Rescue torts from pet shops....

[GregUnd]

I went to Petco today to get a second heater for Terra when I see this poor looking tortoise..... It ended up being about a 7"-8" Russian. It was in the corner laying still, had swollen eyes, and lifeless looking. I put my hand to the side of the glass tank and it was ice cold, I looked for any kind of heating but failed to find any. It's "water bowl" was bone dry and had some fruity pebbels lookin' "food". The substrate looked like a colored sand and no UVB lighting. You could very easily tell that this guy was very unhappy. I had an employee ask me if I needed any assistance, I responded with "Yeah, what temperature do I need to keep this turtle at"? He responded with "Just as long as they don't get cold, they're fine", he also stated that I would need a "mineral" light I almost bought the little guy($99) was the price tag. I still may go pick him up tomorrow if he's still there. I'd have no choice but to sell him locally, I'm not ready to house a full grown Russian, but I sure would feel a lot better rescuing this guy.....

What would you do?

 

[onarock]

I would stop supporting PETCO! It might be a little less convenient, but have any of you considered buying your tortoise goods from guys like Mick at AZ tortoise Compound or Tyler at Tortoise Supply. I have never compared these guys prices and being mom and pop type places they probably arent as cheap as the big corporate boxes, but you know they dont have water deprived tortoises being fed fruit loops in an enclosure thats 60 degrees.

 

[l0velesly]

Poor Russian I think it'd be a good idea to let Petco know about their lack of care and info.
I probably would've easily given in and bought this poor-looking tortoise just because I can't stand it when they look unhappy. Russian torts are probably the most easiest to care for

 

[GregUnd]

I would stop supporting PETCO! It might be a little less convenient, but have any of you considered buying your tortoise goods from guys like Mick at AZ tortoise Compound or Tyler at Tortoise Supply. I have never compared these guys prices and being mom and pop type places they probably arent as cheap as the big corporate boxes, but you know they dont have water deprived tortoises being fed fruit loops in an enclosure thats 60 degrees.

Tyler is my "go to" guy, however, the need for a second heater for my baby in her humid hidebox could not wait until Tyler returned from vacation, or shipping time etc.

 

[Laura]

Instead of buying it and supporting thier poor care.. you need to educate the manager. or tell them how bad this porr tortoise looks and how it looks bad for thier store and offer to take it and make it better. or tell THEM to take it to a Vet.
Most employees have no clue. They are are saying what they were told..

 

[GBtortoises]

The unfortunate truth is that if you purchase a tortoise, regardless of condition from any pet shop you're just encouraging them to purchase more and neglect more in an attempt to sell more. That's not to say that all pet shops are bad and don't properly maintain their tortoises (or other animals). There are a lot of good pet stores out there. Unfortunately Petco and PetSmart are not in that catergory. The only way to get them to stop keeping and selling animals kept in such substandard conditions is to stop supporting them. While it's a noble idea to "educate" the staff, it's pointless. Number one, the manager rarely cares, his income is based on annual sales, not animal care. Number two, the employees are usually high school and college age kids that just need a part time job. Some may care, but have little to no power to make any changes. It's unfortunate that the time of the mega "Wal-Mart" style pet shop is here. While they may have a great selection of dry goods (and not such great prices in my opinion), they're livestock care has a lot to be desired.
Poorly cared for animals tug at the heartstrings of almost anyone. But I've come to realize that "mercy" purchases don't always work out for the better. You may be saving one animal but I wonder how many more perish because of it down the road. Each time an animal kept in poor conditions is purchased at a retail store it just encourages them to fill the spot with another.
There are good pet shops out there, find them, support them and praise them. There are also some very good online outlets for tortoises and supplies. The first one that comes to mind every time to me is Tyler Stewart at www.tortoisesupply.com. One of the best!

 

[John]

A small local pet shop recently stopped selling snakes for this very reason, nobody buys it they have to feed it and the profit margin dwindles plus they admitted to me that they really didn't knoe enough about the animals they were trying to sell which also made it hard to make sales. If its that much of an emergency I am sure overnight shipping is an option.

 

[bikerchicspain]

The unfortunate truth is that if you purchase a tortoise, regardless of condition from any pet shop you're just encouraging them to purchase more and neglect more in an attempt to sell more. That's not to say that all pet shops are bad and don't properly maintain their tortoises (or other animals). There are a lot of good pet stores out there. Unfortunately Petco and PetSmart are not in that catergory. The only way to get them to stop keeping and selling animals kept in such substandard conditions is to stop supporting them. While it's a noble idea to "educate" the staff, it's pointless. Number one, the manager rarely cares, his income is based on annual sales, not animal care. Number two, the employees are usually high school and college age kids that just need a part time job. Some may care, but have little to no power to make any changes. It's unfortunate that the time of the mega "Wal-Mart" style pet shop is here. While they may have a great selection of dry goods (and not such great prices in my opinion), they're livestock care has a lot to be desired.
Poorly cared for animals tug at the heartstrings of almost anyone. But I've come to realize that "mercy" purchases don't always work out for the better. You may be saving one animal but I wonder how many more perish because of it down the road. Each time an animal kept in poor conditions is purchased at a retail store it just encourages them to fill the spot with another.
There are good pet shops out there, find them, support them and praise them. There are also some very good online outlets for tortoises and supplies. The first one that comes to mind every time to me is Tyler Stewart at www.tortoisesupply.com. One of the best!

I agree in most aspects, but i work as you know in a petshop and i pride myself on having happy healthy reptiles, Under my care i have a male and female cherry head, they are about 20cm long, they had a salad mixed with fruit and some mealworms for breakfast today, a baby russian that is given his fresh food every day, a Laemanctus longipes (cone-head lizard) who has been with me a long while ,like the cherry heads, then ive got a veiled chamaleo and a python, each one has its own diet temps, humidity etc...so not all petshops are bad. well at least mine isnt because of me

 

[Zouave]

I agree with some of the previous posts. DON'T purchase that animal. You are encouraging them to restock. Also, I have heard stories of pet shops doing things like this on purpose to play on your sympathies and move stock.

May I suggest instead: Buy something small you need so you have proof you are a customer at that specific store. The receipt should have the store location and specific store number(Petco #423 for example) etc. Try to talk to the store manager about your concerns. Hopefully this will be enough to correct the situation but if you return and the same conditions exist you should (discreetly) take a picture or two and get in contact with Petco Media Relations ( http://about.petco.com/press-room/media-contacts-policies/ ) and inform them that you (and quite frankly me and whoever else agrees to participate) will be boycotting Petco and all its products from now on as well as informing national news outlets. This will certainly get Petcos attention because you did an end run around their customer service dept which will try to bury the problem and went directly to the folks that are scared of boycotts and "internet kooks".

Good Luck and you have my support.

 

[Shelly]

Threaten them with a bad YELP review if they don't improve the situation immediately.

 

[GregUnd]

I agree with some of the previous posts. DON'T purchase that animal. You are encouraging them to restock. Also, I have heard stories of pet shops doing things like this on purpose to play on your sympathies and move stock.

May I suggest instead: Buy something small you need so you have proof you are a customer at that specific store. The receipt should have the store location and specific store number(Petco #423 for example) etc. Try to talk to the store manager about your concerns. Hopefully this will be enough to correct the situation but if you return and the same conditions exist you should (discreetly) take a picture or two and get in contact with Petco Media Relations ( http://about.petco.com/press-room/media-contacts-policies/ ) and inform them that you (and quite frankly me and whoever else agrees to participate) will be boycotting Petco and all its products from now on as well as informing national news outlets. This will certainly get Petcos attention because you did an end run around their customer service dept which will try to bury the problem and went directly to the folks that are scared of boycotts and "internet kooks".

Good Luck and you have my support.

I love this idea!

 

[DeanS]

I hate seeing any reptile in Petco, PetSmart or any chain Pet shop! I was in Kahoots a few months back and they had a Painted turtle and were trying to pass it off as a side-necked turtle...idiots!

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

I went to Petco today to get a second heater for Terra when I see this poor looking tortoise..... It ended up being about a 7"-8" Russian. It was in the corner laying still, had swollen eyes, and lifeless looking. I put my hand to the side of the glass tank and it was ice cold, I looked for any kind of heating but failed to find any. It's "water bowl" was bone dry and had some fruity pebbels lookin' "food". The substrate looked like a colored sand and no UVB lighting. You could very easily tell that this guy was very unhappy. I had an employee ask me if I needed any assistance, I responded with "Yeah, what temperature do I need to keep this turtle at"? He responded with "Just as long as they don't get cold, they're fine", he also stated that I would need a "mineral" light I almost bought the little guy($99) was the price tag. I still may go pick him up tomorrow if he's still there. I'd have no choice but to sell him locally, I'm not ready to house a full grown Russian, but I sure would feel a lot better rescuing this guy.....

What would you do?

Before or after committing assault on the idiotic employee?

I'd be tempted to buy the poor little beast, myself...also, there's the option of calling Corp. headquarters and pitch a b----- about how they take care of their animals.

And calling animal control may work in some municipalities...

Really hate to see maltreatment of animals.

---

I agree with some of the previous posts. DON'T purchase that animal. You are encouraging them to restock. Also, I have heard stories of pet shops doing things like this on purpose to play on your sympathies and move stock.

May I suggest instead: Buy something small you need so you have proof you are a customer at that specific store. The receipt should have the store location and specific store number(Petco #423 for example) etc. Try to talk to the store manager about your concerns. Hopefully this will be enough to correct the situation but if you return and the same conditions exist you should (discreetly) take a picture or two and get in contact with Petco Media Relations ( http://about.petco.com/press-room/media-contacts-policies/ ) and inform them that you (and quite frankly me and whoever else agrees to participate) will be boycotting Petco and all its products from now on as well as informing national news outlets. This will certainly get Petcos attention because you did an end run around their customer service dept which will try to bury the problem and went directly to the folks that are scared of boycotts and "internet kooks".

Good Luck and you have my support.

Great idea!

 

[SnakeyeZ]

Some good points have been brought up, and I also don't support local pet shops who abuse animals. No matter how sorry I feel for the animal you just encourage them to buy more and keep them in the same poor conditions.

There is a younger redfoot tortoise that is being kept in a bearded dragon looking enclosure. Sand and heat lamp. Dry as a bone, and the poor little guy is starting to pyramid pretty badly. I have brought it to the owners attention and I apparently don't know what I am talking about. Come to think of it I was going to drop off a caresheet on it. "Priced to sell $449.00"

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Still, I expect a lot of us have a hard time walking away, leaving the poor things to whatever Fate befalls them...I know I do.

As for what difference it makes, it makes a difference to that tortoise/snake/puppy-mill pup/goldfish/what-have-you...

 

[Jacqui]

I am not going to be like most of the rest, I am going to buy the tortoise IF I think it needs to be bought. I will not let any animal sit and die, if it is within my power to help it live a full life. The store may or may not buy another one to replace it, but why allow any animal suffer for a cause? If you do let it sit and suffer, to me you are in the end no better then the current keeper (in this case Petco). Fact is, I have indeed bought several tortoises in the past from Petco. I have a thing for taking in old tortoises and Petco is where I got my first Russians.

Some private breeders are not all that good with their animals either, you need to judge each one on it's own merits rather then do the blanket comments about how much better it is to buy from the breeders.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

I am not going to be like most of the rest, I am going to buy the tortoise IF I think it needs to be bought. I will not let any animal sit and die, if it is within my power to help it live a full life. The store may or may not buy another one to replace it, but why allow any animal suffer for a cause? If you do let it sit and suffer, to me you are in the end no better then the current keeper (in this case Petco). Fact is, I have indeed bought several tortoises in the past from Petco. I have a thing for taking in old tortoises and Petco is where I got my first Russians.

Some private breeders are not all that good with their animals either, you need to judge each one on it's own merits rather then do the blanket comments about how much better it is to buy from the breeders.

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