Yet another sad pet store experience

[MollyT]

I just went to get some crickets at the local Pet Land. They have 2 veileds and 2 jacksons, and each time I go, I always check on them. I found one of the veileds in the bottom of the enclosure in mud(they use soil as a substrate). I got a worker and told her that she had a sick little one, and she went and tried to put him on a branch. He fell right off. She told me he'd had a bump on his side they had been treating him for, and that he had already fallen. This poor baby was no more than 4 months old!! Then this other worker came over and asked her what she was doing. She told him she was going to take him to the back, bc he is dying. He told her that chameleons love to go to the bottom of the cage, that it is normal!! This poor guy couldn't support himself on his legs! They lay sprawled out under him! Then the guy picks him up and starts messing with him until he hisses, and says it's good to get him riled up, to give a bit of a fight, and that until he calmed down he wasn't going to put him back, bc that would be 'letting him win'! I begged him to stop and told him how bad it was when a chameleon closes it's eyes and lays on the ground. He acted like me and my husband were idiots. Poor little chameleon! I don't think I'm going to go back to that pet store! I can't handle it!

 

[dannyisamazing]

Wow thats so sad, makes me want to kill that worker. What I dont understand today is why are pet stores hiring workers that dont understand how to take care of animals! Like really

 

[MollyT]

I really wish they would let me just come in and set up their cages like they should be. I would do it for free if it meant giving those little ones a good start. That guy never did put him back in the cage, btw. Next thing I knew, a manager brought out a bucket and started cleaning out the cage. I don't know what they did with the sick one. That guy probably stressed it out so much it had a heart attack! Poor little thing. It made me sick!

 

[lovepicasso]

What an idiot, things like that makes me sick....my husband would not let something go like that without a fight....and I mean a physical fight with the idiot.

 

[Carlton]

I really wish they would let me just come in and set up their cages like they should be. I would do it for free if it meant giving those little ones a good start. That guy never did put him back in the cage, btw. Next thing I knew, a manager brought out a bucket and started cleaning out the cage. I don't know what they did with the sick one. That guy probably stressed it out so much it had a heart attack! Poor little thing. It made me sick!

You can always report the store for animal abuse. Harassing a weak, sick animal is definitely abusive as is sheer ignorance. Find out who handles inspections and licensing of pet shops in your area. Write them a description of the conditions you saw and what the employee told you and what he did to the chameleon. Be respectful, check your spelling, etc (or they will dismiss you as a crackpot). Get a copy of a good care sheet from this forum and include it in the letter. Send the pet shop a copy of your letter and who you addressed it to. Might get their attention and they might even EDUCATE their staff about reptiles! I've never heard such a stupid comment about bullying a stressed out cham so he doesn't "let the cham win". That's just not something a cham would ever learn. I'd love to corner him in a dark alley and do the same thing and see how long it takes HIM to give up the struggle.

 

[erik775]

Man i would have punched the crap out of that dam worker...

 

[maxttu]

You can always report the store for animal abuse. Harassing a weak, sick animal is definitely abusive as is sheer ignorance. Find out who handles inspections and licensing of pet shops in your area. Write them a description of the conditions you saw and what the employee told you and what he did to the chameleon. Be respectful, check your spelling, etc (or they will dismiss you as a crackpot). Get a copy of a good care sheet from this forum and include it in the letter. Send the pet shop a copy of your letter and who you addressed it to. Might get their attention and they might even EDUCATE their staff about reptiles! I've never heard such a stupid comment about bullying a stressed out cham so he doesn't "let the cham win". That's just not something a cham would ever learn. I'd love to corner him in a dark alley and do the same thing and see how long it takes HIM to give up the struggle.

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT! If you want to educate someone, you must 1st seem credible. I couldn't agree more...

I would also like to corral this guy in a dark alley...

 

[MollyT]

You can always report the store for animal abuse. Harassing a weak, sick animal is definitely abusive as is sheer ignorance. Find out who handles inspections and licensing of pet shops in your area. Write them a description of the conditions you saw and what the employee told you and what he did to the chameleon. Be respectful, check your spelling, etc (or they will dismiss you as a crackpot). Get a copy of a good care sheet from this forum and include it in the letter. Send the pet shop a copy of your letter and who you addressed it to. Might get their attention and they might even EDUCATE their staff about reptiles! I've never heard such a stupid comment about bullying a stressed out cham so he doesn't "let the cham win". That's just not something a cham would ever learn. I'd love to corner him in a dark alley and do the same thing and see how long it takes HIM to give up the struggle.

That is exactly what I am going to do. I guess I will have to wait until Monday to start trying to find who I need to contact, but I am going to go ahead and write everything down now while it is still fresh in my mind. This can't go on! I just keep having flashes of him bullying that poor sick little guy. I am now on a mission and this will stop!

 

[Ladybones]

How very sad, just because you work in a pet store does not mean you know about every pet you carry. These people have no clue what they are doing and it's very very sad

 

[MollyT]

They have already had to change the way they label and sell feeder rats bc of my husband! After he got a baby(not even weaned) when he asked for a small rat, and a full grown HUGE one for a medium, he sent a letter to corporate. They ended up giving us a bunch of free rats and have been a lot better about giving appropriate sized rats.

Now I guess it's my turn to get things changed!

 

[squeekz1992]

Omg!!!!!! That makes me so mad!!! Poor little baby! He was probably scared to death! Ohhh if I were there, and my bf, I would have made such a big scene! Not mature, I know, but that makes me sick! The Petland in Indy got shut down for abuse\neglect ( what i was told) hopefully this one does too! People make me sick! Obviously you dont have to have a brain to work at a petstore! Chameleons live in trees! Not in dirt! My 4 year old neices could tell them that! Ughh!


Sorry, there is my rant for the day poor baby


Ps sorry if this doesnt make sense or there are errors, have the flu

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

They would have been a bloody pulp by the time I was done. This little midget can get angry, especially over things like this. What an ignorant creep. He probably likes seeing animals in pain and fear.

 

[Rango183]

i know they just hire regular people just willing to get a check i dont know what i will do if i ever see this