Heartbreaking......:(

[Salamander Rising]

Thanks to everybody for their input.

I'm just going to have to find a way to emotionally deal with this.

Right now, I think I'll go out and fuss with the snakes' houses.

If this had been a starving puppy tale, I'd give my dogs some nice new toys to make myself feel better.

I wish they made snake toys.

:-\

[Mike41793]

I wish they made snake toys.

:-\

They actually make these really nice chew toys for them called rats.

[python_addict]

Im not strong enough to have been able to walk away from that. You all say dont buy snake from pet stores because it encourages them to keep selling them. One snake isnt going to make a real difference. Yeah I would have bought the snake atleast I wouldnt be letting it die it would actually have a chance coming home with me. I have seen some pretty harsh balls come into my possession and yeah one I even bought. But thats me and honestly if I did buy it and I just so happened to post pictures and the story on here I wouldnt listen to a darn thing anyone said really take no offense to that its just me Im weak when it comes to dying animals that you know have a chance in your possession.

[The Serpent Merchant]

You all say dont buy snake from pet stores because it encourages them to keep selling them. One snake isnt going to make a real difference.

That is what I am saying. even if everybody on this site pledged to stop buying anything from them it wouldn't make a difference there are people who buy reptiles from them everyday and most of them will listen to the crap that the petstore employee tells them and never question if it is correct or not. This is a battle that we simply cannot win. I feel that we should help those that we can and understand that we cannot possibly save them all.

[python_addict]

understand that we cannot possibly save them all.

Yeah this is true but you can try to save as many as you can

[The Serpent Merchant]

Yeah this is true but you can try to save as many as you can

I agree, I'm just making the point that we have to live with the fact that we cannot save them all

[WingedWolfPsion]

Take the photos, and send them to CORPORATE. Go over the store manager's head. Tell them that if they don't act, you're planning to make a fuss and post the photos, because if this is how they treat their animals, the world should know.

Petco corporate doesn't hate animals, and they aren't completely heartless. The problem is individuals, and if you put a bug in their ear at corporate, it's a lot more likely that something will get done about it. Particularly if you tell them it's an ongoing problem.
Mention the lack of hot water as well. It's hard to imagine anything being properly cleaned without hot water, as well as the issue with thawing rodents for the snakes.

They're a big corporation, and they have a lot of inertia--they had a vet write up their care protocols, and unfortunately, he just wasn't enough of a reptile expert to do it properly. Since a vet told them to, now it's hard to convince them to change. They do think they're doing the right thing.

The only way to get them to fix it, is to keep at them over it. Be polite, be reasonable, but be resolute and definite.
It can work, and has worked.

[DooLittle]

Take the photos, and send them to CORPORATE. Go over the store manager's head. Tell them that if they don't act, you're planning to make a fuss and post the photos, because if this is how they treat their animals, the world should know.

Petco corporate doesn't hate animals, and they aren't completely heartless. The problem is individuals, and if you put a bug in their ear at corporate, it's a lot more likely that something will get done about it. Particularly if you tell them it's an ongoing problem.
Mention the lack of hot water as well. It's hard to imagine anything being properly cleaned without hot water, as well as the issue with thawing rodents for the snakes.

They're a big corporation, and they have a lot of inertia--they had a vet write up their care protocols, and unfortunately, he just wasn't enough of a reptile expert to do it properly. Since a vet told them to, now it's hard to convince them to change. They do think they're doing the right thing.

The only way to get them to fix it, is to keep at them over it. Be polite, be reasonable, but be resolute and definite.
It can work, and has worked.

This, is probably the best thing for all of us to do every time we see a mistreated animal. I can understand how wanting to save them all though, gets to you. I am that person. We saved a Leo that was under fed, had the crap beaten out of him (he was in a tank with 3 or 4 other males and they said they didn't have another tank to put him in to heal), had dropped his tail, and open sores all over him. I just couldn't leave him there. Now fast forward a month or so, we are In same pet store (for cat food) and low and behold, there is a gargoyle gecko with stuck shed all over him and his toes. And a bp pacing its tank. As much as I want to save them all, and its sad, we can't. We need to find another way to get these butt holes to take proper care of their animals. Maybe if we KEEP at corporate, they will open their eyes.

[mattchibi]

What we should all do is compile an in-depth album of pictures dedicated to all of the sickly, weak looking reptiles and other pets that are sold again and again at big chain pet stores (and indicating which exact store they were sold at), and then send it to anyone who can make a difference that cares. Maybe that would make more of a difference than the occasional picture or two of pet store rescues.

And shame on breeders who rely on selling to stores like Petsmart. No matter how tough a breeder's life is financially, the pet's well being should always be put first. The more I think about breeding ball pythons in two years, the more I realize that we are pretty much playing God with our snakes and we are getting them to produce babies that we can sell and profit from. The least we can do is ensure that every single snake that we produce goes to a caring owner who is willing to give it an adequate quality of life.

It made me sad to read your post and kitedemon's, but Im really glad you brought up this issue because it really is something that needs to be fixed in the ball python and reptile world.

[satomi325]

I understand what you're feeling.
I experienced the exact same thing at a chain pet store last fall.


Here is my post about it with pictures: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ble-looking-BP

I agree with Mattchibi. We should compile an album to raise awareness. This is animal cruelty and is preventable.