Arizona woman buys velvet spider from Petco. Then she finds something that’s not supposed to be there: ‘Hold yourselves to higher standards than Petsmart’

An Arizona woman bought a velvet spider from Petco and discovered it had an egg sac. She was shocked by the store's response.

On Oct. 20, the spider enthusiast (@walkinginspiderwebs) explained her situation in a TikTok that has amassed over 1.2 million views as of Wednesday.

“So apparently, I kind of sort of accidentally helped change a nationwide Petco policy because of a velvet spider,” she said.

What did the woman do once she found out her spider laid an egg sac?

After purchasing a spider from Petco and posting it on TikTok, viewers suggested the spider has an egg sac. Then, she peeled off a sticker on the enclosure after bringing the spider home and discovered an egg sac underneath. “Sure as s—, there was an egg sac,” she said.

She went back to Petco to make them aware of the situation. She explained that inexperienced spider owners might not recognize the potential danger of unknowingly purchasing a spider carrying eggs.

The woman emphasized that she hoped Petco was unaware that it was selling wild-caught velvet spiders carrying eggs. The store manager initially appeared unaware of the issue. However, she checked another velvet spider still available for sale and asked the customer to inspect it, which she said also had an egg sac.

What was Petco's reaction?

She initially expected nothing to come of her complaint. Instead, the manager followed through and eventually called her with an update. “This lady really freaking cared,” she said.

According to the woman, Petco subsequently changed its policy for handling velvet spiders carrying egg sacs or baby spiders. Under the reported policy, stores should return those spiders to their vendors, who can care for the mothers and babies until the offspring are ready for sale.

She also advised customers who discover an egg sac or baby spiders in a newly purchased velvet spider's enclosure to contact their local Petco about returning or exchanging the animal. The woman encouraged prospective buyers to ask store employees questions and check their spiders carefully.

Is this a common issue for those who purchase spiders?

While the U.S. pet market is booming, the exotic pet market, including spiders, is a much smaller segment. Researchers have documented concerns about wild-caught animals entering the exotic pet trade.

It remains unclear how frequently pet retailers sell velvet spiders carrying egg sacs. There is no readily available national data establishing how common this specific problem is.

However, Petco is a major national pet retailer with a significant presence in the exotic pet industry. This means that a nationwide policy change on the issue would likely have a notable impact on the number of spider owners who encounter this issue.

@walkinginspiderwebs

Subplot reached out to @walkinginspiderwebs via TikTok direct message and the TikTok comment section, and to Petco via email.

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