Ugh

[mackynz]

It has been at least 5 years since I have been int a chain pet store. Well, I stopped at a Petco last weekend, and saw first hand the horrors I have often read about on here.

First their were the Ball Pythons, 3 hatchlings in 1 20 gallon tank. One had an amazing reduced pattern, one was in the middle of a bad shed and the other was just normal. They had one half log hide, of course angled out toward the store so it provided no security at all. They weren't even using it and didn't so much as move when I was near the tank. The best part had to be that they were all covered in crickets. When I asked an employee why they had crickets in with them they said that it was for when they get hungry and that it's cute because the crickets will just sit on their heads. I informed the employee of their error, but to no avail.

Then there were the Corns. Again in a 20 gal with crickets. There was a ball of them up on a branch, I counted at least 12 heads in that ball, with others scattered throughout the tank.

It got me to wondering are there any groups out there I can support that are working to fix these basic care issues in big box stores? I just feel like the changes that need to be made are simple ones, and would make a huge difference for the animals.

[Cupid]

I work at a big chain petstore and let me tell you, EVERY person working there knows that some of the cages are over crowed and that there shouldn't be 3 ball pythons in a small tank etc... But the sad part is that WE cannot do anything about it. We don't have any extra room in the back to hold a snake in an individual tank. There's usually quite a few more animals in the back rooms because we don't want to over crowd the cages, it's just that we have to make due with what we have. We get shipped more animals then we can house appropriately. It's usually not the associates (or managers) fault, but the people who run those big chain stores. Of course, you get the dummies like in that one store you walked into quite a bit.. but if they set foot into my store and tried the crickets with the snakes, they would be in for it. (not trying to take the store's side, but just showing you that there ARE some people who work in those stores that do care.)

...As for the crickets and such in the snake cage... That is a big NO-NO! What they are doing is wrong and should be brought up with the district manager if the store manager wont take care of it. There are rules that come with each animal and how to care for it and if they aren't followed we get into a lot of trouble.

[grizzjr1]

Just thought I would chime in, I went to my local Petco and was happy to see no crickets in any of the snake tanks However the lady my girlfriend was talking to told her that snakes have no bones besides their skull... Hmm.

[Kodieh]

It is a sad fact, but until we as a community protest the larger influences like Zoo Med and Exo Terra and the like for producing "starter kits" with improper substrate and heating elements, nothing will be done at the next level. Leo's get put on sand, which is wrong. Bps are given lights, which is wrong. So on and so forth.

Nothing can be done at the local level until it is done at the national level.

And because people gullibly buy these kits giving improper husbandry, they won't change.


Browsing on Tapatalk from my iPhone

[PorcelainxDoll]

It really os sad how sone stores keep there animals but I can tell you I used to work at 2 different petcos in 2 diffetent cities.and we had at least 1-2 peopke in each store that dpecialized in the care of each category of animals. Reptiles, birds, small animals, fish ect. It was a requirement to jave at least 5 specialists. I do admit most shoos keep there pets in horrible conditions the company does have guidelines. Its usually the managets that get laxy and give up on proper animal care. Its very sad how some stores keep there animals and i am in no way fefending these stores but if they actually get managers that are knoelegable in pet care it would improve a lot.

Cupid is correct the stire usually has no cobtrol of how many animals are sent to the store and there is a limited amount of space in the back for overstock. The back is used for sick animals and a small amount of back stock.

I can say also that the 2 stores i worked at everytime we saw a sick or injured animal we tooj it to the vet. I guess i got lucky to work in stores with managers that xared more about the animals then just getting sales.

[mackynz]

It is a sad fact, but until we as a community protest the larger influences like Zoo Med and Exo Terra and the like for producing "starter kits" with improper substrate and heating elements, nothing will be done at the next level. Leo's get put on sand, which is wrong. Bps are given lights, which is wrong. So on and so forth.

Nothing can be done at the local level until it is done at the national level.

And because people gullibly buy these kits giving improper husbandry, they won't change.


Browsing on Tapatalk from my iPhone

That is what I am looking for, are there any organizations out there working on this? Does anyone know?

[Kodieh]

I haven't heard anything, but if you want to start a grassroots type thing on Facebook or making your own website, then I would more than likely support it as well.

Something needs to be done, and I'm not sure anyone's taken a stand.


Browsing on Tapatalk from my iPhone

[abrunsen]

It really os sad how sone stores keep there animals but I can tell you I used to work at 2 different petcos in 2 diffetent cities.and we had at least 1-2 peopke in each store that dpecialized in the care of each category of animals. Reptiles, birds, small animals, fish ect. It was a requirement to jave at least 5 specialists. I do admit most shoos keep there pets in horrible conditions the company does have guidelines. Its usually the managets that get laxy and give up on proper animal care. Its very sad how some stores keep there animals and i am in no way fefending these stores but if they actually get managers that are knoelegable in pet care it would improve a lot.

Cupid is correct the stire usually has no cobtrol of how many animals are sent to the store and there is a limited amount of space in the back for overstock. The back is used for sick animals and a small amount of back stock.

I can say also that the 2 stores i worked at everytime we saw a sick or injured animal we tooj it to the vet. I guess i got lucky to work in stores with managers that xared more about the animals then just getting sales.

Spell check is a wonderful thing....

[SRMD]

I am sure if someone on this site made a facebook group or something like that a lot of people would join!

[PorcelainxDoll]

Spell check is a wonderful thing....

Wow rude much? Im on a cell phone. Small buttons. Too irritating to try and fix everything.

Plus that was completely unessesary. It had nothing to do with the op's post.