Sadly I think this sometimes comes down to what is best for chameleons in the pet trade in general, rather than that particular chameleon. No, pets stores in general don't care about their animals, any of them, they are a commodity, and to be sold on for a profit and kept as simply as possible.
If people stop buying WC chameleons from pet stores that aren't even willing to give the minimum of care to keep them alive, then they will stop selling chameleons, or make more effort to keep them alive. It needs to make economical sense for a store to change their policies, not ethical sense. No it's not right, but it happens.
As I said above, by all means buy that chameleon for $40, but if you are, be willing to spend $200 getting it treated for its parasites, otherwise it has no chance and even the most excellent husbandry will not be enough to save it.
This is the third WC chameleon I have rescued, and it will be my last. I'd rather they died quickly (albeit uncomfortably and in horrific conditions) and reduced support for the prolific WC trade than every one was rescued, encouraging stores to re-stock, and ended up dying anyway either from damage incurred in transit and storage, or just from not adapting to being sentenced to a captive life.
Agreed. I would hate to see a cham die, but in the grand scheme of things I think it is better not to support a business like that. It will only encourage them.
Speak with the manager/owner (is this a franchise, small business, corporate?) If it is corporate, ask for the number of both the district and regional manager- file a huge compaint.
File a complaint with whatever agency handles animal abuse cases. This is clearly animal abuse and should be investigated. Even if they show up and do nothing, it is guaranteed to get their attention as it looks bad on them and who wants the long arm of the law showing up at their door.
Then, write a letter to the editor of your local paper about the incident. Be respectful, but inform people about how rare and threatened chameleons are. Make it clear that chameleons are not blue belly lizards- many are on the brink of endangered species status. Also make it clear that their requirements are very very specific, and that this business has failed to meet those requirements and has completely ignored your recommendations, that you feel that people should consider this before doing business with them as you are very concerned about their sense of dedication to their animals. I would also make the point that if someone were to buy that chameleon today- they would likely take it home only to have it die within a week or so. If you can get a picture of that cham and a healthy one to send in, I would.
I would speak with the owner first, express my concerns and explicitly explain what it wrong with the chameleon and how to fix it. Offer to take it home and rescue it but do not give him/her a dime. These people should not be rewarded for their actions. This needs to be about saving a life and preventing further deaths to ignorance- not about getting a discount on a piece of merchandise (IMHO). The idea here is education. These people are ignorant about chameleons. Try to help them. If they ignore you- educate the public. Just be very very careful about how you do all of this. you do not want to make enemies and you do not want to run the risk of a lawsuit over libel. Make sure you stick soley with the facts and back up your claims.
This is how I would approach it. Personally, I would avoid a letter to the editor if I could. But if push comes to shove and I felt strongly enough about it....
What you are describing would probably piss me off enough to do it (excuse my Greek, reading your story really did make me very very angry- unfortunately it is all too common).
So, in summary:
1) Talk to the person in charge first and foremost. Print out some chameleon care sheets (heck, some of Sandra's blog entries would be perfect. They are concise enough and readable enough to fit the bill) and give them to him/her. Offer to rescue the little guy but make it clear the chameleon is close to death and you are not going to pay for him/her.
2) If that does not work, call an agency
3) If you do not see things change (I would try to follow up with the agency- sometimes you gotta bug them to get anything done- they might blow you off if you do not), I would talk to the manager again- perhaps more than once.
4) Last resort, write to the paper.
Just my thoughts. This is how I would consider handling it if I felt compelled to take action. Always keep in mind, this all needs to be 100% about educating everyone involved so no more chameleons die of neglect. It cannot be about revenge or feeling disrespected.
and have hundreds more to spend as hes still in his baby setup. Once his small cage is free I will have the equipment to take in the poor senegal but until then the only thing I can do is wait 
. Its a very difficult situation, I went in there because I was bored and in the area and now have a life or death situation on my hands.
You should stand up for that poor chameleon and all those that have died before it that terrible place.
