So angry!! (pet stores)

[laney]

Went into my local pet store and they had four Russian tortoises cramed into a viv that was no more than 1foot by 1.5 foot. They were not tiny torts, when I asked their ages he said between 3 and 5!! They had no water, a food dish with 3 carrots which was changed to pellets when I started enquiring about them. They were climbing the walls, I asked to see the biggest one out and when I held her she was so light, clearly dehydrated and had a massive hard clump of substrate built up on her plastron from weeks off peeing.
I felt so sorry for them!! I wanted to complain but knew I'd be wasting my time!!
Can't stop thinking about them

 

[Jacqui]

RE: So angry!!

You didn't complain because you thought you would be wasting your time? While I can understand that feeling and it is most likely true, it is also just about the only thing you can do that might help them. Some pet stores do listen, if you tell them in a calm voice and also point out how it will help their business to care for them correctly. I don't know if in your area you have any animal rights enforcers (such as here animal control, fish and game), but you might tell them of your concerns too.

 

[Tom]

RE: So angry!!

It is NOT a waste of your time. Politely say something. You never know where the conversation might go. They might tell you to bugger off, or they might ask you for suggestions for improvement. Either way it is worth a try. You might be the first person to complain, but by the time they hear it 10 times, they might realize they need to improve some things.

 

[turtlebrad]

RE: So angry!!

Thats so sad. Poor tortoise

 

[shelloise]

RE: So angry!!

Went into my local pet store and they had four Russian tortoises cramed into a viv that was no more than 1foot by 1.5 foot. They were not tiny torts, when I asked their ages he said between 3 and 5!! They had no water, a food dish with 3 carrots which was changed to pellets when I started enquiring about them. They were climbing the walls, I asked to see the biggest one out and when I held her she was so light, clearly dehydrated and had a massive hard clump of substrate built up on her plastron from weeks off peeing.
I felt so sorry for them!! I wanted to complain but knew I'd be wasting my time!!
Can't stop thinking about them

You could contact a local humane society if you have one where you are and voice your concern. I did that many years ago when it was pouring rain and there was a 2x2 wire cage outside the pet store. It had been raining dfor hours and the poor animals were miserable. The humane society went down and told him to get his act together, and if not they would be charging him with cruelty to animals.

 

[cemmons12]

RE: So angry!!

I hate pet stores.... Just had to throw in my .2 cents....

 

[laney]

RE: So angry!!

Whenever you say or hint about anything to them they bite your head off in there, they have a girl in there who is apparently a "tortoise expert". When I first decided i was going to get my tort I went in there to enquire about a UVB light and asked if it was 5% I needed and the girl screamed at me it was 10%, when I went back the next day the guy told me 5% so I didn't buy there coz I was clueless and they are so unwilling to be helpful. They also tried to sell me a tiny enclosure. They are the sort of place that think they know it all!! My mum has complained to them before about their fish and they are just jerks when you complain and don't change.
I really want to take one of the torts out of pity but its that catch 22, I don't want to give them the sale and encourage their practice but its not the tortoises fault either! Ahhh

---

You could contact a local humane society if you have one where you are and voice your concern. I did that many years ago when it was pouring rain and there was a 2x2 wire cage outside the pet store. It had been raining dfor hours and the poor animals were miserable. The humane society went down and told him to get his act together, and if not they would be charging him with cruelty to animals.

I'm gona find out if there is somewhere I can contact, thanks.

 

[wellington]

RE: So angry!!

Doing nothing is the problem in this country. No one wants to get involved. They can't speak for themselves. If your not going to at least try to help them, then you really have no place to complain about the care the store is giving them. If everyone that sees the wrong does what you did, well it will never get right.

 

[laney]

RE: So angry!!

Doing nothing is the problem in this country. No one wants to get involved. They can't speak for themselves. If your not going to at least try to help them, then you really have no place to complain about the care the store is giving them. If everyone that sees the wrong does what you did, well it will never get right.

I really don't appreciate that! You don't know me and you don't know what sort of person I am, I posted on here because I am concerned and wanted to know people's different approaches to this sort of thing, not to be spoken to like crap. I am researching who to contact that they will listen to rather than going in guns blazing and having no success!!

 

[shelloise]

RE: So angry!!

You dont have to worry about repercussions of talking the animal welfare or whatever agency you find. They would not give your name out

 

[laney]

RE: So angry!!

You dont have to worry about repercussions of talking the animal welfare or whatever agency you find. They would not give your name out

This is what I'm going to do, I just need to find who to contact in my area, I'm not worried if they did give my name, pretty sure they wouldn't but it wouldn't bother me if they did. At least they have the power to make them listen.

 

[mira_kaylee]

RE: So angry!!

Whenever I see this sort of thing I always say something. I ask to speak to the manager, and if they don't fix it then I write to their corporate email. You may not be able to permanently fix their set up but if you say something they will usually fix it for at least a few weeks, if your lucky for a few months, during which time someone has a chance to buy them and the tortoises get a break from the bad conditions. You can help and if enough people say something then the pet store will likely at least attempt to make a permanent fix because they want your business.

 

[shelloise]

RE: So angry!!

You dont have to worry about repercussions of talking the animal welfare or whatever agency you find. They would not give your name out

This is what I'm going to do, I just need to find who to contact in my area, I'm not worried if they did give my name, pretty sure they wouldn't but it wouldn't bother me if they did. At least they have the power to make them listen.

Great that you are going to take action, we are the only ones that can protect creatures. I pet sit and I find about 70% of the dogs I look after are rescues from puppy mills that were abused. They all have wonderful loving homes now because someone cared enough to become invovled for the animals sake

 

[laney]

RE: So angry!!

Thanks shelloise, I feel the same way, we need to speak out for them, I just wasn't sure of the best way to do it. I have now emailed the authorities and asked them to email me back ASAP regarding what can be done, hopefully they can get the conditions better.
I feel like this will be the more successful approach long term regarding the care of the tortoises which pass through that place and they will HAVE to act on what the welfare officer says!
I still want to rescue them and have fallen in love with the poor girl I held <3

 

[laney]

RE: So angry!!

They got back to me and it has been forwarded to an officer to go and investigate

I hope they get told to sort it out, if it was me I'd bloody shut them down, but that won't happen.

 

[laney]

This was the email I got back from the officer!! I'm well pi**ed off, they have clearly been fobbed off by the "tortoise expert"

I complained about the space they were in especially at the age of 3-5years (what I was told when I asked), no water for them and the fact that the clearly never got soaked as they were so dry and dirty that their plastrons were like concrete with soaked on urine substrate and they were clearly dehydrated as they were so light they felt hollow, the diet they were given and this was what the authorities had to say!!;

On the 9th January 2013 I visited ********** to investigate the allegations regarding 4 tortoises.

The tortoises are Horsefield tortoises. The tortoises are watered everyday and washed.

Tortoises are removed from vivarium and watered, the tortoises are placed in individual trays to prevent contamination to the water from the tortoises urine. Being a tortoise owner you will know they urinate after drinking and therefore can contaminate the water for the other tortoises. This why there is no static water in the vivarium and to prevent the tortoises crawling through the water and then having the sand sticking to their bodies.

The tortoises are fed pellets in the morning and later on in the day fed greens, carrots, broccoli, etc. The greens are put in later due to the heat in the vivarium.

The tortoises are 2 years old Horsefield tortoises natural habitat is hot,dry inhospitable places like near deserts.

At the time of the visit there was evidence that the tortoises were dehydrated or dirty. The tortoises appeared healthy.

I could find no evidence to up hold your complaint and I would like to thank you for bringing this matter to out attention.

Can I do anything now????

---

Help, it's really upsetting.

Does anybody think forwarding care sheets to the officer would help? I assume they are used to dealing with cats and dogs around here rather than tortoise care. I really need to do something and the shop has seemed to manage to talk their way out of the bad care!!!

 

[laney]

Does anybody think forwarding care sheets to the officer would help? I assume they are used to dealing with cats and dogs around here rather than tortoise care. I really need to do something and the shop has seemed to manage to talk their way out of the bad care!!!

 

[MrJorgensen]

If you have time, ask to job shadow the tortoise expert for a day. Take notes about the care and procedures. Then, post exactly what was done for them. We will respond with advice, care sheets, etc. Take those in as suggestions for improvement. A visit that only lasts 30 minutes or an hour isn't long enough to determine their daily care. You need to see how they are treated for the entire day. Maybe they do get everything the officer saw, maybe they don't.

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

In case the OP hasn't seen it: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-52898.html

 

[T Smart]

That's sad, people don't know the requirements for tortoises. Even though it may seem like your wasting your time, a quick conversation could help the tortoises and maybe save their lives.