Reptile & Amphibian Forums

The hunting/fishing super store Cabelas just opened near me in Pennsylvania. I went to visit the store and took special interest in an aquarium display filled with native fish and an open pond area. In both areas I noticed an adult RES. I did not see places for these guys to haul out and bask. I looked in earnest for someone to ask about the situation but did not find a pair of intelligent or compassionate eyes anywhere. I have decided to email Cabelas directly. Does anyone know someone who works in one of these stores (I think they have about 10 across the country) who can tell me how the animals are cared for? I'm really concerned.

I once tried customer service to find out more about the large common snapping turtles at the Cabelas in Kansas City. I was directed to some 80 year old man in customer service who told me that they would probably kill all the fish in the aquarium.

Good Luck!!!
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UGH! Corporate got back to me and this is what they said: "I do apologize, but after doing some research, I really do not have any information on how Hamburg would care for their turtles. My suggestion would be to call the store, and I know that they would be happy to answer any questions that you may have." I'm shocked that there is no corporate policy on how to care for animals living in their stores. I will call the store, but I don't have my hopes up.

I'm pretty surprised that more people who participate in this forum aren't responding to this post. A large retailer is taking advantage of at least 2 RES for display purposes and not taking proper care of them. I get the feeling that if they were to perish, they would simply be replaced. I have been doing everything I can on my end with the local store to try to get them to install some kind of basking light, but they are pretty much just blowing me off. That doesn't surprise me. I am surprised by the lack of interest others in this forum are exhibiting. Not that there's anything you can do, but recognition of the situation would have been appreciated.

Honeybee--

Exactly what is it that you want people to say or do? Shocked you say? Appauled? Is this the first time you have ever seen such abuse against these animals? If you lived near me I would gladly invite you to my home to see the mess that I am cleaning up here from people all over the Northeast that abuse and mistreat sliders to a degree much worse than what you are experiencing.

I have several that are so starved that their skin is hanging from their bones and their shells are worn to the bone. I have one that has a deformed shell and is morbidly obese from sitting in a puddle's worth of water and being stuffed with food. A blind one, another with shell rot and the list goes on and on. AND the sick disgusting part of it is that these were just a dozen that I took home that have just come in to the turtle rescue I work with and randomly chosen from over 60 turtles that just got DUMPED on us!! ALL abused abandoned and dumped on our turtle rescue.

Please understand I am not trying to quell your enthusiam over trying to help these animals but SHOCK or OUTRAGE -- frankly lots of us are far beyond that for having to deal with the immediate overwhelming need to help the 1000's yes 1000's of sliders and other abused turtles and tortoises that are dumped at our doors.

THE GENERAL PUBLIC DOES NOT GIVE A CRAP ABOUT THESE ANIMALS!!
Fight this battle please and do not give up! Be persistant be a pest nag and nag until they bend. Give them caresheets and have friends complain to the main office repeatedly whether they have a say in the individual stores or not. Enough complaints and threats not to frequent the store might cause some action. But having people on this forum just sit here and say Oh MY and how shocking!! I can't believe this ever happens! is NOT going to change a thing. You have to just be persistant and I really wish you luck.

You may want to log onto the Turtlehomes Yahoo site. Join us there. There may be folks in your area who will be ready to go to the store as well as raise a fuss until something can be done.

Good luck to you and forgive me if I came across as critical to you or your cause. I am not. I respect what you are doing it's just that many of us who love these poor creatures are way to busy already fighting battles to express shock or outrage.

Steve

Wow. I commend your dedication to caring for these mistreated and unwanted animals. All life is valuable to God. Not even a sparrow falls...
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Be Blessed.
Mary C>

Thanks Mary for your kind words though it really wasn't my intention to "toot my own horn". I just wanted to point out to Honeybee that you have to stay steadfast in your cause and not worry or concern yourself with commentary good or bad from others. I sincerely hope that Honeybee will join (and I invite any of you who are not members of the site) to join the Turtlehomes yahoo group. I know there are people who live in Honeybee's area and will rise to the cause and help out.

I agree with Steve that it will take persistence from you to get any changes. I think giving them a care sheet is a good idea. Also, an article in your local newspaper might get their attention--they won't want the bad publicity.

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Be Blessed.
Mary C>

I will personally, not buy anything from them until they install a basking area with light.

Yeah, I'm sure they will care..

Anyway, I have found similar things in my area. A local fish store, and the best one in the area, has a RES. They have it in ponds with large fish, and usually it has no basking area. I told them about it and they said that it has been put into the current pond (which has no fish) as a "punishment for nipping the fish." That's fine with me, because they only want to protect the expensive fish. However, I told them that if it is not allowed to bask, the medical bills could become quite costly. Nothing was changed.

I have considered calling the local animal control people about it. Hey, if they find a dog chained up without water, they do something about it...I figure a turtle that's not getting proper care should get some attention also.

Thank you for the supportive message. I have contacted them again, and they blew me off. So now I am sending them a care sheet. I will go to the store to follow up. If I don't see any changes (I don't expect to) I will contact my local newspaper and PETA. I won't give up. I appreciate your thoughtful and unjudgemental response.

You should really be careful before you contact peta about anything. PETA doesnt want anyone to have pets and association yourself with them is very dangerous unless you are truly anti pets of any kind.

I doubt PETA would focus on the turtle not being cared for, they would more likely try to eliminate the entire tank, or perhaps sabotage it resulting in the deaths of all its occupants. PETA would much rather see animals die than to be on display for people to look at.

PETA has said before that they wish mad cow disease would come to the USA just so that people wouldnt eat hamburgers. Now who do you want on your side?
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imagine this picture:

A person standing at the curb in front of the store with a sign stating that in the store, they neglect their animals...but still yet claim to support ethical treatment and responsible hunting of animals.

Sure, you may not put a big dent in their sales, but most likely they'd rather get a basking area and lamp than have to deal with you in any other way...or risk the media taking it up.

A few hours in front of the store will show them how serious you are about this...and also be likely to force them to become concerned also.

Honeybee --

Given the nature of the type of store you are dealing with here I would leave PETA out of the mix. The hunting thing will be the bigger issue and chain store like this will be a good target for them. Your poor little slider friend's plight will fall right into the toilet. Afterall -- you want to help the turtles not shut down a hunting goods store.

Check out Austin's turtle page on the that site has caresheets for all types of turtles.

BTW -- how big is the set up these animals are in and is it clean and filtered. If it looks good in these aspects how about a different tactic? Go in an complement the positive aspects of the set up and commend whoever is in charge of these animals. Then lead in with things look nice but if you just had XYZ for the basking area etc. and Say that you would be willing to help set it up the right way.

I have found that sometimes "embracing the bad guy", if you will, gets you further. Don't say YOU ARE BAD!! Say this is okay but it would be sooo much better if you did this. Let me help you etc.!!

When you are making alot of noise and only being further ignored you have to try another approach. This could work well for you and also educate these folks on the proper care of the animals.

Realistically -- if these animals have a clean environment that is suitable in all aspects except for basking they are far better off than many sliders out there. (I am not being an advocate of improper care believe me but when you look at the whole picture at large 3/4 of loaf is better than a few crumbs.) Of course I don't know what the rest of the conditions are actually like.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Give it a try, send the CEO a PUBLICLY viewable letter through www.planetfeedback.com and see if you get any results. Have your friends that have seen the turtle do the same!!!

Katrina