Left my local pet shop VERY IRRITATED TODAY.

[BG23]

Thats a good idea I have a couple extra reptisun 10.0 s I was gonna take one that I naught from them and give it back and watch them install it. They we're irritated that I said something I could tell but I don't like it when people think they are better than animals. Animals deserve the best treatment that we can provide if we take them out of their natural environment.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Thats a good idea I have a couple extra reptisun 10.0 s I was gonna take one that I naught from them and give it back and watch them install it. They we're irritated that I said something I could tell but I don't like it when people think they are better than animals. Animals deserve the best treatment that we can provide if we take them out of their natural environment.

Since they have a good globe in stock, and sell them, just grab one , and replace the bad globe with one from their stock, don't bother telling them you are going to do it, just do it . Chances are unless they see you changing the globes , they'll never be any the wiser.

 

[Rampagingraptor]

Let's not encourage any illegal activity, even if it is against places like that.

 

[BG23]

Yea I would not take that route at all.

 

[DaisyDragon123]

I'm afraid you are fighting a losing battle. Right now I don't think there are enough reptile enthusiasts to petition for needed changes and get real results, unlike the dog group which has had limited success closing down puppy mills and turning public opinion against pet stores who sell puppies. People don't care about reptiles and have an aversion to them. Public opinion of reptiles will have to change before the public demands that they be provided adequate care and holds these stores accountable. I don't see that happening.

 

[Rampagingraptor]

Very true, but that doesn't mean that we should ever give up on it.

 

[DaisyDragon123]

No we shouldn't give up. I was just pointing out the challenges being faced. It's hard to change perceptions regarding reptiles, or any other non-traditional pet. So hard in fact that our local humane society doesn't get it. They see nothing wrong with a BBQ fundraiser. I guess pigs aren't worthy. I'm in the south so our BBQ is pork based.

 

[kingofnobbys]

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.

that kind of penny pinching is a false economy , a good quality CFB or T5 or T8 UVB10+ will :
--- improve the activity and health and saleability of their "livestock" for next to nothing per animal (they will have a dozen or even double that hatchlings per tank)
--- will be working properly for 6 - 12 months before needing replacement because the UVA and UVB will be falling off as the coatings ware out.

Bare in mind , they get their lights at wholesale prices , maybe 1/4 what they sell them for.

So , that argument is really just a coughout and a very poor excuse for poor husbandry by the shop's staff.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Yea I would not take that route at all.

well then give them a proper care sheet and show them the proper lighting and offer to help with a change over of lights from their stock.

 

[DaisyDragon123]

I would have to disagree about the poor husbandry by the staff. The staff is only allowed to do what the owner, in the case of an independent store allows, or if a corporate chain what the protocols by the upper management or corporate policy allows. By staff I am interpreting this to mean employee. If an emplyee disregards what an owner allows he will be fired. I realize that the stock is bought in bulk and the cost is reduced but companies are out to male every penny they can. Even an employee who wants to keep the cages cleaned properly is in jeopardy of losing his job. (can't lose time for cleaning, got to stock the shelves, do inventory count, greet customers and push product, etc.) A good employee in retail is one that doesn't rock the boat and does as told. Question authority and you are a trouble maker. Suggest better ways you are gunning for someone's job and more than likely pissing of your manager who will reward you with less hours. Take initiative and do it on your own, still breaking policy (even if you buy the equipment out of your own pocket--which can be costly to a minimum wage worker and not very practical). The ideal employee is a "yes man" who does as told, free thinkers, concerned diligent people need not apply.

 

[kingofnobbys]

I would have to disagree about the poor husbandry by the staff. The staff is only allowed to do what the owner, in the case of an independent store allows, or if a corporate chain what the protocols by the upper management or corporate policy allows. By staff I am interpreting this to mean employee. If an emplyee disregards what an owner allows he will be fired. I realize that the stock is bought in bulk and the cost is reduced but companies are out to male every penny they can. Even an employee who wants to keep the cages cleaned properly is in jeopardy of losing his job. (can't lose time for cleaning, got to stock the shelves, do inventory count, greet customers and push product, etc.) A good employee in retail is one that doesn't rock the boat and does as told. Question authority and you are a trouble maker. Suggest better ways you are gunning for someone's job and more than likely pissing of your manager who will reward you with less hours. Take initiative and do it on your own, still breaking policy (even if you buy the equipment out of your own pocket--which can be costly to a minimum wage worker and not very practical). The ideal employee is a "yes man" who does as told, free thinkers, concerned diligent people need not apply.

I guess I would never have made a retail employee then.

I'm used to a completely different work ethic , working for that kind of business (for the salaries I have heard they are paid .... virtual slavery IMO ) .... is dead end go no where with zero prospect for feeling any job satisfaction , is job better suited to trained monkeys .

Even more reason NEVER to support such businesses in any way , never buy feeder insects off them, or suppliments, or hardware, and definitely never buy a pet from them.

 

[thatLizardGuy]

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.

Which store was it?

$90 a Baby!

That is Crazy.

I just saw them at a Store for 29.99

 

[BG23]

Yup 89.99 store called feed and seed in port Huron MI

 

[Taterbug]

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.

Unfortunately in situations like this purchasing the animals is supporting the pet store's practices. I know your heart is in the right place, and it's such a crappy situation. I cant hardly go into pet stores because I know what I'll find. (My local shop sells turtles, dragons, iguanas and more but don't sell UVB lights :/)

Baby normal bearded dragons dragons wholesale at around $25 or less each. Buying them tells the store there is a demand for them and so they will keep restocking. There is a significant profit in those prices and at least a portion of that will be reinvested in more baby lizards to be neglected and potentially doomed.

 

[BG23]

Yup I agree with you but at the same time if I buy them I'll potentially save the lives of three that otherwise might die. Just because I realize the business side of how it works still doesn't mean they should suffer, maybe I saw that for a reason, maybe I was suppose to be there for I'm the one who should do something because I care.