Pet Store Reduces Theft with X10 Camera!

Running our own business is a dream that many of us have had at one time or another. The idea of taking our hobbies and turning them into a profit-making venture has a strong attraction. But for those who are actually out there doing it, they can tell you that it also has some pitfalls. Now most of those that are running their own business would say that they wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. But from time to time they can use a little help.

A to Z Pets, a family owned pet store in Portland, Oregon, is just such a store. A father and his two sons run the store, and they’ve been noticing they’ve been coming up short when doing inventory. In fact, some months it was as much as a thousand dollars. That’s a lot of money by any standards. The only logical explanation was that people were stealing from them. "In one case, somebody stole a $500 Terrier," their friend Rian said.

Rian, who assists them in their store whenever he can, tried to help them find a solution. He checked into several home security possibilities, "but they were all so expensive," he said. Then he learned about X10’s inexpensive solution through a banner ad while he was clicking through sites on the Internet. He found the Anaconda and decided that was the best solution for them. They soon hooked up 6 of these security cameras throughout the store to keep an eye on things. What they found was amazing.

According to Rian, people were taking all sorts of things. Not only were they stealing toys for cats and dogs, but in some cases the actual cats and dogs themselves. They stole fish tank accessories, pet accessories and food. Also, collars and anything else they could get their hands on. Now most of these are small things (except maybe the dog), but they add up quickly. Very quickly. And it was becoming costly.

But now that customers know they are being watched, things have changed radically. The store is no longer losing a thousand dollars a month. That number is actually way down to almost nothing. And if there is a problem, all they have to do is play back the tape, and they have proof should they need to bring in outside intervention.

So thanks to the Anaconda, the owners of the A to Z Pet Store are able to focus on the important things, like running their business, and doing what they love. Not trying to figure out where their inventory’s going.

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