Hancock Petco – Where the Rats Go

*This post comes from Austinist contributor Ami. One day she will learn how to use the intraweb on her own. We promise.*

We went to Petco at Hancock Center to buy dog food yesterday. Immediately upon entering the store, we were overwhelmed by what can only be described as a horrific wall of odor, the likes of which we had never fathomed possible.

Please understand that we aren’t just whining here or suffering from overly sensitive olfactories. As the owner of two large canines who regularly eat wood, cat poop, and anything else that either fits or can be broken down to fit in their mouths, we are all too familiar with all manner of serious stench. The odor at Petco to which we refer, however, outdid even our dogs’ worst wood farts (which are capable of peeling paint, stripping wallpaper, and/or causing a biohazard evacuation of the tri-state area).

According to the kind Petco sales clerk working in these inhumane conditions, the odor apparently comes from a “rat problem”, which he assured us was under control and all but eradicated. We kind of hate to “rat” on Petco since we are longstanding “Petco Pals” and enjoy our one free bag of dog food for every ten (overpriced bags) we purchase, but at the same time we feel compelled to warn the unsuspecting public of this pungent Petco location and caution you to enter at your own risk. Alternatively, you could try another location or encourage your pets to wait to eat for about another week or two till the odor fully dissipates and you can buy them more food. P.U.!