Gluttons for punishment?

[Ethelia]

I am such a glutton for punishment when it comes to beardies. I just cant help myself.

There is a dreadful store in my area that I have been reporting to the RSPCA for months with no responce. Although they have an incredibly extensive range of suppliments/antibacterials/appetite stimulants and viv furnishings they keep their bearded dragons in shocking conditions.
All dragons are kept on woodchippings (that i have even witnessed being eaten) or horrid staining sand. 10-15 babies are kept in one 20 gallon tank. Adults are also kept in 20 gallon tanks. Juvies are kept in 10 gallon tanks with the heat bulbs ONE INCH from the ground with no guards on (even though they sell them), and I have often witnessed healing burn wounds.
They have many imported sandfires from Belgium, which are given the 20 gallon tanks, but any "normals" are just shoved into the tiny 10 gallon tanks.

As I said Ive been trying, along with the reptile rescue sanctuary, to get this place to make changes for months with no avail. We just cannot figure out why the RSPCA will not force this company, when it has closed down 4 poorly run reptile stores in our town over the last year.

So I know its horrific in there, I know every time I go in there I just want to sweep them all up in my arms and run out, and I know I always end up driving home with tears in my eyes.... so why do I do it?
Am I really just a glutton for punishment?

Do any of you have similar weaknesses?

Holly

 

[kinky]

wow, i thought our pet shop was bad. 1 inch from the floor?? dear dear.

i also intend to report my shop when i have bought my dragon. i wish i could find an alternative breeder.

 

[Freeie]

When we go out to the petstores thats the first place i go It breaks my heart to see them in bad conditions. This one used to have repticarpet has now switched to sand for their 4 to 6 inch babys all in 1 small viv and the adult was in a 20g too. If i had room and another set up and the money I would of most likley broght home the adult. Gah I wonder the same thing about my sanity when you have to walk out knowing they are being mistreated.

Edit: Thats how we ended up with Zero I just couldnt leave her there

*hugs*

 

[Neromom39]

I am such a glutton for punishment when it comes to beardies. I just cant help myself.

There is a dreadful store in my area that I have been reporting to the RSPCA for months with no responce. Although they have an incredibly extensive range of suppliments/antibacterials/appetite stimulants and viv furnishings they keep their bearded dragons in shocking conditions.
All dragons are kept on woodchippings (that i have even witnessed being eaten) or horrid staining sand. 10-15 babies are kept in one 20 gallon tank. Adults are also kept in 20 gallon tanks. Juvies are kept in 10 gallon tanks with the heat bulbs ONE INCH from the ground with no guards on (even though they sell them), and I have often witnessed healing burn wounds.
They have many imported sandfires from Belgium, which are given the 20 gallon tanks, but any "normals" are just shoved into the tiny 10 gallon tanks.

As I said Ive been trying, along with the reptile rescue sanctuary, to get this place to make changes for months with no avail. We just cannot figure out why the RSPCA will not force this company, when it has closed down 4 poorly run reptile stores in our town over the last year.

So I know its horrific in there, I know every time I go in there I just want to sweep them all up in my arms and run out, and I know I always end up driving home with tears in my eyes.... so why do I do it?
Am I really just a glutton for punishment?

Do any of you have similar weaknesses?

Holly

Holly,

I'm just curious... why has there been no response? Are they overwhelmed with other complaints? I would think they would at least investigate just so you would leave them alone. Don't they get tired of hearing from you? If they have shut down other stores but refuse to look into this one, maybe it is something worth investigating. What is the link between the two? OOOOOOHHH! Mystery! :shock:

Unfortunately, I am distrusting by nature and if something doesn't look right, there has to be a reason and I don't just settle.

And no you are not a glutton for punishment. You are a caring beardie slave who has rescued and how can you not care when you go home and you look at Ruben's cute little face (or death glare, whichever the case at the time) or at your little pocket dragon Miso and wonder what will happen to all of those other poor babies that may not have a chance to have their very own slave because the authorities won't step in.

I think every one of has these weaknesses. We are all beardie owners. We laugh with you and we cry with you. Our weakness is our love for our babies and we take that with us even to a pet store and it trickles down to beardies we don't even own. Heck, we even love other people's beardies! But I think the most frustrating part is that the owners of these establishments could improve the lives of their reptiles with only minor changes. My thinking is that what they are doing is the cheapest route for them and why should they dip into any profit they might make? AHHHH the almighty dollar (or pound).

I'm sorry if I didn't make any sense, but I have no tolerance for ignorance (the authorities and the reptile shop, not you) and when I get going it's hard to stop (I used to win essay awards in school, go figure). Anyway, if it's possible, I would look into what the connection is between this particular shop and the RSPCA. Unless there is a backlog of inquiries and they are just too busy, then there shouldn't be any reason why they have shut down others but not this one. Maybe it's nothing, but it seems kind of odd.

Sending beardie waves your way!

Robin

 

[Ethelia]

Oh Robin you beast you made me burst into tears!!

I dont know what it is that is keeping this shop alive, but I have my suspicions. The store USED to be run by a couple who enjoyed reptiles and ran a healthy store. They then however won the lottery, left the country and left the store to their two kids to run as a gift.
The kids are obviously OK with sub-par care.
I really dont want to think that a large "donation" was made to the RSPCA on behalf of the store.

I cant tell you the amount of arguements Ive had in there with them when they just refuse to listen to logic.
"those woodchips are a real hazard. They can swallow them and cause serious internal difficulties. You stock sand, could you not switch them all to sand?"
"urgh no they cant eat em. They are dead big those chips"
"Ive just seen one eat one."
"yeah well... they are digestable"
"really? if I fed you part of a floorboard would you be able to s**t it back out again without an issue?????"

Oddly enough I was asked to leave.
They dont like me much in there.

 

[MissT]

Holly I went through all of this about a year ago. The pet store we bought Abu from (at which point we had no clue about how to care for her) were absolutely awful.... we didnt realise before we got her just how awful the place was. I remember walking in one friday afternoon. There were 2 bearded dragons in a 18x18 exo-terra viv. Dried poop colvered the floor of their viv and the poop was filled with undigested worms. None of the 10 enclosures in the store had a light switched on. A seemingly dead water dragon hung out the side of its water dish, completely dead. And, right at the bottom of all of the vivs was a 1' x 1' with 12 tiny babies inside. I looked at them and almost cried... some were so thin, some were completely black and some were just being trampled all over. I left.

I returned about 2 hours later with my mother in law - expecting to see some improvement as it was later in the afternoon so I expected the staff would have some time to clean up.... but I was just being optimistic! This time, I noticed a tiny little beardie baby in one of the bottom vivs. He was black and the others were just jumping on his head. He had a 'dent' in his nose, scarring on his tiny head and his foot was all scrunched up and covered in blood. The girl said she wouldnt sell him to me. I said I wasnt leaving until she gave him to me. She said £75 on a no return policy. I told her £10. She said no. I ended up paying £25 for him, along with some crickets. I then reported them to the council, the local sanctuary's and the nspca. 2 weeks later, the store was shut down - but only because they had been in too much debt to continue to run.

In another pet store I recently witnessed a baby beardie floating upside down in the water dish.... that was disturbing, to say the least, and when I alerted the staff, they said 'o yes, we will get it in a few minutes'. I dont go near these sad places any more - probably coz I was banned several times from each store but it is much too upsetting. I have found a store I am comfortable going into - yes they use repti-glo bulbs and yes, sometimes they put wood chips in the tanks but overall, I cant really complain!

 

[Neromom39]

Oh Robin you beast you made me burst into tears!!

I dont know what it is that is keeping this shop alive, but I have my suspicions. The store USED to be run by a couple who enjoyed reptiles and ran a healthy store. They then however won the lottery, left the country and left the store to their two kids to run as a gift.
The kids are obviously OK with sub-par care.
I really dont want to think that a large "donation" was made to the RSPCA on behalf of the store.

I cant tell you the amount of arguements Ive had in there with them when they just refuse to listen to logic.
"those woodchips are a real hazard. They can swallow them and cause serious internal difficulties. You stock sand, could you not switch them all to sand?"
"urgh no they cant eat em. They are dead big those chips"
"Ive just seen one eat one."
"yeah well... they are digestable"
"really? if I fed you part of a floorboard would you be able to s**t it back out again without an issue?????"

Oddly enough I was asked to leave.
They dont like me much in there.

I hope I didn't say anything to offend you, but please don't cry...

I have another question that I thought of. Do they move their inventory? What I mean is, if you go in there one day and they have a selection of beardies, and then go in there a few days or a week later do they still have the same beardies? If so, then obviously they are not doing anything to market them and you might be able to use that to your advantage. Maybe you could give them pointers on how to make their beardies look more appealing to the buyers by sprucing up their environments. If they go for it, they win and most important the beardies win! If of course, they are selling them regardless and are just passing on the bad husbandry habits that they are displaying, then we can only hope that whoever is buying them will eventually find this website and change all the wrong they have been told.

One more thing, is the RSPCA a government agency? Or is it privately owned, kind of like a non-profit organization? Perhaps a little media attention???

 

[MissT]

What I mean is, if you go in there one day and they have a selection of beardies, and then go in there a few days or a week later do they still have the same beardies? If so, then obviously they are not doing anything to market them and you might be able to use that to your advantage.

Just something I thought of - the reptile store where I got mine used to 'swap' theirs around. What I mean is, you would go there one day and there would be 3 baby beardies.... then next there might be 7..... the following day they might have been down to 4.... they took a selection home every few days so it looked like many had been sold. They also swapped adults in the same way - one might have been there for a month, then it would disappear and be replaced by a smaller one and then a week or so later, switched back. There are many tricks.

Holly, the reptile shop needs to have a licence from the council in the UK - so the RSPCA arent really the best way forward. You may need to report them to the council to actually get anywhere. The council will send out vets who will inspect, advise and check up on in a few weeks time from what I can remember!

 

[Ethelia]

I got a visit!!!!

I stayed on the RSPCA phone line for an hour and I got a visit!
An RSPCA officer is going to visit the store some time this week.

I just hope that something comes of it.
They didnt even know what a bearded dragon or Uro was on the phone :shock:

Fingers crossed and lets kick some abusing ass!!!

 

[beardlover]

Maybe if you confront the SPCA with proof. Go in and take photos, use a cell phone camera if you need to be sneaky about it. IMO they shouldn't have a problem with you taking pictures unless they know the conditions aren't what they should be.

I like the idea of getting a little media attention, try putting a letter to the editor in the paper maybe?

 

[Ethelia]

Hehe well considering Im shortly finishing a law degree Im familiar with how that could get me in remarkable trouble with the law :lol:

 

[beardlover]

haha, well here's another idea. Have someone distract the staff while you grab all the beardies and run out the back door.

 

[Neromom39]

I got a visit!!!!

I stayed on the RSPCA phone line for an hour and I got a visit!
An RSPCA officer is going to visit the store some time this week.

I just hope that something comes of it.
They didnt even know what a bearded dragon or Uro was on the phone :shock:

Fingers crossed and lets kick some abusing *****!!!

That is totally awesome, Holly! I really hope that your persistence pays off. I just wish I could be a fly on the wall when they go in to that store. Do they show up unannounced I hope??? :shock: I would hate to think that the store would be tipped off.

Also, is the RSPA aware of what the conditions should be? What am I talking about? Of course they do.

After all, I am sure Madam Holly gave them the best education ever on beardie husbandry.

Fingers crossed everyone!

 

[rin0425]

There are many horrible pet stores all over the world...obviously...and it sucks that there isnt much to be done about it...especially because the laws in most places dont punish animal abusers unless they are caught in the act...and apparently poor housing conditions isnt really considered abuse. Our local fox station is very active in the community and I was able to contact them (it took a few emails, calls and photos) about one shop in particular that housed a 12 foot alligator in a glass tank about 6ft x 4ft. I had been in there looking for an Iguana which I had read that they had on sale (i was 17 at the time) and I went to go look at them. They were all emaciated, being fed crickets and iceberg lettuce (they dont eat crickets) and were covered in mites. One was extremely frail and I pointed it out to one of the shop workers. He said "watch this!" reached in, grabbed the iguana and threw it into the alligator tank, and I watched in horror as it was chomped and swallowed. I burst into tears and then was called a f*gg*t...so I left. I told my mom and she went back and took a video of them doing the same thing again and went to the local police....who saw NOTHING wrong with it. She then helped me call the Fox station and showed them the video. The very next day they were under cover at the store, and broadcast the videos of the place all over the news. The ASPCA was there withing the week, and finally it was shut down...but not because of the neglect or abuse, but for housing the alligator. Because of that, most of the local pet shops began cleaning up their act out of fear of being featured on the news. I didnt get into any trouble and now there are very few shops I go into where I see blatent neglect. I wont say its perfect, but its much much better.

Sorry to ramble, my point was, try the news, they love to break stories of things like that because the majority of people not only pay attention to that, but take action. I also will post bulletins on craigslist (i dont know if that have that in the UK, but its a free community board where people can buy sell trade or just share info on ANYTHING) about things I see, businesses that deserve support and those that should be avoided. Maybe that will help you save all those little babies that are suffering.

Aaron

 

[Neromom39]

That is just horrible what you witnessed, however I'm glad that the pet shop was ultimately shut down. I don't think it matters that the husbandry wasn't the reason, but at least it was a wake up call. It's sad that it was at the expense of another life though, but it usually is, whether it's intentional or not.