Someone should rescue this poor girl

[amanda509]

I work at Petco, and we just got this animal transfer in lastnight....

She has been at another Petco for a year, and never had a lay box. She is going to EXPLODE with eggs! And honestly, we don't have anything to properly house her in...so she is in a tiny 1/4 of an endcap with nothing big enough to climb on and not much space to move around. I gave her two more buckets of coconut husk so at least NOW she has SOMETHING to lay in if she hasn't already binded.

I told the manager if he cut me a deal, I'd take her home lastnight...he wants full price. And the other manager, is going to push her off on any customer who even looks at her. Nobody there understands how serious it is that she is full of eggs

With all that said, I am not trying to badmouth Petco because the store that i work at is #1 in reptiles, in the entire company, and i do love my job, but this is one of the downfalls...

 

[SaintJimmy]

Sigh...

You definitely have an understanding for how saddening this is. It's frustrating that they still sell chameleons but have no proper care for them (and will refuse to change their ways).

I hope someone does end up getting her who knows something about them. Poor girlie.

 

[deadhd5]

I would advocate punching your manager in the neck.

 

[kdc5019]

I would advocate punching your manager in the neck.

I second that!

 

[Psychobunny]

How can you say the store is #1 in reptiles then say the managment wants full price for an animal they know may die at any time from being eggbound?

Also, if the manager is male, I can think of a much more effective place to punch!!

 

[SaintJimmy]

How can you say the store is #1 in reptiles then say the managment wants full price for an animal they know may die at any time from being eggbound?

Also, if the manager is male, I can think of a much more effective place to punch!!

Agreed, I did not make a comment about "#1" in reptile... But now that someone else spoke up..

Honestly, your store isn't "#1" in reptiles if they let animals get in that condition IMHO

Also, yes, punch him in the groin, much more effective. Also, tell him the animal is a) sick, b) egg bound c) "defective product", then he may take off the price for "damaged goods" (As sad as that is)

 

[LookinRound]

My issue with rescuing animals from these stores is all it does is encourage them to get more and potentially cause further issues. If this one doesn't sell and dies (which sucks), maybe they'll get another, but the same thing happens, it is a loss at this point and no advantage to them continuing to carry these animals. This definitely comes down to ethics and a question on what is best. For me, I find it hard to support their purchasing of the animals in the first place.

 

[deadhd5]

My issue with rescuing animals from these stores is all it does is encourage them to get more and potentially cause further issues. If this one doesn't sell and dies (which sucks), maybe they'll get another, but the same thing happens, it is a loss at this point and no advantage to them continuing to carry these animals. This definitely comes down to ethics and a question on what is best. For me, I find it hard to support their purchasing of the animals in the first place.

I disagree. If every experienced chameleon keeper boycotted these stores it would have zero effect. The large majority of their sales are to walk ins who see the cool chameleon for only $50 and make a purchase. Furthermore, the chameleons are really there to drives sales of all the expensive, yet incorrect, equipment (ie tanks, waterfalls, fake plants, water dishes, etc). Experienced keepers would not make all these purchases.

Bottom line, there will be no changes in their policies until there is public pressure to change and it begins to affect their overall sales (ie, change your chameleon practices or I will stop buying dog food from you). Boycotts and emotional appeals from us chameleon lovers won't change a thing.

I say, if you see a chameleon in bad condition at one of these stores and you want to give it a shot at life, go for it.

Buy your supplies from Chameleon forum sponsors or from non pet stores.

 

[Psychobunny]

I agree, the major chains the animals are a mere commonidy for profit, and they really have no business handling such exotic creatures in the first place.
Chams are way over their heads, they should stick with dogs, cats, hamsters, etc.

 

[SaintJimmy]

I hate the argument that all it does is "encourage them to get more" because, while it is true, NOT buying the chameleon would possibly be more harmful than rescuing it.

I would not wish to let an innocent animal die because I'm afraid of "encouraging" a company.

They should just get rid of all their reptiles honestly.

The only thing petco/petsmart can take care of are cats and dogs. Even their birds are horribly mistreated.

 

[Baksmurf]

Don't they have a health guarantee for the people that purchase their animals? Perhaps remind him if that is the case and let him know there is a very good chance the store isn't going to profit from this girl.

 

[Muddyfeet]

perhaps I am jaded on the oh bash chains thing.. but does she look gravid? if so present your argument on it.. not able to house. to address this would equal a a competing chain "petsmart" to adopt out for free..
Just saying..

 

[Carlton]

Don't they have a health guarantee for the people that purchase their animals? Perhaps remind him if that is the case and let him know there is a very good chance the store isn't going to profit from this girl.

I think a customer would have a very difficult time claiming on the health guarantee. Usually these things are really short, a few days. If the cham they bought was really at dealth's door it might work, but the store can always claim that once the animal is out of their control they can't be certain the customer didn't do something to cause its death.

 

[amanda509]

Update: A friend of mine ended up giving me money for this girl to get her and care for her for a few days until he builds a cage so she is now in my care, at home, in a nice roomy cage <3 with a lay box!

Also: Petco does not carry cats OR dogs. We do, however, house a few kittens from the humane society, which staff from the humane society care for 2x daily. And, our health guarantees are for 2 weeks...and we spend a ridiculous amount of money in vet care for all of the incoming animals from suppliers, and we never turn down a customer who needs it, even if its the last day of the guarantee and even sometimes after the guarantee is up AND if the animal is seen on the last day of the guarantee, it is reinstated for another 2 weeks. Also, has anyone been to the Altoona Petco? The other reptile girl and i care for the reptiles...we make sure they are taken care of, that is why I was trying to find a home for that girl asap because i know we cannot properly care for her in the store. Without staff like us, we would be just like all the other stores you guys talk about. But those stores don't have people like us 2, with the experience we have. Also, have you guys seen how our animals ship in? The condition some of the animals are in is not because of us, but because of the way they ship in...and the fact we have a "wellness room" the size of a closet, doesn't help. The animals are actually in better conditions at the stores than they are at the suppliers. I understand if pet stores stopped carrying these animals, they wouldn't be in these conditions. But as long as there are people who spend ridiculous amounts of money on impulse buys, that'll never happen, so I'm just happy that i get to care for and have responsibility for the animals in the store that i work for and make their lives that much better. I'm also grateful that I'm the one who gets to educate the customers about these reptiles, and make sure they get the facts. I don't give two craps about selling stuff if the customer isn't going to care for the animals properly. As employee's, we have every right to deny sales if we feel the customers are unfit, and believe me, the other girl and i HAVE done that...and the customers have been angry about it, but our managers usually back us up on our decision.

With all that being said, I don't want this thread to be a pet store debate. If that's what it turns out to be, it will be closed. But the above is just a little insight as an "insider" to one of these chain stores.

 

[SaintJimmy]

I will not make any more comments on my bad pet store experiences, but honestly, pet stores in general are very bad at keeping pets and giving pet information out.

I didn't say they sold cats and dogs, but the only thing most pet stores seem to know well ARE cats and dogs since no one really has reptiles as much (cause "ewwww reptiles are slimy gross")

I am SO GLAD you got to take her I hope she likes her new home. Congrats