nice work. I dont ever see anyone in the fish department at walmart unless theyre kids looking at the fish. __________________ VOTE FOR FISH FORUMS

08-03-2005, 08:32 PM	#10
Baby_Baby Friendly Neighborhood Mod Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Tulsa Posts: 3,527 User Feedback: (0)	ya. very nice work. pats on back __________________ *Emotion is energy in motion.*

08-03-2005, 11:42 PM	#11
TheOldSalt Darth Ichthyos Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,058 User Feedback: (5)	Hhrrrmm. You should have left PETA out of it. The involvement of those morons tends to destroy any credibility the cause may have had.

08-04-2005, 12:31 AM	#12
mrmoby Devout Heathen Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Waterville, ME Age: 35 Posts: 509 User Feedback: (0)	You are definitely to be commended for your efforts! I do have to agree with Old Salt though as far as PETA is concerned. Good job though! __________________ Believe nothing, no matter where you read it or who has said it, not even if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.- Siddhartha Gautama

08-04-2005, 06:05 PM	#13
Lexus Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 22 Posts: 2,399 User Feedback: (0)	I would have sent the letter not to the Super center but to the home office in ARK. That usually gets you a little farther. __________________ 55 Gallon 2 Parrots 2 Angels 1 Albino BN Pleco 1 Goldfish 47 Gallon 2 Angels 4 Black Skirt Tetras 8 Tiger Barbs 9 Zebra Danios 11 Corys 29 Gallon 8 Daffodil Cichlids 10 Gallon 1 Betta 5 ADFs

08-04-2005, 10:42 PM	#14
euRasian32 Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Virginia Age: 33 Posts: 752 User Feedback: (2)	Well thanks everyone. She said she needed stamps, so we'll omit PETA. We'll also add the home office as one of the recipients. If you could hook me up with that address Lexus, that would be great. What's the fish of the month supposed to be next? We should all be prepared for the worst. Someone said that they had stingrays a few months back? __________________ “Corporations pay people just enough money so they won’t quit. People work just enough so they don’t get fired. What's that about?” – Christopher Walken, Pool Hall Junkies

08-04-2005, 10:56 PM	#15
Lexus Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 22 Posts: 2,399 User Feedback: (0)	Well last month was Albino Rainbow Shark... dont know lol This is listed on the site... I take it everyone knows where walmart mail goes Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Bentonville, Arkansas 72716-8611 1-800-WAL-MART __________________ 55 Gallon 2 Parrots 2 Angels 1 Albino BN Pleco 1 Goldfish 47 Gallon 2 Angels 4 Black Skirt Tetras 8 Tiger Barbs 9 Zebra Danios 11 Corys 29 Gallon 8 Daffodil Cichlids 10 Gallon 1 Betta 5 ADFs

08-05-2005, 02:46 PM	#16
TheOldSalt Darth Ichthyos Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,058 User Feedback: (5)	Oh, you haven't sent it yet. Okay, good. I thought it was already too late, but your letter could stand some polishing before it's sent. Okay, a lot of polishing. I don't want to insult, but if you want this letter to have any impact, it has to be perfect. Grammatic errors aside, it is too vague in some areas and too detailed in others. You want to deliver the correct message and in such a way that the readers understand what the problem is and why it's a problem, all without losing them in a haze, and you want them to get the impression that you are someone with whom to be reckoned. As currently written, this letter conveys the message that there is something possibly very wrong, whatever that may be, but the person who wrote it is likely some flakey treehugger safely brushed off with a patronizing form letter. I know that sounds snarky, and I'm sorry about that, but you have to consider these things when going up against the corporate machine, which will always do it's level best to ignore any outsider it can. I can help if you'd like assistance and aren't too mad at me. Don't bother with the Nature Conservancy either; they're not much better than PETA, and their focus is on an arena quite different, that is, there's nothing they would do even if they could.

08-07-2005, 08:54 AM	#17
Vivid-Dawn Blue world bungler! Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Utah Age: 30 Posts: 225 User Feedback: (0)	Letter draft? I have to agree with Old Salt. The letter is nice, if you were writing to maybe a small, LFS... but for a corporation, it's a bit too... I dunno, "soft". It sounds like you're pleading and asking, rather than telling them to be better. "Please be nice to the little fishies", is what I got. While you obviously don't want to be offensive, you also need to be firm in the request (maybe make it seem almost more like a demand). Old Salt would probably be a better choice for helping you with a final draft, but I could give some ideas too if ya want. I also have to agree with a few others. It may not do much. I'm surprised you got a phone call. I would've expected a form letter. Maybe if hundreds of people complained, they might take it into consideration. But if this is one of only a few (even a few dozen), they'll probably just think "well, nobody else has issues, why bother?" I know that seems pessimistic...but I like to think of it as realistic, because it's what DOES happen in large companies like that. If they're making money, they don't care what a few bleeding hearts think. I just quit buying fish from WM... the tanks at my store LOOK clean. And the Neons are wonderfully vibrant...but every time I bring something home, Ich breaks out (and even with medicine, I've had 2 sets of fish die anyway). __________________ I may be crazy, but it's kept me from goin' insane... ~~~ 50g/189L 3 Electric Yellow Cichlid (single male, pair female) 1 Kenyi Cichlid (male) --- 20g/75.5 1 fancy guppy (male) 5 long-fin Zebra Danio

08-10-2005, 07:50 AM	#18
euRasian32 Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Virginia Age: 33 Posts: 752 User Feedback: (2)	I always appreciate straight forward opinions, olSalt. We had mailed them off moments after the post, but if we do anything more in the future I'll consult you. My girlfriend is in fact, a tree huggin hippie from the sticks, so you're right on the money. We don't want to go global and be on the news or anything, we wanted someone to get those puffers out of there. After the first letter we knew that it just got blown aside, so we targeted a larger audience and tried to better explain our concern. The store manager said she was going to send the fish back to the vendor, but that didn't happen. They did isolate all the puffers to one tank, and out of the 25-30 original fish, there were 5 left, and they were looking tattered and engulfed in Ich. Oh, and they labeled the fish "highly aggressive". We got a call yesterday from Officer Worthy, he read the letter and contacted the store, and stated that they don't know what they're doing - nor do they know what they've gotten themselves into. He asked permission to forward the letter to the Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, and we kindly agreed. C __________________ “Corporations pay people just enough money so they won’t quit. People work just enough so they don’t get fired. What's that about?” – Christopher Walken, Pool Hall Junkies

08-10-2005, 03:27 PM	#19
Jonno Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Devon, UK Age: 20 Posts: 512 User Feedback: (0)	I'm so happy there are no wal ^%^$ in the UK, but i have been to a place like that but not so bad, anyho well done u should be knighted!

08-10-2005, 05:09 PM	#20
fishfreaks M&F Couple Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: PA Age: 21 Posts: 4,303 User Feedback: (5)	nice work eurasian!! Now that you've got someone on your side, maybe you can get somewheres now! __________________ VOTE FOR FISH FORUMS

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