Rescue, horrid retained shed? Mites?

So im assuming the whole point of this is to allow you to adopt the snake to care for it? My cousin is an attorney, and has worked on some animal abuse cases. Im sure he would be more than willing to call PetsMart and convince management to let you adopt him.

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

So im assuming the whole point of this is to allow you to adopt the snake to care for it? My cousin is an attorney, and has worked on some animal abuse cases. Im sure he would be more than willing to call PetsMart and convince management to let you adopt him.

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Yeah, I am trying to get them to adopt the snake out to me. The issue is company policy on adoption, along with his pricetag is making it difficult. When I spoke to the store manager yesterday, he sounded as if he himself was more than willing to adopt it-- but he had to get higher approval on account of the price, as well as a vet recommendation. Hoops to go through.

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Originally Posted by Kb-

Yeah, I am trying to get them to adopt the snake out to me. The issue is company policy on adoption, along with his pricetag is making it difficult. When I spoke to the store manager yesterday, he sounded as if he himself was more than willing to adopt it-- but he had to get higher approval on account of the price, as well as a vet recommendation. Hoops to go through.

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Why not, as the manager of the damn store, just take better care of the animal? Im sure he went online and saw the price tags associated with this gene and instantly thought to himself that he could turn it for a profit. This entire story makes me very sad for the nature of people and how money drives almost every action a person takes.

Wish you the best OP, keep us updated.

Greg

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Originally Posted by EasiGregory

Why not, as the manager of the damn store, just take better care of the animal? Im sure he went online and saw the price tags associated with this gene and instantly thought to himself that he could turn it for a profit. This entire story makes me very sad for the nature of people and how money drives almost every action a person takes.

Wish you the best OP, keep us updated.

Greg

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Unfortunately, the store mangers really have very little contact with the animals. It's the petcare manger that's really to blame, but they have no power to grant an adoption of this price. What I'm afraid of now, is that they're going to try and treat it themselves. I explained that at this point it really is out of their capability, which the manger admitted; 'since we only have our hands on an animal maybe twice a day' he said, or something like that. I know that he is going to require intense care for a while if he's going to pull through, that I am more than willing to give if only they'd let me.

Another thing is, they take their animals to a Banfeild vet located in every store. It's convenient, but most of their staff aren't trained in reptiles. Obviously since this vet said that nothing was wrong the first time, I also fear they might prescribe some guessed treatment before admitting it as adoptable..

A few months back I encountered a similar situation at Petco, but this snake was much worse. When I first walked by the enclosure, I thought it was dead. But then I saw it writhe and twist, trying to correct the position of its head and I nearly blew a gasket. After an angry talk between the employee who took it out for me to hold, the manager was called. He was fully aware of the condition, saying that it just wouldn't eat. But why the *** was it still on the sales floor, being squashed by four other pythons?! I pretty much knew it would die at this point, but he agreed to adopt it anyway-- then he sprung a 25$ nonrefundable pricetag at the register when she was already boxed! I could hardly say no at that point, so I spat up the money and left.. She died later that night, but at least she was warm and as comfortable as I could make her.

I refuse to let this pied die like that if there's anything I can do to get it out of there.

Photos of the pastel at Petco, who passed shortly after. (Sorry the pictures are large)

http://i57.tinypic.com/2r5c8s3.jpg

http://i57.tinypic.com/65uyxh.jpg

http://i62.tinypic.com/295tnuq.jpg

This is exactly why my reptile keeping and breeding will always be a hobby and not a business. A business, especially a big box store, won't write off that pied until it becomes a liability - meaning, the cost to keep it, treat it, and sell it is greater than its sale price. As a hobbyist if I choose to spend $500 at the vet to treat a $50 snake that's my business and no one else's, I'll eat the loss. If this were a normal ball python the OP would have it in hand already, and the store would just pay five bucks for a replacement.

Having the bean counters drive policies to maximize profit is fine if you're talking about inanimate objects, not so much for critters. Sadly until the big box stores take enough losses on animals that they're forced to either keep them correctly or stop carrying them, or animal control actually gets a clue and starts seizing reptiles and nailing the stores for neglect, which will not only cost them money but customers due to the bad PR, nothing will change.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

This is exactly why my reptile keeping and breeding will always be a hobby and not a business. A business, especially a big box store, won't write off that pied until it becomes a liability - meaning, the cost to keep it, treat it, and sell it is greater than its sale price. As a hobbyist if I choose to spend $500 at the vet to treat a $50 snake that's my business and no one else's, I'll eat the loss. If this were a normal ball python the OP would have it in hand already, and the store would just pay five bucks for a replacement.

Having the bean counters drive policies to maximize profit is fine if you're talking about inanimate objects, not so much for critters. Sadly until the big box stores take enough losses on animals that they're forced to either keep them correctly or stop carrying them, or animal control actually gets a clue and starts seizing reptiles and nailing the stores for neglect, which will not only cost them money but customers due to the bad PR, nothing will change.

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Completely agree.

As an update on the Pied, called again this morning-- Store manager wanted to talk to his Petcare manager then call me back. Hoping to hear from him soon..

Here's to hoping the store does the "right" thing and adopts the poor baby out to you.. so sad..

My local Petco struck a deal with a breeder and has a bunch of morphs, but fortunately in this situation the manager used to manage a reptile shop and keeps them in far better conditions. She gave me 50% off my new (healthy) leucistic which makes sense for the store because they don't have to take care of it and wait for someone else to pay full price. I had the option of half off any of the morphs, pied included, but despite that being a more "desirable" morph I fell in love with the Lucy. The pieds sold out within the next couple of days, which this Petsmart was likely hoping for.

I think in these situations where there is a more expensive kind of snake the store wants to turn it and make a profit but ends up keeping it for longer because not as many people will pay that price right away so you see the deterioration that would happen to ALL of them if they were kept for a longer period of time. The store probably thinks you are just trying to get an expensive snake for free so it might be tactful in this case to offer them "something" for it, maybe offer to buy it at cost so they can just replace it (so it makes sense in their minds). The current snake could potentially cost them more in the long run as it needs medical attention so they could basically start over with a fresh healthy one. Not that I want them to but it might help you jump through those hoops.

I don't want the store to get spooked and just move it to the back and claim it sold when they're just hiding it so time is of the essence. There might be some arrangement that makes you look less like someone trying to take advantage but you might be the best judge of the situation.

As far as care, my baby from Petco retained all but its head the first time it shed so I had to soak him and help him shed, basically gently pulling the skin all the way around (thumb and index finger encircling the body - pardon the analogy but kind of like a condom :oops:). The soaking also helps if there is any sort of impaction making the snake uncomfortable and not wanting to eat and the warmth feels good.

Update?