Sad story at Petland...

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Originally Posted by Austin Smith

I would like to vouch for the Petco in Beaumont, Texas.


I have been there sever times recently to look at their balls. Granted, they do have 3, I'd say about 6 month old, balls in a small, maybe 10g, terrarium but the high and low temperatures are spot on and the humidity is almost perfect. There's no hides but the substrate, some kind of repty bedding, is always clean. I handled every snake they had at the time and none had belly rot or any other visible conditions. All were a healthy weight and very active. No eye sheds what so ever. The water was also clean. All the snakes appeared to be healthy. I talked to one of the employees, who has cared for balls and has a red tale boa, and he said the snakes come from a vendor near Dallas and that the snakes all regularly eat once a week. I'd say those arn't perfect conditions for the balls but its not quite what I expected after hearing all the horror storys.

Just goes to show you that they're not all bad!
Austin

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The fact that it isn't as bad as some others shouldn't preclude it from using basic and vital standards of snake husbandry such as hide IMHO. That's inexcusable.

I have found a way to get through to some people/stores, but takes some time. You basically befriend the owner of the store or a worker who has some clout, and then slowly start helping them modify their keeping techniques; eventually they learn that it's actually best for the animal and eventually, their sales. I have gotten to be pretty good friends with several pet store owners in the Buffalo area, and thy respect Mark and I giving them advice and care tips if confused about something.
Spouting off and telling the owner/worker off, is never productive (we have tried that too, lol.) Just makes you look like a butt.

i agree jen... i've done the same https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...4/7/hippie.gif

We should call ourselves "The Negotiators"!

hahahahaha no let's call ourselves "the befrienders"

:D

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Originally Posted by Blu Mongoose

Yorkie-Poo's are adorable, yet if you got it from anyone advertising it as such you probably over paid. To my knowledge they are still mutts that someone made up the creative name "Designer dogs".
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with Yorkie-Poo's other than people getting ripped off for BIG BUCKS! Mixes make excellent pets, but people should not have to pay an arm and a leg for a label.
By the way we like puppy pics too.:)

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I paid $500 for it as a 6 week old puppy. Pics are to come tomorrow right after I get back from Tim Bailey's with my new het albino!

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Originally Posted by kurgan

The fact that it isn't as bad as some others shouldn't preclude it from using basic and vital standards of snake husbandry such as hide IMHO. That's inexcusable.

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You know why they do that, right? Because if there were hide boxes in the cages, no one would ever be able to see the snakes to buy them. A lot of people aren't smart about snake behaviour and think that if the cage "looks" empty, then they must not have any of that animal in stock. Granted, people who are that dumb about snake behaviour have no right buying a snake in the first place, but you know major pet stores don't care who they sell to or how much the person knows or doesn't know. They just wanna make a buck. I wouldn't say it's inexcusable because I've seen worse - MUCH, MUCH worse...but it's not exactly optimal conditions. A "friend" of mine - and I use that term VERY VERY loosely - had 10 snakes with males and females housed together, no hides, either no water or urates in the water, urates and poo EVERYWHERE. You opened the door to his trailer and the first thing that hit you was the horrible smell! So I'd say clean bedding and water is a step up, yeah? Not to mention being properly fed. I had to call the Houston ASPCA on a pet store in my area because the ball pythons there had old shed that was stuck on, no water bowls in the cages at all, nothing in the cage except a branch, and the snakes were so thin, it was like looking at a snake skeleton. Their skin was so shrunken around their bones that I thought they were dead and decomposing! Sorry to keep goin on, but I really think you're just nit-pickin a bit.

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Originally Posted by Collins2602

you know major pet stores don't care who they sell to or how much the person knows or doesn't know. They just wanna make a buck.

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please remember... not all pet stores have sub-standard conditions for their snakes (and other animals) although you did say 'major' pet stores.

and... some breeders are the same. they don't care who they sell to as long as the person pays them. i've bought directly from four breeders so far and neither even asked me if i had a set up for the critters.

I hear what you are saying and it sounds like things certainly could be a lot worse (and indeed are at many/most stores) but I still think that 'others are much worse' is not a good reason for not doing better. It sounds like the store is reasonable with staff who certainly do seem to care so why not bring it up with them.

The PetCo here in Toledo uses hides for a lot of their cold blooded creatures. They are backless hides so that the snake or lizard can enter the hide and feel secure yet the client can see through the glass into the hide. Quite a nice compromise I think.