What should I do

[betzjen]

Past couple months I have been going into Petco to buy crickets for my cam. They have this poorly set up little cage that has a baby Jacksons chameleon in it. I look at him every day but I'm in there and he hasn't eaten or grown in a long time is completely gray and looks as if he's dying. I mentioned to one of the workers that he Didn't look good. They just blew me off and said he's fine
I don't know what to do I'm not set up for a third Chamaeleon but I can't stand to see this little guy dying slowly before my eyes any ideas of what I should do?

 

[shaunaroxanne]

Well, since you asked.....As difficult as it is, don't buy him. If you do, corporate office sees that chameleons sell, so they buy more. If he doesn't sell, and he dies, perhaps they won't be so quick to re-stock their chameleon inventory.

 

[DanSB]

I generally say don't buy it for sure and agree with Shaunaroxanne's reasons. I keep seeing Veileds and Jackson's at the local Petsmart in conditions that will kill them. I just hope someone buys them before they get too bad. At least here not only are they of dubious health but they are way over priced.

They need to stop selling animals they can't properly care for or sell. I have talked to animal care managers and while they were very polite and pretended to care I am sure I was ultimately ignored.

Try calling corporate as most of the care they use comes directly from corporate with little to no leeway for the store managers.

 

[gavriel]

I am friends with my PetCo's reptile/aviary manager and she stated that even if she requests from corporate the proper enclosures and items to care for their chameleons, they say their 2 gallon glass enclosures are adequate. Unfortunately, PetCo corporate feels that these are just fine for chameleons and have even denied the use of in house supplies. Corporate has even sent chams no bigger than a half dollar when tail is curled up. It is disgusting treatment by the company but unfortunately Dan and Shauna are right. If we take them home, corporate sees just the numbers and replenishes the stock. Only thing we can try to do is school the staff, if you have the patients.

 

[SaintJimmy]

I am friends with my PetCo's reptile/aviary manager and she stated that even if she requests from corporate the proper enclosures and items to care for their chameleons, they say their 2 gallon glass enclosures are adequate. Unfortunately, PetCo corporate feels that these are just fine for chameleons and have even denied the use of in house supplies. Corporate has even sent chams no bigger than a half dollar when tail is curled up. It is disgusting treatment by the company but unfortunately Dan and Shauna are right. If we take them home, corporate sees just the numbers and replenishes the stock. Only thing we can try to do is school the staff, if you have the patients.

Yeah, I thought petco wasn't supposed to sell chams under 3 mo. I saw one that was maybe as big as a nickel. LITERALLY.

In a tiny tank, maybe 7 in high, 5 in deep, 5 in wide. Sad.

Very sad.

and he had a couple branches and leaves which looked ok to me..

and red night light! Ugh! And substrate! Arhghghgh! And the cage was glass.sd.,fjsdkfskl

Really though they do NOT take good care of their chams.

Another petco I recently visited had two 3 1/2 mo chams (one of which I bought, named him Mo) in the same kind of tiny cage with a night light, substrate, no vents, ect.

 

[carol5208]

Well, I am gonna disagree with you all. I say buy them and save them! Not everyone belongs to this forum and thinks like we do. What I mean is, if you don't buy them someone else will...someone who does not have the knowledge. So they are going to get bought by some unsuspecting soul and are goinjg to die anyways. They are just going to keep getting bought just like the little turtles that got sold with the plastic bowls and palm trees( I was one of them) years and years ago until salmonella came into the picture. It doesn't seem we are going to stop them, so why not get bought by someone who can give them the propetr care? Just sayin....

 

[deadhd5]

I saved my Reggie Jackson from a Petsmart.. I just happened to be in there yesterday and there was a little veild cham either dead or dying in that pitiful little tank .. He had half buried himself in the substrate and was dark brown, eyes closed. They are always on the end caps in the highest traffic most stressful area.. It was heartbreaking.

Reggie is just the best little guy and my first thought was "thank god I saved him". My second thought was "I shouldn't have supported this unethical corporation with my dollars". It is such a tough choice, but at the end of the day my purchase at least have given Reggie a pampered life and prevented him from suffering.. I would venture to guess that the large majority of their sales are to walk ins, not expert keepers. If we all boycotted these stores it wouldn't affect their bottom line much at all. Change will have to come from elsewhere, from the top or from media attention.

So if I had to give advice I would say save him. Good luck!

 

[carol5208]

I saved my Reggie Jackson from a Petsmart.. I just happened to be in there yesterday and there was a little veild cham either dead or dying in that pitiful little tank .. He had half buried himself in the substrate and was dark brown, eyes closed. They are always on the end caps in the highest traffic most stressful area.. It was heartbreaking.

Reggie is just the best little guy and my first thought was "thank god I saved him". My second thought was "I shouldn't have supported this unethical corporation with my dollars". It is such a tough choice, but at the end of the day my purchase at least have given Reggie a pampered life and prevented him from suffering.. I would venture to guess that the large majority of their sales are to walk ins, not expert keepers. If we all boycotted these stores it wouldn't affect their bottom line much at all. Change will have to come from elsewhere, from the top or from media attention.

So if I had to give advice I would say save him. Good luck!

Exactly, there are way more novices that frequent Petco/Petsmart than the small amount of chameleon keepers around the country. Wouldn't you rather take one home and give it the proper care or let it be bought(and it will) by someone who doesn't know what they are doing(because they are going to be directed by the store employees). You are never gonna stop them from selling them unless it became an issue where the authorities step in. If we(meaning us chameleon keepers) think, by not buying them, it will stop the sale of them, I think we are wrong.

 

[gavriel]

I've been working with my local PetCo. Only thing I get there is feeder crickets from time to time, when my silks or dubias run low. The girl there is a friend so I have personal reasons for stopping by as well but back to the chams. I have been working with her on proper care and even getting her staff in the mix. They have removed substrate, hand mist now every few hours and have even put in some sticks that were run through the oven at 200 to kill off parasites. No more bubbler and their survival rate are getting better. There was a baby veiled not bigger than a half dollar I came really close to bringing home with me and I look back on it and wonder if I made the right decision. It was a hard decision, especially after spending 2 months working with the staff every other day getting her health back up, hydrated and eating good. Unfortunately if I would have taken her home, or any of the others that followed home with me, I would have a small zoo at my place. My friend did pass my business card to the new owner of her and actually continues to pass my info along to new cham owners. Some contact, others don't but for those that do, I direct them here, pass along the care sheets and other items I have found. Bringing them into the world of chams with proper education.

I also created a flyer that their staff hands to new owners with a check list of items to buy they'll need, approx. cost and use. I figured if we cannot deter the purchasing chams, then we might as well educate.

I'm not a cold person or uncaring person for not bringing home every cham as a rescue that I see in poor shape. I just feel that educating potential buyers and keepers of the cost and attention that these awesome guys need might deter their spontaneous or less thought out purchasing of people looking for a glamour pet to show off to their friends like pocket puppies. If we can save just a couple and educate their owners, it is a far better cry than leaving it up in the air.

 

[betzjen]

Thanks

Thank you everyone for your advice. I thought about buying him but then again I don't have tons of money I don't really want to pay $200 for half dead chamelon or Should I say three quarters dead. He might be too far gone by now anyway

I would then stress about him 24/7 which right now I am not capable of since I just got out of the hospital having major surgery.

You are right if I buy then they will just refill it with another one. They are on an endcap with high-traffic . he just looks so bad I don't think he's moved from that stick in two months.

I think I will try to call corporate office. I am a veterinarian however not a reptile vet but maybe I can throw my veterinary advice at them. I just don't think corporate gives a shit Because the manager obviously didnt. He thought I was just some pain in the neck trying to tell him how to do his job.
I also don't have an extra cage right now for him. Guess I needed a place to vent..
If somebody does buy him they are not going to know what to do. And he will die anyway.
I am really torn. If he is still alive or somebody has not purchased him by the time I can get up and moving around to get there again next week then I will probably buy him.