Being fair about PetSmart (and buying your ball python from them)

ooook now im getting sick of petsmart. if it was not the only store in the area i would never go there again. The ceramic heat bulb i got to replace the lights just broke. I bought it YESTERDAY.

Well, this is depressing. She started to get agitated and you couldn't even walk past the tank without her hissing at you. So I checked on her, (thermometers and stuff were reading fine, 50ish humidity and 90ish temp on hot side) and she had this black splotch on her side. SO, started calling vets and was told it was probably a burn, and if my lamps were high enough, call the pet store and see if their lamps are too hot or too close. so i called and they wanted to look at her so i took her in and they were like "Well, we can take her to the vet we have working here, and get her checked out." Apparently what i DIDN'T hear them say was that they were going to refund me and take her back. I guess technically yes i agreed to this and "surrendered" the animal. But i didn't even hear them say it. So Hecate is back at the store and they aren't wanting to sell her back to me, because i "surrendered" her. Great time to be half deaf isnt it. :tears:

Edit: In other words, never take the animal back to petsmart even if they just want to look them over. Hell, at this point i agree with the title, dont buy from petsmart.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by m3gz

Well, this is depressing. She started to get agitated and you couldn't even walk past the tank without her hissing at you. So I checked on her, (thermometers and stuff were reading fine, 50ish humidity and 90ish temp on hot side) and she had this black splotch on her side. SO, started calling vets and was told it was probably a burn, and if my lamps were high enough, call the pet store and see if their lamps are too hot or too close. so i called and they wanted to look at her so i took her in and they were like "Well, we can take her to the vet we have working here, and get her checked out." Apparently what i DIDN'T hear them say was that they were going to refund me and take her back. I guess technically yes i agreed to this and "surrendered" the animal. But i didn't even hear them say it. So Hecate is back at the store and they aren't wanting to sell her back to me, because i "surrendered" her. Great time to be half deaf isnt it. :tears:

Edit: In other words, never take the animal back to petsmart even if they just want to look them over. Hell, at this point i agree with the title, dont buy from petsmart.

---

raise holy hell with the manager and if he/she does nothing raise hell with the district manager. You'll get the snake back, I'd be willing to bet on it.

never trust their vets either, they are paid by the corporate offices to assess if an animal can be sold, they don't actually care. Start blowing up the district manager's email and cell number if its available (the local petsmart here made their DM less accessible after I lost my mind on her lol)

I'm sorry to hear this. I know you went through a lot for Hecate and you had already gotten attached. Don't let this discourage you, though. Maybe this is a great opportunity to get your husbandry spot on and save a few bucks and buy a BP you will love even more from a reputable dealer.
Let the whole experience be a learning experience, but don't let it ruin snakes for you. You'll be more prepared next time and make a great snake mom.

I already talked to the manager, it seems to be part of an animal cruelty law. I was gonna try to get my bf to go in and buy her back, but I'm not sure if they'll count it as by me because of our address. Or even if they'll have her back out yet. Been googling cases of this since it happened and cant find any information on it :/ I'd really like to get her back, but if i cant idk if im going to be into getting another snake.

Well, I'm sorry this situation is discouraging you. Maybe it might be best to move on then. Maybe all that excitement was just excitement, short-lived and not passion. It's pretty common for people to think snakes are awesome!!! Only to get bored with them let them suffer, move on after realizing they aren't the pet they were hoping for. Only you really know if you should own a snake.

Its more like, i got attached and then lost her really fast. And for no reason. I would enjoy it, but im the kind of person that once i lose something, its hard for me to trust anything similar to it. My bf is upset because he never even got to meet her :/ i think even if i dont find another snake he will.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by m3gz

I already talked to the manager, it seems to be part of an animal cruelty law. I was gonna try to get my bf to go in and buy her back, but I'm not sure if they'll count it as by me because of our address. Or even if they'll have her back out yet. Been googling cases of this since it happened and cant find any information on it :/ I'd really like to get her back, but if i cant idk if im going to be into getting another snake.

---

That's a bunch of BS, find the law and read it over if it even exists. Call your local animal shelters and ask them about that supposed law, they'd know far better. Email their corporate office, tell them you didn't surrender the animal you wanted their vet to examine it and the employees never said you were surrendering it, now you've lost your pet because the store's employees were not forthcoming with you. Corporate offices hate bad publicity, if they come back with some more crap about not giving you the snake back, politely let them know you'll be going to a news outlet about how petsmart took your pet, I'd put money on results in your favor. Be polite, but direct.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by m3gz

Its more like, i got attached and then lost her really fast. And for no reason. I would enjoy it, but im the kind of person that once i lose something, its hard for me to trust anything similar to it. My bf is upset because he never even got to meet her :/ i think even if i dont find another snake he will.

---

Well, like I said, only you know if you should have a snake. I hope everything works out for you

Has that worked before? Im willing to try it but im not usually a confrontational person o-o; So, list is, email corporate people, and check actual laws. oki ill have my bf write the email, hes really good at that o-o;; polite with just the right amount of threat ._.

There does seem to be a law....but it applies to ferrets, cats, dogs, and livestock. Your email idea may just work =D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by m3gz

Has that worked before? Im willing to try it but im not usually a confrontational person o-o; So, list is, email corporate people, and check actual laws. oki ill have my bf write the email, hes really good at that o-o;; polite with just the right amount of threat ._.

---

I can tell you I love fighting corporate jerks lol. I emailed petsmarts offices after one of their "fish experts" told me I couldn't buy 10 danios because I wouldn't have a tank big enough...then I told her they were going into a 150 gallon and she still gave me lip about it. I had the store manager calling me every day for a week apologizing lol, then the district manager suddenly became really hard to get ahold of for that area hahaha. They cave over customer complaints 99.9% of the time, I mean look how stupid my complaint was haha.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by m3gz

There does seem to be a law....but it applies to ferrets, cats, dogs, and livestock. Your email idea may just work =D

---

oh I have no doubt there are animal welfare laws in your state but I highly doubt petsmart has the authority to enforce anything of the sort...its more than likely a tactic to keep you from causing a big issue over their animal so they take it back as a "surrender" and cover themselves. The most they can do is refuse you service but again corporate hates seeing dollar bills walk out of the store instead of in.

If this does not work out in your favor, as craig said chalk it up as a learning experience, get your husbandry spot on and buy a beautiful snake from one of the many amazing breeders on here or morph market, you'll be so much happier with the purchase. I know you are attached to that snake but sometimes we may have to pick up and move on with things like this.

I dont think thats stupid...if you have the resources there shouldnt be problem. But, yeaa ill have my bf do the email stuff, i dont like arguments =D hes better at it anyway. Given the lack of law applying to "exotic" animals, we should be able to get Hecate back =D Then just gotta figure out what vet will take her for that spot :/ Thank you!! i prolly wouldnt have thought to go past manager xD


If we cant though, i dont think my bf is gonna give up on a snake, so we will probably be looking at others. :/ Im still gonna hope this works lol.

I would also find the vet BEFORE having the animal.

That probably would have been a good idea youre right >~< Honestly i wasn't thinking about what could go wrong i was focused on making sure things went right in the way of care, I am pretty sure theres an exotic pet vet among the ones i called that would take her on, Just out of town when i called v.v woulda been a lot simpler wouldnt it.

I'm just hoping you're not over-stressing at this point. You went through hell with your first experience. Maybe take a breather. Maybe Hecate wasn't meant to be your long-term snake? Maybe Hecate was a learning experience and you should pump the brakes, take a breath, get your husbandry and everything spot on, get an exotic vet lined up and ready for when you need him/her. Take some time, really think about things rather than acting on impulse. Maybe your next snake (if you decide to go that route) will have a better experience as well. It's not just about us, these are living animals.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by m3gz

I dont think thats stupid...if you have the resources there shouldnt be problem. But, yeaa ill have my bf do the email stuff, i dont like arguments =D hes better at it anyway. Given the lack of law applying to "exotic" animals, we should be able to get Hecate back =D Then just gotta figure out what vet will take her for that spot :/ Thank you!! i prolly wouldnt have thought to go past manager xD


If we cant though, i dont think my bf is gonna give up on a snake, so we will probably be looking at others. :/ Im still gonna hope this works lol.

---

she still sold me the fish which made me even more mad haha because don't give me lip about how many .5" fish I want, then sell them anyways! haha.

the law may still apply but again petsmart as a corporation have no authority to apply laws in that manner or "seize" your animal through deception as I would absolutely say in my email. Even if an employee said something I would stand my ground on you not being told exactly what was happening, and they more or less took your animal through deception and gave you a refund without you even knowing what was happening.

And yes to finding a vet who understands ball pythons before you get another or get Hecate back. Talk to the vet beforehand, and I mean ask him/her how many ball pythons or boas they see, and just generally talk about BP's to them. I had that issue with an exotics vet not knowing what the req's were for a BP and arguing with me about my care of the animal so even though they say exotics, they may not be species specific.

also DO NOT talk about legal issues or threaten them in any way, as they will be guaranteed to stop responding to you and give you their lawyer's info instead. Simply state you feel deceived and the employees took your animal without explaining what was going on.

Well, thats part of why im trying to get her back, the conditions i had her in were almost exact give or take a bit, and she got hurt there and i dont want to see her get hurt worse D= There are 2 exotic pet vets in my city taking new patients, ill call them in the morning. If they dont work theres others not too far away. I didnt go into this on an impulse, me and my bf have talked about it for a long time. Im also not new to long term commitments, iv'e been with my bf for almost 10 years (and hes definitely more work than any animal ever could be lol) we even own our place. I know it sounds like im kinda rushed but its a rush to get things settled, not set up. I know i had (and have) a lot of questions, but i spent a good week doing nothing but going through page after page of python care guides, possible problems, temperature and humidity variances, and all of that is enough to make your head spin without the girl at petsmart selling you into a kit that wasnt what you had planned. Kit i was originally going to get and set up had almost everything. water bowl, heat lamp, aspen, 20gal tank, heat mat, a plastic hide thingie, etc.


Oki, noted, do not mention legal stuff o-o that could get bad

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by m3gz

Well, thats part of why im trying to get her back, the conditions i had her in were almost exact give or take a bit, and she got hurt there and i dont want to see her get hurt worse D= There are 2 exotic pet vets in my city taking new patients, ill call them in the morning. If they dont work theres others not too far away. I didnt go into this on an impulse, me and my bf have talked about it for a long time. Im also not new to long term commitments, iv'e been with my bf for almost 10 years (and hes definitely more work than any animal ever could be lol) we even own our place. I know it sounds like im kinda rushed but its a rush to get things settled, not set up. I know i had (and have) a lot of questions, but i spent a good week doing nothing but going through page after page of python care guides, possible problems, temperature and humidity variances, and all of that is enough to make your head spin without the girl at petsmart selling you into a kit that wasnt what you had planned. Kit i was originally going to get and set up had almost everything. water bowl, heat lamp, aspen, 20gal tank, heat mat, a plastic hide thingie, etc.

---

I'm not trying to be a [jerk] here, I hope you understand that, but I'm thinking of the animals first. You put in a weeks worth of cramming, yet still came home with the animal the same day you bought the equipment. That didn't work out well at all. I believe that is basically the definition of an impulse purchase. And rushing to get things settled is still rushing. Think of the animal and put yourself in their skin. Would you want to be moved against your will into a home that is not suitable for healthy living? I wouldn't want to be somebody's trial and error. I would hope that whoever bought me to love me and take care of me for the rest of my life had things ready for me, rather than throw me in there and then get everything right. If you were truly prepared, you would have known the girl who sold you all that crap was clueless. You would have bought the right equipment and had it dialed in FIRST, had the vet picked out FIRST, etc... You can read the entire internet worth of info, but how much was retained? You can ask a million questions on this forum, but the advice only helps if you listen to it. The experienced keepers all say the same thing....be prepared before you take the animal home, it's not fair to the animal otherwise. You already had Hecate when you started posting, so I was happy to help out. Now you have the knowledge and the tools to do things the right way, I hope you decide to do it the right way this time.

I was not trying to imply that your advice was not appreciated, nor was i trying to be rude. I will admit to having not thought out what could go wrong. I also will admit that i should have had it set up first. The decision to buy a snake in itself was not impulse, the day i went i went to get the kit not the snake. I made the mistake of going to look, and the girl asked if i wanted to go ahead and take the snake since she had helped me make the kit. I should have waited, yes, and before i actually bring her home again you can bet that it will be right. Which is why i will call the vets in the morning and talk to them. I would never have called you rude or....anything else for that matter. The animals matter most, that is a mindset that is not only rare anymore, but i value it immensely. You guys have been the absolute best since i joined your forum. I really am sorry if you took my reply as anything other than trying to show that i am not impulsive, or unable to care for her. Again, all of your advice is appreciated, and taken to heart. You have way more experience than i do.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by m3gz

I was not trying to imply that your advice was not appreciated, nor was i trying to be rude. I will admit to having not thought out what could go wrong. I also will admit that i should have had it set up first. The decision to buy a snake in itself was not impulse, the day i went i went to get the kit not the snake. I made the mistake of going to look, and the girl asked if i wanted to go ahead and take the snake since she had helped me make the kit. I should have waited, yes, and before i actually bring her home again you can bet that it will be right. Which is why i will call the vets in the morning and talk to them. I would never have called you rude or....anything else for that matter. The animals matter most, that is a mindset that is not only rare anymore, but i value it immensely. You guys have been the absolute best since i joined your forum. I really am sorry if you took my reply as anything other than trying to show that i am not impulsive, or unable to care for her. Again, all of your advice is appreciated, and taken to heart. You have way more experience than i do.

---

I didn't take it that way, no worries at all. I'm just trying to put the animals first. The animals rely on us to keep them alive and healthy, they have no say in the matter. I'm here to learn and to help people who are learning. I am miles from an expert, but I do feel comfortable helping out where I can and sharing what I have learned and experienced.
I don't doubt you'll be a great snake mom, I just want to see the animal taken care of the best way possible. You've had a hard go of things from the get-go. I would definitely think taking some time to hammer out the issues you've had and ensure they don't happen again would be best for you as well as the animal.

I will ALWAYS have the animals best interests in mind, its the whole point of caring for a companion...And yea, i am smashing out the issues i ran into last time. The tank is still set up, i cleaned it out and reset everything but the aspen. Nothings on yet, because i have no idea when we will be able to get her back, but a few days before we do, or before my bf finds another snake, ill have the tank going and stable. I will also have the vets checked out by tomorrow, if neither of the 2 directly in my city seem to know half of what you guys do then i will look into the ones just outside it. I will not go into this unprepared again, it was one of the worst things, to feel like i put her in danger by moving too fast. I also do not like the idea of her sitting in that store where they starved her, and how she got burned id love to know.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by m3gz

I will ALWAYS have the animals best interests in mind, its the whole point of caring for a companion...And yea, i am smashing out the issues i ran into last time. The tank is still set up, i cleaned it out and reset everything but the aspen. Nothings on yet, because i have no idea when we will be able to get her back, but a few days before we do, or before my bf finds another snake, ill have the tank going and stable. I will also have the vets checked out by tomorrow, if neither of the 2 directly in my city seem to know half of what you guys do then i will look into the ones just outside it. I will not go into this unprepared again, it was one of the worst things, to feel like i put her in danger by moving too fast. I also do not like the idea of her sitting in that store where they starved her, and how she got burned id love to know.

---

We were all new once, don't be too hard on yourself. Its a learning experience that you take away from.

Just talk to the vets, make sure they aren't recommending goofy stuff for BP's like a UVB light. Ask them what they recommend for a proper setup for a ball python and see what they say. If it feels off, find a new vet and don't chance it.

And dont get talked in circles again :P thats on my list too haha yea, if anything feels off ill look at another one. Theres a few within distance. One of them has to be good @~@


Seriously though, i would love to know how Hecate got burned at petsmart... It didnt look like the lamps were close enough for that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by predatorkeeper87

We were all new once, don't be too hard on yourself. Its a learning experience that you take away from.

Just talk to the vets, make sure they aren't recommending goofy stuff for BP's like a UVB light. Ask them what they recommend for a proper setup for a ball python and see what they say. If it feels off, find a new vet and don't chance it.

---

^^^agreed^^^

Will do :) and thank you guys again <3

There are two things that need to be said here:

1. You did not "surrender" your animal to PetSmart - you brought it into the store, you gave it to the store to keep while under the care of their veterinarian, and you were likely given a refund. The last part (or the entire part) of that interaction would have happened at the cash register. It would have been nearly impossible for you to not know what was going on during the return process.
2. PetSmart has always reserved the right to refuse the sale of any pet (except those they specifically carry as feeder animals). They are well within their right, and the law, to do so.

Now, if you were blatantly lied to during the process, that is another matter entirely. That is something anyone would be upset about, and rightfully so. I know it's difficult to do so, but if you take emotion out of it, what really happened at the store that day?

Best of luck to you! You have really been through a LOT so far, and I genuinely hope things get better soon.

When i went to the register i thought i was paying for a vet visit, i did not realize they were refunding me.



Taking emotion out of it, they told me to bring her in so they could look her over when i called. I brought her in, they proceeded to look at the spot and say "We can have our vet take a look at her." And apparently they said that they would refund me, i did not hear them say this, but they claim to have. I will not say that they didnt, i am half deaf it is quite possible i just did not hear it. so i left the animal with the person at the reptile area, and proceeded to go pay for what i thought was a vet bill. it wasnt until i got home that i realized they hadnt taken anything off of my card, and i called and they said they had refunded me for the returned animal.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by m3gz

When i went to the register i thought i was paying for a vet visit, i did not realize they were refunding me.

Taking emotion out of it, they told me to bring her in so they could look her over when i called. I brought her in, they proceeded to look at the spot and say "We can have our vet take a look at her." And apparently they said that they would refund me, i did not hear them say this, but they claim to have. I will not say that they didnt, i am half deaf it is quite possible i just did not hear it. so i left the animal with the person at the reptile area, and proceeded to go pay for what i thought was a vet bill. it wasnt until i got home that i realized they hadnt taken anything off of my card, and i called and they said they had refunded me for the returned animal.

---

That makes more sense, thank you. I hope you are able to get things resolved.

Of the two vets i was able to get a hold of this morning, one was out of town, and the other said that whatever wood shavings i could get would work for bedding :/ Cedar and the other scenty oily woods have chemicals in them that are bad for any animal -.-

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by m3gz

Of the two vets i was able to get a hold of this morning, one was out of town, and the other said that whatever wood shavings i could get would work for bedding :/ Cedar and the other scenty oily woods have chemicals in them that are bad for any animal -.-

---

Oh jeez, well, can't hurt to try a few others and the other one when he gets back from vacation. I truly hope this all works out for you, it's been a tough little road so far. I really hope it doesn't discourage you, regardless of what happens with Hecate. You're gonna be a good snake mom once this is all figured out.

Yea,just waiting until about 3 to call the others, that way theres actually someone there lol