I have fallen in love...

[lk_holla]

The big problem with "rescuing" an animal from a pet store is that you are not rescuing the pet. You are buying it. When you pay the pet store for the animal you are telling them with your money that everything they are doing is working just fine and they should go out and get another animal to fill that cage and treat the same way. This isn't craig's list where the person hopefully learns there lesson and thinks twice before getting another animal they can't care for.

I vote you take the money you would have spent, find a good online breeder and buy a morph for the same or slightly more money. Lets reward the good guys and not the bad guys.

EXCEPT that you aren't rescuing. You're encouraging the continued sale of them. You may THINK you're rescuing one, but what you've really done is create a demand and an open spot for another one.

You come to a point where you realize that you CAN'T save them all, and that by doing so, you're doing a dis-service to another animal who has to fill that demand.

Thank you for making this point, it really frustrates me that there are so many people who will talk about how they 'rescue' an animal from a pet store, but in reality they are just supporting the store and encouraging more animals to be put in the position. As much as it makes me sad to see bp's in less than ideal conditions (and on sale too... how can you put a living creature on clearance???), I won't allow myself to get it no matter how good the deal.

If an animal's condition at a pet store tugs on your heartstrings, by all means, go ahead and get it if you've fallen in love with it. BUT unless they give it to you for free, it is not a rescue no matter how bad of shape that its in.