Should Pet Store Animals be “Rescued”?

Jdorm01 said:

I’m guilty!! I rarely go into a large chain pet store but....i came across an adult Russian tortoise in a 12”x12” glass box with no hide, no water and dried feces everywhere and His head was in the corner. I left, did some research on the species and went back after two days and bought him because I couldn’t get him out of my mind. I made him a beautiful outdoor enclosure. It’s been about two months and he finely will come to me when he sees me. While I hate the idea that I’ve perpetuated the wc pet trade, I don’t regret “rescuing” this tortoise.

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That's sort of what happened to me. Many russian tortoises in these pet stores are not in the best conditions. I bought a male for $60 at a petsmart sale, he had loads of pinworms but thankfully I had experience and treated him. Now he is worm free and lives in a huge outdoor enclosure and comes when he sees me. I know I saved him because he was skinny, had barely any food in his gut except diahrea and worms. Now I just got a cheap tortoise and saved it as well. Both sides of the debate on buying pet store tortoises are valid, but it is up to you in the end.

It is only a rescue if you get the animal relinquished to you from the store for free, or at such a steep discount that the store is not making profit from the sale.

I've heard people use the "starfish" analogy used to justify pet store rescue- that you can't save them all, but you can make a difference for the ones you do save...but
That doesn't work because nobody is being paid to throw star fish on the beach. No supply an demand like in pet stores.

Every time you "save" one pet store animal, you are paying for another animal to take it's place.

That said, many animal lovers have done it, because we have soft hearts. But as a rule, it shouldn't be done.

I believe that you can rescue an animal from a pet shop, if it is obviously being ill treated by ignorant or careless shopkeepers there. I have done it myself, so a pet store "rescue" is certainly possible. But if you rescue it, you must know that you can take good care of it for as long as is needed, and it must not be on impulse to be regretted later when you find you cannot manage it.
This is Alfie, my pet store rescue Jamaican slider. He will never be normal, but he is being properly cared for now. Sorry I cannot seem to post a bigger picture.

My turtle was from a pet shop and given to me for free after talking with some of the workers. He looked absolutely horrible and was vomiting blood, had a huge puss filled scab on his head, claws and beak falling off, a burnt shell with puss filled crevices, and loads of parasites. I sat in front of him for a long while before deciding to take him home. He is still alive and happy, you can see the before and after pictures attached.

There was a vet clinic attached to the Pet Smart, yet he was clearly untreated and left to die.

Would I take him home if he were not free? No I would not. It's appalling how they treated him, and I don't want to see another turtle in his place. He was in a tank with an african sideneck that probably also had loads of parasites. That one I did not take home as they were still selling him.

I see them as sentient individuals capable of bonding with people. I would rescue one and ad that one to my family if I had the facilities and money to care for him or her.

bluewolf said:

I see them as sentient individuals capable of bonding with people. I would rescue one and ad that one to my family if I had the facilities and money to care for him or her.

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Another debatable subject, since "rescuing" them from the pet store supports the industry, which will result in more animals being subjected to those conditions....

Jamie

No, I worked at a pet store, you are Not rescuing anyone, you are paying them to continue to mistreat the animals. I worked at a rescue as well and also do wildlife rehabilitation at the moment and the only way you can rescue an animal is if you get them from a rescue or save them from a shelter or on occasion if they are in a bad situation or released into the wild... If you bought a tortoise because you felt bad for it, then the shop got what it wanted, your money! When you get an animal from a shelter or rescue the money you spends goes to saving other animals. Never buy an animal because you feel bad for it. Not at a Breeder or at a pet store because you are just give bad people incentive to do it again. The money you spend to save a tortoise at a pet store only goes into buying more animals for them to mistreat and sell.

Maybe there is another way to look at it. For the record I, personally, have not bought an animal at a pet store because it looked mistreated. I've seen some pretty horrific conditions in not only the big chains but also the mom and pop type places as well. I think that for a lot of people its just a job and for others, like so many find out, it's not exactly what they thought it was going to be. Effecting change more than likely only gets you fired. So, some have "rescued" and some will not. Trying to look at this objectively I think there is a 3rd point. Most of the animals they sell are not bought for a lot of money, same as fish, birds and mammals, losing animals for any reason is built into the business model and having any entry level pet such as a bearded dragon, gerbil or parakeet are not really pointed at the enthusiast but at the novice. It's the kid that wants the gold fish type of thing. They lose animals all the time and nothing has changed. It seems to me that whether you rescue or not has very little effect on the situation. I would point more to local clubs and groups providing not only a higher quality animal but also support in the form of education, feeders and supplies. You don't have to boycott or protest, just give people a better option. It will take some leadership and a strong community to do it.

As has been said, "rescuing" any animal from a pet store may save that one animal from poor conditions and possible mistreatment yet it is financially supporting the cooperation that caused the animal to be in that situation, thus giving them the go-ahead and support to continue exactly as they are doing (poor conditions and possible mistreatment).

The only true pet store rescue, in my opinion, would be if there was no payment taken from the store, when the animal is in so poor condition that the store no longer values the animal and is willing to give them away for free.

I understand the motive behind those that have purchased from pet stores under the guise of rescue, or simply acting on emotions, I too have seen various animals in less than perfect condition in stores and it is hard to look the other way, but I do not wish to support such stores and allow this to continue. I believe that chain pet stores should not sell animals on demand and instead should focus on promoting true rescue, rehabilitation, rehoming and education, but a change like that is unlikely to be made in the near future - so for now it leaves many in quite the predicament.

I was just in a UT Petsmart, and they had two Hermann's in a 1.5' by 1' glass container, with one hide, one food bowl full of dry food, and no water with tiny lights hung directly over the whole this, making no microclimates. I went in twice in about two weeks for supplies, and the first week they both seemed squished, and in the secod, one was not moving and seemed dead. I don't know about anyone else, but I would not pay anyone to keep animals like that.

Tortoise MasterMan said:

I was just in a UT Petsmart, and they had two Hermann's in a 1.5' by 1' glass container, with one hide, one food bowl full of dry food, and no water with tiny lights hung directly over the whole this, making no microclimates. I went in twice in about two weeks for supplies, and the first week they both seemed squished, and in the secod, one was not moving and seemed dead. I don't know about anyone else, but I would not pay anyone to keep animals like that.

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The operators of this pet shop should be spoken to and better, brought into the limelight with photos and media exposure, if this could be achieved they may be shamed into being more responsible with their husbandry of what they are offering for sale.

TammyJ said:

The operators of this pet shop should be spoken to and better, brought into the limelight with photos and media exposure, if this could be achieved they may be shamed into being more responsible with their husbandry of what they are offering for sale.

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Tammy,

Thanks for putting this out there... I live near a petstore that always has little tortoises, always has them in tiny/dry/dirty enclosures, always seems to be feeding them shriveled up lettuce with no water for drinking or soaking in sight, and keeps the enclosure brightly lit with a heat lamp and nowhere for the torts to hide... I always swing by and feel badly, but have never done anything... not anymore.

Next time I go in, I'm going to take some pictures and talk with the manager... if they refuse to do something to improve the conditions, I'll send the pictures and a 300-500 word article into the local papers.

It may not end up doing any good, but it bothers me enough to grump about it, so I should at least try and do something about it... I'm sure it's just easier for them to replace the dead hatchlings than to properly care for them.

Jamie