To rescue or not to rescue?

[archeryguy1701]

Hi folks,
For Christmas I got a bearded dragon habitat. I was wanting to get an adult dragon, but I got a 20L tank, so I figured I could get a small beardie and then upgrade the tanks when he's older and I can afford it. I haven't gotten my beardie yet, but I've been doing lots of research and testing with my lights to make sure everything is ok and I know what I'm doing.

Last night, I got a text from my mom asking me if I wanted an adult beardie that one of her friends would be willing to just give me. Apparently, it was suppose to be a kid's pet, but the kid's not taking care of it and the mom's not thrilled about having to do the work. I told my mom I would love to have him, but my habitat is too small for an adult. She then told me that my habitat may be a huge upgrade over what the beardie has right now. It sounds like the beardie lives in a pretty small habitat and only has one light (no UVB and potentially no temperature gradient).

Now, I don't know anything else about the dragon's current environment (food, temps, cleanliness, etc), but this has me thinking..... my setup is not designed for an adult, but if my less-than-ideal situation is an upgrade, should I say yes and take this person's dragon? It'll potentially be 6-12 months before I can upgrade to a larger tank, but if coming to my home means a larger living space now (and the promise of a bigger one down the road), proper lighting, and possibly better food and temperatures, is it worth it?

I'm pretty split on what to do about this, so what do you guys think? Should I rescue this beardie or should I pass on it and stick with the young one I was planning on getting? Thanks!

 

[Oki05]

The best answer i can give u is ask your mom if its ok for her to take u to go see it. That way you can see whats wrong with it and then decide from there. Do you know how old the beardie is

 

[Zeusmybeardie]

Did u buy that bearded dragon kit cause those are useless and don't have anything right
Do uhave a reptisun 10.0 tube
Substrate?
I suggest u and your mom talk about it and tell her this dragon will need a bigger tank and ASAP!

 

[archeryguy1701]

Oki05, I don't know the age yet- the only description I've gotten so far is that it's "a big one". :lol:

Zeusmybeardie, It is one of the Zilla 20L kits, but I've spent a chunk of change getting it up to "spec". I've swapped out all the lightbulbs, I'm using a Zilla terrarium matt in place of a substrate, and I don't have the ReptiSun bulb yet, but I have the fixture and I'm just waiting for my local stores to have the correct length of bulb in stock again.

Also, just so folks know (since this might change some of the answers I'm getting), I'm a 23yo guy who's out living on his own. I got the habitat as a gift from my mom, but I'm out doing my own thing. Not a big deal, but I thought this info might change the context of some of the answers I'm getting. :wink: :lol:

 

[Zeusmybeardie]

Also If your I the states amazon sells them really cheap like 25$
And also rescuing this beardie can cost u some extra money u would have to take it for a fecal right away to make sure it don't have parasites

 

[Esther19]

Petco has sales 4-5 times a year on their tanks. They can be had for a dollar a gallon. Hence, a 40 gal. breeder would be $40.There should be one coming up again in the not-too-distant future. Folks also find reasonably priced tanks on Craigslist.

The question that I would consider, if I were you, is whether you have the time, the financial resources, and the stomach for rehabbing a sick animal. Vet visits are expensive. It is often gut-wrenching. There are daily ups and downs. Extra time will be needed for bathing, possible syringe feeding, etc.

However, the successful rehabilitation of a rescued animal often results in an increased bond, and surely the feeling that you have done the right thing by helping a neglected beardie.

I'm glad that I do not have to make this decision. I agree that seeing the neglected beardie will help with your decision. Best of luck, and Happy New Year!

 

[bumblebee]

Amazon and petmountain.com seem to have the best prices on the Repti-Sun tube bulbs (usually between $20 and $30 depending on the length of the bulb, and of course, with Amazon you get the free shipping at $25).

It sounds like the dragon is big enough that a 20 gallon would be too small, and it really would do best in at least a 40 gallon breeder (36 inches x 18 inches x 16 inches). I'm not sure if you have a Petco near you, but right now, the one by me is having their $1 per gallon sale, so you can get a new 40 gallon breeder tank for only $40. Otherwise, have you checked craigslist? You can usually find really great deals on craigslist - sometimes, you can even get a free tank (just make sure you sanitize any used tank really well).

Hope that helps!

 

[Goonie]

[Moved from General to Beardie Rescue]

 

[AmberC]

No one is mentioning that baby beardies are a fairly large expense themselves. Feeding those guys can cost a small fortune. I would definitely try and find out more about it before just randomly taking it but that being said if you know its in poor condition and you take it and can't cope there's always reptile rescues that are usually willing to take them on. I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing I could have helped a suffering animal and didn't do anything. Rescues are pretty awesome Either way I wish you luck

 

[StreetMoggy]

Oki05, I don't know the age yet- the only description I've gotten so far is that it's "a big one". :lol:

Zeusmybeardie, It is one of the Zilla 20L kits, but I've spent a chunk of change getting it up to "spec". I've swapped out all the lightbulbs, I'm using a Zilla terrarium matt in place of a substrate, and I don't have the ReptiSun bulb yet, but I have the fixture and I'm just waiting for my local stores to have the correct length of bulb in stock again.

Also, just so folks know (since this might change some of the answers I'm getting), I'm a 23yo guy who's out living on his own. I got the habitat as a gift from my mom, but I'm out doing my own thing. Not a big deal, but I thought this info might change the context of some of the answers I'm getting. :wink: :lol:

LOL
I think you should take a look at the dragon's situation, if you think that the living space you can provide is an upgrade, then take it.
Try looking on craigs list, or kijiji for a cheap big tank!
good luck!

 

[archeryguy1701]

Just a quick update... I decided to tentatively go with the rescue, pending me checking the dragon's condition. The problem is that the current owner hasn't returned my calls yet. So, if she doesn't respond in the fairly near future, I'll be falling back to Plan A and just going with a new juvenile. While this will put a tad more pressure on the Dubia colony, it will take some of the urgency out of getting a new tank.

While part of me hopes the owner gets back to me, there's part of me that thinks it would be just as well that I start fresh. We'll see though!

 

[Esther19]

Thanks for checking in. Sounds like a good plan.

 

[PastelBeardie]

Any news?

 

[archeryguy1701]

Any news?

I still haven't been able to get in touch with this lady, so she has until my UVB bulb arrives (hopefully sometime this week). If I don't hear from her by that point, I'm going to go ahead and just get a new one.

 

[Momswims1]

We have both rescued and adopted hatchlings. All of them are a lot of hard work and expense, but so worth it. Whichever you get, it will need to be tested for parasites right away. Be ready for a lot of time given for a baby or a rescue, but either way, it will be worth it. What they give back to you just can't be measured in time or money.