Ethics of rescuing from a shop? (Should I?)

Personally I think its really sad you are paying $400 for a sick cham. His previous owner shouldn't be rewarded for dumping him (getting his money out of him is disgusting given that he didn't "rate" good care) and the shop shouldn't be rewarded for continuing to treat him badly. He could be an older animal or have permanent organ damage that shortens his life if he does recover. I understand where you are coming from of course, but that is a huge price to pay for a sick cham even a beauty like that. I hope the vet bills don't break the bank!
I understand what you are saying and recently I learned that this was not the shops fault. It was the commissioner and that they after this refuse to do business with him in the future because of this incident. They showed me that they have been working with him on his health. The situation came out better than I had assumed and dug into with lack of information and missinformation.

I still feel bad this guy gets any of the money and is just trying to get what he spent back out but because the shop has taken a strong stand (more about the animal at this point then the money) I have decided to move forward.

I think in all honesty after this I will not do something like this again.

The big posts I made today have more info on the situation changes.
 
I just happened to read something here that makes me think I might have visited this shop.

I am in southern California as many know, but just a few months ago I was in Spokane Valley for a class. While there I went to Idaho for meals and stuff. There was a Cabella's I stopped at and near it were signs for a new pet store. Me and my co-worker followed the signs to the store. I went in, found it to be the tiniest store ever (maybe like 150 sq ft?) with cages lining the walls.

It was clearly a start up. The way things were laid out reminded me more of a hobbyist who dreamt of owning a pet store. I even saw some weird hedgehog looking things that didn't fit in with the reptiles and they were keeping some sad looking chams in those stupid dome cages.

I just walked out. My co-worker looked at me and said I wasn't in their long, I told him there wasn't anything worth looking at and that my personal reptile room has more exotics in it.

If that is the same store, then yes you need to let that one go out of business. Patronizing it will only let them continue to stack cages inside that tiny little space.
 
I just happened to read something here that makes me think I might have visited this shop.

I am in southern California as many know, but just a few months ago I was in Spokane Valley for a class. While there I went to Idaho for meals and stuff. There was a Cabella's I stopped at and near it were signs for a new pet store. Me and my co-worker followed the signs to the store. I went in, found it to be the tiniest store ever (maybe like 150 sq ft?) with cages lining the walls.

It was clearly a start up. The way things were laid out reminded me more of a hobbyist who dreamt of owning a pet store. I even saw some weird hedgehog looking things that didn't fit in with the reptiles and they were keeping some sad looking chams in those stupid dome cages.

I just walked out. My co-worker looked at me and said I wasn't in their long, I told him there wasn't anything worth looking at and that my personal reptile room has more exotics in it.

If that is the same store, then yes you need to let that one go out of business. Patronizing it will only let them continue to stack cages inside that tiny little space.
Oh wow, yes that is the place. When I first went there I bumped into cages often by accident.

I learned the people are good peoole but yes that shop is way way way too small. When I talked to her on the phone today about the cham she mentioned they were trying to find a bigger place but they just opened this shop (2016 not sure when).

If it wasn't for some locals here I wouldn't have decided to give this a chance. After this change unless they can move into a new store or down size I cannot see them staying open. There simply isn't enough room. And I do not plan to support them after this animal unless they expand for the sake of their animals.
 
Oh wow, yes that is the place. When I first went there I bumped into cages often by accident.

I learned the people are good peoole but yes that shop is way way way too small. When I talked to her on the phone today about the cham she mentioned they were trying to find a bigger place but they just opened this shop (2016 not sure when).

If it wasn't for some locals here I wouldn't have decided to give this a chance. After this change unless they can move into a new store or down size I cannot see them staying open. There simply isn't enough room. And I do not plan to support them after this animal unless they expand for the sake of their animals.

heh..small world but the Oldchamkeeper still gets around.
 
I understand what you are saying and recently I learned that this was not the shops fault. It was the commissioner and that they after this refuse to do business with him in the future because of this incident. They showed me that they have been working with him on his health. The situation came out better than I had assumed and dug into with lack of information and missinformation.

I still feel bad this guy gets any of the money and is just trying to get what he spent back out but because the shop has taken a strong stand (more about the animal at this point then the money) I have decided to move forward.

I think in all honesty after this I will not do something like this again.

The big posts I made today have more info on the situation changes.

I've done that, too.

About ten or eleven years ago, I took in a really old, plucked African Grey Parrot that my neighbor owned. She kept him in horrible conditions. I kept him when she went on vacation and then she just never picked him up. Finally one day she says, you know, he would be much happier with you will you take him? I did NOT want another parrot, let alone a really cranky mentally ill, ugly plucked African Grey who would draw blood if he got a chance. He imitated the previous owner's bedroom noises, full volume, from my aviary only a few feet from neighbors windows IN COMPANY HOUSING. He swore a blue streak and had an extensive repertoire of farting sounds. I had a lot of parrots and definitely did not want him, but he needed me so I agreed. Then she asked me to pay for him! And I stupidly did--paid several hundred dollars for a nasty old parrot I didn't want. I still have him and thankfully he no longer imitates bedroom sounds but he still does entertain with his extensive fart sound collection. He's no longer mentally ill although he still would like to have my babies so I have to be careful how I handle him. At least he no longer wants to rip me apart limb by limb. I even paid hundreds of dollars to bring him to Texas from the US Virgin Islands. I still have him. He's an incredibly interesting soul. Here he is in all his ugly, naked glory.

dsc_0037.jpg
 

Attachments

  • dsc_0005.jpg
    dsc_0005.jpg
    111.3 KB · Views: 101
I've done that, too.

About ten or eleven years ago, I took in a really old, plucked African Grey Parrot that my neighbor owned. She kept him in horrible conditions. I kept him when she went on vacation and then she just never picked him up. Finally one day she says, you know, he would be much happier with you will you take him? I did NOT want another parrot, let alone a really cranky mentally ill, ugly plucked African Grey who would draw blood if he got a chance. He imitated the previous owner's bedroom noises, full volume, from my aviary only a few feet from neighbors windows IN COMPANY HOUSING. He swore a blue streak and had an extensive repertoire of farting sounds. I had a lot of parrots and definitely did not want him, but he needed me so I agreed. Then she asked me to pay for him! And I stupidly did--paid several hundred dollars for a nasty old parrot I didn't want. I still have him and thankfully he no longer imitates bedroom sounds but he still does entertain with his extensive fart sound collection. He's no longer mentally ill although he still would like to have my babies so I have to be careful how I handle him. At least he no longer wants to rip me apart limb by limb. I even paid hundreds of dollars to bring him to Texas from the US Virgin Islands. I still have him. He's an incredibly interesting soul. Here he is in all his ugly, naked glory.

View attachment 173343
Oh man. That sounds like it was a rough time. He is lucky you stuck with him and had the patience to change his life for the better. Your rescue is even more impressive due to how long parrots live. He definitely looks a bit silly but still cute. I've only ever had parakeets myself and after my last one died of old age I just haven't had the heart to have another small bird.
 
Oh man. That sounds like it was a rough time. He is lucky you stuck with him and had the patience to change his life for the better. Your rescue is even more impressive due to how long parrots live. He definitely looks a bit silly but still cute. I've only ever had parakeets myself and after my last one died of old age I just haven't had the heart to have another small bird.

People think parrots live long in captivity but they don't. Most parrots are dead before their third birthday. There are almost no African Grey Parrots that make it past their early 20s because they die of heart disease from poor diet, clipped wings and no exercise. He's over 30 and am surprised he's still alive. He was kept in such a tiny cage that his muscles all atrophied. He couldn't fly when he came even though his wings weren't clipped. Even now he struggles to fly although he continues to improve. The stronger he gets, the more confident and willing he is to put out the incredible effort to fly across the aviary, which just makes him get stronger still. Maybe one day he won't labor when he flies. I also wonder if he has some arthritis. My parrots live in 20' flights 24/7 unless it is too cold. He needs special care because he had plucked his feathers so much before I got him (because he was going crazy) that he has permanently damaged the feather follicles and they can't grow them back. He's a cool bird, though. Very very smart and he has a great sense of humor. Greys have a wonderful sense humor. I have one that makes puns in English and then laughs a human laugh at her own jokes.
 
People think parrots live long in captivity but they don't. Most parrots are dead before their third birthday. There are almost no African Grey Parrots that make it past their early 20s because they die of heart disease from poor diet, clipped wings and no exercise. He's over 30 and am surprised he's still alive. He was kept in such a tiny cage that his muscles all atrophied. He couldn't fly when he came even though his wings weren't clipped. Even now he struggles to fly although he continues to improve. The stronger he gets, the more confident and willing he is to put out the incredible effort to fly across the aviary, which just makes him get stronger still. Maybe one day he won't labor when he flies. I also wonder if he has some arthritis. My parrots live in 20' flights 24/7 unless it is too cold. He needs special care because he had plucked his feathers so much before I got him (because he was going crazy) that he has permanently damaged the feather follicles and they can't grow them back. He's a cool bird, though. Very very smart and he has a great sense of humor. Greys have a wonderful sense humor. I have one that makes puns in English and then laughs a human laugh at her own jokes.
Well that makes me smile and honestly I only know about 2 large parrot owners, the rest and myself have only had small birds like parakeets. He must be a fighter if he has lived this long and been able to come back and continue to work up his strength.
 
Well that makes me smile and honestly I only know about 2 large parrot owners, the rest and myself have only had small birds like parakeets. He must be a fighter if he has lived this long and been able to come back and continue to work up his strength.

A fighter or just too ornery to die. :rolleyes:
 
Well that makes me smile and honestly I only know about 2 large parrot owners, the rest and myself have only had small birds like parakeets. He must be a fighter if he has lived this long and been able to come back and continue to work up his strength.

You will like this story: He once was spooked by something I was carrying and flew out of the aviary on a big wind and was lost overnight. I was really worried about him because he was such a poor flyer. The next morning I was searching for him and I heard my phone ring in the forest behind my house. Then my whistle blasted from the forest (I free fly my other parrots and use a particular whistle as a contact/alarm call to them). Then I heard my macaw--who was safely in the aviary--calling from the forest. More ringing phones. Byrd is such a clever bird, he phoned home.

If any of my free flying parrots leave the area because of a hawk or something like that, he will spend all day regularly imitating (an exact imitation, by the way) the coach's whistle I use to keep in contact with my free flyers. All day long until they are safely home. When I open the door, it squeaks at EXACTLY the right moment. He's an neat old man.
 
Sad news.

The chameleon I was going to pay on today to bring home is gone.

Not in a good way either...

The owner after accepting my offer decided to come into the shop to get him and take him home.

She called me and let me know he did just a minute ago.. kinda heart broken, especially since he went back to that home.

She mentioned he wanted him back because he "put too much into him and wouldn't be getting back what he spent".

This makes me super upset. The last outcome I wanted was for him to go back to that home. I really tried.

Goodbye Jaque (to be his name)
 
Sad news.

The chameleon I was going to pay on today to bring home is gone.

Not in a good way either...

The owner after accepting my offer decided to come into the shop to get him and take him home.

She called me and let me know he did just a minute ago.. kinda heart broken, especially since he went back to that home.

She mentioned he wanted him back because he "put too much into him and wouldn't be getting back what he spent".

This makes me super upset. The last outcome I wanted was for him to go back to that home. I really tried.

Goodbye Jaque (to be his name)
That is a bit heartbreaking. But maybe it just wasn't meant to be, if I were you I would take that money and buy a healthy guy from a reputable breeder. It just goes to show you how much people only care about numbers and not the wellbeing of an animal.
 
Back
Top Bottom