Willnevins
New Member
Today I walk into my local family owned pet store "Animal City" for the first time in a while. Last time I was there they had about 3 Senegal chameleons for sale, all in the same 10 gallon aquarium priced at $39.95 each. In the cage they have a plastic bush sitting on the ground for them to climb on, a water dish for them to drink from, no dripper in sight, and no basking bulb. At the time I was too shy to say something but this time was different. There was only one left today. He was asleep directly under the bright light of the uvb at 10:30 am, his eyes sunken into its head so deep it looked as if he hadn't gotten a drink since the last time I was there. The one cricket I saw in its tank was a fully grown adult cricket, bigger than the chameleons head.
I couldn't bring myself to leave the store without saying something this time. I asked the lady sitting at the counter what she knew about this chameleon. Her response was that "he doesn't do anything" and I told her I thought that he looked very sick. She told me she has never seen him eat, but the crickets disappear so he must be eating. We walked over to the tank and she said she has seen him drink from his water bowl and I explained to her how chameleons drink from the leaves they don't recognize standing water. I told her that they lick the water from the leaves and they need to have a dripper on top of the cage as well as a basking light to keep the temperatures correct and help them digest their food. This was her response:
"Don't tell us how to run our business! We have been doing this for 40 years, you clearly know nothing about chameleons."
I almost threw up. I said "I am trying to save its life, there's no need to get rude about it! That chameleon is very dehydrated, the first sign of illness is sleeping during the day" and she cut me off, "it drinks from its bowl all the time" I repeated "chameleons don't drink from water bowls." She said "some of them do! Don't come in here and try to tell us about animals when we have been doing this for 40 years."
Still trying not to throw up I said "that chameleon needs a 30+ minute shower to get it to start drinking, it needs to be put in one of the screen cages you have on display in order to feel more comfortable, they are such fragile animals and you are doing everything wrong, a quick google search would prove that everything I am saying is correct and I would gladly take him off your hands to try and save its life." Her response:
"If you want him its 39.95, we're not giving him up"
I said "you expect me to pay for an animal that's probably going to die from improper care at your store shortly after I get it home, and even if I manage to get it healthy its longevity has been damaged severely by your improper husbandry." She said "come back in 45 minutes and talk to the owner when he shows up, but I guarantee hes not giving him up." I walked out without another word being said.
What should I do? My wife and I have both left a horrible review on yelp, but I feel it isn't enough. Do I fuel their evil animal death trap of a store by purchasing the chameleon to try and save its life? What would you do?
I couldn't bring myself to leave the store without saying something this time. I asked the lady sitting at the counter what she knew about this chameleon. Her response was that "he doesn't do anything" and I told her I thought that he looked very sick. She told me she has never seen him eat, but the crickets disappear so he must be eating. We walked over to the tank and she said she has seen him drink from his water bowl and I explained to her how chameleons drink from the leaves they don't recognize standing water. I told her that they lick the water from the leaves and they need to have a dripper on top of the cage as well as a basking light to keep the temperatures correct and help them digest their food. This was her response:
"Don't tell us how to run our business! We have been doing this for 40 years, you clearly know nothing about chameleons."
I almost threw up. I said "I am trying to save its life, there's no need to get rude about it! That chameleon is very dehydrated, the first sign of illness is sleeping during the day" and she cut me off, "it drinks from its bowl all the time" I repeated "chameleons don't drink from water bowls." She said "some of them do! Don't come in here and try to tell us about animals when we have been doing this for 40 years."
Still trying not to throw up I said "that chameleon needs a 30+ minute shower to get it to start drinking, it needs to be put in one of the screen cages you have on display in order to feel more comfortable, they are such fragile animals and you are doing everything wrong, a quick google search would prove that everything I am saying is correct and I would gladly take him off your hands to try and save its life." Her response:
"If you want him its 39.95, we're not giving him up"
I said "you expect me to pay for an animal that's probably going to die from improper care at your store shortly after I get it home, and even if I manage to get it healthy its longevity has been damaged severely by your improper husbandry." She said "come back in 45 minutes and talk to the owner when he shows up, but I guarantee hes not giving him up." I walked out without another word being said.
What should I do? My wife and I have both left a horrible review on yelp, but I feel it isn't enough. Do I fuel their evil animal death trap of a store by purchasing the chameleon to try and save its life? What would you do?
Sometimes it won't prevent them but its one less that will die. and its one more that can have a better life. we are never going to stop pet stores from getting chams, even when they die. The rate that feeders and even other small mammals and birds die off is at incredible rates at times. (i worked for petland) and I can tell you that they never stop even if they only sell one and 10 die off
