Buying from pet stores

compassrose26

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I've noticed a lot of debating recently on rescuing tortoises from pet stores. While I completely understand why some people think you shouldn't buy them, I disagree. It is true that buying them causes the market to go up and more will take its place, but I personally think people should follow their heart in those situations, which sometimes means buying the animal.
One thing I haven't seen anyone discuss is the power of the pen. There are a lot of people on this forum. What if, when someone comes across a tortoise that wasn't cared for well at a pet store, we wrote to the store. If they bought the tortoise or not, either way we could still write to the company that was selling it. We could make a general template for people to use, attach pictures, and kindly but firmly tell them what they did wrong.
Its just an idea, and maybe it wouldn't even do anything, but I think they would notice if even 20 or 25 people contacted them about the same animal. Multiply that by every time someone comes across one and we may have something.
I'm terrible at debating and really dislike it so if you disagree I won't fight back but I really just wanted to throw the idea out there! Thanks for reading:)
 

Yvonne G

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I usually suggest that the person who sees this happening in a pet store very humbly present a care sheet to the store owner/manager.
 

diamondbp

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It's all about educating the seller and the buyer.

If every tortoise owner is an educated tortoise owner and provides a good home then the "source" of the tortoise becomes much less relevant.

So that's why this forum is vital in the education of tortoise owners everywhere. The easier it is for the owners to access accurate information the easier it will be for the tortoises to live a long healthy happy life.
 

Yvonne G

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I'd like to know whatever happened to the new rule that every animal sold in a pet store must be accompanied by a care sheet. I think this went into effect 3 or 4 years ago. They don't give out care sheets, and don't even have copies of care sheets in the stores.
 

compassrose26

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The person at the store I got Lucy from just put her in a transport box and said here ya go
 

momof6brats

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I've worked at Petsmart for going on 5 years. I go in at 6 am, take care of all the animals (reptiles, birds, small pets, fish, etc.) then once the store opens at 9, I help customers, and help out at register. We HAVE to give each customer that buys ANY animal ( not fish) a care sheet and signed contract which spells out our guarantee.


Also, I feel like I seriously talk more people out of buying animals than selling them. Petsmart allows us the ability to refuse any sale that we feel is not in the animals best interests. At my store we take excellent care of our animals and take them to a local exotic vet for any needed care.
 

BeeBee*BeeLeaves

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momof6brats said:
I've worked at Petsmart for going on 5 years. I go in at 6 am, take care of all the animals (reptiles, birds, small pets, fish, etc.) then once the store opens at 9, I help customers, and help out at register. We HAVE to give each customer that buys ANY animal ( not fish) a care sheet and signed contract which spells out our guarantee.


Also, I feel like I seriously talk more people out of buying animals than selling them. Petsmart allows us the ability to refuse any sale that we feel is not in the animals best interests. At my store we take excellent care of our animals and take them to a local exotic vet for any needed care.



YAY! Love this! : )
 

Jacqui

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momof6brats said:
I've worked at Petsmart for going on 5 years. I go in at 6 am, take care of all the animals (reptiles, birds, small pets, fish, etc.) then once the store opens at 9, I help customers, and help out at register. We HAVE to give each customer that buys ANY animal ( not fish) a care sheet and signed contract which spells out our guarantee.


Also, I feel like I seriously talk more people out of buying animals than selling them. Petsmart allows us the ability to refuse any sale that we feel is not in the animals best interests. At my store we take excellent care of our animals and take them to a local exotic vet for any needed care.



Thank you for saying something from your side of the situation. The stores and emplyees I have dealt with are more like you then the ones we seem to hear of who are bad and uncaring. I had a place in MO three or four years ago, who asked me so many questions about the tortoise I was getting, I about didn't get it because I was tired of being drilled. :D
 

Raymo2477

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I'm a manager at Petco and we provide a care sheet with each animal sold as well, (but I disagree with the content on most of the reptiles). I frequently talk people out of pets that I feel they won't care for.

As for torts when someone wants one I suggest Rubbermaid over the tanks we sell, recommend a summer outdoor enclosure, always recommend the tort forum, and suggest they do research before they buy.
 

Elohi

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I went to petco off of 410 in San Antonio and I'm happy to report that the two Russians they had were being properly cared for. While their display was small, they had proper hides, decent humidity, substrate, food and a walk in water dish. Not ideal but so much better than what I see at petsmart.
 

Jacqui

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hunterk997 said:
hunterk997 said:
compassrose26 said:
The person at the store I got Lucy from just put her in a transport box and said here ya go

My post seems to have been deleted. Hmmm. Now I understand the frustration.

Hunter I am seeing no signs that anything was deleted from your post. I am guessing either a bleep in the server or a mis-directed button is to blame.
 
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