Would you rescue it??

[garner63080]

I was recently at a local pet store when I seen this little guy. He is paper thin and you can see all his bones. He appears to be a Snow Albino. I really struggled with the urge to buy it, but I finally decided not to. Was this a good call?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk

 

[brillobee]

imo, he doesn't look that bad. Being young it won't be super fat. I've bought young geckos that look like that, and they have grown up just fine. I've also seen geckos in way worse shape.

 

[LeopardShade]

I've always believed in giving poor geckos like this a chance to have a prosperous life. That one does look bad and rather malnourished. With proper quarantine and possible veterinary checkups/care, it could potentially improve and thrive. However, I don't particularly like the idea of "rescuing" geckos like this from a petstore. While yes, you may have possibly just saved one gecko's life, you've opened a deadly door for countless others by providing the petstore with money to obtain more.

 

[GeckoCrossing]

I never 'rescue' leopard geckos from pet stores. All it does is give them more funds to get more. For every one they sell they can get 2 or more depending on their wholesale prices.

 

[ceduke]

Giving money to a pet store for a sick gecko is NOT RESCUE. It is giving money to them and supporting their poor practices.

 

[katie_]

Its the same situtaion with puppy mills.
It is never a good idea to buy a puppymill dog just because you feel sorry for it. This opens up more space for more dogs to be bred.
If no one buys geckos from this supplier, he wont buy anymore to neglect.

 

[garner63080]

Well I let my brain tell me all that. I didn't.get him but.my wife almost cried for the poor thing.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk

 

[katie_]

I try my best to avoid those areas of petstores if for some reason I need to visit one.

 

[Klogue1]

Personally I might have bought it depending on things like if I had the extra enclosures and setups and money etc, although I agree he doesn't look beyond repair just yet. However I also agree that it would just feed the store money to buy him even if it hurts to know he will possibly suffer.

But it would be different if he was so sickly that he was beyond help. I know I'll probably seem cruel for saying this but if he was that sickly I would not buy him. Yes for the same reason as the pet store getting the money, but also I think of it this way: If that gecko knew all that was going on, and I bought him, then this would be his story:
-go to new home
-get proper care
-start to see hope in the future
-death, because there really wasn't much I could do for such a poor animal.

So to me it's also kind of like teasing a dog with a bone or a kid with candy, then when they almost have it you snatch it back. At least I know that while he may suffer more from the pet stores care, he will die a quicker death instead of struggling more than he needed to (only considering his death was inevitable).

EDIT: Don't get me wrong, it does pain me to see him in such bad care. Is he on wood chippings?! I think big name pet stores need a good slap in the face to wake up...

 

[mango+cola]

I don't agree with that. Nobody knows that this gecko is going to die. And by buying it, you certainly aren't "rescuing" it. Why is it a bad thing if the gecko has a nice home if even just for a few weeks? Then at least you know that you gave him a good home for its last few weeks of living instead of letting it just sit in the petstore. And if you are all so against how the petstores raise the geckos then stop boycotting them and actually go in and offer assistance! Most of them are just ignorant and don't know how to take care of them, is it really that hard to walk in their and correct them? Simply say that they would be better on repticarpet, or whatever else they are doing wrong. If we just boycot them, how will they ever learn? At least if you try to offer your help, you at least know youve done something.
And, I got my gecko from a petstore, and I wouldn't exchange her for the world.

 

[GeckoCrossing]

And if you are all so against how the petstores raise the geckos then stop boycotting them and actually go in and offer assistance! Most of them are just ignorant and don't know how to take care of them, is it really that hard to walk in their and correct them? Simply say that they would be better on repticarpet, or whatever else they are doing wrong. If we just boycot them, how will they ever learn? At least if you try to offer your help, you at least know youve done something.

I worked at Petsmart for almost three years. I was in charge of the fish, birds, reptiles and small animals section. No matter how many times I changed stuff in the habitats to be correct it would always be changed back and I'd get in trouble. No matter how many times I talked to corporate while they were there, nothing changed. They're not in the business to sell proper care for animals. They're in it to make money. They'll sell you everything they possibly can, even if it is bad for your new reptile.

 

[Klogue1]

I worked at Petsmart for almost three years. I was in charge of the fish, birds, reptiles and small animals section. No matter how many times I changed stuff in the habitats to be correct it would always be changed back and I'd get in trouble. No matter how many times I talked to corporate while they were there, nothing changed. They're not in the business to sell proper care for animals. They're in it to make money. They'll sell you everything they possibly can, even if it is bad for your new reptile.

^ I'm only 15 but where I live the pet stores (that are a problem) don't hire until at least 16. I also have tried to go in and offer help but they just don't want to hear they're wrong or they just don't care.

I didn't mean to offend you Mango as that was just my view and opinion on this problem. We are all different and I do respect that you would still give the baby an opportunity at life My example was just if the little guy was inevitably going to die because of how he was cared for (or neglected to care for) in the pet store.

I also got my baby Pidge from the pet store and I love her to death.

 

[Dimidiata]

I wouldnt buy a sick gecko, i dont buy sick animals. Ill ask for either a sharp discount(we are talking $5 for the animal) or free. If the animal is sick and it will probably die, but it still has a chance, the store is more likely to sell it to you then let it die and loose profit. You can do the same thing with bettas at petsmartco. They actually do have an adoption policy it seems. With bettas that are basically undesirable, theyd rather make $1 then try to fix it themselves. Sickening, but they arnt making much revenue that way(ive gotten 3 free bettas now and an african dwarf frog)

 

[mango+cola]

Klogue1, I wasn't offended, I just don't like it when people say you shouldn't buy animals from petstores because you are just encouraging them when thats where I got my gecko from, and I think she is awesome! I got my other gecko from a breeder, and I see no difference between them, and one was half the price of the other. Not saying you shouldn't buy from breeders. I'm just saying I see nothing wrong with buying geckos from big chain petstores, just because people boycott their stores, doesn't mean they will ever stop selling them, so buy them from wherever you want! In the end, from a petstore or a breeder, we are still giving them nice homes!

ps. not all breeders are fantastic, I would rank some lower than petstores

 

[Dimidiata]

Whats why we recommend buying from a quality breeder and while i could give you a full list on the potential difference between a quality bred animal and a chainstore animal it would be pointless and possibly just cause more chaos.