My first shock I guess about peoples' fear

[dsirkle]

This is a reptile forum and the people here would probably like all types of animals.
Many other people hate animals. Many people regard dogs or cats as filthy animals that destroy people's homes and can't understand why people would own them.
Many more people than that have an unnatural fear of snakes and kill a wild snake of any kind on sight.
I wouldn't advise taking one into a store.
If nothing else, it would be a bad career move.

[lisafoster2510]

I would say a pet store is fine anywhere elsei would never bring my snake. Not to beat a dead horse but some people are absolutely terrified of snakes. Many people I know are very afraid. When my neighbor found out I have a snake he was furious he even approached me about it. He and his wife would probably have a coronary if they knew I had more reptiles. My mother and sister in law will not even come to my house because I own snakes. I have even said I would cover the enclosures. Their fear seems irrational and ridiculous to me but it is very real to them. Of course I choose my reptiles over them coming over any day .

[mbuehler]

I wouldn't take any of my snakes to any kind of store. For their safety, my safety, and other peoples safety. You said couplet other people hold the snake, but what happens when the snake bites them and they want to press charges? It may be extreme but it is a very real possibility.
Also, a store like Lowe's even if the heat is ok the amount to chemicals and dangerous materials could cause some serious harm to you beloved pet. Even at a petstore if an employee has been handling their reptiles they could pass on unwanted parasites or bacteria to your snake then your collection.

Just my .02.

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[Marrissa]

I don't really know of any dangerous chemicals floating in the air at my store. If he was climbing on stuff sure. But from me holding him I don't see how he's going to pick up anything. The people that held him were my coworkers because I wasn't going to hand him off to people I don't know. I'm kinda surprised about how big a deal this was made into. Seems to be any snake sighting is bad publicity? I'm with some of the previous posters where I don't see why would should have to cater to the phobias of others. Now if I was shoving it upon them, that's wrong of me. The main point of me bringing him in to work was to show my coworkers and no I'm not going to have all of them at my house. I also wouldn't take him into any other store. I wouldn't really bother to take him to the park unless it was for photos or something. I don't care about the "look at me I have a snake". I just wish people had more opportunities to see they aren't scary.

I understand being weary of them if someone has never been around them. I've never been a reptile person, and was even weirded out by snakes. The first time I ever touched a snake was when I took Allure out of his shipping box. Even then I sat staring at him for a minute or two working myself up to pick him up. For some reason getting a ball python just kept popping into my head after a post on another non reptile forum. So I did my research and got one. I respect people's fear and their right to not like my pet. That's fine. I just wish people would be OPEN to non traditional pets, or at least the non fluffy variety.

I don't fault people for fearing snakes, I fault them for being closed minded. Seems to me that if we have to keep our hobby behind closed doors that's promoting the idea that they SHOULD be kept away from people. I don't know. I guess we'll just agree to disagree. I posted just to kinda share my surprisement at how silly some people can be, but also to share how interested some people were. My coworkers were still asking about ball pythons today, even the ones that were scared of him. So seems like I opened up a few people to it, or at least got some knowledge into them about them.

[Marrissa]

Today while at work a woman came up to me because she recognized me from the other day when I had brought Allure in. She had a daughter with her that day that was nervous to come near me with him, but apparently she's been talking about ball pythons since then. They now plan on getting her one when she's older. I told her to just make sure she does her research before. So exciting that at least one person is now considering getting a snake that was previously weary.

I wish there were reptile/just plain all types of animal instructors that would visit schools and educate kids about various animals. I would of loved that and probably would of gotten a BP much sooner had I been exposed to them when I was young. I know some schools have demonstrators come in but those are very few.

[BrandiR]

My boyfriend has a parrot that he treats like a child, and he takes it into stores fairly often. It irritates the crap out of me.

Before you leave your house with your pet (snake, dog, cat, bird, spider, whatever) you should ask yourself, "Could everyone else who might be exposed to this animal reasonably expect to see one of these at the store I'm going to?" If the answer is no, you shouldn't take it. For example, would it be unreasonable to think you might see a snake at Petco? No. At The Gap? Probably.

As far as taking responsibility for another person's phobias, that's not what you're being asked to do by not taking your snake into a public place where people wouldn't normally have to be prepared to encounter one. If you were being asked not to take it into a pet store, you'd be right. The phobic person who has a melt down in Lowe's is taking responsibility for their own phobia by buying their do-it-yourself-home-improvement-supplies from somewhere not-snake-related. Same goes for every other animal, by the way.

To me, this is the equivalent of walking through Lowe's with a ghetto blaster playing gangsta rap at an unreasonable volume and then being upset because you shouldn't have to compromise your love of All-50-Cent-All-The-Time just because other people might not like it. It's a public place, afterall.

[Alexiel03]

I wish there were reptile/just plain all types of animal instructors that would visit schools and educate kids about various animals. I would of loved that and probably would of gotten a BP much sooner had I been exposed to them when I was young. I know some schools have demonstrators come in but those are very few.

i was one of the lucky ones who had those demonstrations at school, twice actually. once when i was in elementary school and the second time when i was in jr.high (8th grade i think) and thats how i fell in love with snakes, ball pythons in particular, i got to hold one after the presentation and it was just so awesome. one of my friends also held a reptile, not a snake but a blue tongued skink she bought one about a year after that, they were a bit hard to find back then and costed way more than what they are now too. sadly my parents wouldnt let me get a snake. even now my dad dont really care for them, whenever i see him i ususally have one out, but i dont see him too much cuz he lives in another state xD my mom loves my snakes she even held my female burmese when she was at 8ft. i just wish my bf would be into reptiles as much as me lol he likes them but not like i do!

[lisafoster2510]

I wouldn't take any of my snakes to any kind of store. For their safety, my safety, and other peoples safety. You said couplet other people hold the snake, but what happens when the snake bites them and they want to press charges? It may be extreme but it is a very real possibility.
Also, a store like Lowe's even if the heat is ok the amount to chemicals and dangerous materials could cause some serious harm to you beloved pet. Even at a petstore if an employee has been handling their reptiles they could pass on unwanted parasites or bacteria to your snake then your collection.

Just my .02.
I never even thought of employees at petco who could have handled the animals there and then handled mine. God knows some of their reptiles may have parasites.

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[rossi46]

Before you leave your house with your pet (snake, dog, cat, bird, spider, whatever) you should ask yourself, "Could everyone else who might be exposed to this animal reasonably expect to see one of these at the store I'm going to?" If the answer is no, you shouldn't take it.

Such a good way of putting it, I want to make sure it's seen. Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. I'm relatively new to the BP world, but there's no way in the world I would ever take my snake into public. Why? Because it's ridiculous to assume that because I happen to be into snakes, that means anyone else who I might encounter is as well.

Especially with all the anti-reptile legislation that is trying to be passed lately, the last thing "we" need is a group of people contacting their congressmen about how there are "wild, dangerous snakes at Lowe's!!!" Let's use our heads here, people.

[Juan Carlos]

I Never take juan out unless its the right temperature, and for 10-20 min though. You don't wanna stress him out, Mines is very active so that explains why he likes it.