I think it's the consumer who is most at fault. Anyone who buys an animal should know the care and requirements before making the purchase. Too many people make impulse purchases and either don't really care how to properly care for the animal, or they don't want to spend the money to give the animal the proper husbandry. Most of the time you can't learn everything you need to know by having a 2 minute conversation with the breeder/salesperson, even if they know what they are talking about, but nobody should assume that a petstore employee will even know what every animal they sell requires. If you are going to buy a pet, you should do your research and set up the enclosure before bringing an animal home. If you don't have a computer (you probably can't afford a pet w/ your broke @$$) you can go to the local library or Borders and read a book. With the few impulse puchases I've made, I've never made it home with the animal without a good book on the care of the specific specie and all the correct enclosure, food and accesories it requires. As soon as it's settled in I hit the forums and start reading and asking questions. I want all my animals to thrive. Anything less is just being irresponsible.