So, I stopped at a local pet shop today.....

[dorton]

I went to a local pet shop today to pick up a couple of fuzzies for my smallest Bredli. This is not my favorite shop, but more like 3rd down the list. As usual I was browsing around to see what was there. I noticed as cute 5' Retic in one of the cages. I watched it for a second and looked at the label. "Columbian Rainbow Boa",
I was like WTF?? I asked the most knowlegable person in there if it was mistakenly mislabled, or just sitting in there until the name could be changed. They said "why"??? I told them it was not a CRB, but instead a Reticulated Python. I had to convince them they had it labled wrong, so the guy says "I guess that means we can ask more for it". I told "maybe after it gets over the RI". The guy said "what makes you think that"? I said "watch it blow bubbles"
"Oh" he says...
What a joke
I feel sorry for whoever buys that poor snake. There are also imported balls there, that have been wasting away for months.

I hate that place.

I'm done with my rant.
Later
Justin

 

[Mike]

Yeah, herps are generally treated crappy. I'm glad to have a few good sources near me, so I don't have to stoop to PETCO's level.

 

[Joey]

I don't really have any good shops near me I have to drive like 30 min to go to pet co even though I have like 3 shops within a 1 mile radius of me...but they aren't exactly top on my list. Pet shops really need to start taking care of there animals more, I'm just sick and tired of going there and finding dying animals.

 

[DaveDragon]

My wife bought a Ball Python at a local pet store (without my approval!). He looked fairly good with nice color. The others in the tank looked like death (most of them died, never ate!)! This little guy refused to eat. We brought him to a guy who does rescues and he told us the snake was no older than 2 weeks old and had probably never eaten or shed. They should not have been sold until they had a few meals in them. After 5 weeks we assist feeded. It took 3 assist feeds before he started feeding on his own. Now he's a machine!

 

[Joey]

Yah thats the problem with local pet store reptiles, they have bad sheeding, eating problems and all bruised up. I refuse to buy a reptile from a local pet shop. 1 out of 10 are actually good

 

[ColdThirst]

The only pet shops that are near me are 2 Petcos and a PetsMart. The petco nearest me is the newest one and actually has a vet that they send the animals to if you have a problem with them after you buy them, or one there is sick, I have never seen one there in bad condition, so at least they dont leave them on the racks for people to see die if there are any like that, but I still belive that there should be some kind of screening process before someone is allowed to purchase an animal, like a test or proof of proper cage setup, Like they say, the pet itself is the least expensive part of the arrangement. Like my tegu I just got was $80 and $40 Shipping. $120. The cage for it thats 8'x27"x30" and the tally is allready past $297 and I still have to go and buy the 2 floresent light fixtures and bulbs, not to mention the full spectrum bulbs and the mulch, I doubt some little kids mom will spend that much and just say "Well we'll get him somthing bigger when he out grows your goldfish tank"and then it jsut dies anyway b/c he just feeds it crickets.

 

[snakehandler]

i think that 90% of the reptiles sold in shops like that die within a year.

 

[ColdThirst]

I think your right, and those dont hold a candle to the number of fish that die within a week of people getting them, and they sell 60times as many fish b/c people think their easier to keep, and that they are cheeper.

 

[dorton]

It's such a contrast in that pet shop and the one I prefer. The other actually takes great care of all of their reptiles. I just needed some feeder guppies for my clawed frog and my chosen pet shop didn't have any.
I feel sorry for the animals, but also for the people who have bought from them in the past thinking they were getting one thing, but got another.

 

[Joey]

Thats why you have to mostly get you pet at a reptile show or a Petco or something.