Left my local pet shop VERY IRRITATED TODAY.

[BG23]

Hello everyone I was disgusted today from what I saw at my local pet shop in Michigan so I have to share and vent a little bit. So I went to my pet shop today to pick up some hornworms for my beardie and I decided to loom at the new babies that they just got inn and what I saw was 3 babies in a tank together with just a basking bulb and that's it. So I ask the kid that was in the reptile area why they don't have a uvb/uva bulb in the tank in which he went on to try to tell me that the bulb that's on there is a uvb which clearly was not. I'm more saddened and worried about the little guys because this is a huge part of their lives that they need, as I went to pay for my worms I said something to the lady about it and she said she had no clue and that I had to talk to the kid that was back there then another guy came out from the back when he heard how frustrated I was about the situation and he totally agreed with everything I was saying so he told me that he's gonna look into it soon as possible. Still worried I acted like I was looking around for other stuff to see if they would even address the issue since there we're zero people in the store and nothing they acted as if it we're no big deal, I went back to the area where the cage was and read the setup details papers they have sitting there and sure enough it said all you need is a basking bulb now I could understand if they we're using or talking about MVB bul BMW s but they never mentioned one thing about uvb/uva. What do you think about this and what more could I do to help them I have a 1 1/2 year old female at home and I almost want to buy the 3 babies so at least I know that they are cared for the right way, problem is I cannot afford the fork out 270 bucks to buy them or I would. So frustrating to me and I feel helpless.

 

[Rampagingraptor]

I wouldn't let it affect you too much. As heartless as it may seem, most stores get their information wildly wrong, even when they know better. Its mainly cause of the fact that most stores are in it to make more money than they are to properly care for their pets.
I wouldn't rib the employees too much on it, either, as they usually are only doing as they are told to do: sell more product. The only way to really get anything done is to enforce better regulations on the care of reptiles, but good luck with that.
Its better to enrich the lives of the ones you can without bringing too much of a burden on yourself imo. Especially if it may change your situation to make it so you yourself can't care for them.

 

[BG23]

I know I'm trying to not let it effect me to much but it's gonna be hard. But I agree with you on the business part just heartless in my opinion.

 

[christywoowoo]

are you sure it wasn't a combination bulb? it's very possibly it was a uvb/heat bulb. Now I don't know anything about your store but it could have been a combo bulb. Just a thought.

 

[BG23]

That's the first question I asked, wasn't just going to assume and the kid said just a regular basking bulb.

 

[christywoowoo]

So I ask the kid that was in the reptile area why they don't have a uvb/uva bulb in the tank in which he went on to try to tell me that the bulb that's on there is a uvb which clearly was not.

By this I thought he told you that is was in fact a UVB bulb?

 

[DaisyDragon123]

A lot of pet shops have sorry reptile departments. I don't blame the employees, I blame the owners of independently owned pet shops and the actual corporations of the large chain shops. The employees who want to do right by the animals will most likely be out of a job rather quickly if they try to improve the living conditions of the animals. The employee is in an impossible situation. If he tries to provide correct lighting that involves taking the lighting off of the shelf for sale and placing it in the display case and inventory is lost. If he tries to correct every reptile enclosure a lot of inventory will be sacrificed. The employee is forced to peddle the store's merchandise, even if it is dangerous to the reptile. Can you imagine the boss overhearing an employee telling a customer not to buy the calcisand and use paper towels or tiles and to put down that red light bulb since the reptile he is buying is only active during the day.

 

[AHBD]

It's pretty easy to differentiate a MVB [ Mercury vapor bulb that produces not only uva but also uvb ] from a plain basking bulb that only puts out uva. The mercury vapors are rarely used in a pet store since they are much bigger, much more expensive and can't be used for a small tank. If you Google mercury vapor bulb and also basking or heat bulb you can see the difference.

 

[BG23]

Yea like I said it wasn't a MVB I know the difference the only reason why I asked was to see if he was gonna lie to me and say it was like he did, I was playing dumb. Bottom line there was no uvb in the tank and Ive been thinking about it all day.

 

[BG23]

I just hope that somebody will go in there that notices things like that's a buys them to make sure they don't suffer. I'm gonna go back in a few days and if nothings done I'll buy them myself and find them homes I'm not gonna let people put a helpless animal in danger just so they can make a few bucks.

 

[Beardedragonlove86]

Just wondering the name of the pet store??

 

[BG23]

Feed and Seed

 

[Beardedragonlove86]

Interesting name

 

[BG23]

Have you heard of them?

 

[kingofnobbys]

pet shops .... scum of the earth.

print out a care sheet and next time you are passing by , take it in and give it to the person in charge and show them an appropriate globe / globes and tell them you wont leave until you see it/them installed, and if they refuse , tell them you will be reporting them for animal cruelty and they can expect some very bad press .

you have the power to destroy their business if you choose to take real action.