OK..to be fair, not all pet stores are the same. A few (very few) do a good job. I don’t really have a problem with a pet store operator making a profit. The ones that provide healthy animals and proper care for the animals and guidance for the customer deserve to make some money. The others deserve to go out of business. My issue isn’t even really how much they charge. If you sell a baby Leopard Gecko for $500.00, I could care less. I think anyone that would pay most pet store prices probably has no idea what they are buying anyway (or has a screw loose), but that’s their problem. I would never pay it, but then again, I’ve been keeping and breeding reptiles for over 30 years. I have serious doubts that a pet store operator can provide me with enough value-added in care information to make it worth it to me to pay $179.00 for a normal coloration Sinaloan Milk Snake (I’ve seen this). As long as the animal is honestly represented for what it is (Captive Born, feeding well, parasite-free, etc.) sell it for what you want…there’s one born every minute. The problem is when they are misrepresented. Baby Ball Pythons and baby Green Iguanas are the most common for this…the sign says “Captive born baby..good feeder $59.99”. In reality, the pet store bought 12 of them from a wholesaler in South Florida for $7.00 (at that price, it’s a pretty good bet it’s a fresh import) each, has absolutely no idea where it came from or if it has ever eaten in it’s life.



Another big problem is sick animals. Pet Stores get animals in from many different sources and I’ve never heard of one quarantining an animal for the normal 60 day period before it’s place on display for sale. In fact, I’ve never seen a pet store quarantine anything for even a week. So, you have all these animals from different places coming into close proximity with each other. If an animal is seen to be sick, what are the chances that the pet store operator is going to spend money on a vet visit? Slim to none. The most likely thing is that the price will slashed “On Sale!” and the animal will be sent out the door as quickly as possible. It will probably outlive the 48-hour “health guarantee” that most pet stores provide. Your chances of getting a diseased animal from a pet shop are very high. I know of an obviously sick White-lipped Python in a pet store right now. The pet store owner is aware the animal is sick. Nothing has been done for this animal to this point, no vets, no nothing and it is still on display and for sale. I have agreed to go today and have a look at the animal. No feces sample have been collected the animal is off feed (and has been since it was acquired). I will have to do a cloacal wash and stomach lavage in the store to try and get an idea of what’s bothering it. I can’t administer meds to the animal because I’m not a veterinarian. The only thing I can do is tell them what I find and recommend that they take the animal to a vet for treatment and advise as to whether it’s something that’s likely to spread from one cage to another. The only reason I’m doing it is for the animal and any potential buyer, but I fully expect to see the price marked down next week and everything else in the store exactly as it is now.



You talk about people trying to sell you their pet animals at high prices, used equipment, etc., and you actually inferred that I might be one of those people. Well, let me tell you from another perspective. The pet stores want me to provide my work and stock for rock bottom prices (captive born Sinaloans for $20.00 each, CBB Kenyan Sand Boas for $25.00 each, CBB Leopard Geckos for $7.00 each, CBB Hondurans for $25.00, CBB Pueblans for $20.00) AND provide lifelong care to the customer after the sale while they happily mark up the price 3 or 4 times and provide exactly nothing. As I said earlier, I won’t sell pet stores my CB animals any more (not because of price-markup but other problems stated in my previous post). I will sell them all at reptile shows, via the internet, etc. What I WILL do is buy animals from the shows for them if they place an order with me beforehand and I will provide these animals with NO guarantees. I mark the prices up 50% and they can take it or leave it. I don’t really care either way. I don’t particularly enjoy doing business that way, but I didn’t create the situation.



Like I said, I have no problem with high prices, per se, as long as value is provided in the form of clean, healthy animals and fair, honest representation. I have no doubt that you are one of the very few pet store operators that actually do a good job. However, you should be aware that you are in the minority. It’s a shame that the others are ruining your collective reputation.

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