Question about chain pet store mistreatment of BPs

Hello all,

Sorry if this has been answered before, but I couldn't turn up anything in searching that directly pertained to what I'm trying to find out, so I'm asking here. I recently moved to a new area (north of Atlanta, GA) and was looking at a nearby pet store (Pet Supermarket, let me know if I shouldn't be naming names here) and I noticed their two BPs were in pretty bad shape. No hides whatsoever, not even partial cover, VERY patchy sheds, terrible bedding -- some kind of tree bark? Very big chips, looked really unsuitable for these small snakes.

I'm not trying to get them in trouble, I really just want to find a way to help if I can. They wouldn't let customers handle them unless they were buying because apparently, what a shock, the snakes are "nippy." Pretty sure none of the employees in the store have any interest in reptiles or knowledge of their care; they seemed mostly neglected and looked very listless. It seems two of their snakes have died recently, too.

Every time I drive past the store it breaks my heart to think of them, especially knowing that even just an hour or two of work helping them get their sheds off and changing their substrate/giving them partial hides for cover would help so much.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do here? I tried contacting their corporate phone number and provided a report, but I'd even be happy to go in there and volunteer if need be. I know this isn't unusual for pet stores, and I know this sort of thing happens to MANY animals everywhere on a daily basis, but I still would love to feel like I'm doing what I can to help. Any thoughts you may have would be welcome.

Thanks in advance,
Geoff

Unfortunately this kind of thing happens all the time. The most you can do is speak to the manager and tell them why you are so appalled, and try to educate them. Most people try and buy snakes like this to "save" them, but all that ends up happening is they continue the lack of husbandry and replace it with a new snake. Try talking to the manager, maybe you'll get lucky and have someone who actually gives a crap about them :(

Like LGray said, the best option it to attempt to educate them in a non-confrontational manner. I read a suggestion on a thread with a similar topic not long ago to print off copies of the BP.net care sheet for ball pythons and provide them to the management at the store. Volunteering would be an awesome thing to do and you could maybe inspire one or two other employees to give a crap about the animals in their care while you were there. At the same time you'd be helping those snakes to feel better and hopefully be healthier. Corporate "leadership" at those places, for the most part, could care less. They buy the animals cheap enough that they don't lose much of anything when they die. Disgusting but true, unfortunately. Kudos to you for trying to do the right thing; good luck and hope it works out!

Thank you both for the input; I hope they'll accept a volunteer, and printing off the care sheet is a good idea too. I'm just afraid they'll either be suspicious of my motives for helping, or take it as some kind of affront and refuse/not listen on principle. I'll do my best to be tactful, as you say -- all I really want is for these poor little snakes to have a fighting chance and happier, healthier living conditions.