Buying from pet stores

[biggiy05]

I saw it on another forum I was at all the time and I don't see it here as much but still see it.

We all know there are good pet stores and bad pet stores. The two biggest being Petco and and PetSmart. Some Petco's are good and some PetSmart stores are bad and vice versa. The PetSmart closest to me isn't bad. There have been a few bad reptiles over the years but you are going to have that everywhere. The majority of the employees know what they are talking about. Now the PetSmart that is a little farther from me isn't that good. I rescued a leo that ended up dying because of bad care.

It's always said that if you buy a gecko from a pet store they are going to keep buying more and selling them. That's not entirely true. A pet store isn't going to keep selling reptiles because one person buys one. They need a constant demand for them and they rely on the inexperienced people that buy reptiles from them. There are for more people that will buy a reptile for their kid than there are experienced people like us. It's the same with the companies that make the colored sand, heat rocks, vibrating dishes, etc..

People buy an animal whether it be a hamster, guinea pig, mouse, bird, or reptile and don't do the research but listen to the pet store employees because they are supposed to know what they are talking about. There are far more people that don't know how to properly care for an animal than there are experienced owners. That is where the majority of the sales come from and what keeps pet stores selling animals.

I don't mean to be negative about it but I don't see what's wrong with buying from a pet store. One or two people or even three or four people that don't animals from a pet store won't even put a dent in the market. It's like a pebble hitting a car that's going down the road, it won't do anything to affect the car.

I just felt like getting that out of my system since I see a lot of bashing on pet stores and yeah some are bad but there are quite a few good ones. I have bought all my leopard geckos from PetSmart and all but one came to me healthy. I had one bad experience at a different Petsmart but that was only one. I'm going back out there today to talk to the manager and let them know how pissed I was about it. I'm threatening them with the Ohio SPCA and I plan to report the store and go to the district manager. I won't go to that PetSmart anymore but I will go to the one near me and I plan to check out the Petco stores around me.

/rant

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

Well one of the problems is that people that know better still buy fom the crappie stores and try to save the poor animals so thats just adding to the ones that just don't know any better.

Talking to the manager doesn't always work, they may listen to you but not hear you. Call animal control and they will go out and the stores will eitehr hear them or not be allowed to continue to sell the animals after enough complaints.

It only took me going to AC here one time to get our local petsmart cleaned up, they had dead leos in the cage and my little girl screamed dead baby all through the store and all I went for was coco fiber that they didn't even have. SO I went to AC they went out and they have clean cages with active healthy leos in them.

 

[marula]

i hate the idea to can go to the shop for buy an animal (every kind of animal)
a new animal is a new member of the family so is an important decision, not a funny thing to do on sunday or saturday afternoon.
breeding and found a good family for babies is an important responsability and people need to start to don't think animals like a toy...
people don't take care about their animals because they can buy them at not expensive price at the pet store and they don't need to found a reputable breeder (and don't need to reply to a ton of questions like every reputable breeder ask for give a baby)...
i think breeding an animal is an important responsability and an importan work...
and will be a owner of an animal is an important choice...owner an animal is a responsability for his life...not a funny different way to spend a saturday afternoon....

 

[dwarfgouramis]

i completly agree with that statement. people should take the time to find out what they can to make their new pet, whether it be a reptile, bird or any other animal, as confortable at safe as possible. Also continue to do researsh because you never know what you'll find about them!

 

[biggiy05]

Well one of the problems is that people that know better still buy fom the crappie stores and try to save the poor animals so thats just adding to the ones that just don't know any better.

Talking to the manager doesn't always work, they may listen to you but not hear you. Call animal control and they will go out and the stores will eitehr hear them or not be allowed to continue to sell the animals after enough complaints.

It only took me going to AC here one time to get our local petsmart cleaned up, they had dead leos in the cage and my little girl screamed dead baby all through the store and all I went for was coco fiber that they didn't even have. SO I went to AC they went out and they have clean cages with active healthy leos in them.

I rescued a leo from a bad petsmart and yes it didn't make it but I gave it a better home. Buying ONE animal will not stop them from buying more animals.

Talking to the manager worked wonders for me when I brought the SPCA up. I made a lot of progress with the mention of them.

I'm not talking about inexperienced owners needing to do more research. I was talking about not buying from a pet store will make a big enough difference for them to stop selling animals. You need more than a few people to stop before it does anything.

 

[Sandra]

Andrew, I understand what you are saying about the people that don't know what they are buying being the main cause of the situation that we find in petstores. But it's as Wendy said. Paying to save those animals we are giving more reasons to the pet stores to keep the animals like that, because they will get the money whatever your intentions are, and that's what matters for them. It's not ONE animal, it just happen that most of us who like reptiles can't stand seeing them like that.

If you really feel that must save that animal, I would al least try to take it for free (make a row, threaten to call the police (and do so), make the other customers realise how ill those animals are... They will give you the gecko just to shut your mouth; the animal will be saved, they wont see a penny, the store will be discredited... Happy ending).

I also agree that you must get informed before getting an animal, but, isn't the fruiterer supposed to know about fruit? People relies on the shop assistants because they are supposed to know how to take care of the animal they are buying, after all, aren't they 'taking care' of them?

I also commited the same mistake a few times when I was young(er ), the guy in the pet store stated to be a great reptile breeder and blah blah, so I always trusted in his advice. I just saw that I followed his instructions and my reptiles always died without knowing why... The last case was a ball python that had to suffer a lot because of the care given, the advices of that guy surprised me a lot, so I got properly informed by other means and then I realised that everything he had told to me was nosense.

However, it was too late, even after correcting the care given and making lots of visits to the vet (my father always joked that the vet bill was going to be twenty times higher than the price of the snake) he/she died. I felt so bad that I didn't want to own any reptiles for a long time.

Although some years later I'm here, hooked again... :main_lipsrsealed: And I think the guy from the store is afraid of me... He always gives me discounts on the accessories... And apart from that I know his provider... :main_rolleyes:

 

[GeckoMandi]

I can't speak much because I've bought 3 leos from pet stores because I felt sorry for them and I haven't lost one thank goodness, when I first got into leopard geckos I got the total WRONG care advice for them even after doing the correct research.

I know a few good petstores that have nice reptiles and do take care of them, but most chain pet stores do not it's just a fact.

I have also been to a few reptile shows, and I have seen some pretty bad stuff there as well they claim to be all about the care of the animals and stuff like that, but the last show I went to in Columbia, SC was horrid the way some of the snakes etc were being kept.

That being said I think in some way or form we take a risk buying any kind of animal from anywhere.

 

[eyelids]

I agree with Marula 100%!

Pet stores suck, but pet SUPPLY stores are good. I'll never get an animal from a pet store. So what if you have to pay shipping. Most pet stores over charge anyways. When I used to keep fish (cichlids) I even ordered them from breeders I found online. You wouldn't buy a dog or cat from one of those nasty pet stores in the mall would you?

 

[marula]

. I was talking about not buying from a pet store will make a big enough difference for them to stop selling animals.QUOTE]

if you, me, an some other 1.000 people stop to buy animals in pet stores they lost 1.002 buyers and probably they start to sell only supply...
somebody need to start to change this situation, and the only way is stop to buy animal at the pet store.
i will go to buy supply only in pet stor without animal for sell or whit animals in good conditions...
they don't take care (in 95% of the cases) of their animals because they tale money not directly from sell the pet but for all supply you buy for it in the shop...

(please, be patience with my english :main_yes: )

 

[biggiy05]

if you, me, an some other 1.000 people stop to buy animals in pet stores they lost 1.002 buyers and probably they start to sell only supply...
somebody need to start to change this situation, and the only way is stop to buy animal at the pet store.

That is when a chain store will take a hit but the people who don't take the time to research the animal and think it is just a throw away pet(there is no such thing as a throw away pet imo) are the one who give the pet stores the money. There are far more people who will buy their kid a lizard because it looks cute, get the 10 gallon tank, the log hide, colored sand, and the bulbs and then feed it a few crickets a week. That isn't right but that is where the majority of the animal sales come from.

Not all pet supply stores are good either. There is a Pet Supplies Plus not to far from me and they mix different reptiles together, the employees think it's funny to stress the leopard geckos until they lose their tail and they basically keep them in shite conditions. My friend works there as the head of the animal department and they have to keep them on sand but the manager is an idiot. She is mad because I reported the store and the employees. The spca is looking into the store and I'm getting a hold of animal control. That is an example of terrible living conditions.

Your english is good Marula.

 

[KellyTCS]

I would have to agree with Andrew, it's not really going to affect the situation if we buy a few geckos. (I've bought one).

www.tcsleopards1.blogspot.com

 

[GoGo]

On the subject of reporting a petstore, would anyone know a good kind of organization in new york to report a petstore so horrid its animals are sitting their starving to nothing in their tanks? Because me and my ma both made seperate reports to the owners, the whole chain, and everything liek that we could and still the geckos and other creatures sit there thinning out, though SOME manage to be healthy others, like an albino leopard gecko, are starving so badly if you pet the lizard you would be extreemly afraid it might fall apart at the touch of your hand.

 

[biggiy05]

On the subject of reporting a petstore, would anyone know a good kind of organization in new york to report a petstore so horrid its animals are sitting their starving to nothing in their tanks? Because me and my ma both made seperate reports to the owners, the whole chain, and everything liek that we could and still the geckos and other creatures sit there thinning out, though SOME manage to be healthy others, like an albino leopard gecko, are starving so badly if you pet the lizard you would be extreemly afraid it might fall apart at the touch of your hand.

Here is the NY ASPCA try giving them a call. Also you might check with animal control.

I would have to agree with Andrew, it's not really going to affect the situation if we buy a few geckos. (I've bought one).

www.tcsleopards1.blogspot.com

Thanks Kelly and nice looking gecko.

 

[GeckoStud]

I don't see anything wrong from buying from petstores if they take care of their animals. In fact five of my 9 leopard geckos are petstore geckos. All were healthy and fat when I bought them and were kept in good conditions for their sizes. And as far as chains go I don't really care too much about it. Every Petco that I have gone to has had great conditions and reptiles. I have only been to one Petsmart and it was disgusting. And as for buying these animals why would you buy anything from a "bad" petstore anyway.

Aside from that I do agree that you should know what your getting into before you buy any animal. All of my critters that I have gotten I did heavy research on before I bought them. It is also you the buyer who should understand what to look for in an animal. As long as you know what your doing and what a healthy individual should look like I say there is nothing wrong with buying the animal from a petstore.