This really bothered me...(Ignorant pet shops)

emseeKAY · 02-27-10, 04:36 PM

I'm all for having pets and whatnot since ive had my share of random animals but I do the most research I possibly can on the animal prior to purchasing, if i run into problems i ask professionals and/or anyone with experience. to get to the point i saw an ad on a classifieds website that stated "I have always loved snakes and reptiles, but i dont have any money and have never had one so if there are any people out there looking to get rid of their snakes than i will take them and give them a happy home."

Not so happy when the snake dies because of poor husbandry or anything really... these people make me so mad when they see something and say "oh thats cool... ill buy it and if it dies, ill just get another one." I saw one employee at a pet shop attempt to jack up the price of absolutely everything so that a customer would think again about buying a beardie... it didnt work and the beardie died the next week, the same person came in later asking if he could feed his gold fish vegetables and tablescraps... so they had to ban them from the store (they also asked if they could put a emerald swift or veiled chameleon in the same tank as the beardie...)

sorry for the rant everyone, i just thought id bring up the topic of poor animal care and see what everyone else has to say...

JustASnakeGirl · 02-27-10, 04:58 PM

I completely agree with you. I work full time at a pet store and the amount of people that come in looking for a "cool pet that no one else has" is ridiculous. I had someone come in looking to buy our Ball, I told him what he would need and about the snake and in the end he goes "Well when he gets big can just give him back to you? He's just so cute right now!" I told him probably not a good idea and after about almost an hour with him convinced him against the idea.
There are plenty of people that do do the research and come in just to ask questions and learn, I am more than thrilled when a customer buys themselves a beardie or a ball after coming in and chatting with me and doing their own research online or through books. However there are those who make the purchase on impulse, I've had to help way to many people find new homes for their beardie who all of a sudden grew to the size of their arm or a corn who lost the cute factor it portrayed when it was only a foot long at the store.

There you have a rant back to read :P

emseeKAY · 02-27-10, 05:03 PM

lol much appreciated, and i know what you mean. its absolutely ridiculous i knew a kid through school that got bored with his leos and joked that he hadnt fed them in over 2 months and they were still alive and even went so far as to suggest he was going to spray assorted aerosol cans in the enclosure until they died so he could get rid of them... its nuts what people will do with animals... this sort of stuff gets me so rattled... lol

yet another rant haha :P

Hillsberry · 02-27-10, 05:43 PM

Wow dude what a jerk. I sware sometimes I was to.....Breath! Lol. I hate people like that with any animal makes me so mad I was to like scream!! Lol

Feebo · 02-27-10, 07:03 PM

Yeah it really pee`s me off to hear about stuff like this.

Unfortunatly there`s no shortage of these people in the world and you don`t need any qualifications or even a little intelligence to buy an animal. It`s really upsetting isn`t it? Especially when we consider how we treat and worry about our own animals. The animals whole world depends on you, everything. If you don`t have the knowledge, or even the basic bloody intelligence to spot and sort out problems you shouldn`t be in charge of that animals care/life. I find stories like this as upsetting as I find hearing about child abuse upsetting. Even so, I`ve been asked far too many times, "can I put my Royal python in with my iguana?" Type questions. I`ll always offer sound advice and try my best to make them understand my answer to thier rediculous question, all be it through clenched teeth. I`ve done my absolute best to study and understand my snakes needs and habits. Over the years, each time a vetinary procedure has been needed I`ve learned all I can from the vet performing it, in order to be able to take on as much of it as is feasible. I do my own injections when they`re needed, I`ve unfortunatly needed to tube feed, all sorts. I want to be as hands on and informed as I can possibly be with my snakes and I`m constantly learning. Unfortunatly, plenty of people are far from interested in being thier snakes "keeper". It`s a novelty to them, a disposable one at that. They can watch it kill, they can show off with it, they can taunt it with a broom for a youtube video (I could have cried at that one) but they can never ever call themselves a responsible snake keeper, that title belongs to the people that care for thier snakes properly and have made the bloody effort to understand what they are getting into by becoming a snake owner. Yeah.... it breaks `ol Feebos heart to see stories like that......

infernalis · 02-27-10, 09:10 PM

I see it all the time.

When I got Kane, our Python regius, He was living in a home where the people just neglected him bad.

I threatened the lady I would call animal control if she did not give up the snake, I could tell the "novelty" wore off, his water bowl had green slime in it, there were sheds laying in there and feces everywhere.

They would buy 3-4 live mice and just leave them in there!

marvelfreak · 02-28-10, 06:40 AM

What worst yet is when one ask a question about a reptile trying to learn more about the animal first, and the shop worker lies just to get the sell. Heard a worker tell a lady once that it was ok to keep boas and ball python together.The lady had a boa and wanted to get a ball, but only had one tank. Would it be ok to keep them together? The worker said yes. At that point walk up and told her it wasn't, and that half the stuff the worker been telling her for the last 15 minute was wrong. At that point i was asked to leave a not return. About the only thing worst that poor care, is poor advice.

Will0W783 · 02-28-10, 07:18 AM

Earlier this week when I went to my pet store a guy was trying to sell a ball python his son had left him with for months. I ended up taking it from him and wouldn't you know, the next day the kid starts calling me saying he wants his snake back. The poor thing was so dehydrated its eyecaps were dried and crystallized and it looked lumpy and had shed hanging off it all over the place. I told the kid I wanted to take care of it and just leave it with me and he said he had to have it back (where was he for 4 months while his snake wasted away?). We refused to give it back and he called the cops and I had to give it back. I was soo pissed off because the poor thing was obviously neglected and underfed and I'm so afraid it will just be neglected again. This was Tuesday and I'm still furious!!!!

marvelfreak · 02-28-10, 07:32 AM

I turn him into animal control for negleted. Did you get your money back?

shaunyboy · 02-28-10, 07:36 AM

i bought a coastal jaguar python from an established reptile centre that boasted 25 years of reptile experience.the shop was over 400 miles away from me ,so we agreed to meet at a reptile show i'd be attending down their part of the country.i got the jag then bought a further 5 various types of carpet python from different breeders at the show.i was in the car park a few hours later getting ready to leave the show and head home.then the person who sold me the jag walked up to me and asked if i had any money left.i asked why to which she replied "i met a guy at the show i sold a snake to 2 weeks ago and he's returned it"." its a diamond,jungle,jaguar sibling a female ,i'll sell you it cheap".she then tells me the guy didnt look after it properly and it had a slight r.i..just crank the temp up and it will be fine she says.i told her i had no money left." ok then i'll give you it for free ".i examined the snake and found it infested with mite's and a severe r.i. i took the snake and classed it as a rescue.my vet confirmed the snake had very bad pneumonia and one of the worst mite infestations he had ever seen.he said the pneumonia was that bad he wasnt sure the snake would live.also there was NO WAY it had got in this state in 2 weeks as the breeder had claimed.it was obvious the breeder had sold a very sick snake to the guy who returned it.all it took me was £46 and 3 months of care and the snake had a clean bill of health (it was a fighter).the breeder also lied about the sex as the vet got sperm plugs out of what was meant to be a female when he examined it.the person who gave me the snake was the girlfriend of the reptile centres manager who happened to be the centre owners daughter.so the whole shop MUST have known the state this snake was in when it was originally sold to the other guy.THEY PUT A SALE AND CASH IN THEIR POCKET WAY BEFORE THE WELFARE OF THE SNAKE.in my book that makes them COMPLETE SCUMBAG'S who dont deserve to call themselves a 25 year experienced reptile centre and should be charged with false advertising and animal neglect.
there you go emseekay another rant for you to read mate.
cheers shaun
p.s.feebo i will pm you the name of the place,just incase you ever come across them.

Palor · 02-28-10, 11:05 AM

This was just posted on another forum I frequent

"don't know where to post this so here goes. Who has named ther reptiles or amphibians? Me i have about 15 lizards,snakes,frogs and turtles and have had many more in the past and I have never named a one of them. Does anybody here get attached to your reptiles/amphibians ? Maybe a little, I might get upset for a day or so if one dies but other than that I do not get attached, I had a real nice red tail for a couple of years and one day I was at the pet store and saw a monitor and traded didn't even give it a second thought. As a matter of a fact I still have that monitor and am thinking of getting rid of it to change up the tank. heck i had a turtle collection at one time. I had a red ear slider,a softshell, a snapper, and a mud turtle. One day i was cleaning the tank and decided I did not want to clean the tank again so I drove down to the local pond and released them back into the wild. ( they were wild caught and from the same area) although i did have them for several years."

It aggravated me so much. Pets are something you have for life unless terrible circumstances force you to give them up. This guy is just getting bored with his critters and passing em off for something new and exciting.

The part about dumping his turtles really put me over the edge, if wish there was a way to report him to his local animal control or something for that.

I have also done a lot of rescue and rehab. I have seen people with honest reasons why their animal was in crummy conditions and cases of pure neglect. Mostly just neglect

There are so many people who should not be allowed to have pets.

Hillsberry · 02-28-10, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Will0W783

Earlier this week when I went to my pet store a guy was trying to sell a ball python his son had left him with for months. I ended up taking it from him and wouldn't you know, the next day the kid starts calling me saying he wants his snake back. The poor thing was so dehydrated its eyecaps were dried and crystallized and it looked lumpy and had shed hanging off it all over the place. I told the kid I wanted to take care of it and just leave it with me and he said he had to have it back (where was he for 4 months while his snake wasted away?). We refused to give it back and he called the cops and I had to give it back. I was soo pissed off because the poor thing was obviously neglected and underfed and I'm so afraid it will just be neglected again. This was Tuesday and I'm still furious!!!!

I wouldnt have givin it back!!! I would have said its mine now! Mawhahaha! I am so evil. LOl. The snake was in bad shape! Call the ASPCS!!

infernalis · 02-28-10, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marvelfreak

About the only thing worst that poor care, is poor advice.

That's why I am a big fan of forums like these.

We can collectively work together, I never take the advice of just one poster, unless it is a well known respected expert.

marvelfreak · 02-28-10, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by infernalis

That's why I am a big fan of forums like these.

We can collectively work together, I never take the advice of just one poster, unless it is a well known respected expert.

Same reason i join to learn form other and maybe even help other. You can never learn to much. I learn a long time ago i don't know it all. But if i keep a open mind an learn form others maybe, just maybe someday i will know it all. And then i will rule the world HAHAHA! LOL

Feebo · 02-28-10, 06:05 PM

Yep, horaay for the forum !!

I tell you what though, I really could do with a punch bag after reading all this! lol It just makes me so angry! Thanks for the name of that place ShaunyLad, I`ll avoid at all cost. That post from another forum, that reeeeally highlights the sort of ignorance we`re talking about here doesn`t it?! Well, as we say, thank goodness for the forum,

that`s one of the things we CAN do to combat SOME of this ignorance. We can offer a friendly forum environment, as carefully maintained as our snake enclosures, to offer help, support and a friendly chat. As I`ve said before, this forum is something special as far as I`m concerned, I`d almost given up looking for a place like this...

At least anyone who comes here can expect to get good advice eh