Mis-information and no information are the usual culprits. I work at a pet store, reptile specialty, and see a lot of customer's animals. Usually, people are just so ignorant that they THINK their animal is healthy, when in reality it is far from. Many don't keep their animals at the right temperatures, and when I ask what the temps in the cages are, they often don't even have a thermometer. I thought i would get used to seeing neglected animals after some time, but quite the contrary is happening- my patience wears thin on these individuals, especially considering the wealth of good information in books, the internet, and at public libraries.

Good looking out on that rescue situation. Chances are they will bounce back with some TLC. Keep us posted.