New BP Purchase

[Syleron]

I dont mean to double post but I had posted my original topic in the general herp rather than the BP area.

Original Post

I just purchased a new BP from a new Petland that recently opened in my town. First time I had gone in I really enjoyed everything I saw. It seemed like everything was taken care of above standards. I also noticed the reptile section and a BP that someone had been holding. That same BP would be the one I would purchase a few days later. In the time between though I had been debating to buy a different morph from a breeder. I also noticed the price for the BP at petland was significantly more expensive than the the same kind of BP from a breeder. I ended up as stated going with the one from Petland. Today I have been googling reviews about Petland and they have been somewhat shocking. Horrible reviews about snakes being left to die and imported from africa.

Now really what I want to ask is have I made a major mistake? The snake looks fine to me other than what seems to be a bite mark on the side of its neck next to its face(Well at least thats what I think it is it might not be anything). I was told at the time of purchasing by one representative that the snake had been fed frozen-thawed but when I went back later with questions I was told it was fed live which now seems a little fishy. I was also told that the snake was from a local breeder and from what I have read online its usually a lie. The snake is a baby and doesn't seem bothered to be held. It does move around within its enclosure and as its tongue out like there is no problem.

I also read about mites... Is there a way I could check myself? Should I even bother? How about taking it the vet for a check up?

Please let me know what you think.

[brikwall96]

Usually let stores are the worst idea for pets actually. They want money. They don't care about the animals. At least with my experiences...

[psdsimon1689]

One thing you have to realize is that Petland is an independently owned franchise and is not completely dictated by the corporate office, if someone is not taking care of animals, its usually the individual owners and employees fault rather the Petland as a corporation. When it comes to getting the pets Petland sells, they interview all of their breeders and ask a lot of questions about the animals and how their kept, so that they feel comfortable about what they buy. Also each animal is checked extremely well before accepting the animal into the store, ie mites, bites, missing or ripped scales, Respiratory infections etc. If they are not healthy and eating Petland will NOT accept them. The particular Petland that i think you are referring too does get its reptiles from a breeder located in the city its located in. They are great breeders and have a passion and love for the animals they breed. (www.leopardgecko.com) go to his contact, orders page, then to all other reptile orders and look at his address towards the bottom. If a ball python is too small to eat average sized live mice, and if small enough live mice are not available, they attempt to feed frozen if the snake will take it. If not we try to get mice that are the right size. Some times people unfortunately mis communicate about what gets fed what. Make sure what you read online is valid. Mites will usually appear around the eyes of you python or around his face, if he has them you'll be able to see them. You'll also see them in his water bowl because he will soak a lot to try to drown them. If a store has done something wrong, again i state it is the owner as an individual and their employes , who have neglected to care for their animals or reptiles. That statement does not directly reflect on the store your talking about, though unfortunately we share the name with the store who has failed to upkeep the hight standards in pet care that the corporation has set. Unfortunately there are alot of pet stores that do mistreat their animals and do not care. And i can proudly say that the store you refer to is setting a new standard to not join the ranks of bad pet stores. They love, care for, and treat every animal as if it were their own.

[llovelace]

^^ Do you work for Petland? I only ask because your statement sounds like so many of the corporate responses I've read here in the past. Well written though

[psdsimon1689]

^^I do but only as an employee, I love my job and i work with great people. I own an awesome normal 100% Het clown male that i bought from that store before i worked there. and he is doing great. I have absolutely no ties to ownership either, i just believe in changing how people view pet stores. Awesome quote by the way

[Syleron]

Thank you for your quick response. I have no doubt of the care that this particular petland gives their animals however I was just concerned by the reviews and the animal overall.

Thanks for the clear and concise answer.

[psdsimon1689]

Thank you for your quick response. I have no doubt of the care that this particular petland gives their animals however I was just concerned by the reviews and the animal overall.

Thanks for the clear and concise answer.

Absolutely understandable, I'm glad i could help.

[AliCat37]

I have to say, I have only ever heard terrible things about petland, especially the notorious puppy mills. Personally, I only buy from breeders because I know exactly where my snake came from and exactly what it was eating. That being said, pet stores are also money hungry, for example, petco/smart selling normal ball pythons for $80 where they're only worth around $20 from a breeder, $8 imported.

BUT it only matters that you are satisfied with your animal. Mites are visible on the skin, you'll see them crawling around. If it eats, even better. Hopefully your snake is healthy

[psdsimon1689]

This particular Petland does not have dogs or cats because we work with our local shelter to get abused dogs and cats adopted to loving homes. And yes they are more expensive, Petland is a business, not money hungry. We buy from breeders and have to make money on what we buy thats just the way it goes, and theirs no way around it, unless you (the customer) buy direct from a breeder. The experience of being able to see, feel, hold, and know exactly what you getting and that its healthy is important to experienced and new pet owners alike, but there are a lot of people who would rather buy direct from a breeder and there is absolutely no problem with that, its just a personal choice. But people like having a one on one with an animal, and theres a bonding experience associated with handling an animal as well. And Im not bashing breeders at all, because we get our great BP's from a great breeder, but again its a business.

[purplemuffin]

I can say that there was a decent petland near me as well. The man who owned it was really kind and very specific on who he would sell an animal to. He focused on birds mainly, and had a lot of beautiful and very well maintained parrots that were always fun to interact with. We were even quizzed on betta care when we brought home our fish, something most people consider a throw away animal. They later got sick of the bad rap petland gets and didn't want to be associated with the other stores who didn't care for their animals and renamed their store. Unfortunately, with the new name and suddenly fully controlling the business, they weren't able to stay in business in the area and had to move. Which sucked, cause they had really nice affordable feeders too! Oh well, since then Maru has switched over to f/t reliably anyway, so yay!

Honestly I always suggest not buying from petstores, it CAN be okay, but at the same time most stores you go to are full of people who don't know anything about animals(or only know dogs and cats) and people who don't care! Plus they are overpriced and usually not in the best shape. Sometimes there is an exception--but it's the exception, not the rule.

But of course I've been to another petland that was downright the worst petstore I've ever seen! It's all about the owner and the employees with stores like that...

With petsmart and petco the rules come from the management and even good employees can't fix bad care(so leopard geckos end up on calcium sand, animals end up underfed/over fed, and all sorts of bad care happens), so even in places where people don't care or places where they do, the care of the animals stays close to the same...Unless people break the rules! With petlands it can be a lot better, but it can also be a whole heck of a lot worse! It's all crazy