RPCV
Avid Member
Up front - this is not much about chameleons, more of a story (a.k.a. rant) related personal experience about how I now view pet stores and decide which ones to give my business:
About 6 months ago my daughter decided she wanted to volunteer at a local pet shelter. Figuring this was one of those things that would make me a good Dad I agreed to drive her every Sunday for her 4:00 to 7:00 shift. I was not prepared for the news that, since she is not yet 16, a parent needs to be with her the entire time she is at the shelter. Being one of those Sunday idiots on the couch with lap top, beer and TV on I quickly realized this would require me to miss every late NFL game for a full season. I guess being a good Dad doesn’t come cheap and we’ve been at the shelter every Sunday since.
There are 8 pets stores within about 8 miles from our home; 2 PetsMart, 1 PetCo and 5 local stores. I’ve always tried to support the local guy. This decision was reinforced by my observations and posts on this forum that the larger box pet stores were selling chameleons with poor or bad advice regarding husbandry. One thing I also noticed was that 4 of the 5 local pet stores sell cute little puppies and kittens.
As we spent time working in the shelter we started paying attention to where the animals came from and how adoptions were promoted. Where they came from was obvious enough. Some jag bag decides they want an animal. Get a puppy or kitten. The critter grows up, becomes a dog or cat and requires work - dumped at the shelter. This is problem because adopting out puppies and kittens is easy. They are gone almost as soon as we get them. It is the adult animals (a year and older) that are tough to find homes for. So…family buys cute baby animal, has it for a year or two, then drops it off assuming it will be easy for us to find it a home.
There are some ways to encourage adoption. One clever trick is to host birthday parties for kids. Parents bring in a group of 10 year olds and go home having each one begging to adopt their favorite dog or cat. However, by far the most productive way to find a pet a home is being able to bring them in to a pet store over a weekend.
There is a clear cycle. Pet stores that profit from selling puppies and kittens are a pipeline into animal shelters. PetsMart, PetCo and one local store show shelter animals every weekend. This service, more than any other, moves pets out of the shelter and into a home.
It has gotten to the point that if a store shows shelter pets I can overlook the occasional misguided attempt to sell a chameleon, even if it is a big box pet store. (I still try to support the local lady that does not sell kittens or puppies and lets shelter pets rome her store on Saturdays.)
About 6 months ago my daughter decided she wanted to volunteer at a local pet shelter. Figuring this was one of those things that would make me a good Dad I agreed to drive her every Sunday for her 4:00 to 7:00 shift. I was not prepared for the news that, since she is not yet 16, a parent needs to be with her the entire time she is at the shelter. Being one of those Sunday idiots on the couch with lap top, beer and TV on I quickly realized this would require me to miss every late NFL game for a full season. I guess being a good Dad doesn’t come cheap and we’ve been at the shelter every Sunday since.
There are 8 pets stores within about 8 miles from our home; 2 PetsMart, 1 PetCo and 5 local stores. I’ve always tried to support the local guy. This decision was reinforced by my observations and posts on this forum that the larger box pet stores were selling chameleons with poor or bad advice regarding husbandry. One thing I also noticed was that 4 of the 5 local pet stores sell cute little puppies and kittens.
As we spent time working in the shelter we started paying attention to where the animals came from and how adoptions were promoted. Where they came from was obvious enough. Some jag bag decides they want an animal. Get a puppy or kitten. The critter grows up, becomes a dog or cat and requires work - dumped at the shelter. This is problem because adopting out puppies and kittens is easy. They are gone almost as soon as we get them. It is the adult animals (a year and older) that are tough to find homes for. So…family buys cute baby animal, has it for a year or two, then drops it off assuming it will be easy for us to find it a home.
There are some ways to encourage adoption. One clever trick is to host birthday parties for kids. Parents bring in a group of 10 year olds and go home having each one begging to adopt their favorite dog or cat. However, by far the most productive way to find a pet a home is being able to bring them in to a pet store over a weekend.
There is a clear cycle. Pet stores that profit from selling puppies and kittens are a pipeline into animal shelters. PetsMart, PetCo and one local store show shelter animals every weekend. This service, more than any other, moves pets out of the shelter and into a home.
It has gotten to the point that if a store shows shelter pets I can overlook the occasional misguided attempt to sell a chameleon, even if it is a big box pet store. (I still try to support the local lady that does not sell kittens or puppies and lets shelter pets rome her store on Saturdays.)
