Jackson's at petsmart.

[Cheyenneohhh]

I live in Arizona and my husband called me and said he saw another thread about this and went to petsmart to see if they got them here.
They did and he promptly sent me to go lOok at her.
She was in the back of this tiny glass tank with her eyes closed.
Her temps were in the 80s no basking spot and low humidity.
She basically had a plastic branch and a bowl of water and that's it.
I asked to speak with whoever was in charge of caring for them and a woman came out.
I asked her what she knew about them and all she could tell me was "I know they have to drink from the top because they live in the jungle and stuff".
I asked to see her and the woman soaked her hands in sanitizer and just grabbed this poor girl out of her cage with no warning.
...after I may or may not have verbally attacked her she screeched at another employee to "take the lizard off the floor".
As this girl was getting ready to move her I asked her what happens when they take an animal off the floor and she said they put them in a cage in the back and if she doesn't get better in a days they see what the In store vet says.
I don't know about anywhere else but at the banfield animal hospitol in the petsmart near us they do not see exotics so this visit would do nothing for her.
Infuriated and disgusted I told the girl that she didn't need to move her because I would be taking her home and I did.
I believe that if an animal cannot be cared for properly that they should not be allowed to carry them.
The "animal care specialist" knew nothing about them and excuse me but she was an ignorant b!tch.
I know that they'll probably just get another one but I couldn't in my right mind just leave her there to die.
I just hope we can keep her happy and healthy.

http://s484.photobucket.com/albums/rr210/shiiitsweakk/?action=view&current=photo-12.jpg

 

[chamlover98]

a Bowl of water?

wow unless it's a vibrating bowl with water in it I don't see it drinking out of it I saw some beautiful Veiled from petsmart I bought all 3 of them because if they was kept in there any longer they would probably die by looking at their setup it was garbage. You would think a big business like that would care for their reptiles as much as they advertise for cats and dogs. Any chance I get if it's a turtle to a cham I will try to rescue it even if I have to complain to a manager saying "blah blah blah you are mistreating these reptiles even if you are going to sell them" then my point gets across and I get a manager discount price. The last 3 I've saved I only had to pay 120 + tax for all 3 of them from the original price of 100 per. I love chams I hate bad setups.

Also considering you saved her at a decently young age I think she will do fine with a family that will love her over a Family that is just out for money (petsmart)

 

[Cheyenneohhh]

I was just in shock at how horrible her setup was and they had no books or pamphlets on how to care for them anywhere near her. And she and also said they "spray her like two times a day after they close".
It took so much out
Of me not to ring that woman's neck.
She was so rude.
And I asked to woman to either let me take her home or discount her and she refused.
When I asked to speak to another manager she came back out.
I'm just hoping that she will be ok.
She's not very active and really dehydrated.
But so far she seems better than she was there.
Fingers crossed.

 

[chameleoman]

i saw the same one at my petco but since im just a kid no one gives a rats a$$ what i say but they have 2 veileds so skinny with mealworms bigger than them and they just got new jackson like that which had its eyes closed the whole time i was there just makes me mad

 

[osmbr]

so did u end up paying for this chameleon or did they give it to you, good job saving it, to me doesnt it look like a male it has a small horn.

 

[robmd1]

I see the buds of three horns i think its a boy you got.

 

[Elizadolots]

Thank you for saving that beautiful baby. I think it's a boy as well. Please post pictures as he grows up.

 

[tattooistchameleon]

I saved a male from petsmart 2 weeks ago cost me 130 but same deal bowl of water 12 x 12 all glass display

 

[Cheyenneohhh]

I see the buds of three horns i think its a boy you got.

Haha we just noticed them while we were weighing him.
I was in such a whirlwind of anger I didn't even think to look I just wanted him out of there!

 

[Cheyenneohhh]

so did u end up paying for this chameleon or did they give it to you, good job saving it, to me doesnt it look like a male it has a small horn.

It is a male and yes I paid full price.
I went in knowing full well I'd do whatever it took to help him.
And that turned out to be adding him to the family!

 

[Cheyenneohhh]

Thank you for saving that beautiful baby. I think it's a boy as well. Please post pictures as he grows up.

I will definitely be posting many pictures!


Thank you for the well wishes everyone.

 

[Cheyenneohhh]

I saved a male from petsmart 2 weeks ago cost me 130 but same deal bowl of water 12 x 12 all glass display

I just don't understand why they think it's Ok to house them in those conditions.
And some uninformed dumby would have come in and bought him and set him up just like that!

 

[Ryan8283]

This news made me sick. I haven't seen any here in the San Diego stores yet but you bet I will be raising some eyebrows if I see them mistreated. Even if I have to go in there in full uniform and curse someone out!

 

[JustSara]

Luckily I've never seen a cham at our petco. Everyone is really friendly though and the store and cages are super clean. They ARE building a Petsmart also. I got my Senegal from a local pet store. I didn't know anything about chams and I could tell she was being mistreated horribly!! I got her and now she's in her Repti-Breeze with a hibiscus, pothos, ficus and schefflera (Probably spelled that wrong).. She's looking much happier now! Good job on saving the little dude.. He does look pretty small, dehydrated and malnourished. I'm sure you'll get him back on his feet in no time though!!

 

[Red7ny1]

I just bought one from Petsmart this past Sunday . I couldn't stand the thought of her staying there and whereas I couldn't buy the male at the other Petsmart , at least I made sure one of them got a good home . Just wish I had the money for the male also .

 

[Cheyenneohhh]

I just bought one from Petsmart this past Sunday . I couldn't stand the thought of her staying there and whereas I couldn't buy the male at the other Petsmart , at least I made sure one of them got a good home . Just wish I had the money for the male also .

I know how that is. I wish I could rescue them all.
But we do what we can and that's better than nothing. I'm glad you could help
Her!

 

[Texas Panther Man]

For the last several yrs Petco & Petsmart werent carrying many chams, thank god. I wonder what happened? They cant actually be making much profit by selling them. hate to say it but they prob kill as many or possibly more than they actually sell before they even leave the store. And with all the info on cham husbandry out there nowadays its assinine that they dont have decent literature and knowledge of the reptiles they are carrying. Corporate america at its finest ppl "just show em the $$$ and the animals can suffer".

 

[Nuclear Cham]

First post

Had to finally make a post to relieve some of my anger on this subject. There is a beautiful male Jackson at the new Petsmart store here in Galveston. Of course it's in one of the all glass, no airflow display cages with not a thing to hide behind. $125. My guess is that all Petsmarts get a list periodically of what they are getting and the local store has no say in the matter. I bet every Petsmart got a Jackson Chameleon ithis month. As far as I'm concerned, they should be getting a visit from the ASPCA for animal cruelty. On a lighter note, I've found a lot of great advice on this forum. Glad to be here.

 

[Jbujarski]

Corporate made all petsmarts get jacksons chameleons whether they wanted to or not. The only thing we can really do to stop something like this is if we were to get enough people to write to show that there is such a problem. Even then it may not even work.

 

[Carlton]

I know how that is. I wish I could rescue them all.
But we do what we can and that's better than nothing. I'm glad you could help
Her!

Sorry, it is NOT better than nothing!!!

We all know how hard it is to see these poor little guys and how tempting it is to rescue them. I bet everyone here has done it at least once without thinking it through. However, the harsh reality is you just rewarded the store for mistreating them, rewarded that woman for being rude, for the staff to be uninformed, and perpetuated the poor care and ignorance of other buyers. You paid the store either full price or slightly less if you were extra persuasive. Now they can continue to market them and make a profit off their misery.

Something like 60% of pet shop animal sales are due to buyer pity and guilt over seeing animals in poor conditions.

I know you may not care what they cost you and sure, they will fare better in your home, but the cost to the species is still higher than you realize...the ones the store re-stocks after you bought one (and those you can't afford to "rescue") are still doomed.