Comet... a tragic story and a breeder's dilemma.

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Some of you may remember my post about Comet, a beautiful female patternless gecko I sold to a 9-year old boy (and his parents) at a show last year. The boy used his own money to buy the gecko.

http://www.geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=15346

I feel like a complete idiot, and am VERY angry and sad. I feel like an idiot for going 'above and beyond' what ANY breeder should have done in this long and tragic situation, and angry that it even happened.

I have taken this little gecko back 3 times since I sold her. The first time it was was for 2 weeks because she wouldn't eat. It was because her temperatures were not optimum. The second time was for over a week to help her heal from the neglect from not having a moist hide (see photo in link above).

The third time was for 4 weeks because she started to ovulate and wouldn't eat. I cooled her, and stopped the ovulation, and she started eating again. During this time, I discovered that they were using one of those analog gauges to read the surface temperature. It was broken, and I set up the heat pad on a rheostat calibrated using my Raytek laser inferometer. I used finger nail polish to mark the rheostat at the correct temperature, and told them they needed to get a controller.

I wanted to keep Comet here and adopt her out to someone who would care for her. I offered this boy his money back, but he loved his gecko and only wanted her back.

I got a frantic call yesterday from the boy's mother saying Comet did not look good, and her tail and back feet/legs were black, hard, and shriveled up. The gecko was lethargic and unresponsive. I asked what the temperature was on the 'hot spot' of her 30-gallon tank. The answer was "80 degrees". I asked what they were using to measure the temperature... and it was that broken analog temperature monitor! The boy was turning up the rheostat to make it 90 degrees with a broken gauge. The temperature over Comet's 'hot spot' exceeded 125 degrees once they used a food thermometer to check the surface temperature.

This boy's parents made him euthanize his own gecko. I told them to put her in a zip-lock bag with minimal air, and put her in the refrigerator until she was unconscious... then put her in the freezer to stop her suffering and end her life. I got an email from this 9-year old boy at almost midnight last night asking if Comet was feeling any more pain.

I am beside myself with grief and anger right now. This beautiful, gentle little gecko has suffered terribly throughout her life with these people... and now is dead. A horrible tragedy. A young boy is so stricken with guilt he could not even go to school today... he called me to ask how he should give Comet a "proper burial".

I'm sorry, but I have a REAL problem with all of this! Who is to blame???? I feel like blaming someone... even if it's myself.

 

[Green_Snake]

OMG!!! That is so sad. I'm extremely sorry to hear about Comet. It's just awful. That is the only reason why I would not want to breed. I feel so sad when I go into pet stores, and see people asking about the proper care of their pet AFTER they have had it for a while. Comet will be in my thoughts.

-Draba

 

[Kristi23]

I am so sorry Marcia. You did everything you could for them. It is honestly the parents fault. My daughter is almost 11 & I check to make sure everything is right with her gecko weekly. It is their repsonsibility to make sure the child is doing everything correctly. I feel horrible for that little gecko & for the child.

 

[Val]

Marcia,
I'm so sorry to hear about poor Comet. It breaks my heart to know that animal suffered, but you did everything you could to save her. Once they're out of your hands there is only so much you can do. I believe the blame lies solely on the parents. They were told, they know better and they were irresponsible. Again, I'm sorry to hear about the poor thing but at least she's not suffering anymore.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Thanks. I blame the parents. They actually asked me if I had any new geckos for sale...

 

[PacHerp]

tragic....

Marcia.... first off... thank you for having the guts to post about this publicly... I know it is difficult for you to share about this deeply personal tragic situation.

Honestly, If I had to place blame... I would say the parents of this child are almost completely responsible for this situation. I know when I was 9 years old, I would not have been able to care completely for a gecko like this on my own... especially a gecko that has been through so many difficult situations ( i.e not eating, ovulating and not eating, difficult sheds... etc etc...).

This story is beyond tragic... I still can't believe that this happened... after personally witnessing you taking care of this gecko in your own home, it really hits me hard knowing that you did more than your fair share to help this family with this gecko... just to hear that things turned out this way....

Know I'm thinking about you.... and know that you did everything you possibly could to help this gecko live a full life. ***Hugs***

 

[gothra]

Marcia, I'm so sorry all these happened to poor Comet. I understand how bad and angry you feel right now when your gecko went to the wrong hands and suffered so much due to the irresponsable parents. At least Comet doesn't have to suffer anymore in their hands.

 

[Sunshine State Exotics]

How terrible! I feel bad for Comet, but I feel bad for the boy too. I hate to think how this will scar him.

Like you, Marcia, I really care about my animals. It's so hard not knowing if they are going to get the proper care in their new home. Many times I'd rather sell my animals to people on the Internet then at shows. It seems that people at shows just by the animals on a whim. No matter how hard and how much time you spend with them on care, you wonder if you made the right decision by selling the animal to them. If I feel the people won't give the needed care, I won't sell them the animal. Unfortunately, you just never know what happens when they get the animal home.

Again, I'm sorry to hear about this, Marcia.

 

[dprince]

Marcia, I am so sorry this ended this way. You did all that you could. Like Val said, once they're out of our hands, there is nothing we can do about it. I mean, it's not like you can look at someone, or even talk to someone, and know for sure that they're going to adequately care for their geckos. Some nine year olds would be just fine under appropriate adult supervision - heck, some kids even younger could do it with appropriate adult supervision - and there's no way to know which one is which. I would have thought, from their previous trials and tribulations that the parents would have figured out how help their son to care for Comet properly. Clearly, not so much. And now that poor kid is going to be traumatized too. Horrible. :main_no:

May tomorrow be a better day, my friend. *hugs*

 

[dprince]

Thanks. I blame the parents. They actually asked me if I had any new geckos for sale...

Oh. My. Gosh. Some people never cease to amaze me. Seriously.

 

[Leopardbreeder]

Wow....I really don't know what to say.

I am so sorry, I would be so grief stricken. I am SO sorry. We are all here for you. I blame the parents. Its obvious they really didn't have much to do with the gecko, otherwise they would have noticed.

Dont blame yourself. You are not at fault at all. You sold a gecko thinking it was going to a great home, and you did all you could to help. Please don't blame yourself.

 

[kathleen]

Marcia,
-I have followed the Comet story and am sorry about the outcome. I
have a little patternless that is just the sweetest thing
in my enclosure I have only had her about six weeks and she is fat and happy I was looking for a name for her I will name her Comet in tribute to your little one and as a reminder that life can be difficult for even the smallest of us. Each time I tell someone about my Comet your little one will
pop in my head a private and solem thought just for us and a tiny prayer for
the departed one. I will tell others how my Comet got her name. Comet's
spirit lives on.

 

[Halley]

I'm really sorry to hear about this Marcia. I completly understand why you are so mad. And i can't wrap my head around the idea, that the parents actually asked you for another gecko.

 

[AntMan612]

Marcia,
Poor Comet! Her story is so incredibly sad. If parents in this category (and I expect they are not alone) could only learn to, at the very least, respect reptiles as pets enough to ensure their proper care, we wouldn't hear of such tragedies. I know reptiles aren't for everyone, but I think people need to get the message that these critters are living...feeling...beings.

 

[fallen_angel]

Marcia, we are so terrbily sorry to read about this horrific story. I wasn't a member last year, and so I was reading through the entire thread, which seemed to end well, and I was hoping that this new thread was a GOOD update. I can't believe everything that gecko went through, and I am just so terribly sorry, I hope that everyone's support and love helps you through this horrible tragedy.

The poor kid couldn't have known any better, I think you can blame the parents 100%. The parents should have been getting on these forums, or anywhere, and learning as much as they could about geckos. It's ridiculous how they are just as irresponsible as their own child.

 

[MSMD]

OH NOOOOO!

Oh, Marcia! (((HUGS)))

I am truly sorry to hear this. I was really hoping that the last BIG SCARE had really helped this child's parents come around and realize what a precious, fragile life they are responsible for. *sigh* I am also deeply disturbed that a 9 year old was made to euthanize his beloved pet. Because his parents wouldn't provide the necessary equipment which they had already had problems with and you had already explained what they needed to do to remedy the situation, no less!! There is no reason for this kind of laziness. I can only hope they care for their child's physical neccesities better than this.

This reallly angers and disturbs me. Even more so because you extended your heart and time over and over again to help this situation. I am really sorry this had to happen. I couldn't imagine if it were one of mine. I'm sure you are quite broken-hearted over this ordeal. Please know that you are a wonderful person and that you did everything under the sun to help this little one survive. You will be in our thoughts and prayers, Marcia. You are such a caring, special person.

 

[Sandra]

I would have said when I read the previous thread about Comet that the parents had learnt the lesson. Apparently they didn't :main_angry:

You did everything you could and the kid seemed to love Comet. Neither of you should feel guilty. The only ones that should are the only ones that aren't How do they think you are going to happily sell another gecko to them?

 

[Mel&Keith]

OMG, Marcia, the parents are definitely to blame. Maybe this is also the point where you draw your line in the sand with people. You're always a a bleeding heart and want to see the best in people. Some people don't have a best and you need to stick up for what your gut feels. We can only hope that people will take care of our beloved babies and it's tragic to find out anything less.

 

[brcg]

Hi Guys,

Marcia I am really new to this forum and I really don't know people around hear that well but from what I have had the pleasure share this is what I can tell you:

If there is someone to blame I am sure you are not that someone, who can resist the eyes of a nine years old buying his first pet, my kid is 8 and he asked me to keep one of last year hatclings, I allowed him but on the first time he negleted her I toke it away, now he can se her but he knows that its no longer his pet because he lost his rigth to keep her when he failed to comply.

What I am trying to say is that defenetly the parents are to blame because they are the ones that should have learn how to keep the animal, and in the process teache the little guy how to do it it self, that is how I am doing I am teaching my little one how to do it and when he feels he can be responsable for one I will let him try again.

Marcia, I am realy sorry for this tragic lost and even more because a inocent animal had to suffer the consequencies of this parents lack of interest, hope this helps you to overcome this lost, cos one thing I know for sure is you are not to blame for anything.

Best regards
Bruno

 

[bubblez825]

OMG Marcia! I wish some people have a bit of sense to listen to people so these things don't happen! It outrages me when the geckos(or ANY animal) is neglected and treated badly :main_angry: :main_angry: :main_angry:. I am soooo sorry to hear about Comet! She sounded like a beautiful creature. I hope the parents have learned a lesson throughout Comet's life, and if anyone is to blame, its them. The little boy probably wouldn't have understood very well what he had to do to keep the gecko healthy. The parents were told by you AND the vet, not once, but more than that how to cure her.

(Quote)Marcia,
-I have followed the Comet story and am sorry about the outcome. I
have a little patternless that is just the sweetest thing
in my enclosure I have only had her about six weeks and she is fat and happy I was looking for a name for her I will name her Comet in tribute to your little one and as a reminder that life can be difficult for even the smallest of us. Each time I tell someone about my Comet your little one will
pop in my head a private and solem thought just for us and a tiny prayer for
the departed one. I will tell others how my Comet got her name. Comet's
spirit lives on. (Quote)

I'm so glad you are willing to keep little Comet's spirit alive in honor of what happened. I hope this Comet goes to a loving and caring home . I agre with the prayers; I will keep you and the departed Comet in my thoughts and prayers.