freakn dummies

went to a petstore to look at a burm (no im not getting one) and this store is the worse you can get. there was no hide, no water, it was hiding under the paper substrate. so i ask him to get it out. he reaches in and its really nippy. so he grabs a fish net and forces its head down! the poor burm was flippn around trying to get out! (burm was only about 2ft). to top that, he noticed that it was shedding, which wasnt gonna be anywhere near 1 piece, so he started peeling it! ugg these stores annoy me

Have you tried reporting them to the state Animal Control department, or at least speaking to the manager? Never be afraid to stand up for the animals. I've gotten into shouting matches with managers of stores before because their animals were poorly cared for and they just didn't care. Remember, though, the manager may not know the worker is treating the animals as such, or that this isn't the correct way to care for them, so tread lightly as they may not know there's a problem.

I've been working at a pet store that is focused mainly on herps and heres what I've learned. Small mammals are still regulated by the USDA, and they have regular inspections. However, they don't take a second look at the reptiles. Theres no regulation on reptiles, so its harder to get things enforced when u see people keeping them in bad conditions. Animal curelty is a crime though, so you may want to drop a line to your local police department and they may either dispatch someone from the humane society or send an officer out to investigate. Nothing may come of it, but 99% of the time the store will probably get freaked out and change their ways.

I don't think chain pet stores should be selling herps, let alone burms.

Leave the herps to the speciality shops/breeders!

^ I agree for the most part; if you are a chain store that sells herps, make sure the person in charge of them knows what they're doing. The local PetLand has a pretty well-educated herp caretaker on staff; unfortunately, the rest of them are dumb as a box of rocks. The owner of the (sadly) now-closed Critters in Cincinnati knew his herps backwards and forwards, I think I'd be okay with someone like that running the herp section. However, if you can't find someone on staff who knows their stuff, you shouldn't be selling such delicate and misunderstood animals.

Yeah, it's not always the case that the smaller shops are better. The Petco I used to go to had a great reptiles manager who had over 4 dozen herps at home herself. Yet the nearest reptiles and feeders specialty shop is absolutely awful with balls all piled in together with no hides or supplemental heat or means of measuring temps or humidity, and actually had a lizard in with them last time I went (lizards are generally kept in small critter keepers lined up together on a shelf).

On the other hand, the next nearest reptile specialty shop is absolutely wonderful and the owner is a young guy (27 or 28) whose mom and granddad both work for him and who is licensed for hots and breeds water monitors. Basically, I think reptile retailers tend to be either verry good or very bad with not much in between.

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don't think chain pet stores should be selling herps, let alone burms.

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i agree altho it wasnt a chain store

Okay Okay, new statement ...

Un-experienced pet stores should not sell herps if they don't have the proper knowledge of husbandry for them!
Better?! :P

Edit - "I think I deserve a cookie"

but who is going to measure that level of experience and say whether they have enough or not?

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Edit - "I think I deserve a cookie"

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dont be thinking im gonna give you the cookie

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but who is going to measure that level of experience and say whether they have enough or not?

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mlededee, if you been to this place, you would know. ive been there a few times. everytime the cages are dirty, theres crusted up feces!!! theres previous sheds, never any water. only water ive ever seen there was for a 3ft green conda, and it was dirty as hell. this place makes me so mad everytime i go there. if i go back, and its not improved, im not gonna be allowed to go back. this is worse then ive seen our local petco, which from what ive seen really aint that bad.