its so sad

[Alex1989]

Yesterday i went into petsmart, I saw a baby ball python that had no muscle to it, looked to be struggling to move, and the managers stupid answer was, we cant feed it live, and were feeding it one pinky a day. How is a snake that skinny even when it eats? I wish i had taken a photo.

[Archimedes]

My boy was a Petco baby. He was the healthier of the two, and I believe they lost his clutchmate-- although this particular location was lucky to have a very good reptile specialist, so it wasn't for lack of trying. I almost bought the clutchmate, but the reptile specialist quietly told me that he thought it was impacted and trying to get it in for a vet visit on the store's account. I left it to him and brought Magnus home, and it couldn't be happier. If chain stores would do their research and hire qualified keepers instead of bored high school students, more of these animals may have a chance. When you're responsible for living creatures, hire people who know what they're doing.

[Cortland V.]

I got a ball from petsmart a couple months ago. He was obviously starving and I was going to try to save him. I got him home and he just wouldn't eat. Poor guy was so skinny. He died within two weeks. I'm glad that I could give him a good home during his final days, though... I got a refund and got another from the same petsmart. I figured I may as well try and save another. He is doing good so far, a bit aggressive, but healthy. These places shouldn't even carry reptiles in my opinion.

[Alex1989]

My boy was a Petco baby. He was the healthier of the two, and I believe they lost his clutchmate-- although this particular location was lucky to have a very good reptile specialist, so it wasn't for lack of trying. I almost bought the clutchmate, but the reptile specialist quietly told me that he thought it was impacted and trying to get it in for a vet visit on the store's account. I left it to him and brought Magnus home, and it couldn't be happier. If chain stores would do their research and hire qualified keepers instead of bored high school students, more of these animals may have a chance. When you're responsible for living creatures, hire people who know what they're doing.

I was going to adopt the underweight baby, and try to rehab him but they took him out of the display when i spoke up about him. but atm im rehabing two adult Bps atm, one is underweight and can see his spine but i got him to eat, and the other had bad stuck shed, ive been soaking him and helping them both recover, i already believe i have a home for the one with the stuck shed after i get that issue delt with.

[ballpythonboy]

i know what you mean. when I got my bp his girth was barely bigger than my thumb

[Pythonfriend]

dont buy living thigs from petsmart, dont buy living things from any big box chain store.

Thats really all i can say. Just dont do it, buy from a breeder or a small family-run store.

[4theSNAKElady]

dont buy living thigs from petsmart, dont buy living things from any big box chain store.

Thats really all i can say. Just dont do it, buy from a breeder or a small family-run store.

I know what you mean, I totally do. But Ive seen some family run stores who care for their reptiles just as bad, if not worse, then a Petco/Petsmart big chain pet store. Its NOT the store.....imo. Its the willingness, knowledge, and attitude of the person hired to care for the reptiles. Theres a small family run place by me who takes AWFUL care of their waaay overpriced reptiles. I stopped going in there, cuz all I see in the caages there is many leftover sheds, feces, no water sometimes and dirty dry cages that look like they haven't been cleaned in MONTHS. And when you mention something like that to them, they get rude. Anyone who lives in DE/Elkton MD area, Id be happy to PM the name of the store if they want to know...

[Archimedes]

It's all about the people hired, not the store itself. I second that. Like I said, the Petco I got Magnus from had a wonderful reptile specialist and animal manager, but one day their Small Mammals section was understaffed and they brought someone over to help us from the Fish department. He was rude, unprofessional, and actually told us he was scared of mice. We had to get our new mice ourselves after he opened the terrarium. It varies person to person, experience to experience.

Another positive anecdote about the reptile specialist-- my partner and I were in the market for a new leopard gecko, and after listening to what we were looking for, he actually went into the back and retrieved a leo who'd been separated from the others for its own safety. It was a bit bigger and the other babies felt threatened by it, so they were agressive toward it. Tommy (the rep specialist) remembered us coming in for Magnus and for other supplies and thought we'd make a good home for this rejected baby; sure enough, it was love at first sight.

When places hire people who both know what they're doing and give wonderful customer service, that's someone they shouldn't let go.

[Pythonfriend]

yes, you are right, maybe i need to make myself more clear.


You should only buy from people or places or companies where you can see that husbandry is good for all reptiles, amphibians, and spiders. If i see any animal not properly cared for, i wont buy anything.


But with big chains and big box stores, there is another problem: Their management and their hiring policies are known to TIME AND TIME AGAIN lead to unmotivated, unqualified and inexperienced employees. And these are nationwide or even global policies. I wont buy from big chains because hiring people that know how to properly care for the animals IS NOT PART OF THEIR POLICY, specifically THEY WONT PAY FOR IT. The business model is to hire at lowest possibe wage, and to HOPE that such knowledge automatically goes from employee to employee.

With small breeders and big breeders and dealers and individual stores, every one has the potential to do a really excellent job when it comes to husbandry. Every one can also screw up. And if they want to stay in business, there is an incentive to consistently do a good job.

With the big chains, if one of the stores does a very good job, this is merely a coincidence. The big chains are not aiming for it. If they _by chance_ hire a veterinary student, husbandry in that store will be excellent until that vet student gets a REAL job, but that veterinary student will not see a single cent more for his knowledge. With the high turnover rates, the low fixed wages, and good husbandry just not being part of the business plan, if you support ANY of these big chains you also support the worst shops in that chain. If the underlying philosophy is screwed up, one person can make one petco/petsmart really nice for as long as that one person is present, but noone can improve the overall situation in the hundreds of shops in the larger system - not unless we bring some consumer power to bear against the whole system and force them to change their whole strategy.

[4theSNAKElady]

It's all about the people hired, not the store itself.

When places hire people who both know what they're doing and give wonderful customer service, that's someone they shouldn't let go.

EXACTLY. Also, when the person hired actually has experience with those types of animals, owns or has owned some, and actually CARES about them, and has respect for them, this goes a LONG way.