Pet Store Rant (Not what you think)

[greenman1867]

-this post was prompted by this thead, and a bunch of others, this is just the most recent. http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?p=510989#post510989


To be honest I am getting sick of people bashing pet stores all to hell. I know an enormous number of breeders started with a reptile from pet stores. They are not all bad. And the ones that are, some people love.……….....it blows me away. I can think of some pet stores in my area that actually keep great animals, and several I would carry a bottle of Nix on me to de-louse myself just by walking by the front door.

If the animal looks like its in good health, the store is clean and staff knowledgeable, I would say do a little research and if you like the Snake/Animal, then go for it.

We ALL ALWAYS practise quarantine anyways right? Even from the biggest and most respected breeders? So why generalize? Hell, lots of members here work at pet stores, are you calling them un knowledgeable? Well maybe some are, some are very experienced and really care for the animals in their shops.

Same goes for the “Only buy from ‘Big Breeders’” posts yes, they are great, and I have and continue to buy from them. But they were little guys at one time too? Established breeders and new comers offer different pros and cons, you pick what’s right for you and go with it.

Here is a good read:
http://www.ralphdavisreptiles.com/matrix/ralphs_words/market_flame.asp

Anyways, I am always open to criticism so feel free to flame away. (Not really I hate criticism, but I am trying to keep an open mind :medbigsmi )

[peterm15]

i totally agree... ive actually gotten my chameleon, 2 leos, my banded gecko, and just recently my 1500gram female ball python.. thats actually most of my reptiles.... if they tell you to get a book, and are honest with you.. there shouldnt be a poblem as long as you know how to choose a healthy animal.. nevere had ANY problems with mine..

sometimes you can even get a better price then from breeders, or even from other hobbiests on this site.. i was looking to pay 250 for that size ball.. i paid less than 1/2 that..

also if you get to know thoes at pet stores.. it will be easier.. where i go there is one guy that "pretends" to know what hes talkin about. and many that DO know what there talkin about.. so dont just ask one person.....

but otherwise greenman.. i agree totally...

oh and remember, petstores arent always able to keep animals in optimal conditons... they must worry about look as well..

[Rikki]

I agree with you. Though may I ask how that thread prompted you to post this topic? There is a pet store in my area who provides elite care for their animals, though there are also others who do not what so ever.

[greenman1867]

It's the very first line of my original thread, LOL but it was your thread that prompted it.

[Rikki]

Im still a sleep this morning, ignore me. lol.

[BOAS_N_PYTHONS]

Shawn, nice post.

My first original stock of Discus fish came from a few small shops, that over time wound up being my customers after I went from local shops to worldwide breeders to bring in all the variations and morphs in this species. Ahhh I still miss that hobby, if your a fish person you know what I mean. But as for reptiles I have never bought from shops just more because they never had what I want or like.

:)

[snakelover111]

yea i agree with everyone but there still r ppl that just go buy herps for the hell of it dont take care of them and then sell em so u cant just say that everypetstore loves their animals enough to take proper care of them.....

[clint545]

Excellent topic! I honestly think that the majority of ppl in this hobby were first introduced to herps thru a pet store, regardless if it was a good or bad one:)
People that constantly gripe about a certain store in their area, blah, blah...QUIT GOING THERE!!!
I have a few in my collection that were purchased from a local pet store, my first 2 cresties bout 2 yrs ago, and I still think I lucked out with my Male!
Like Shawn mention, you can always practice your quarantine:)

[samurai]

Good post i liked reading that link, i hope to someday grow and grow my collection i dont have the big bills for high end morphs now, but i sure have got a feel for who i would buy from and who i would not. Customer serivice is HUGE, ive talked to some people and have been given great info and lots of tips and help when it was obvious i wasnt going to buy anything at the time, and ive also gone to people almost waving money in there face only to shove it in my pocket because they were unhelpful. First impressions are everything someone buying a 40 doller corn from you today may be coming to you for a 10 000 doller ball morph in the future. As for the petstore thing, theres always going to be someone thats keeping animals in conditions that you think are unfit, just like others have said steer clear and dont promote the conditions by holding onto your money.

[Linds]

Cheers to that. They truly aren't the root of all evil... unfortunately many are, but that shouldn't mean they all get grouped together. Some of the 'big fish' so to speak are pet stores... Pro Exotics jumps to mind. I used to work in a wonderful place where I had free reign to make any little adjustments, etc. I thought would be beneficial, and if their animals were sick, they received veterinary attention. Many of the animals kept in store were not for sale, but were pets and for shows as well, but all were treated the same. I've had many animals come from stores as well. Whether people want to believe it or not, the pet store industry does play a vital role in the support of the hobby. Another thing to remember, no store can have a 100% success rate. People need to remember that it is a store environment, and no matter what precautions are taken, the fact remains that animals are being moved in and out at a rate that is difficult to monitor sometimes, as well as quarantine is an impossibility. This doesn't mean that animals aren't properly cared for, and picked out as best as can be, and caution isn't paid attention to.

IMHO it is important to support those that do run a good business, and equally important to give no support to those that do not. And in fact, those substandard businesses should be put out of business... this means no "rescuing the poor animals" from the store, this only fuels their business and enables them to continue the problem.

[greenman1867]

so u cant just say that everypetstore loves their animals enough to take proper care of them.....

I don't understand...........who said that?

[Brock]

Don't know if it's been said, only skimmed through this, but the impression I got from people bashing pet stores on the whole is the advice they give, such as heating/lighting/substrates/diets. Like calci-sand is a big usual recommendation from pet stores. Petland is one GREAT chain pet store, and I've only really heard of them giving the advice to keep leopard gecko babies on sand, which is generally a bad idea until they are adults; they want to sell the sand for 40$.

I don't think the problem 'most' people have with pet stores is the pets, it's the things they have to sell to actually make some cash. You buy a hamster for 5$, you have to buy the galaxy quest ultra super duper space station with all the tubes and wheels for 300$.

-Brock

[BOAS_N_PYTHONS]

Excellent topic! I honestly think that the majority of ppl in this hobby were first introduced to herps thru a pet store, regardless if it was a good or bad one:)

LOL, not me it was the natural channels, Steve Irwin (yeah I know), Discovery Channel and so on. It was the National Geographic episide with the Barkers that hit hard and got me thinking about boids, because I taped it and watched in at least 6 times that day I was hooked after. :)

[Artemis]

I think its fair to say thats true to an extent in the realm of reptiles, but if its an establishment that is selling cats or dogs, then i abstain from purchasing ANYTHING from them, as I think its a shame to support places like that with so many cats and dogs in shelters, and puppy mills being what they are, etc.

[havenbounce]

yea i agree with everyone but there still r ppl that just go buy herps for the hell of it dont take care of them and then sell em so u cant just say that everypetstore loves their animals enough to take proper care of them.....



Again that could be said for "some" breeders and just about anybody else who might be selling something. Like anything else there's some people in it for the love and some for the money!
Ginnette

[havenbounce]

I think its fair to say thats true to an extent in the realm of reptiles, but if its an establishment that is selling cats or dogs, then i abstain from purchasing ANYTHING from them, as I think its a shame to support places like that with so many cats and dogs in shelters, and puppy mills being what they are, etc.

Oh boy let's not get me started on that topic!!!! But that is so true.

Ginnette

[DedEye]

I purchased both of my water dragons from a pet store in my neighborhood, got my green basilisk from a place online(LLL reptile), all three are doing great. And BTW I bought one of my dogs from the same pet store. Not all puppies come from "puppy mills". My pup was sold to the petstore from a private breeder, and while I think I paid too much I wouldn't trade him for any amount of money. Also, my dogs are fixed so no worry about more unwanted pups.

Please no one take offense as none is intended. Only my opinion.

[ravensgait]

I think its fair to say thats true to an extent in the realm of reptiles, but if its an establishment that is selling cats or dogs, then i abstain from purchasing ANYTHING from them, as I think its a shame to support places like that with so many cats and dogs in shelters, and puppy mills being what they are, etc.

Though true in some instances where stores are selling puppies, Dogs and Cats. It is not true in all cases, my local Pet shop sells puppies and cats that it takes in(mostly mutts) that would be heading to the pound if they didn't. They charge just enough to cover their expenses and might make a buck or two. I was by there yesterday and they had some Lab mix pups for a 100 bucks. Which isn't much more than people would pay in adoption fees at the shelter and they sure get a lot more people looking at them in the pet store than at the pound thus a better chance of finding a home. It's one of the reasons I go out of my way to buy from them now and then. Randy