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Bad Guy CCSB Reptile Rescue- Chad Griffin

I'm sorry that you got sold a sick lizard and I'm glad you posted this because the response from the seller was less than pleasant. They don't have to agree, but they don't need to be rude either.

On the other hand, this seller isn't exactly a well respected expert breeder of this species. NOT that it makes it ok for them to sell sick animals or keep them poorly, but they sound more like a pet store/flipper operation. Quite possible a WC or farmed animal that you might expect will need a little TLC to get healthy. Again, I don't think it's ok, but it doesn't sound like they are going to do much for you.

I am glad you have the lizard now because it sounds like you are taking good care of it and it is in a better place with you. I do think it's valuable to share your experience so people know what they're dealing with if they do business with the seller.
 
Just seeing them at the last Greenville repticon was bad. They had several sick animals. Over priced imports and blamed a green tree Python dying on Sunday for the cold Ac. ( none of my animals had issues) it came across as shady. They where buying animals to resell at show. That is not a rescue to me. I believe most of us would call that flipping right??
 
Temperature fluctuations have to spike quickly and drastically to cause animal fatalities unless an underlying condition (or continued substandard husbandry) has compromised the animal's immune system. I have been a vendor at shows where the a/c has gone out during the Summer and didn't lose a thing (and heat spikes don't have to be nearly as extreme to cause death). Healthy animals can withstand show stressors with no ill effects.
 
This is an absolute disgrace!! These animals were being sold by CCSB Reptile “Rescue. They are Flippers. Christina is the owner. They are NOT a rescue group. How Repticon allows them to participate is ridiculous. The Brazilian Rainbow Boa has at least 3 laters of stuck shed. Lesser Bee (dead in the picture) was defended by Repticon saying it’s definutely alive and it’s like that because it’s got spider in it and it’s a neurological problem. The area smelt like decaying animal. Poor thing died in the display and they left it there on display. The red tail green rat snakes face was so messed up from rubbing and is to the point of being infected. They purchased animals at the show and turned around and immediately put them on their table. DO NOT SUPPORT THIS “RESCUE” GROUP

SHARE SHARE SHARE

THEY ARE FLIPPERS! THEY ARENT A RESCUE OF ANY KIND!
 
Pics from the show
 

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This was at the Baltimore, MD Repticon last weekend?

nharrison said:
Not to mention Asian vines are illegal to possess in MD.
Click to expand...
http://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/plants_wildlife/herps/Herp-Ethics.aspx
Legal Issues

There are some legal issues which must be considered. In 1993, regulations were passed in Maryland called “Reptile and Amphibian Possession and Permits” (COMAR 08.03.11). These clearly defined what species could be collected from the wild, set possession limits for those species that could be collected with a permit, stated which species may be collected without a permit, and other allowed activities, such as captive breeding, which requires a permit. These regulations are also important for what they state cannot be done, such as commercial trade in “wild” caught animals. They also identify illegal methods of taking an animal from the wild. For instance, did you know it is illegal to kill a snake? Other Maryland laws and regulations that you should be aware of include:

•a prohibition on importation of venomous snakes, alligators, and crocodiles as pets (Article 10-621);

•seasons and size limits for the harvest of diamond-backed terrapins, and complete protection of their nests (COMAR 08.02.01);

•prohibited methods of take for snapping turtles (COMAR 08.02.01);

•limitations on the sale of turtles (COMAR 10.06.02);

•and designation and protection of state endangered species (Article 10-2A-01 and COMAR 08.03.01).
Click to expand...

Don't the show promoters check that species being offered for sale are legal in the state?
 
Snake-Queen said:
No, it is up to the vendor to check state laws. On the promoters website there is usually a link to the state laws for vendors to click on.
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Ok. I've only attended/vended in WV and each time there's been someone from DNR there all day to make sure nothing illegal - mainly native herps - was on the tables.
 
In my opinion, I think both parties had their errors. Albeit being excited for an animal that may not be as easy to find, the OP should have taken the time to thoroughly inspect the tegu. Layers of stuck shed is not something that is hard to miss. Its like buying a used car and getting upset because when you left the lot you noticed the radio didnt work properly, the tires were bald, and the inspection was expired, etc etc.

At the same time, the "rescue" so to speak should not be selling/re-homing sickly animals. The point of a rescue is to rehabilitate the animals until they are healthy. Its sad to hear that a "rescue" is not doing the necessary research in terms of care for their animals. With the same breath, it is hard to tell when he got the animals in, and if the conditions pre-existed prior to entering their care.

I think a solid resolution to this would be to refund the vet bill because the OP seemingly really wanted the animal, and that way both parties can walk away from this situation.
 
JayBoa1372 said:
In my opinion, I think both parties had their errors. Albeit being excited for an animal that may not be as easy to find, the OP should have taken the time to thoroughly inspect the tegu. Layers of stuck shed is not something that is hard to miss. Its like buying a used car and getting upset because when you left the lot you noticed the radio didnt work properly, the tires were bald, and the inspection was expired, etc etc.

At the same time, the "rescue" so to speak should not be selling/re-homing sickly animals. The point of a rescue is to rehabilitate the animals until they are healthy. Its sad to hear that a "rescue" is not doing the necessary research in terms of care for their animals. With the same breath, it is hard to tell when he got the animals in, and if the conditions pre-existed prior to entering their care.

I think a solid resolution to this would be to refund the vet bill because the OP seemingly really wanted the animal, and that way both parties can walk away from this situation.
Click to expand...

Well, it is a buyer beware market like anything else and the OP does have some responsibility in this...but surely you're playing devil's advocate, here? Let's use the animals they were comfortable displaying at an expo. It doesn't matter what state the animals are received in, that is a cop out easy excuse that crappy sellers use which just deflects accountability. If they're comfortable displaying reptiles like this at an expo, in what kind of state are the ones that weren't displayed? I REALLY hope that this thread either causes loss of sales for them, and/or causes them to re-evaluate how they operate.
 
it was not an excuse for him at all. Exactly like you said, a game of devils advocate. The pre-existing condition scenario was one that is highly unlikely given other threads I've seen with their animal displays. I highly dislike going to shows and seeing vendors who display animals that definitely should not be sold; but it does happen all too often.

Hopefully this thread does cause them to take a look at their operation and question how they can operate better and salvage what potential tiny shred of a reputation they may have.
 
JayBoa1372 said:
Hopefully this thread does cause them to take a look at their operation and question how they can operate better and salvage what potential tiny shred of a reputation they may have.
Click to expand...

That is very doubtful. From the responses I've read from him on FB, he doesn't think there is a problem. He also doesn't think his reputation is suffering from all the negativity.

They delete negative reviews off their FB page, so that only the glowing reviews remain.

As long as people continue to buy from them, they will stay in business, same with any other flipper.
 
Well lucky for most buyers, a simple BOI search will turn up the threads about his business that truly reflect their character. Even readers who read these threads can look at the similar threads and see other horror stories that have been posted. In a few that I've seen, the owner is quite quick to demonstrate the type of person they are.

Regardless, this is someone I would NEVER do business with.
 
Sadly most buyers are unaware of this board. It’s usually after the fact they find it. And they certainly aren’t searching the boi while standing at the tables making purchases. If the show promoters look at it ethically instead of monetarily and not sell 3 tables to them it might make a difference on that front. I picked up a pair of bullsnakes from them back in March at the Greenville show. Had I known , I wouldn’t have picked them up. But having said that the animals had minor issues and I was able to correct them and they are thriving extremely well. Won’t make the mistake again though. Maybe making some kind of banner a requirement would sway some clientele.
 
#report animal abuse

Hi,
I bought a snake for my son’s birthday from a different breeder in the Kernersville area. I thought we could walk around The rescue in Kernersville. The store was small and not well lit. The first thing that greeted us were signs offering pictures with an alligator or albino (Burmese, I think) for a certain price. To the left was a large land tortoise in an enclosure about the area of a twin bed mattress. Every cage contained the same sand for substrate regardless of the species. Chad asked us if we were looking for anything in particular and I told him we were just curious. We loved reptiles and had just picked up my son’s b-day present. When he found out I bought from someone else, he made a face. Then a young man (I guess his son) proceeded to tell us how the breeder I had used was known for sick animals and snake mites. Chad started regaling me about how much he knew, what an expert he was, how he trained police officers, zoos, and vets because they were so stupid. Then he said if I had any problems with my son’s snake just let him know. I informed him that I am an experienced owner and can handle “problems” myself. (As I have successfully treated mites, respiratory infections, and rescued a mouth rot victim.) What I couldn’t do was save all the animals in that store. Unfortunately, he does have relationships with police etc so getting him cited or jailed for cruelty is going to have to come from at least outside the city limits.

Now, a note about Repticon. There are good breeders there and there are crooks. I noticed in Raleigh, there were a number of tables only selling very small snakes or lizards in the little plastic containers like they had just been unpacked from shipping. If there were no snakes or lizards of varying size offered, I guessed that these were not breeders actually and the animals had not been checked once they were received in the mail, nor had they been fed, or given water. It was all about profit. Repticon is neat for being able to see a wide variety of animals, but you really have to be careful about who you are dealing with. I actually look at the list of venders ahead of time, visit their websites, and check for reviews. There are even snakes mislabeled. You just really have to know your stuff and be very discerning.

Chad’s rescue sounds like it is wonderful and he is very out-going and cocky, but he doesn’t treat animals well or provide proper conditions for them.

Angelia Lawrence
 
AML4912 said:
Chad’s rescue sounds like it is wonderful and he is very out-going and cocky, but he doesn’t treat animals well or provide proper conditions for them.

Angelia Lawrence
Click to expand...

I'm not understanding this part of your comment. How could a rescue be wonderful if the critters are not treated well and do not live in proper conditions?
 
Lucille said:
I'm not understanding this part of your comment. How could a rescue be wonderful if the critters are not treated well and do not live in proper conditions?
Click to expand...
The key word in that paragraph is, "sounds". What I got from that is, it is a wonderful idea on paper, but not so much in reality.
 
At this year's Repticon, CCSB's table was completely unlabeled. It was an adult woman who was helping to answer questions and sell the animals. My first year at Repticon and the permission to buy my first blood python, they had a little blood python that I checked out. She was sweet, easily handled, and the lady at the counter was nice. The man standing behind her was mean-mugging everyone hard, and never said a word, just...mean-mugged, arms crossed.

It wasn't until I got the receipt in my email that I realized who I had purchased from. It was a bit too late, but I decided to keep an extra close eye on her. She didn't eat for almost a month and a half, but finally got her interested in food. She doesn't have mites or a URI, but I was honestly worried. I felt a bit jipped that they didn't advertise who they were, but really with their reputation, it makes sense.

I don't like that I accidentally supported them, and it was definitely a first year Repticon mistake, but I do absolutely adore her. I honestly feel like I just got lucky.

-T. Tay
 
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