Why NOT to support Petco.

[MoreliAddict]

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

[Snickers]

I saw that iguana video posted on a respected reptile forum and everyone was saying that the guy in the video is a scam artist and planted that iguana in the dumpster.

[infernalis]

Originally Posted by Snickers

I saw that iguana video posted on a respected reptile forum and everyone was saying that the guy in the video is a scam artist and planted that iguana in the dumpster.

RFUK right??

[Snickers]

Originally Posted by infernalis

RFUK right??

No, faunaclassifieds.

They even have a bad guy thread on him.

[infernalis]

oh I gotta go stir the pot....

Fauna Classifieds is where all the whiners go to slander others.

[StudentoReptile]

PM me the link to the thread, Wayne. I can always use some entertainment!

[infernalis]

as soon as I get over there..

[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)

[Pareeeee]

Originally Posted by 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)

Sounds like that fauna forum is a place I won't be going to....lol

Anyway, I for one believe you were telling the truth in the video (hence why I posted it here), and agree with what you were saying. People need to be made aware of these things, and even if one store in the chain is 'doing it right', buying from that one store supports the whole chain.

I don't believe we have Petco here in Canada (I have never seen one) but we do have a big chain called 'Petsmart', which most likely is guilty of similar offences (maybe I need to do some digging...hmmm?). It doesn't matter the country, animal cruelty is NEVER right. Thank goodness Wal-mart stopped selling fish....(here anyway.)

I've noticed that anything that is fur-less and scaly seems to be treated as if it doesn't have the ability to feel pain or discomfort. Sick or even dead fish are often left in tanks without treatment, infecting the healthy fish stuck in the same tank. Lizards and snakes are often kept on sand, Ball Pythons in low-humidity environments, many reptiles often end up with MBD because of lack of calcium. People are often mislead by pet-store-worker's terrible advice.

[WFReptileRescue]

I appreciate the fact that most people here seemed to give the rescuer the benefit of the doubt and look at the evidence. I was not given similar fair treatment elsewhere, obviously. Some places just want to immediately cast negative aspersions and suspicion, and I will tell you, I've never seen a more conspiratorial prone bunch than I've seen on fauna. Other than the two posters who complained of my turning away their business, nothing anyone is saying on that thread is true, and I mean NOTHING, and they offer zero evidence.

But, the evidence in this case did come out. Texas is a one-party consent state for purposes of recording telephone conversations, and for my protection I recorded the phone call with Petco's VP, and got some pretty interesting admissions from her. My summation of that call is accurate, as if you look at the "likes" on that post on my facebook page, you will see "Marcie Whichard" among them, who is the Petco VP for animal care and education. I really doubt she would have liked my published note if it weren't an accurate representation.

This should settle the question, yet malcontents, up to and including people I refused to do business with, refused an adoption to, had a previous flame war with online, banned from my page or my yahoo group, and ex-girlfriends with axes to grind, have attempted to stir up trouble and raise accusations. Talk about throwing stuff against the wall to see what sticks....

Petsmart is a very similar chain which is also common, though not quite as widely spread as Petco. Petco I would describe as the McDonalds of the pet stores down here in the US. I have seen similar issues at Petsmart, because anytime you get a chain this large the employee pool to draw from is going to include a lot of ignorant people who have never kept a herp before, and this is the wrong kind of person to have running such a department. The kind who got certified through the store as a specialist after taking some foolish workbook test. That's how they do it. I actually have a copy of Petco's training manual, obtained by my ex girlfriend when she worked there.