First Shed & Pet Store Rescue(D.U.W.)....

First pics are of my Pastel who just shed last night (first shed since I had him!). Second set are of my newly acquired Normal (not sure of sex need to have shim probed) I got her/him from a local pet store tonight, was beeing kept under not so nice conditions so I had to grab her/him. He/She seems healthy so far, no mouth/belly rot, breathing seems good and aside from a little stuck shed on his/her tail the body is good. Not sure on age, the "snake expert" said about 5 months old. She/Him is weighing in at 140grams and seems very happy right now :D

http://www.jlcomputersales.com/snake/s1.jpg
http://www.jlcomputersales.com/snake/s2.jpg
http://www.jlcomputersales.com/snake/s3.jpg
http://www.jlcomputersales.com/snake/s4.jpg
http://www.jlcomputersales.com/snake/s5.jpg
http://www.jlcomputersales.com/snake/d1.jpg
http://www.jlcomputersales.com/snake/d2.jpg
http://www.jlcomputersales.com/snake/d3.jpg
http://www.jlcomputersales.com/snake/d4.jpg

VERY VERY BEAUTIFUL! very vibrant and beautiful blushings

Very nice looking animal, very vibrant colors. But why does every snake anyone buys from a pet store that still has a little shed stuck to it have to be a 'rescue'???? It's not a rescue, it's a purchase.... There is nothing wrong with that snake. It looks fine, it looks healthy, it was obviously not suffering. So why do so many people feel the need to demonize pet stores???

Mark

The pet store I got the snake from just got it in on Friday so the horrible conditions didn't have time to effect the snake. The conditions the snake was living in is why I consider it a rescue. The clerk at the store had no idea about snakes or the husbandry involved with keeping one. There was no temperature gradient (all though I can't tell for sure since there was just a stick on fish thermometer) no way to tell humidity, in at least a 55gal tank with no hides or water.

I've said it before and I'll say it again...purchasing an animal from a pet store for their asking price is not a rescue. It may make you feel good, but ultimately it just reaffirms to the pet store that they can sell snakes under those conditions.

who said I paid full price or money at all :D

Perhaps it was implied. Care to clarify?

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who said I paid full price or money at all

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What, did you steal it? They only had it for a few days? Where you just assuming that they were going to take care of it poorly because it's a pet store???

While I agree with Mark and Jess in that I wouldn't claim that as a rescue the animosity seen in this thread so far is alarming.
At only 8 posts long (9 including mine) it's like walking into an electrical storm. This IS the internet, this IS a (relatively) public forum, instead of using this post to jump on a soap box (a good soap box yes, but soap box nonetheless) why not comment on her animals and start a thread elsewhere about the demonizing of pet stores and what consitutes as a rescue?
All of QT rooms rows are winding down, why not add it there? :)

*shrug* It bothers me when people buy an animal from a cruddy situation, pay money to support the cruddy situation, and then turn around and call it a rescue. It's taking credit for an action that ultimately causes more harm. That upsets me. Just like the people who buy the poor puppy from the petstore because they feel so sorry for it...the petstore doesn't care why you buy it, they make their money, and they turn around and put another puppy in the cage you just emptied, so the next sucker can buy it.

It devalues the efforts of those of us who actually do rescue, and it in the long run it harms more animals.

It would be better to let them know that you had come in there looking for such an animal, but based on their poor care of the animal, you had decided to take your business elsewhere...that would do far more good.

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Originally Posted by MarkS

What, did you steal it? They only had it for a few days? Where you just assuming that they were going to take care of it poorly because it's a pet store???

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No I didn't steal it, I made a trade with the owner, I install alarm systems for a living and traded labor for the snake. I never mentioned the whole situation that was involved because this is just a pics forums and didn't want an essay here. I planned to make a full post in Gen BP when I had a chance to give all the details involved but since this has turned into a f'n lynching of me the story is this in a nut shell. Local pet store mostly fish and small animals, they got the BP from a family member so tried selling it in their store. I tried just telling the guy what he needed to do to take proper care of it but he was rather rude about the whole thing so I made a deal with him. So yea....sorry about my original post I guess.....

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Originally Posted by slartibartfast

*shrug* It bothers me when people buy an animal from a cruddy situation, pay money to support the cruddy situation, and then turn around and call it a rescue. It's taking credit for an action that ultimately causes more harm. That upsets me. Just like the people who buy the poor puppy from the petstore because they feel so sorry for it...the petstore doesn't care why you buy it, they make their money, and they turn around and put another puppy in the cage you just emptied, so the next sucker can buy it.

It devalues the efforts of those of us who actually do rescue, and it in the long run it harms more animals.

It would be better to let them know that you had come in there looking for such an animal, but based on their poor care of the animal, you had decided to take your business elsewhere...that would do far more good.

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See my previous post...I wasn't going there to buy a snake, I was picking up a feeder.

I understand the whole process of actually purchasing an animal to rescue it. Yes, it does support that business... which is very unfortunate. Sometimes it is also very difficult to look at an animal you know is not being taken care of correctly, and not do anything for that individual animal. It's a Catch 22 situation and I don't think that there is really a right or wrong decision to make.

I too feel that the author of this thread got jumped on at an alarming rate. Mark, I get your point... not all pet stores are horrible and out to hurt animals, and some of them know what they're doing. But without actually knowing the situation at hand, I don't think it was necessary to start anything with the author in this particular situation. Maybe after asking why they decided to refer to it as a rescue in the first place... and then going from there. Just my opinion.

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I too feel that the author of this thread got jumped on at an alarming rate. Mark, I get your point... not all pet stores are horrible and out to hurt animals, and some of them know what they're doing. But without actually knowing the situation at hand, I don't think it was necessary to start anything with the author in this particular situation.

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I'm not 'jumping on' the original author. However, I do object to some of the language that was used and the implication that the pet store was automatically in the wrong. I dislike the way that the term 'rescue' is thrown around so casually. Like Slartibartfast, I actually also do reptile rescue. I pick up animals regularly from local animal control officers where they have been confiscated from, or surrendered by, the original owners. I've seen reptiles that were on deaths doorstep and some that simply had to be put down because there was nothing else that could be done. These animals are not purchased from anybody or any store, but legally removed from the homes they were in because the owners were either in violation of the law, or surrendered their animals because they couldn't be taken care of any more. They are taken in by the group that I'm with so that they can be rehomed with a person who has the knowledge to take proper care of them and rehabilitate them if necessary. Very few of the animals that I take in actually wind up in my permanent collection.

I also know a number of people who own pet stores. They own pet stores because they actually love animals, if they didn't they wouldn't be in the business for long. I often see a lot of criticism on various forums of the way pet stores care for their animals and quite frankly I tend to side with the pet stores. Sure, there are a few out there that aren't very good, but I think the overwhelming majority are decent places that care for the welfare of their animals. Just because an animal isn't currently being kept in what one persons opinion of the ideal perfect conditions are, means that it needs 'rescuing'. Taking care of a large number of animals is a LOT different then keeping only a few and it's not always possible to keep everything pristine and perfect. I keep over a hundred snakes myself. I spend several hours a day cleaning and caring for my animals, but I can guarantee you that I have at least one with stuck shed. A few with no water because it's either been tipped over or I'm sterilizing their water bowls, and probably several that have crap in their cages because I haven't had time to clean it up yet. Maybe not perfect conditions, but certainly in no stress or danger. And certainly not in need of being rescued.

Mark

:claps for you: First off I never posted bashing this pet store and giving its name out telling people BEWARE!! The reality is that the pet store is probably a very good one, all the other animals seemed very well taken care of. If you actually read my first post on this page instead of your little tirade of holier than thou crap you would have seen that I tried talking to the owner of the pet store, he could care less about the conditions of the snakes tank, and ummm sorry but last time I checked having a tank properly heated wasn't an opinion of perfect husbandry. It seems like you have an issue with alot of peoples post and honestly I don't appreciate you hijacking my post and taking it out on me since i'm "new here". I love these boards and I think there is TONS of useful information and extremely helpful people here so if this gets me kicked off i'll feel bad but i'm done bitting my tongue because in YOUR OPINION I "misused" the word rescue and i'm a horrible person for taking this snake before he got sick of worse. I apologize to all the other posters and Mods here that this had to turn into this crap shoot i'll be sure not to make anymore new posts or replies on these boards anymore, thanks to all who helped with my original setup and kind remarks on my pastel. :gj:

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:claps for you: First off I never posted bashing this pet store and giving its name out telling people BEWARE!! The reality is that the pet store is probably a very good one, all the other animals seemed very well taken care of. If you actually read my first post on this page instead of your little tirade of holier than thou crap you would have seen that I tried talking to the owner of the pet store, he could care less about the conditions of the snakes tank, and ummm sorry but last time I checked having a tank properly heated wasn't an opinion of perfect husbandry. It seems like you have an issue with alot of peoples post and honestly I don't appreciate you hijacking my post and taking it out on me since i'm "new here". I love these boards and I think there is TONS of useful information and extremely helpful people here so if this gets me kicked off i'll feel bad but i'm done bitting my tongue because in YOUR OPINION I "misused" the word rescue and i'm a horrible person for taking this snake before he got sick of worse. I apologize to all the other posters and Mods here that this had to turn into this crap shoot i'll be sure not to make anymore new posts or replies on these boards anymore, thanks to all who helped with my original setup and kind remarks on my pastel.

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Oh well, in that case I take it all back. Surely you rescued that poor defenseless little animal from a fate worse then death. You're a genuine all American hero, Why don't you give yourself a big pat on the back for a job well done...

Gorgeous Pastel!