Guest Writer - Volunteering & Pet store prices

Hi everyone! My name is Chris and I'm a volunteer for NWI Chinchillas. I've gotten involved in volunteering for NWI over the last few months. I thought there might not be too much for me to help with, as I'm about an hour away from the location, but I was wrong!! I've done so many different things like assisting at pet expos in my area, helping compose forms for adoptions & fostering, and posting listings for available animals across multiple websites.

My latest task involved going to pet stores in my area to check on prices for a variety of items. Ashley wanted to update a pricing list of items she carries in her supply store, comparing them to pricing of similar items in the "big box" pet stores. I was so pleased to find that not only does she carry MORE safe options than the pet stores do, but at BETTER prices!! We all love to support small businesses, but with that, usually comes slightly higher prices in order to support that business owner. But not at NWI! She is able to buy these great items in bulk, and passes on the savings to you!! Much of the profit that is made is fed back into the rescue, which helps care for chinchillas who need specialized care, TLC, and time to look for that perfect forever home. Who WOULDN'T want to support that?!

I was also shocked to see how many items at the pet stores had pictures of chinchillas on the packaging, when they were in fact, NOT chinchilla safe at all! Things like yogurt drops, veggie treats, or paper bedding are all displayed as suitable for ALL small animals. Many small animals have different needs from one another, and shouldn't be all lumped together! And if you're instead buying from a small business who specializes in one kind of animal, you can rest assured that you are getting the best products possible for that particular animal. And isn't that what you want for your furry family members?