Why NOT to support Petco.

[Gungirl]

Yup that is where I get mine.. I have no issues with it at all. It isn't dusty or super fine but on the other side its not really chunky either. I pay $6.99 for 2500cu. inches/41 liters.

[mark24]

The only reason why i support my local petsmart, is because I can't find 24 live crickets, or frozen mice/rats for cheap. On mice/rats I'm spending over $60 just for shipping.

[ballpython1717]

petsmart and petco are good places to get food and acessories for your pet and terrarium, but the animals kept there are neglected and unhealthy, and the staff have no idea what they are talking about!

[infernalis]

so why not support a little mom pop store?

[DeesBalls]

Originally Posted by infernalis

so why not support a little mom pop store?

none around me there was one in the city i USE to live in, it was awesome, would NOT house anything together, except baby corns (usually 3) and they had around 4 hides, and 2 water dished and you could just tell it was a nice set up for them, and they would tell people not to house anything together. I was a regular there, but since then i moved way away and miss them.

[Tango]

Originally Posted by infernalis

so why not support a little mom pop store?

There are a few of these in my area, which I unfortunately find to be just as bad.

I went into one not that long ago, just to browse. There was a tank on a shelf that said "ANOLES - $6.99". I looked in the tank and thought they must be sold out. I then looked closer and saw that they were all dead at the bottom of the tank. They were so petrified that they blended in perfectly with the bark at the bottom of the tank. The dried out water spots on the glass and empty water dish indicated to me that the workers actually forgot they were there.

[moshirimon]

here in canada we don't have petco i don't think. but we've got lots of petsmarts, and although i do NOT support them one bit, they really have improved over the years. their animals have sufficiant space, food, and hygene compared to a few years ago when i was seeing leopard geckos with veggie dishes. I have gone off multiple times about the care etc..


There is a petstore in my area and i'm not sure if they have it any where else called the "urban zoo". I usually don't like naming things but i am going to anyway because their animals and the way they care for them, SICKENS ME to the point where i've been asked to leave for correcting the employees. They have chameleons in 10 gallon fish tanks with tried up tails they can't even curl up anymore, they have bearded dragons on the verge of death, MULTIPLE baby savannah monitors in one tiny tank, water dragons in FULL WATER enclosures, etc, etc.. One time i saw a baby bearded dragon laying on the flooro of the cage practically dead. Face and head still fully active but it seemed almost paralyzed, other than the tips of it's fingers twitching. it was really bugging me so i asked the guy why he's doing that and he tried telling me its normal it's what they do blahblahblahbssss. another time i asked why the leopard geckos were in a tank that was SPRAYED down to the point where there were water droplets on the glass and the guy told me it's becuase they are from tropical areas. WOW. I know i typed alot but just thinking of it gets me MAD... sorry guys lol

[Pareeeee]

moshirimom, that place sounds horrible! There is only one 'good' pet store around here (where I got Boaz) but it's about 40 minutes away. They sell rescues, drop-offs, etc. The lady that owns it seems genuinely concerned about the well-being of her animals. Granted, I've seen mistakes there before, but they didn't get upset when I voiced my opinion, and actually wrote down the info I gave them

The lady that owns the store was showing me a Crested Gecko that came in as a drop-off the other day, its jaw is crooked and its tail is limp. She was very upset about the person who brought it in, saying he most likely was not using calcium. She went into this little rant about people who buy pets from her, she tells them the needs of the animal etc, then about a month they come back asking why their pet is sick. "Did you do what I told you" she asks them and they always say "no". She sighed saying how tired she is of people who simply don't research animals before buying them.

This is the only 'mom & pop' store I support out of all the ones in the area.

PS: Also, others have mentioned 'cypress mulch', is it better than aspen? What's good/bad about it? (intruiged since apparently you can get it from Home Depot)

[StudentoReptile]

I have been using the $3 bags (2 cu ft) of cypress mulch (undyed, organic) from Lowe's for about 4 years on various snakes and tortoises. I have yet to have any issues with it. It looks nicer and retains humidity a little better than aspen bedding. True, it is not the ideal substrate for every species of herp, but it works well for me. It beats buying $12-$27 bags of repti-bark or Jungle mix or whatever at the pet store.

It also works well enough when you mix it with topsoil (plain ole dirt) or the coconut coir.

It should be noted that it is easier to obtain in the east. For some reason, people in the western U.S. have trouble finding it at their local Lowe's and Home Depots.

[iBaman]

Originally Posted by StudentoReptile

It should be noted that it is easier to obtain in the east. For some reason, people in the western U.S. have trouble finding it at their local Lowe's and Home Depots.

The excuse I've been given as to why they don't carry it is because it's to dry here. I face palmed. Isn't that the POINT of cypress, to hold humidity?!

[StudentoReptile]

Originally Posted by iBaman

The excuse I've been given as to why they don't carry it is because it's to dry here. I face palmed. Isn't that the POINT of cypress, to hold humidity?!

Maybe because when it dries out, it doesn't look nice? This is from a landscaping perspective, as that is the target demographic for this stuff, not reptile keepers! I dunno...just venturing a guess.

[iBaman]

Originally Posted by StudentoReptile

Maybe because when it dries out, it doesn't look nice? This is from a landscaping perspective, as that is the target demographic for this stuff, not reptile keepers! I dunno...just venturing a guess.

I dunno...hose it down and it looks nice again...;D

[WFReptileRescue]

I've gotten pretty cordial inquiries from Wayne since we have been speaking, so I figured I would drop in and clear up any questions here. I wouldn't be going to fauna, even if I weren't banned, because I think Rich is an unethical pud (self admitted releaser of unhealthy/poor genetic captive bred stock into the wild), and so are his minions of whiners, axe grinders, and other assorted malcontents. I wouldn't do a single thing to drive traffic to his site.

First of all, to Snikers..."they even have a bad guy thread on him"...

I guess that just settles the matter, doesn't it? LOL. Please tell me you aren't among the zombies over there who can't think for themselves, and are liable to the mumbling incantations and rumor that goes on over there, shoddily passing as "evidence"? What a joke that place is. They're a regular sewing circle over there.

I'm only going to address that this far in depth, because you opened the door here. And so what do we have over on that BOI in the form of complainer? We have exactly two morons who complain they paid me sums of money and then did not get their product or their money back? Nooo....

Do we have people complaining that they received substandard product from me, and did not receive a refund? Nooo......

So...what DO we have there in that "bad guy" thread that's even remotely backed up?

We have two malcontents bitching that I didn't like their attitude and I REFUNDED their money, PROMPTLY I might add, and I told them to go elsewhere. I think I was even kind enough to give them my competitors website. I usually do that when I decline a sale to anyone. I don't want their business, so I don't care if someone else gets it. Now how bad am I? LOL With all the people who have paid for high dollar herps and not gotten them, gotten sickly ones, and all the rest that has been complained about in the BOI...and here's this thread with two little puds whining that I refunded their money and wouldn't sell them feeders!!! And that's post worthy? Are you friggin kidding me? Grow a pair!

I see that nobody is posting their real names there in those threads anymore. What, Rich drastically change the rules AGAIN? Or is this just another of the many examples of fauna moderators selectively enforcing policy?

But, enough about those nitwits. I'm glad to see that everyone here is pretty well in agreement that you can find ways to do business other than in a pets store. I would like to redirect the focus of your attention though back to the matter of this iguana and his ordeal, and how cheaply they are treated in the industry as literally "throw aways".

A lot of people out there want to make this issue about me, and my way of dealing with people. It's my way. I'm a Texan, of Sicilian descent, and former US Army to boot. I don't sugar coat. I don't consider your feelings before stating facts. I don't bite my tongue when someone is wrong, and my general business attitude is that the customer is frequently wrong when they try to tell me something about my own niche, specialty, or business. That's not going to change. My detractors can pound sand, and I don't mind telling them so. However, this issue is not about me, and my disdain for people in general as an animal (primarily wildlife) rescuer.

That said, I'd be happy to clear up any misconceptions you may have or questions about the incident itself.

Mike
aka Mick (shortened from Micky, an Italian diminutive form of Michael)

[Slcburm]

I just use papertowels for my bedding and its great. Maintains humidity pretty well, get perfect sheds and its way easier to clean then cypress, aspen etc

[MoreliAddict]

The snakes at the Petco by me all seem fine, aside from the Ball Pythons, which are kept at 30% humidity.