Where the Pets Go?!

I am the proud owner of two fantail goldfish. They're pretty low maintenance, nice to look at, and sometimes entertaining. I recently cleaned out the fish tank and discovered that I was in need of some supplies to keep the tank in tip-top condition. So, I ventured to the nearest chain pet supply store at the mall to grab a few items. As I was standing in the back of the store looking at the different options on the shelf, I noticed something moving by my foot. Not just any something... oh no, it was a big fat roach skittering across the floor, coming out from it's hiding place right underneath the shelf I was looking at. To say that I was grossed out would be a little bit of an understatement. My first instinct was to stomp on it and then run away completely grossed out.

But then, I had one little thought: "Is it really okay to kill an animal (okay, a roach) in a pet store, or is there something a little wrong about that?" Needless to say, I let the little critter live.

A little disconcerting, though was the response that I got from the completely appethetic worker at the check-out stand. I walked up quite calmly and stated that perhaps they should consider cleaning the fish section of the store, as there was a little roach friend who was making his home there. The checker looked at me blankly and said, "Uh, okay... did you find everything today?" Yeah... and then some!

Perhaps it's time for me to start shopping at the non-chain pet store down the street... at least I haven't encountered any roaches there yet!