What would you do?: Petstore edition

[DragonsInKansas]

Okay, so i was in one of my local chain petstores and they had some new baby beardies. And when I say new, i mean newwwwwwww. Super super tiny. At this point we're all mildy used to this so it didn't shock me. While looking though I saw 1 pressed against the glass in the back and there were crickets all over it. My first thought was oh my god he's dead. After several seconds of watching for breathing, I asked them to open the cage so I could check it out. He wasn't dead, but he was close, found 2 more in the exact same shape. We got the manager and asked him about it, started doing the usual...this is what they need, blah blah blah. Anyway my girlfriend just comes out and asks him if we can take them home, get them on their feet and bring them back. He says okay, so we end up taking 3 with us.......

.......so here's the big question......should I have just left them there? I know that I shouldn't buy sickly dragons from petstores because it just makes things worse, but is helping the ones they already have also bad? Also, should I return them, or tell them that they were too bad off and died? Obviously if I don't return them they're never going to let me take any more home if I ever see more that are in bad shape.

What do you guys think??

I took pics, but don't have time to upload them now, but the babies weighed in at 2 grams

 

[Sunshinessmile]

Oh boy... thats a tough one....

To be quite honest... I don't think I would return them... I don't think I could do it... I really don't, knowing that they are not treated well, I couldn't willingly return them...

Good for you for saving these poor babies, good luck with them! I know you will bring them back to health...

 

[jmain]

First I would wait and see what happened because there is the chance that they won't make it.


If they do make them then I would give the pets store a list of what all it took for yall to rehabilitate them price wise and say that you would like for at least half your money back or for it to be given to you in products or just be able to keep the babies.

 

[DragonsInKansas]

Wont make them? Won't make me what?

 

[jmain]

Sorry there its fixed lol

 

[DragonsInKansas]

Okay, got it.

At the moment they're perking up a little bit, well 2 of them are. The two that perked up are eating baby food and the other won't eat anything. So far they have no interest in eating crickets.

 

[jmain]

I'm a noob and can't help much because im having heat issues as it is but i know the crickets can caused problems if let in there but have you tried to just leave like 1-2 in there and see if they eat it (I'm guessing your monitoring them pretty close so if it wasn't gone in a while you could just take it out even though i know how hard the pinheads are to see

 

[Tarrasque]

I don't know if I could have done what you did.... I was almost under the same situation the other day

I had stopped at a local pet shop where I buy supers for my Basilisk, and they have always had adult dragons for sale in the front of the store, but as I've learned more about beardies and reptile care in general I like to look around to see what supplies they sell. They sold reptiglo bulbs, no repsituns or MVBs in sight, so I assume they use reptiglo...but anyway, back by the reptile supplies they had a viv of baby beardies, and they were about as tiny as the ones you described. There was one little guy and he had the most extreme kink in his tail I'm sure it was broken, and there was another laying in the middle of the viv and I'm sure he was dead. Well, I stood there for like 2 minutes trying to see if I could see him inhaling or exhaling, but I saw no movement. I was tempted to draw their attention to it, but I didn't believe it would do any good and I didn't want to get even more upset over their lack of concern. I also do not have the resources atm since I am moving in less than a week, and I wouldn't have been able to purchase any at the exuberant prices they offer. :/ To say the least, I won't be purchasing from them any longer.

If I had the resources and the money, however, I would have saved them in a heartbeat. I would not return them, either, because it's not like they'll get better treatment once they're older or larger. If you can keep them, I think that would be in their best interest. You don't want to see those poor babies go back into those horrible conditions, especially after you brought them back to health. And if you return them and they sell them they'll just turn a profit on animals they didn't care about anyway. Just be happy you saved those three.

 

[DragonsInKansas]

Yea, they aren't even hardly keeping their eyes open. They don't even watch the crickets. Pretty obvious they aren't interested.

 

[VEGASLIZARD]

baby food and crix in the blender = beardie smoothy kinda gross, but does the trick!

 

[lacy_black]

I can see your point Tarrasque but the problem with "rescuing them" means they'll just get another shipment and the cycle will continue. In the end there's not much that can be done.
I admit i'm not allowed in some pet stores anymore because I told them exactly what they did wrong and what to do right and I wasn't the most diplomatic about it.
Until either they all get their facts right or the beardie mills (who won't be named) start changing things, or the humane societies (who IMO are a joke) start realizing they're animals who feel pain and stress, nothing will change. They'll be over crowded, under fed, improperly lighted, and everything else. Many will die and many more will suffer til the end.

 

[DragonsInKansas]

Well minus the fact that these babies are way to small to be sold, this shop usually does a pretty good job at taking care of them. I'm going to go in today and give an "update", really I'm just wanting to find out who these came from. They buy from two people, a local breeder and a store employee. Usually the ones from the local breeder are very colorful. These so far apear to be very plain. I just want to confirm who they came from before I rip that person a new one.

 

[zebraflavencs]

Make sure you have photographic testimony of the.... ripping.... Just in case you should need it for court or anything....
Just a thought ?
Janie

 

[DragonsInKansas]

I'm thinking more along the lines of dark alley for the ripping

 

[DragonsInKansas]

Here is a pic of what i'm dealing with (and I mean the baby and not the laundry in the background)

Also, question, 2 of the smaller babies have this black stuff on their stomachs that is under their skin....i've never seen it before, anyone else have any clue what it is??