Pet stores are not covered under the Animal Welfare Act unless they sell animals to research, sell wild or exotic animals or exhibit wild or exotic animals to the public, such as a petting zoo or at schools. If they do not meet these requirements the USDA has no jurisdiction over them. We suggest you first complain to the store and make sure the people responsible (supervisor, manager, owner, parent company, etc.) are all aware of the situation. If you feel that this was not a temporary oversight and you want to take further action, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is one option (find the BBB in your state http://lookup.bbb.org/).

You may also check whether there are any state or local county laws covering the health of animals in pet shops. Often state or local anti-cruelty laws cover this situation. We are not qualified to give advice on the law but suggest that you always check to see if there are recent updates when acting on a law posted on a web site.