Shocked at Petsmart!

[Katie007]

Still, good for you for trying and being persistant! Id like to hope if enough people complain things will change, but I doubt it. Those big chain pet stores could really careless about the wellbeing of their animals or the few knowledgable costumers that will complain/stop shopping there. Especially in areas where there are no local small pet stores and when their misinformation makes them more money.

 

[Katie007]

I also noticed that their enclosures have no uvb light, no basking spot/temp gradient, and use red lights for heat at night... just more things to add to the list of things they do wrong.

 

[gingergizmo]

That is so sad, poor things!

 

[bonnie]

oh lord, that is where i'm going tomorrow to get a beardie.....there are none in my area, and my friend and i are headed out shopping where they have a petsmart and petco. both had 2 in as of yesterday and today. what i've been reading here is making me cringe...i sure as heck don't want to get a sick one, this is all new to me. i'm glad i found this board and what to look for. also read the care sheet so i know what to feed. i prob got more knowledge in the past few days reading then they do at the store. gawd. oh well, wish me luck folks! will be posting tomorrow in the newbie intro area if i get one!

 

[Bluebeardie]

It's sad but the reason they get them so small is because it's cheaper for them to buy them as babies as opposed to getting a juvenile or adult. Plus they eat less and Are more dispensable. its so sad but it's true. the chain stores are all about making every penny no matter what. And they give such little info because if someone finds out they're gonna have to spend around $300 for all the things the actually need then they might lose the sale

 

[szubelak]

oh lord, that is where i'm going tomorrow to get a beardie.....there are none in my area, and my friend and i are headed out shopping where they have a petsmart and petco. both had 2 in as of yesterday and today. what i've been reading here is making me cringe...i sure as heck don't want to get a sick one, this is all new to me. i'm glad i found this board and what to look for. also read the care sheet so i know what to feed. i prob got more knowledge in the past few days reading then they do at the store. gawd. oh well, wish me luck folks! will be posting tomorrow in the newbie intro area if i get one!

I would make sure you have the proper set up(tank, basking light, reptisun 10.0, supplements, feeders, veggies, digital thermometer etc) and temps at the right place before you bring a new little one home - that way you can work out kinks in your set up before the new little one has to deal with it. - especially if you end up getting one that may be potentially sick - just my 2 cents good luck!

 

[dragongirl95]

i went to petsmart on tuesday and i looked at the baby beardies which i always do. there was a little guy tha had his back left foot had been bitten by the other baby beardie. the toes were black so it was obvious that he had been like that for a couple day. i told the lady and she took him into the back. She said they were gonna take him to the vet

 

[RandyMarsh]

oh lord, that is where i'm going tomorrow to get a beardie.....there are none in my area, and my friend and i are headed out shopping where they have a petsmart and petco. both had 2 in as of yesterday and today. what i've been reading here is making me cringe...i sure as heck don't want to get a sick one, this is all new to me. i'm glad i found this board and what to look for. also read the care sheet so i know what to feed. i prob got more knowledge in the past few days reading then they do at the store. gawd. oh well, wish me luck folks! will be posting tomorrow in the newbie intro area if i get one!

Just make sure you get the proper stuff and DON"T listen to the person there. Also if you see something blatently out of the ordinary bad, like a bitten dragon, or tail-nips/missing toes you should DEFINITELY get a discount for that BS.
You could even yell at them for cohabitating or keeping them on sand! I love to use my trips there to talk some mad **** to those jerks.

 

[sweetiepie9]

My husband worked at a pet shop as a reptile keeper for about 7 months from August/08 to Jan/09. He had a care sheet for all the different geckos, also about 14 baby beardies in a 40 gallon. When he started he made sure they have a good UVB light, basking, etc & put newspaper down instead of the sand that he hated. He was only supposed to be at the shop for 2 hours a day, but he got there a bit early & made sure he fed the beardie babies at least twice a day. I made a salad of ground up butternut squash & collard greens cut up in little pieces. Because the shop didn't like him to use alot of crickets, he brought lots of salad for the little ones to dive into. As a result they grew nice & strong. There was a biter in the bunch that Roger couldn't find, so we also set up a little hospital at home where we healed up their wounds & took them back when they were healed. The biter was found & put into his own tank, so there were not more toes/fingers or tails lost. That's how we got to keep Rubio. Issy was also found at the same place, 1/2 her tail bitten off & we got her for $50. Rubio had lost all the fingers on his right front paw & the big toe & some of the other toes on his right back foot. So we never had a "normal" baby either. When Roger was laid off in Jan 2009, he was given Rocco, a golden gecko as a goodbye present. Two weeks later he went in to get some crickets, all the beardies were back on sand & alot of the geckos were dying, as they weren't getting the attention Roger had always given them. It wasn't a Petco or Petsmart, but it was a small chain called Big Al's Aquarium (has a different name now) and proves that even when someone tries to raise reptiles properly, it always comes down to $. At least some of the reptiles that were sold were in good shape while Roger was there!
Deb

 

[Sherbert]

Put it this way, how much knowledge can one person (especially the teens they hire) have enough knowledge on "X" amount of reptiles that they are for. Im not saying its right, but honestly, do you know how to care for snakes, geckos, iguanas, birds, fish, ect. All at the same time? Dont get mad at the guy whos working the one shiftt that you happen to walk in and see the beardies? If you are really that concerned take it up with the actual owner of the company, even then i bet youd lose that fight. Every petsmart i have ever been to has been top notch and helpful, and if i ask them something they dont know the answer to, they dont feed me false knowledge they tell me that they dont know. If you were that concerned you should have just bought the little guys.

 

[Sherbert]

Post deleted due to rudeness & inappropriate wording. If you want to talk to someone like this use the PM. This attitude is not allowed on this site. Added by moderator

 

[Zeusmybeardie]

So your saying if someone is concerned about the beardies at a pet store they should just buy them so they get a new shipment in not following u here

 

[Sherbert]

So your saying if someone is concerned about the beardies at a pet store they should just buy them so they get a new shipment in not following u here

Comment removed by moderator. As stated before, this negative attitude is not allowed on this site, it you have nothing good to say, keep it to yourself. This site if PG13. Any further bad attitude will mean a warning. Added by moderator

 

[Katie007]

Obviously you shouldn't expect the workers at Petsmart to give you all the info you need, but you SHOULD be able to...and obviously you should do your research BEFORE you get a pet...but some people don't. This thread isn't to judge those people, it's to share you're experiences in pet stores and maybe brain storm about anything that could be possible to help. And regardless of if you think this thread is pointless or not, some people just like to vent their frustrations.

 

[dragonlover3]

Post was previously deleted, see above. Added by moderator

Hi,
Many people thinking pet shops are a specialty do believe that the employees should have some base knowledge that won't kill their dragon! It doesn't make them an **** :roll: I agree people have an obligation and should research before they buy any pet.....but they don't always. There isn't much you can do about it but educate people on bearded dragons when they find there way here! *AND* to protest, complain, educate, and bring it to attention whenever you see the gross neglect and abuse of these beautiful creatures at the hands of money hungry pet shops. Attempting to stop the poor practices will eventually get results if enough of us take action to protest and complain. Nothing will change or improve if everyone does as you suggest in your other post and just buy all the beardies they see in that poor situation....You posted "If you were that concerned you should have just bought the little guys."...huh?
It's sad you find this post pointless. This forum is for education, support and encouragement. I think this is a extremely important and justified thread! Having a beardie yourself, I would think you would have just a little concern for the beardies subjected to the poor care and treatment at the hands of theses pet shops. I have 4 beardies and love them to death but I can't buy every beardie I see in need of rescue from the nasty pet shops! That's absurd! BUT when I see gross abuse and neglect I CAN and DO bring it to the attention to whoever is there at the pet shop at the time. Usually it has been a teen or very young employee who has not been educated even in basics of care. I acknowledge to them that it isn't their fault but the company's for poor practice and not educating the staff. And I do follow up with the management and the company....everytime!
It is spectacularly wonderful that the pet shop you frequent is near prefect. In the rest of the world, these chain pet shops are notorious for poor care and neglect. We need to have attention brought to their poor practices. Nobody is saying all chain pet shops are bad....but the majority of experience dictates most are! When gross neglect or abuse of any animals is observed you should speak up immediately or you are part of the problem by allowing it to go on happening unchallenged.
Just my 2 cents!
Amanda
"You must be the change you want to see in the world " Mahatma Gandhi