Beware of "Exotic Aquatics and Pets" in Kendallville, Indiana!

BEWARE of Exotic Aquatics and Pets in Kendallville, Indiana.

I and many others have been aware of the conditions this local pet store is in. I have come here to make it even harder for them to avoid what everyone sees. They are ignoring everyone's attempt to straighten up their store before they lose business online as well as from many locals.

Many people have privately contacted me with information they know about the store. I will quote all I have heard and even prove through many photos of what is going on.

This all started back in July. Around the week of July 15th, I had went into the store for some f/t mice. I went downstairs and I instantly was repelled by the sites of the animals care. I made a post on Facebook and many others jumped in. It got to the main owner and the store became clean real quick. After everything settled down and grew silent. I was contacted just a few days ago on the conditions again. I have photos to prove it all.
They lack care but thrive for money. They only do something when a group of people notice. Now what will happen if the web and even more locals notice? Shall we find out?

- A local breeder was posting her 2 month old non-feeder corns for sale on a reptile group within Facebook. She was selling them as a group at a cheap price and clearly listed them as rescues or kind snake food. This pet store jumped right in and grabbed them. I was told that they had been posted on many other reptile groups for sale and on their online store. They even had some in the shop. I witnessed the two in the shop, they were not ready as their quality was poor due to them not eating right.

- A trusted friend called me up September 3rd or 4th and stated that they had seen a dead leopard gecko with shed stuck to it in with another leopard gecko. To back this up I had a local go check and they said they couldn't see it but it was either in really bad shape or it was dead.

These photos below are from July 15th.
Lack of water and cleanness.

There were about 3 tortoises in this small square corner. It did not take a day to make it look this dirty, it had to have been weeks.
(07/15/12)


This snake was showing signs of mouth rot. The enclosure is chaos.
(07/15/12)



Housing of Bearded Dragons. I witnessed them begging for attention just walking by.
(07/15/12)


No water and sheds still in cages.
(07/15/12)




So after they took notice and cleaned up. We were all impressed to see the change and was hoping that it would get better. It was quoted to have seen them scrubbing tanks and fish tanks, cleaning up the floors, and even quarantining the animals in need.
September 4th rolls by and it's back how it was.

These photos below are from September 4th.
Once again, lack of water, and cleanness..including a carcass.

A dead frog in a water bowl. There were other frogs in the enclosure as well and their body condition were in poor condition as well. Who knows all long the frog was dead in the bowl, it looks like it started decomposing.
(09/04/12)


Here is a very poor enclosure. 3 large boas in one small tank and one water bowl flipped.
(09/04/12)


Some more dry bowls. Really? Water is not hard to come by!
(09/04/12)

This makes me sad

More photos (09/04/12)




Overall the photos speak for themselves. I and many others would like to warn anyone of their online site if you are not a local. Please keep in mind that if an animal is on sale, it does not necessarily mean that their health is in great shape. This shop has been seen by many in person and taking their word for it will prevent anyone from losing a pet they thought was the best.

We will do whatever it takes this time to keep them noticed and to save the animals. I do not stand alone and neither should those animals. We will go through every possible rank of power to get them to change.

BEWARE of this pet store! The owners are Lucas Pant, Logan Pant, and Chad Stayner. They may use different names for online sales and we have noticed one. "Luke Parker"

SUPPORT THIS EFFORT TO CHANGE A LOCAL PET STORE!
(Kelsey Buchtel)

I would like to also add that a local seen the live feeder mice with bugs.

if you are going to pass along statements made by other people, they must be named or come here and make the statements themselves, You cannot say 'a friend told me' 'a local breeder said'... anonymous statements are not allowed on the BOI.

The photos are quite sad, also because I've seen many 'reptile stores' in similar condition over the years. Quite sad. Have you tried contacting local animal control? Typically if enough complaints are made, the store will be inspected and then possibly fined and monitored.

Well, too many problems with the animals to even itemize and start on. I will say, by the pics, it looks like the ball python with "mouth rot" looks like a case of stomatits (on its way to mouth rot). The best pic, is the dumerils and ball in the same aquarium.

I went on their facebook page and wrote a post.

I myself was in Exotic Aquatics not long ago, sometime between the initial reports of July 15th and the beginning of September I believe. The living circumstances of the animals in their shop were deplorable. Absolutely repulsive to anyone with a conscience.


I mainly spent my time there struck in awe and confusion as to how they could still be in business, how anyone with a heart could let animals live like this, and searching for some signs of "hope". I found none. I saw that basically every water bowl in every enclosure was empty to the point of being bone dry, full of bedding, or mud, etc. I have snakes myself, and I can't fathom how long it takes to dry up a water bowl, especially as large as some are, to the point they were dirty and dry. It must literally take weeks. There was other evidence of of lack of care for the animals in the dead and some still dying animals that were in the enclosures, nasty old sheds left in with the animals, and just plain dirty conditions in what the animals were being forced to live. It's not hard at all to do some, in fact most of, the chores needing to be done to maintain a clean enclosure, fill a water bowl, etc. etc.


If they don't have a method to their madness they just shouldn't have gotten into this business where living things solely depend on them. I would never visit this store again, unless it is to document the conditions in that these animals are kept, of which I plan to do, to further help Ms. Buchtel, and anyone affiliated with her in bringing this business down to the shaking, decrepit foundation on which it's barely still standing.


I'm very thankful I'm not the only one to be deeply disturbed by the circumstances at Exotic Aquatic, and thankful to Ms. Buchtel for bringing this subject to light to educate the public and hopefully bring action upon this shop. If anyone else has witnessed this, please respond with your experiences, and be proactive by not buying from this store, or its' online business either. Also, I contacted some local sources to try to help, which you should do too, and continue to do so until something is done about Exotic Aquatics, like I personally plan on doing. Help by taking part in whatever you can to change the lives of these animals. The stuff I witnessed at this store will haunt me in my dreams and waking memories both.

would it be possible to contact your local ASPCA about violations like the water issue? It would be nice to see them show up and see the state of the animals. I would strongly suggest you contact them, send them the photos you have, and let them know what sort of neglect is being done to these animals.

Horrendous..Why is this place still open for business?

I don't understand how their employees (or them) could be in the store for however many hours with the animals in distress and not care. Clearly they have no heart. You just know there is no way they are so busy their animals can't be taken care of. Absolutely pathetic and heartbreaking. I hope they get all their "merchandise" (I only use this as clearly this is how they're viewed by the owners/worker) taken far away and they can never even own a pet.