Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was in a local pet supplies "plus" today here in sandusky getting some reptomin. I saw a guy carrying a pillowcase with what looked like a tortoise in it and i ask him what he had bought and he said a russian. He opened it up and it was a very nice looking male he was about to buy. He was walking over to the tanks to buy a tank for it, and he picks up a 5.5 gallon critter cage. I was like "i hope your not putting him in that" and he said he was and that it would be fine, he got all defensive about it, I told him there was no way the tortoise would do well and would die adventually. then the guy flipped out. Just kills me to see a nice a perfectly healthy russian go into a 5.5 gallon tank....

Andy
RedoFootMan@yahoo.com

If nothing else you probably 'inspired' him to do some further research or at least take a second look at the tortoise's needs. I'd say it's normal to get pissed off and confrontational like that, but hopefully he looks up some info if only to prove you wrong...and find out you're not of course.

Fred

That is exactly the reason I could never get into the pet trade or breed animals for the pet trade. I could not sell any animal to someone like that or stand the thought of someone like that keeping an animal that I was responsible for- I would end up going broke, but have a clear conscience.

Can anyone here tell me how they can sell animals to people like this? I know there are breeders and pet distributors/shop owners that visit these forums. I understand the breeding and distributing would be easier, you usually never come in contact with these primitive people.

Michael

I think for once it wasn't the pet stores fault, I know the guy well that works the fish dept. I have been eye balling the russian for months while its been there but i won't buy from the pet store because i don't support buying wild caught from pet stores, just makes them order another one and so on, but anyways while i'm always checking up on the russian i got to know the guy that runs the fish section and i asked him about selling the russian to that guy right after it happend. He said he asked the guy if he ever had kept them and he said he had and knew everything about them and didn't need any advice. I guess the guy was just getting fed up with people telling him how to set up his tortoise but a 5.5 gallon, he can't know much. but like i said i don't think there was nothing that could be done in this situation. I believe the fish guy did he part in his end and i put my 2 cents in

Andy
RedoFootMan@yahoo.com

Andy,

Yes, it is true that the pet stores can only do so much, another reason that I just can not be involved with the pet trade, other than as a consumer. It just really angers me seeing things like that happen. That was not even excusable 30 years ago and especially not today with all the knowledge that is out there.

In the past, I have really angered some dealers by ruining sales for them by explaining the needs of an animal. On the other hand, I help them out by telling them how to keep their animals healthy or just identifying them.

By the way, that is a nice picture of your Geochelone gigantea. Although they cost far less here than they do in the US, it may be a while before I have one.

Michael

some pet stores out there are cool -- however when you boil it all down they are *stores* and you just can't always educate a customer who doesn't think that they need to be educated. likewise there are miserable stores, too... i had to pester a local petco about a listless dehydrated-looking wood turtle on bone-dry wood chips and a water bowl too high for him to have the strength to climb into to drink from (i stood there as the store manager reluctantly misted his tank and partially buried the water to lower it), and a petsmart about pac-man frogs in tiny plastic dixie-sixed cups (the rhymes-with-witch at the cashier snippily informed me that the manager wasn't available, and "those frogs don't move, anyway". a few phone calls and on a later visit, i was glad to see one hopping around in a critter keeper -- yeah, "they don't move," sure. it all ticks me off but i feel better if i'm ever able to make a difference here and there.

nm