sad

[Sk8ergrl927]

Im not sure if this will work or not but its an idea.

I went to Petco today and the babies(look newborn) dont look great at all. Their tails are sooo skinny and I feel really bad. I know a lady who used to work there, and I think She will be able to help me. I have a spare 10 gallon, and I was thinking I could try to save one or two and try to get them healthy again. They are as skinny as the one geckogardener rescued. They are beautiful colors and I cant see them die. Do you think its worth a try?
FYI- This petco usually takes pretty good care of their animals.

 

[Geckogardener]

Yes, by all means, try! You can make an offer like I did... where you will take them and return them when and if they are healthy enough to sell. If they usually take good care of them, then they will be able to see that these need help to survive.
I think it's the suppliers fault more than the shops. When the shops place an order, they depend on the suppliers to send babies old enough to ship, and strong and healthy enough to sell. If they had been there a while and then looked bad, then I blame the shop.
They might do what the shop near me did... especially if they see you come in all of the time. Maybe they will give you the tank they are in and you can take as many as you can that are thin and weak.
Perhaps if you save them, they will let you have your favorite in return. Even if not, and you have to give them back, you will feel great about saving them.
If they refuse to give them to you, OR to get them any help, then I would mention in a non-threatening way that you will mention this to your vet when you stop by tomorrow, and ask them who to inform regarding the inappropriate lack of treatment.

I really wish you luck in getting them... and even more luck if you do!

 

[WindyO]

Personally I feel that by trying to save these babies you are supporting the business that neglects them. They look at sales and if you buy them they will just get more and probably neglect them as well. I know this seems uncaring but I try to look at the larger picture. Maybe if they don't have sales they will stop selling an animal that they have shown they can't care for.
This Petco in question may have been OK in the past but there is a problem now. You have to look at the history of the company.

 

[BalloonzForU]

I agree with Brian. In purchasing these Leos, you are only keeping them in business of neglecting them.

 

[Geckogardener]

I didn't have to purchase the baby I'm taking care of. It's worth asking if you can take them home and try to help them and then return them to be sold once healthy.
I agree that you shouldn't purchase them, but then they shouldn't be sold to anyone, they should be cared for first.
If they have a heart, they just might agree. The petco near me is wonderful, but they can still end up with a bad shipment from a supplier. They can't just return it or refuse shipment, or the animals will die. All they can do is get a different supplier, but that doesn't help the sickly animals they have already obtained

 

[geckonate]

damned if you do, damned if you don't...

It's a no win situation, but I admire you for trying.

 

[reptilebreeder]

If this store has a good history of caring for herps, or at least being able to care for them properly until sold, and it just got a "bad batch" this time, then Susan's suggestion would probably be a good thing, as long as you don't have to buy them outright. Otherwise I agree with the rest, you would be putting money in their pocket, and they would turn around and buy more, since they sold the rest.

 

[Leighanne]

All Wrong

First off, you are all damn wrong. You are obligated as a compassionate human being to care of other living beings that can't do for themselves. We are animals Guardian! Second off. None of this shipment, and supplier crap! They are a PET Store! These things are living. They shouldn't even be in buisness selling animals if they don't know how to take care of them. If you wanted to talk buisness, they are supposed to sell "quality" merchandise! If I was you I would take them, and then I would call everybody possible. My Vet, an Animal Cruelty orginization, the Better Buisness Burea. Somebody!

 

[Geckogardener]

First off, you are all damn wrong.

Well, that's a lovely sentiment. The responses vary, but obviously everyone cares and we are brainstorming the best possible solution. No one would post about this if they didn't care. So, excuse me, but I think this statement was uncalled for.

You are obligated as a compassionate human being to care of other living beings that can't do for themselves. We are animals Guardian! Second off. None of this shipment, and supplier crap! They are a PET Store! These things are living. They shouldn't even be in buisness selling animals if they don't know how to take care of them.

Apparently the shop has properly cared for their animals in the past. Caring for a hatchling shipped too early is a very difficult thing and they are most likely not prepared for it. I still blame the supplier if the animal has not been at the store long.

If you wanted to talk buisness, they are supposed to sell "quality" merchandise! If I was you I would take them, and then I would call everybody possible. My Vet, an Animal Cruelty orginization, the Better Buisness Burea. Somebody!

Take them? Do you mean buy them? And the individual supplies for each animal needed? Since you can't "take" things from stores, no matter how much you think it's a humanitarian act, that is obviously out. Should she spend a small fortune and purchase them, thereby supporting the store and making it appear that the supplier shipped animals worthy of selling? Of course not. I think the idea of approaching the store to offer them help is the best possible solution. Things only improve when people help things to improve by offering support and knowledge. Instead of screaming "LAWSUIT!" we can offer guidance and experience. Offering assistance will get you taken more seriously than freaking out will. Pet shops aren't going away, so helping them care better for the pets is the only way to go.
Now, if they ignore the suggestions, and do not get treatment for ill or malnourished creatures after having it pointed out, THEN it is time to inform authorities and take further action.

 

[Sk8ergrl927]

I dont see it neccesary to go and call animal control. Their animals are all pretty healthy. If they werent, I wouldn't have got my gecko from there. I might go today and talk to the manager about them and see what he says. Hes a great guy.

 

[Geckogardener]

Good luck Samantha, please let us know how things go. I will be in the Hartford area soon, so if you need some small tanks or anything else, and you are in that area (or anywhere south of it, since I'll be driving through) let me know and I'll bring whatever I have to help out.

 

[WindyO]

I know I am guilty of this myself but if you look at some old threads you will see this is a common thread. Petco neglects animals. I have seen myself too many times to count. I know someone is going to say well the one by my house but it doesn't matter. In supporting one you support them all. People have tried various ways of fixing this problem with no results. I personally point out the problem every time I was in one along with talking to store managers, district managers, and their corporate office. All of which led to nothing being done. I got a letter back saying they researched the complaint and found no problems at the time.
As for my responsability or obligation my action is to boycott and reveal them as they are. If it were a case of a small pet store it might be different. Sometimes sacrifices need to be made for the greater good.

 

[Geckogardener]

I know I am guilty of this myself but if you look at some old threads you will see this is a common thread. Petco neglects animals. I have seen myself too many times to count. I know someone is going to say well the one by my house but it doesn't matter. In supporting one you support them all. People have tried various ways of fixing this problem with no results. I personally point out the problem every time I was in one along with talking to store managers, district managers, and their corporate office. All of which led to nothing being done. I got a letter back saying they researched the complaint and found no problems at the time.
As for my responsibility or obligation my action is to boycott and reveal them as they are. If it were a case of a small pet store it might be different. Sometimes sacrifices need to be made for the greater good.

I agree that this is common and it has to change, but it does matter to me that the PETCO near me is full of dedicated staff who care a great deal about the animals, to the point of taking them home to care for them on their own at times, adopting out returned animals and actually calling to follow up on them. My local Petsmart is decent, though far from perfect and the ZOOS shop is appalling. I send everybody I know to PETCO or to the small mom & pop store nearby. Chain stores won't go away because a few caring owners boycot them, but the branches that do well will be rewarded and if they make more money and have more repeat customers and less complaints, then perhaps the other branches will be encouraged to follow their lead. We can't make pet store's go away, but we can reward the ones that do their job right and avoid (and pass the word about) those that don't. I still go into the horrible ZOOZ shop and give them a hard time, I quietly guide customers to make better choices and visit the places that they can get a healthier pet from. I think if it makes a difference in even a small way, it's worth it.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

long winded... as usual.

I have been paying attention to this thread since it started, and am compelled to address this issue of petshop animal abuse and/or neglect, and express my experienced opinion. I used to feel like I could 'save' every leopard gecko from a certain fate of death... how do you think I came up with the slurry recipe that has helped so many ailing geckos? I cannot count the literally hundreds of hours I spent dropper feeding these poor little creatures, and sanitizing enclosures every 24 hours. I cannot even put a dollar figure on the veterinary expenses I paid out-of-pocket to help these geckos. Most of all, I could never come close to counting the tears I cried... or the number of times my heart was broken that I couldn't help them, or hours of lost sleep worrying about them.

I have been thrown out of a local PetCo because I was in there taking photos of sick and dying reptiles and the deplorable conditions they were kept in. I also actually gave a training class to 4 local PetCo stores here in the SF Bay area, only to have employees call me within 24 hours to tell me their managers had cleaned up the reptile tanks and had all the 'sick' ones hidden in the back room so I wouldn't see them. Two San Francisco PetCo's were actually brought up on animal cruelty charges by the District Attorney, and were shut down for selling reptiles.

So, the point I am trying to make is that these pet stores and the breeders who supply them with sickly animals need to be accountable for their losses. Animals like leopard geckos are nothing more than inventory items for them. They get these little geckos for about $3.00-$5.00 a piece from gecko mills, and mark up their prices 1,000%, so they really don't care if they lose half of their 'inventory' to disease and stress. When customers come in and feel sorry for these wretched little geckos, and take them home feeling like they "rescued" them, they are only perpetuating the problem by letting the stores off the hook.

Do I believe all of God's creatures deserve a chance? YES!!! But, I no longer feel that I am the one that needs to be their Messiah. So, the solution is simple... I just don't patronize these pet stores. They do not deserve to have my business or money.

 

[Geckogardener]

Hey Marcia, I agree with you and commend you on what you've attempted to do.
At least the little guy I am attending to right now was from a little shop where I know the people, so I know I can make a difference with them. I must say that is a lot easier than taking on a giant chain store!

Your formula is already working wonders on this guy. His belly is full and round and he's active. I think he just might pull through. Thanks for making that stuff and for sharing the recipe. I know he still only has probably a 50 - 50 chance, but those odds are a whole lot higher than they were a few days ago.

 

[WindyO]

Thank God for Marcia. It seems as though no matter how I debate this issue everyone always disagrees with me. You say it and it sounds as it is written scripture.(LOL)

 

[mhwc56]

I wonder if NOT buying any of the sad little reptiles at these stores will really make any difference to the stores?
You know, if say 500 people don't shop at any given store, do you think that it will be noticed when 2000 people do? AND that still leaves all those poor innocent critters dying of ignorance and indifference.
So the point I guess I'm trying to make is if you are in a position to try to save even one and you have the desire to do it then it should be up to you if you want to go for it.And more power to you if you succeed!

 

[WindyO]

Yes I believe we can make a difference. When people put logic before emotion. You are the problem and you make it worse. I tell everyone I know that they should never buy from them. There are countless other sources to get any reptile related need. If more people would spread the word sooner or later they would abandon reptiles especially when they are a dog and cat store that dabbles in other pets. Do you think that one or two aisles they have are keeping their doors open.
I respect the love and interest for all animals. I have foolishly been down that path before. The only thing I ended up with were dead reptiles and vet bills. My AFT were saves but they were mom and pop stores that gave them to me and are now out of bussiness. I just think that it is selfish and short sighted to think that someone who wouldn't save a Petco gecko is incompassionate or unhumane. Your money is just paying for the next group of neglected animals.

 

[reptilebreeder]

So, the point I am trying to make is that these pet stores and the breeders who supply them with sickly animals need to be accountable for their losses. Animals like leopard geckos are nothing more than inventory items for them. They get these little geckos for about $3.00-$5.00 a piece from gecko mills, and mark up their prices 1,000%, so they really don't care if they lose half of their 'inventory' to disease and stress.
When customers come in and feel sorry for these wretched little geckos, and take them home feeling like they "rescued" them, they are only perpetuating the problem by letting the stores off the hook.

Do I believe all of God's creatures deserve a chance? YES!!! But, I no longer feel that I am the one that needs to be their Messiah. So, the solution is simple... I just don't patronize these pet stores. They do not deserve to have my business or money.

Great post. I couldn't agree more, especially with your earlier efforts to save so many. These parts need to be said again so maybe others can more understand where "we" are coming from.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

I wonder if NOT buying any of the sad little reptiles at these stores will really make any difference to the stores? You know, if say 500 people don't shop at any given store, do you think that it will be noticed when 2000 people do?

It CAN make a difference... and does make a difference. Two Petcos were shut down because people would no longer patronize them. The local reptile store here in my town is slowly going out of business due to dropping patronage because their store stinks of rat urine and reptile feces. Am I a rabid PETA supporter? No, no, no!!! I have just decided to make a personal choice by not giving these places my business. If more people felt this way, these businesses would have to make a choice: either take proper care of their animals, or get the heck out of the animal business!

So the point I guess I'm trying to make is if you are in a position to try to save even one and you have the desire to do it then it should be up to you if you want to go for it.

This is commendable and understandable... God knows how heartbreaking it is for me to know there are millions of reptiles (and animals for that matter) that are suffering from neglect and abuse. There is a tremendous sense of accomplishment and fulfillment in saving the life of an animal that is on 'death row'. But whatever you decide to do, DON'T give your hard-earned money to buy a rescue. By doing so, you are only giving these stores permission to keep their animals and husbandry the same way... because people like us will by them regardless of their condition.