Can't believe my eyes!!!Panther in bad shape!

[Santi4407]

I am in long island New York, I wanted to purchase some butter worms and horned worms and most places I've found online charge too much for shipping. (Suggestions would anyone??) So my only option was a a drive to the nearest reptile store. And what I saw was sickening. My girlfriend wanted to cry. To start this was the second time I have seen baby and juvenile veilds all with their eyes closed. (Coil bulbs were being used). And then was a horrible looking panther, who the employee tried to say was a nosy be. I didn't think he was acurate being it had a light green coloration. I don't know enough to properly stand by my opinion but from pictures I've seen it didn't look like one. But this animal had horribly sunken eyes. I have read about sunken eyes but this seemed extreme. And in the area around the eye where there was an indentation where the eye has sunken were red marks that almost looked like blood, but it wasn't. He had his mouth open and eyes closed and seemed he was struggling to breathe in the heat and low humidity and seemed dehydrated when I told the associate to offer it water he said he had plenty earlier through ice cubes that where placed on top of the cage. It was so sad and unfortunate to see as someone who has grown to appreciate and love these animals. If I had the money and the space I would have taken this animal in an instant to at least try to attempt to give it a chance at what seems an already lost life. I will post some pictures I was able to take with my phone shortly

 

[JaxyGirl]

Oh how sad it must have been to see those poor creatures. We've all grown to love our chams so much and to see them abused so terribly, I can see how you almost wanted to cry. I would have felt the same way. What a shame that pet shops don't know how to treat these animals. They shouldn't be allowed to have them or sell them under circumstances like that..without the knowledge to care for them. It's very sad that this goes on. But how do we stop this practice is the question?

 

[Texas Ranger]

That is so sad. I went to my local petstore this sat. and there was at least 8 chameleons of 2 different species in the cage. And the cage was a glass aqurium. They had one light on them and dirt was in the bottom of the cage. And the chameleons all had there eyes shut too. And some were on the bottm and couldnt get up because they cant climb the glass walls.

It sad that a pet store doesnt know how to take care of pets.

 

[Cainschams]

The best thing to do is just not go into that store again. Usually suggesting different care or telling them their animals are sick will just piss them off but it is worth a try if you are not stand offish or cocky about it. I would have walked out and not bought anything and then let anyone else I knew not to purchase from there.

 

[krbshappy71]

REPORT THEM. You can report them to aspca in your area and with any luck they will be investigated. At the very least you took action.

 

[Ellron]

REPORT THEM. You can report them to aspca in your area and with any luck they will be investigated. At the very least you took action.

That sounds like a great idea!

 

[Santi4407]

not great quality

 

[KingJulien]

 

[JaxyGirl]

not great quality
View attachment 27399
View attachment 27400

Those pictures are sooooo sad. That poor thing!!!

 

[txskunk]

Disgusting and very upsetting report away go stand with a sign outside with a picture of healthy happy chams

 

[KShook]

I hate Pet Stores because of this...and you try to correct what there doing wrong...they just dont give a $h!t....about there lives, all they see is the $$ involved...I know this sounds bad..but maybe if this guy dosnt make it...the store owner wont get anymore since the lose of the cham/money involved???

 

[Manik6]

man that shit sucks. i saw the same thing at a pet store called s&s exoctics in houston. none of their chams had proper lights, foilage, water source, and onehad that reptibark crap in its GLASS enclosure. i tried telling an employee and she snapped and said they dont need heat lamps when one of the baby veileds was clenching to the top of his cage trying to get what little source of heat he could from a flourecent tube light that was only on the small corner of his cage. (they had is splint between two cages). i walked out and never went back. plus their cage prices were drastically over priced. sad to say i got suckered into buying a couple before i found out about this forum and its awesome sponsers.

 

[kongchi]

You should march in there with your chameleon and tell them "THIS is what a healthy cham looks like, that chameleon is going to die soon if you don't do anything about it" then proceed to mist his cage down and sneak it a few silkies. Who knows, maybe they will give you a BIG discount on him.

 

[RobandJess]

this is tragic! somehting definitely needs to be done!

 

[Texas Ranger]

OMG!!!!! That is sick. I cant believe they can even put them up for sale in that condition. And you know someone is going to go in there not knowing what a healthy cham looks like. And buy him and then he will most likly die. Then we get those people thinking bad of all chameleons or reptiles. But it those crap pet stores. I cant even begin to understand how you would open a petstore and sell animals that are in that condition. Then tell people "oh their fine".

Its sick

 

[Santi4407]

I think I will make an attept to report this store thanx for the idea in a horribly helpless situation. Kshook they won't stop I've seen I've seen a previous panther they had laying at the bottom of his cage feet under eyes closed and they said he was ok. They have a breeder who gives them a steady supply of chams so I doubt they are loosing much if their chams die. I have no respect for these clowns out for a dollar at the expense of a life that can't speak up for itself or attempt to survive on it's own. And the worst part is if I was one who didn't know better and I wanted to purchase the animal they would still charge a couple hundred dollars.

 

[legacy115833]

im on long island too where is he ?? id love to go show them a healthy cham i might even just walk out with him let me know soon that is just awful i wish these people would just read a friggin book or at least a simple care sheet

 

[lisa h]

I can't believe that cham is still alive in that condition. Sickening. May he RIP sooner rather than later. He must be in misery.

 

[Santi4407]

Spraying the cage is a great idea lol I would love too but I would wanna go off on the first idiot who tells me something. I had to leave I couldn't be in there. The thing is they have many types of lizards and snakes but many are more roughneck animals that tolerate rough conditions,as opposed to the care that chameleons need so you would think all is well without really knowing these animals aren't being cared for properly. I would love to offer to buy it at a discount price but I have no space and not enough means to provide the amount of care it would need at this point. I could only imagine how much this animal would appreciate even a moment of proper care. I have had my own problems with my initial husbandry due to lack of knowledge with my veiled. But the diffence between us and those out for a dollar is we will try our very best to help the life we have in our hands they won't. It is a matter of caring and they have none. It is very angering

 

[chachilla]

Poor panther chameleon. His eyes look terribly sunken in. Maybe he would be willing to let him go to someone for free that can properly take care of him or her by convincing him that he will die without the proper care and that he is a scumbag for letting his reptiles get into that kind of shape and to have the nerves to sell them in that type of health.