So, this is something that has plagued me since I got into reptiles 3 years ago. Almost from the very moment I decided to get my first snake, I've been dealing with bad pet stores that don't take good care of their animals but won't take good advice, either.
One of those pet stores (the first, and worst, pet store I've dealt with) has long since been shut down. The nearest Petco to me when I lived in Washington only did anything about... well... Anything, when I pointed out their water dragon had a broken toe (though the woman ignored me completely when I suggested misting their bone-dry Redfoots). The most notable of these stores has been one little reptile-specialty store whose egotist owner would go on furious rants if you dared correct her. (Needless to say, we didn't exactly get along!)
We moved a week ago, from rainy Washington to sunny Utah. Just two blocks from where I live now, there is a pet store that seems to specialize in herps. All three times I've been in, my attention is immediately drawn to their Sulcata hatchlings (and the one Leopard hatchling kept with them), which are kept on a bone-dry pellet (alfalfa, maybe?) bedding. There are other issues in the store, as well--cohabbed (as many as 20 to one small enclosure) snakes, exposed and low-hanging light bulbs in the reptile tanks, that sort of thing. Plus one or two small adult (or maybe sub-adult) Sulcatas that roam the store. Not the worst pet store I've been in... But they could certainly use some direction.
The problem is, how do I approach the store owner about this? I'm going in tomorrow to discuss purchasing one of the store's extra display enclosures for my corn snake, and want to address some of my concerns directly to the owner while I have the opportunity... Especially the state of the hatchling tortoises.
So, how would you all approach an unfamiliar store owner about this, or any other serious, glaring problem? What should I tell the man? Approach these things as suggestions, inquiries, demands? What works best for you? What do you think would work best in this situation?
The more advice I can get on this, the better. I feel like I should be able to make a difference in such a nearby store... And it's driving me insane knowing that such bad conditions are being maintained so close to where I sleep. Crap, just thinking about it has kept me up all night so far! If I had the means and space to accommodate a baby tortoise right now, I'd be hard pressed NOT to spend my last dollar on that poor baby leopard (who doesn't appear to be in good condition)...
So, yeah. Any advice at all on how to approach this situation would be highly appreciated. I'm going to try to get some sleep now; maybe I'll even manage a few hours of shut-eye before I have to head to the store tomorrow morning (errr, make that later today!).
(General advice on the subject would be nice, too, considering I plan to go "pet storing" around Salt Lake sometime soon, and this not-so-great pet store down the street is supposed to be THE best pet store in the greater Salt Lake area... Oh boy.)
Thanks in advance for any advice on this issue!
One of those pet stores (the first, and worst, pet store I've dealt with) has long since been shut down. The nearest Petco to me when I lived in Washington only did anything about... well... Anything, when I pointed out their water dragon had a broken toe (though the woman ignored me completely when I suggested misting their bone-dry Redfoots). The most notable of these stores has been one little reptile-specialty store whose egotist owner would go on furious rants if you dared correct her. (Needless to say, we didn't exactly get along!)
We moved a week ago, from rainy Washington to sunny Utah. Just two blocks from where I live now, there is a pet store that seems to specialize in herps. All three times I've been in, my attention is immediately drawn to their Sulcata hatchlings (and the one Leopard hatchling kept with them), which are kept on a bone-dry pellet (alfalfa, maybe?) bedding. There are other issues in the store, as well--cohabbed (as many as 20 to one small enclosure) snakes, exposed and low-hanging light bulbs in the reptile tanks, that sort of thing. Plus one or two small adult (or maybe sub-adult) Sulcatas that roam the store. Not the worst pet store I've been in... But they could certainly use some direction.
The problem is, how do I approach the store owner about this? I'm going in tomorrow to discuss purchasing one of the store's extra display enclosures for my corn snake, and want to address some of my concerns directly to the owner while I have the opportunity... Especially the state of the hatchling tortoises.
So, how would you all approach an unfamiliar store owner about this, or any other serious, glaring problem? What should I tell the man? Approach these things as suggestions, inquiries, demands? What works best for you? What do you think would work best in this situation?
The more advice I can get on this, the better. I feel like I should be able to make a difference in such a nearby store... And it's driving me insane knowing that such bad conditions are being maintained so close to where I sleep. Crap, just thinking about it has kept me up all night so far! If I had the means and space to accommodate a baby tortoise right now, I'd be hard pressed NOT to spend my last dollar on that poor baby leopard (who doesn't appear to be in good condition)...
So, yeah. Any advice at all on how to approach this situation would be highly appreciated. I'm going to try to get some sleep now; maybe I'll even manage a few hours of shut-eye before I have to head to the store tomorrow morning (errr, make that later today!).
(General advice on the subject would be nice, too, considering I plan to go "pet storing" around Salt Lake sometime soon, and this not-so-great pet store down the street is supposed to be THE best pet store in the greater Salt Lake area... Oh boy.)
Thanks in advance for any advice on this issue!