Ruined my day a little bit

RyanBRZ

Avid Member
I went to my local mom & pop pet store to pick up some feeders and the owner was busy with customers so I figured I would look at what kind of reptiles he had. I ended up seeing a juvenile veiled in a 1x1x2 screen cage, basking bulb and black/purple bulb up top, no mister. He was hanging out vertically on a vine, his bones looked ok, no signs of MBD, but damn did I want to buy him just to make sure he makes it. He had a little sticker on the cage stating $200 for a complete package with a break-down: $79 for cham, $60 for cage, $20 for UVB fixture, etc. But then I thought, even if I bought it, he'd probably just order another to fill the slot. I really wish they would require licenses to sell and buy chameleons.

Even if he's sold off in time to survive, what are the odds he will be purchased by a responsible owner. I'm sure this goes on rampantly with these small pet stores & petsmart/petco.
 
This is why I send my husband to buy feeders for me at the store now. Also because he hates to see me get upset

Poor little guy I hope a responsible person purchases him
 
I went to my local mom & pop pet store to pick up some feeders and the owner was busy with customers so I figured I would look at what kind of reptiles he had. I ended up seeing a juvenile veiled in a 1x1x2 screen cage, basking bulb and black/purple bulb up top, no mister. He was hanging out vertically on a vine, his bones looked ok, no signs of MBD, but damn did I want to buy him just to make sure he makes it. He had a little sticker on the cage stating $200 for a complete package with a break-down: $79 for cham, $60 for cage, $20 for UVB fixture, etc. But then I thought, even if I bought it, he'd probably just order another to fill the slot. I really wish they would require licenses to sell and buy chameleons.

Even if he's sold off in time to survive, what are the odds he will be purchased by a responsible owner. I'm sure this goes on rampantly with these small pet stores & petsmart/petco.
Just wondering if there is some kind of agency that overlooks the care and treatment of animals sold by pet stores? I don't know if there is or not but feel there should be somewhere a person could report issues of bad husbandry. Maybe if enough complaints were recorded some changes would be made??
 
I went to my local mom & pop pet store to pick up some feeders and the owner was busy with customers so I figured I would look at what kind of reptiles he had. I ended up seeing a juvenile veiled in a 1x1x2 screen cage, basking bulb and black/purple bulb up top, no mister. He was hanging out vertically on a vine, his bones looked ok, no signs of MBD, but damn did I want to buy him just to make sure he makes it. He had a little sticker on the cage stating $200 for a complete package with a break-down: $79 for cham, $60 for cage, $20 for UVB fixture, etc. But then I thought, even if I bought it, he'd probably just order another to fill the slot. I really wish they would require licenses to sell and buy chameleons.

Even if he's sold off in time to survive, what are the odds he will be purchased by a responsible owner. I'm sure this goes on rampantly with these small pet stores & petsmart/petco.
As it’s a local mom & pop, with the right approach you may be able to educate the owner as to providing better care. They do have more invested than big box stores and most likely don’t want to sell sickly animals or set up a customer (who will be making further purchases from them) to fail. If one can’t appease to pride, appeasing to the almighty dollar usually works.
 
I would literally pay for a UVB setup, but I feel like I'd be offending the guy. He's owned the shop for over 20 years.
 
I went to a mom and pop and it was very odd. Everything was setup like for hamsters, with UVB lights...

Hamsters had UVB lights, beardies were running around in what i assume would be pine shavings and shredded egg cartons. Everyone looked healthy and the beardies looked like they were having a good old time digging around.
 
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