The other week there was an article titled “Time-waster parents banned from using Pets At Home as free day out” It was quite a funny article on The Daily Mash, so I don’t know if it was a spoof or not. But it really made me giggle, as I was one of those ‘scumbag parents’ who took my toddler there to look at the animals with no intention of buying one. And I know I’m not the only one!
The photo above is from an actual zoo (yes we have taken Tyler to REAL zoos!) as I can’t find any photos from our pet shop days. Perhaps it would have been too cheeky to take a photo of him visiting the animals in a pet shop! But he did love it.
It was back when he was a toddler in 2014, when we were living at my mother-in-law’s in Greenford. There’s not much to do for toddler around Greenford – there’s the children’s centre, small playground, the dodgy canal, Paradise Fields if you’re up for walking (I wasn’t), and the place where we spent most of our time – Westway Retail Park.
After Stay and Play at the children’s centre, I’d push Tyler in the buggy to this retail park, we’d go for coffee and milk at Costa, then wander around the huge TK Maxx and then have a quick walk around Pets at Home before heading back home.
We’d go straight to the back where they had tanks upon tanks of goldfish. Millions of little fishies swimming around. He would stand and gaze at them in amazement. It was so cute. We weren’t the only ones either. Then we would walk back to the front of the store and look at the cute little bunnies in their hutches. I remember pretending to look at dog accessories as if I was a customer – sorry Pets at Home!!
Anyway, it was only like 10 minutes, no harm, right?! And we have taken him to real zoos and farms too, like Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire, Paignton Zoo in Devon, Odds Farm in Buckinghamshire, Hobbledown Farm in Epson, as well as seeing petting farm animals in Slough whenever there are local events. But you know, you can’t go to a zoo everyday!
Have you done it? Have you taken your child to a pet shop just to look at the animals? Don’t worry, I won’t tell 😉
Sabrina x
Our store has events and pet days so I think they encourage people to come in and explore. We love looking at the animals although J does want to wake any sleeping animals up…sorry hamsters!x
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That is good then! I think that article must have been a joke one! x
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We sometimes go and look at the animals at Pets at Home, and we always look at the fish in the garden centre too. Toby’s old nursery even used to take them on trips to Pets at Home so I don’t think the stores mind! #blogtober
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Wow nursery trips to Pets at Home, that is so funny! I’m sure that article was a spoof one!
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