Awful pet store

DH and I stopped in to a mom&pop type pet store a few towns over today. We were horrified at the condition of some of the animals there. Right as we walked in we saw a ball python nearly encased in shed, being kept in an aquarium with SAND for substrate, no apparent heat source, and no hides; there was shreds of shed all over the cage (I can only assume from the snake's PREVIOUS shed) and feces smeared all over one end of the cage.

In another cage was a cockatiel who was sneezing and seemed in obvious distress, standing on a ladder and rocking back and forth. There was an indoor pond filled with what I think were koi fish, but several of the fish were just lying on their sides. There were many cages of hamsters and other pocket pets filled with aspen mixed with a lot of droppings. There were a couple of parrots (not sure what species) in cages that seemed much too small for them. One seemed to be missing some feathers on its back.

There were other cages that were labeled "Rat Terriers", but those cages were empty. We did see a couple dogs through a window that looked to be rat terriers walking around in the back area of the store.

MIL tells us that she saw that pet store on the news not long ago. Apparently some people went in there and found puppies in squalid conditions and confronted the store proprietor, who did not respond favorably. So the people returned and purchased ALL the puppies and brought them to the Humane Society and reported the pet store. Apparently this did not do any good for any of the other animals there.

Not sure what, if anything, I can do for those poor animals. I was very tempted to buy the ball python just to get him out of those awful conditions, but the thought of giving that store a nickel was too abhorrent. (The really awful thing is that no one who knows ANYTHING about ball pythons would pay the price the store was asking for that snake either.) Has anyone run into this type of situation before?

Yep. I went into a pet store a few years ago, run by a family or whatever... and it was disgusting. Selling Chihuahuas for $1200 and feeder rats in a tank with no food or water and NO room. they were just piled ontop of each other.

I almost cried.

I had to leave, I couldn't even stay in there any longer.

That's HORRIBLE! Why hasn't that place been shut down! Grrrr!

A few weeks ago my DH asked me if I wanted to go in the pet store in the town where his Mom lives. I declined. I was afraid. First...being afraid I couldn't resist temptation and make an impulse buy. Then afraid if I wasn't happy with the conditions in which the animals were being kept....of going to jail! I'm pretty outspoken about stuff like that and it wouldn't have been pretty and I'd have embarrassed my DH. Shame on him for asking, he knows how I am!

Just call the local humane law enforcement (whether the Humane Society or Animal Control, depends on your area) and report them. If they get enough reports about a place, they have to do something. At least they'll check up on them.

We have a whole chain of stores like that here... I don't know if they're as severe, but they do sell puppy mill pups... I'm on a facebook group (leading it now that the previous leader left w/o notice) about trying to stop them from selling these dogs... Unfortunately, there's little we can do at the store end... it's more going to be about shutting down the mills... and i wish i knew where to start (and had the time and money to do it).

if I were you, I'd so call the local authorities... they may already have a case going on this store. I know when i watch Animal Precinct, folks lie to the officers all the time... but they get new reports or check up on the abusers and get busted.

Call it in. It's certainly a start.

Amanda

I agree you should report them. And you never know how many others might have reported them as well! Every red flag is a gift to those poor animals. That's another thing that's so difficult though.. we just want to buy them so they can be safe! But in paying the price to save one, we fund them & make room for how many more? So their very rescue is of dire consequence to the ones who will come after them..

I've been designing and planning a charity/rescue for some time now & this is one of the horrible things the program will focus on. As time has gone on I've realized that my "effort" won't be enough; I'll have to be willing to give everything of myself and then some. So when the time comes, I hope there will be plenty of people like you guys to join forces with!

I would report them also, and I would probably get my friends and family to go visit the store and then have them call and report them too.

I think that if someone got enough calls, somthing would have to be done.

I hope something can be done here for those poor animals. I feels sorrier for animals than I do people sometimes.

Please keep us posted on this situation if you can.

I agree. Get everyone you know to call and report them.

I sent a report in to the larger Humane Society in our area who does humane investigations, including investigating complaints about pet stores. I don't know if anything will come of it, but I feel like I at least did something. After talking to several people about this, it seems that the problems at this pet store are pretty well known.