I was in disbelief...

[Kacymyree]

I went into my local Petsmart today to look for some supplies for my feeders. I always walk through the reptile section to make sure they at least have food and water.. the conditions they keep these poor animals in are so heartbreaking. I've been keeping my eye on some very tiny dragons. I was i the store i few weeks ago and there were two of them. One looked quite active and alert. while the other one was laying gasping for air. I called over one of the attendants and said i think this beadie may be dying. He assured me that he was fine and he was just tired. Being a beardie owner, i knew he was beyond help and was dying. I killed me to watch him gasp for air-- i knew he would die without ever being properly cared for. After checking out the crested geckos they have i went over once more to check the baby beardie. I saw no movement, I once more alerted the attendant and said he had passed. He shrugged his shoulders and threw the poor little thing into a plastic bag, it broke my heart.

So today as i was walkig through the reptile section i checked up on the one surviving baby beardie and thank god he was still alive and alert. He had his little head as close as he could get to the one light that was provided for him. My joy to see he was still alive was soon erased when i glanced into the neighboring tank-- the smallest baby bearded dragon i have EVER seen. I am a 17 year old girl and this baby dragon was no longer then my small pinky. he was laying with his eyes half closed, his mouth was slightly deformed and he didnt look good at all. If i could aford the $79.00 i would have taken him home with me.. but i couldn't.

It makes me so angry that they dont care for these animals the way they should be cared for. Its sad, but i knew if i brought him it was just allowing another spot to be filled in with yet another doomed animal.

Is there a minimum age that these breeders can ship out these beardies to pet stores? This poor little guy i saw today looked no more then a week old..

 

[RolandKyramere]

There is a minimum age that reputable breeders will ship, but unfortunately the almight dollar has reign over when most pet store beardies are shipped. Trust me, I know how you feel.

 

[Kacymyree]

I doubt Petsmart chains are usuing reputable breeders anyway..

 

[Livey]

I no how you feel,
i went to my local pet shop and saw the smallest baby EVER, bones where showing and dident look alive...
Me been 16 couldent afford it but my boyfreinds mum lent me the money `tiny` as i named him is doing fine now..
it was just heart breaking to see it hungry and cold...

 

[Kacymyree]

I no how you feel,
i went to my local pet shop and saw the smallest baby EVER, bones where showing and dident look alive...
Me been 16 couldent afford it but my boyfreinds mum lent me the money `tiny` as i named him is doing fine now..
it was just heart breaking to see it hungry and cold...

Exactly! the people they hire to take care of these reptiles have no idea how to care for them. our feeder supply ran out and out of despiration we had to get crickets from petsmart, i told the lady we needed 12 she said oh just a dozen.I said.. nooo i need 12 dozen. she quickly asked what i was feeding and i told her a baby bearded dragon. The look on her face told me she had NO idea the amount they should be eating. she said theirs eat about 7 a day.. i felt so bad for the poor little things.. so hungry. and their salad is always dried up (if theres any in there at all)

 

[ChellyBeans]

I went to PetSmart to gather things for my fish tank and went over to look at the reptiles. I saw a very small tank with about 4 baby bearded dragons in it and played with a few. A couple of weeks later, I went back for a few more things I needed and there was one bearded dragon left. I held him and talked to him and put him back. A couple of weeks later, I found myself going back. He was still there, in the tank. Lonely and completely uncared for. Prior to this visit, I started researching these interesting fellahs and started quizzing the staff. I asked them how much they had been feeding him and my answer was TWO LARGE CRICKETS A DAY! I asked if I could hold him. In my hands was this slightly cold, underweight, undersized bearded dragon looking up at me with his pitiful eyes. He crawled into my sleeve for warmth and instantly fell asleep. When the staff decided that they needed to 'tend' to some of the other animals, they asked me to put him back. I just couldn't do it. I bought him on the spot. To this day, I have a small beardie for his age. It has taken me some time to get his weight up, but he is a healthy, happy little tike.

I just hated what they did to him. I love him more than anything and every time he does something to get on my nerves, he gives me those eyes that he gave me from the palm of my hand and I remember that dark night I hauled him home with me. I've had a lot of learning to do and I still keep learning. He is very special to me and I can't be mad at his tiny heinie for long.

 

[Livey]

its just horrible,
i try to band myself from going to look at the reptiles, becuase if i dont know it wont bother me..
but they wont evan give me a job and im like `dude, half your animals wouldent die if you did some research!`
jheez they anger me!
i have a tank on hold(evan though my parents wont let me have anymore lol) just incase i see a little unhealthy beardie..

 

[Kacymyree]

I went to PetSmart to gather things for my fish tank and went over to look at the reptiles. I saw a very small tank with about 4 baby bearded dragons in it and played with a few. A couple of weeks later, I went back for a few more things I needed and there was one bearded dragon left. I held him and talked to him and put him back. A couple of weeks later, I found myself going back. He was still there, in the tank. Lonely and completely uncared for. Prior to this visit, I started researching these interesting fellahs and started quizzing the staff. I asked them how much they had been feeding him and my answer was TWO LARGE CRICKETS A DAY! I asked if I could hold him. In my hands was this slightly cold, underweight, undersized bearded dragon looking up at me with his pitiful eyes. He crawled into my sleeve for warmth and instantly fell asleep. When the staff decided that they needed to 'tend' to some of the other animals, they asked me to put him back. I just couldn't do it. I bought him on the spot. To this day, I have a small beardie for his age. It has taken me some time to get his weight up, but he is a healthy, happy little tike.

I just hated what they did to him. I love him more than anything and every time he does something to get on my nerves, he gives me those eyes that he gave me from the palm of my hand and I remember that dark night I hauled him home with me. I've had a lot of learning to do and I still keep learning. He is very special to me and I can't be mad at his tiny heinie for long.

It angers me to see the conditions.. but i keep returning to check in on the poor little creatures. When i turn 18 i plan on applying for a job at this pitiful Petstore and maybe give some insight to the people that work there. In no way to i support the store.. but someone knowedgeable needs to give it their all to give the poor little things a shot at life.

 

[junebug82]

My fiance has banned me from ever going into petstores..I always go right to the beardie tanks and then I want to cry..and it breaks my heart to leave them there. I tried to rescue one...forced them to bring it to the vet if they wouldn't let me take it...I'll Post the link here for ya about that petsmart story...be forwarned it doesn't end well

 

[NuKe]

I have seen this too, Caligula my first beardie was bought from a petsmart about 10 miles from my house. The conditions there were terrible and the humidity was higher in his cage than water dragons. But theres another one not but 2 miles from my house that takes wonderful care of all the reptiles. 2/3's of the reptile staff have owned a beardie and the manager of the section breeds them. They have the small cages they dont have much control over that but they only order two at a time to keep. Cleo was from there She was kept under UV tube and proper heat. They dusted the crickets and fed kale and collards and i was impressed how well they did in comparison. But the petco around here is the worst of all there was no basking bulb or anything. they were all starving to death and were housed on wood chips vs the repti-carpet at petsmart. One was dead floating in the water and i was told no... hes just sleeping. Never ever going to petco again only that one petsmart just because of the remarkable job they do there.

 

[junebug82]

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=118356&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

 

[MeatHead]

We try not to go into a local petsmart or complete petmart anymore unless we have to. Ken doesn't let me look at the reptiles anymore for that reason alone. He knows how upset I get. We did purchase Meathead from Petsmart but that was before we found this site and all the reputable breeders here. She fortunately was one of the lucky ones and has been healthy her entire life thus far.

 

[Kacymyree]

http://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=118356&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

i cant even find the words to say to this.. it broke my heart

 

[HumorDragon]

I know how you feel, the petco near where I live (thankfully) hasnt been carrying any beardies, recently. but the petsmart where my older sister works (as a dog groomer) the beardies cant be more than four inches long and their so small. (I got to handle the ball python they were selling to and he felt fine.) I hate how money always take priority over the health of the animals! I am a little happy to say at least they were using carpet and they had a light... but those guys (every single time I walk in...) are always in the smae postion on the basking spot (like two inches from the bulb.) unresponsive and eyes closed. :x
(I would buy them but I both have no money and I wil be flying back home in two days....)

 

[Buggsy]

I was staying at my parents with Gizmo and needed some feeders,my dad suggested this very well known reptile shop so i popped along and i ended up crying in the shop. There were two dead dragons, i mean no light at all and they were slouched at the bottom no movement whatsoever, babies were bloated at they were so impacted, no UVB in the tanks and they all just looked so depressed and dark. The guy asked what was wrong and i spat out that i refused to spend money in his shop so he could carry on abusing his animals! I was so upset, safe to say there are some that are just as bad this side of the pond.