I saw the handover documents

I can understand people being against large pet shops BUT credit where credit is due, at least they are trying...

The advice they give really doesn't excuse the fact that they get their animals from places like this:

http://www.ratz.co.uk/rodentfarm.html

How are they trying when they get their animals from places like the above?

Nope it doesn't and as I say I initially tried to source a hamster form a rescue or breeder but couldn't find one. I ended up in PAH for our first one and he lived til he was almost 3. Screech wasn't planned, we took him on because he had no home and had had no interest at all. (Not surprising for a hamster that screeches like him....) So home he came and he has been just fine.

There are worse places to get a rodent from and at least they are trying to do something good with their rescue section. They have also been fabulous with my neighbours.

Yes...I agree, they shouldn't get their animals from places like that, but I suspect my initial hamster wasn't, given how unusual he was...

They have a rescue section which actually costs money.....they have to feed and care for the animals and they also take up shelf space in the stores (if you want to be cynical about it).

PAH at home get all their animals from the same rodent farm in Essex, so your initial hamster almost certainly was from there. Grey & all its variations is also a very common hamster colour.

Not sure of a 'worse' place you can get a rodent from than a rodent farm. That is like saying you can get worse places than puppy farms for purchasing a puppy...no, they are the lowest of the low.

PAH make a fortune, money isn't an issue. None of the products they use for the animals (food, bedding, etc.) cost the company anything directly...they are sponsored by the manufactures & get it all for free.

So we shouldn't have rehomed this hamster then, (the donation we gave went to Dogs Trust, Greyhound Rescue and Cats Protection) who actually wasn't originally bought in PAH, they just took him in? Is that what you are saying? Are you saying they shouldn't have the rescue section??
That no matter what...PAH are evil? I don't understand your logic there you see because this hamster, that had a bad home initially, now has a good home...thanks entirely to the rescue section at PAH and the charities I have mentioned have extra money.
Yep I BOUGHT our first hamster there...but he had no health problems whatsoever, until he got ill just before he died. I couldn't actually find a breeder...or a rescue at that time...it was not for want of trying.

Yep rodent farms are bad...couldn't agree more...but pAH are not ALL bad....

They could still use the space to sell more stock....