Petshop rescue

[Jezabel]

Do you think we should rescue reptiles from petshop?

I have no idea of what my answer is. I thought of that because the blood you see on that pics is over 2 years old...and about 2-2½ feet:( I took the pics cause they had 2 and I sent it to a really nice guy that came down from mtl to buy one. This other one is still there, and when I'll have some more space I think I'll buy it.

[Pixie]

Hi Jez,

That is a very tough answer to give... On one hand, I would like to "save" the reptiles that are badly kept in some petstores but on the other, I know they'll just be replaced quickly by another one who is kept in unpleasant conditions...

It's really a catch 22 in my opinion so I still have no definite answer. I've bought my BP cause I wanted one for quite some time but I was more than happy to give it a proper home and care too.

About that blood python, I'm interested in that breed and planning to get one sooner or later, what are the conditions of the place where it's being kept? Do you know if it's a CB? Let me know of some details if you can, I'd love to give it a new home :)

Pixie

[Jezabel]

Hi pixie!

The other one that was there is now at King-Python on magazoo. I'm sure he's not cb (as most snake that are for sell here) but I've never ask. I'm sure they will tell you cb anyway. They obviously never feed him, my blood is feed every 14 day and is 4ft at 15 month old! He has a slimy waterbowl, he is house with some new wc arrival once in a while so might have mites. But seems to have the proper temp and humidity (at least). He's 250$ and I'm not sure if he would lower his price. He soooo small for his age I dont know if it could have affect his healt or his growth. The one the King-Python has is in great shape but he has it for about a year.

C'est dur de décider a acheter un serpent qui a p-ê sa vie d'hypothéquer a cause qu'il a pas été nouris... Je sais pas a quel point ca peu l'avoir affecter. Informe toi a du monde plus connaisseur pour etre sur. Merci de ton intéret!!! Si jamais ca t'interesserais toujours, m'a voir, je peu p-ê faire un tit quelque chose pour le prix...

[lance]

hi all thats a toughie
i'd like to save them but as the poll says thier just going to buy more and treat them the same way
i think some way we have to educate the store staff but like any buissness they are on a budget and the owners don't want to spend the money on herp care
just my oppinon thanks

[Lisa]

I wouldn't rescue an animal by buying it from a pet store. there are other methods. Now I'm not saying you should go in and steal the animal (that would result in a total loss of proffit for the store but thats just a drop in the bucket).

Stuff like legislation and education are better ways to get better treatment for animals in general. Surprise inspections, undercover inspections and public reports with proof (such photographs).

Requirement of a care sheet with every purchase including details on adult size and housing requirements is also another way to do this. having said care sheet posted next to the cage would be good too.

Educating store staff is one thing but when you have a minimum wage job you don't usually care and are only there to make a buck til something else comes along.

[Biggz69]

i would rescue them and then keep rescuing the others aswell (if you have the room that is)

[Bryan Self]

I feel that a poorly kept animals should never be bought. It is tough to walk away but if there behavior is rewarded it will be repeated. I will speak with someone in charge and try to get the problem resolved. Reporting it to the authorities causes other problems. The HSUS and PETA already do not want us to own reptiles. They, in their ignorance, consider pet stores as experts. So if pet stores cannot do it right then how can the adverage person? We should not buy supplies from a place that mistreats it animals. Every dollar we spend just helps the company. The biggest problem with the reptile community is that we do not stick together. I feel we are a majorty,a silent one.

[derek]

if we rescued them how would pet stores make more cash?would they not lose the money that they paid for it? it would also give the goverment some stats so they realize how many reptiles are suffering in the world every day. if i had the option i could not watch reptiles slowly die of hunger,poor living conditions etc, etc. i would save as many herps as i could if i had the money and space!

[Nicky]

I think in some casses yes but not in all i know in the hobby pet stores are rather looked down upon but not all pets stores are irresponsible in keeping jherps properly. I work in the reptile section of our local pet store called pet mart and we take extreamly good care of our reptiles each has proper caging heating, feeding. We spend up to 5 hours a day preparing various salads for our water dragons and desert igunans. We sell informitive books and make sure buyers know there stuff befor purchasing there herps. I understand in many cases reptiles have been horribly mistreated and this deeply disgusts me as i am a big fan of herps and have some of my own. I agree that more education should be spread to pets stores to inmform them how to care for reptiles responsibly and i also think if any reptile in the store are beeing mistreated one should call local animal police or whatever there called and the pet store should face a very expensive fine. On the other hand I don't think all pet stores should be instintly assumed to be horrible mistreaters of reptiles. I think pets mart should be shut down thoe because there chain of pet stores is so disgusting. They've made excuse such as oh we didn't know reptile needed heat or oh reptiles need to be feed more than once a year?? Disgusting. We should make an effort towards educating pet stores thats my opinion. Even by going to your local pet store getting to know the peopl and maybe if you have the time voulinter to care for the reptiles and make some suggestion about how they care for them.
thats just my 2-cents thoe

[sophia]

I've tried that route twice here in town Kayla, I'm hoping it will catch seeing as how one store is really kept clean... however the snakes are clean but the husbandry is still very poor. They are kept in tanks with no belly heat, with heat lamps that are too hot sitting right on the wire, bowls too shallow to bathe in, no humidity boxes and no heat gradient is possible much less aparrent! But as I said, at least it's clean, and recently the owner purchased some new caging that is snake specific, much much nicer, so there is hope.... I think he's listening...

Tay

[Sean_.E.]

I think it depends on the situation. If the animal looks as if its on deaths door then you could buy it but complain. Then with the receit you could go down to the Animal aid or something. Show them the snake and then maybe ask them to help you organize a investigation. They would know who to call etc. I dunno if this would work but It's just an Idea!

I agree with Kayla aswell!

[Syst3m]

Its a vicious circle... Rescue one and 2 more replace it. I'm not sure I can support a store that takes poor care of animals. But I also do not want to see the animals suffer. I guess I do things on a case by case...

[Zhakrin]

Personally I would like to see WAY sticter enforcement of health regulations on Pet stores. Give those officials that evaluate a store the power to do Unannounced visits and should the petstore have animals (Reptiles or any other animal) that is being stored in unhealthy conditions have them immediately seize the animal and then give it to a rescue organization or licenced person.

If officials find a fridge in a restaurant that is not at the "right" temp they can close the restuarant completely till it is corrected...do the same of pet stores.

Close them down...seize the animals for rescue!

Mites found in a certain quantanty...fine them big ($5000 for small stores, $25,000 for a chain store). Make it so that the stores CANNOT afford to keep reptiles in poor conditions.

Any animal found in a "near death" state...immediate closure of the store and investigation.

ok here is an idea...since I am a new herper I would like to hear peoples ideas on it.... Bann retail stores from selling wild caught herps. let only licenced breeder buy WC with the condition that they can only be resell to other breeders.

[Nicky]

that sounds like a good idea actually i was thinking why not complitly ban pet stores from selling reptiles think about the hsus couldn't use pet stores to get at us, NO more reptiles would suffer and we could buy reptiles from real breeders who take extreamly good care of there reptiles it's a win win situation you know what i mean. We could give it a try?

[reverendsterlin]

I answered other, because if by rescue you mean force the store to give the animal up without compensation I say do it. If you mean feed the stores profit by purchasing the animal forget it.

[Dunner]

thats a tough one, by rescueing the animal, you give it a good home, but you also "reward" the store, with your money, then they bring in 2 or 3 more to replace it, then you rescue those, the store gets more money, 2 or 3 more come in...so on and so on, it's like puppy mills with dogs, the only way you can beat it, is at the source. it's a no win situation really

[Zhakrin]

To compensate a store for having unhealthy conditions is completely wrong. In my previous post I meant remove the animal, without compensation to deter the stores behaviour.

Remove ALL animals deemed to be kept in unacceptable conditions without compensation and then fine the store severely.

ESTABLISH a health code for pet stores, like those that restaurants have to adhere too.

Make pet store display a BIG sign that states how they did on their last inspection...i.e.:

--> A rating - animals have been deemed to be kept in outstanding conditions on these premises. The animals at this establishment appear to harbour no noticeable parasites...etc.

--> B rating - animals have been deemed to be kept in good conditions on this premises. Management has been notified of possible areas of improvement and have indicated that these will be acted upon immediately. Overall animals appear healthy and no noticeable parasites observed.

--> C rating - Animals have been deemed to be kept in minimally acceptable conditions on these premises. Management makes no guarantee as to the general health of these animals and present conditions may contribute to unhealthy specimens.

--> D rating - Animals have been deemed to be kept in below average conditions. Management makes no guarantee as to the general health of these animals and present condition may contribute to unhealthy specimens. This establish been fined and its animal should not be considered to be in good health.

--> F rating - Establishment closed due to numerous health violations. Please contact the following rescue organizations to adopt an animal seized from this establishment.


This system would allow smaller stores to be competitive with the big chain store by establishing a reputation for clean healthy animals.

[Kurzix]

HERE HERE!! Excellent idea, now if only we can convince governmental agencies that these kinds of laws need to be passed!!

[Bryan Self]

One major problem. Animal control is already understaffed. Who will manage this orginazation? Also alot of what is said is subjective not objective. I would dare to say that to most people that buy a few reptiles that the way breeders keep their reptiles whould be "minimally acceptable." Reptiles are kept in the smallest sizes that they, breeders, feel are accatable. I know breeders that keep snakes w/o hides. Raise groups of leos in sweater boxes, 3 females then add a male for short periods during breeding. Then there is the problem of more bureaucracy. The only large python rescue in my area is fighting both the city and county where he lives. Even though he is in a rural ag. zone. This allows for unlimited numbers of animals, there is an absecure law that makes it illegal to own any snakes over 6 ft. w/o a conditional use permit. This fight is over 2 years old and it does not look like he will win. And as much as I hate to say it having the code for resturants is to save lives. I am a resturant manager by trade. To put the same conditions on another business where there are no human lives at stake is wrong. It is anti-business and in my opinion anti-democratic. Small business is what drives the economy and to put more regulations on them just hurts everybody.

[Lisa]

Originally posted by derek
if we rescued them how would pet stores make more cash?would they not lose the money that they paid for it? it would also give the goverment some stats so they realize how many reptiles are suffering in the world every day. if i had the option i could not watch reptiles slowly die of hunger,poor living conditions etc, etc. i would save as many herps as i could if i had the money and space!

if you rescue them by buying them then the company uses your money to buy more reptiles to sell to more suckers.

[jay76]

I'd want to help as many as possible, myself... but the ready supply of replacements for a bad store is discouraging. I'm lucky that the store I go to treats al their herps with respect. I have heard horror stories about that big chain in the states, but also that individual stores were being reporting and 'encouraged' to clean up their act. The issue of a quick buck over providing healthy animals is one that will be around for a long time - all the more reason to encourage people to buy from breeders.

At least that's my two cents :)

[dilwann]

I was recently at petco and they had a blue tongue skink, and they were feeding it ripped up pieces of breaded chicken strips! I have to avoid going over to the reptile section because I always end up getting so furious at the conditions they keep all their reptiles in.

[gunnerslakeshor]

I feel that if animals need to be rescued from a pet store they should be removed free of charge and a black mark applyed to said store 3 black marks and there not permitted to sell exotics for a period of 1 yr and it should go up from there.
Lets face it pet store's are in the market to make money its only in there best interest this be forced on them to take the best care possible if not then that privilage should be revoked.
jmho
Phil

[Twisted]

I have nocticed that pet stores that are not a chain are usually the best stores.The one i go to is always clean they also give out care sheets for any animal you buy.I think more pet shops should be like that

[stormyva]

I agree with Rev.... if you can take an animal and not have to pay for it great! If you have to pay and provide the store with profit, no way!

Call or write a letter to the proper authorities!

Sophia... when you say belly heat please tell me you are not referring to a heat rock!