Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was at a pet store yesterday and saw, not one, but two dwarf crocs in a 6 foot aquarium, about 18 inches wide. (It didn't look to be 2 feet wide.) Both were about 4 feet long. They were on top of one another with their heads up against the glass in about four inches of water. I asked if they were for sale, thinking the price would be right and I could get them out of there. I was told they were not for sale and that they were the store's pets, since they had raised them from birth. I hate the thought of reporting anyone, but am wrestling with the issue of their well being versus causing problems for the pet shop. They know better, but as a pet shop, housing animals in inhumane conditions is the norm. Usually, it's short-term, but this appears to be permanent. What’s the best approach to saving these crocs from what I consider to be an abusive situation?

If I were in this position first I would make sure that this was not a temporary situation, i.e. the store was cleaning the caimens larger enclosure and there was no where else to put them. If they could prove that this was temporary I would leave them alone but keep an eye on the situation. If this is the permanent home of those caimen then I would have to report them to someone. Not sure who that is but I would quickly find out. Pet store mistreating animals is one of my biggest pet peeves, no pun intended. I have "helped" many a pet store by pointing out the intolerable conditions in which they were keeping animals and insects. One pet store I went to had their tarantulas in the same heat and humidity as their desert lizards, poor little baked spiders. I wish I had been able to purchase every spider that was there but I did not have the means to do that rescue. I could go on and on but this post is long enough all ready. In short do what you feel is right for the animals, they can't help themselves in these captive situations.

where abouts do you live? I agree with the last post about checking to see if it is temporary first. If it is not, then let the store know that if you see this mistreatment again, you will have to let the appropriate authorities know. I will always take them if it is something you can't handle. You can contact me at my website below. Thanks for caring about the animals.
Link

In every state there should be a state inspector in charge of making sure pet stores are treqting their animals properly. Here in maine his name is Tom Eddy, and he is wonderfully wonderfully meticulous about animal care. He will put stores on probation and shut them down if they dont change according to what he says. You can contact your state inspector through the dept of inland fisheries and wildlife. I would recommend doing that as he has more authority than your local humane societies and such.
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