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How to go about reporting cruelty in pet store? (non-GSD)

4K views 33 replies 18 participants last post by  GatorDog 
#1 ·
Some of you that are friends with me on fb already know about my experience at the pet store in the mall today. I need help in going about reporting this business for the cruel treatment of their animals.

This particular store feels the need to sell "exotic" pets. When I say exotic, I'm talking prarie dogs, ground squirrels, boas, sulcata tortoises, savannah monitors, etc. Every single animal is kept in a cage that is wayyy too small for them. They also sell puppies that they claim to get from "local breeders - NOT puppy mills." Today they had "Doxer (doberman/boxer) puppies for $700. They live in a display that is typically used for showing rabbits or guinea pigs, like these.
Companion Habitats, Inc.: animal environments, small animal ...-Openfos

Their "cage" was covered in urine and feces, and the water dish was tiny and filthy. Two of the puppies were running around loose and one even ran out into the mall. The employees weren't even paying attention. A passerby picked her up and brought her back into the store...I know this idiocy is to be expected at a pet store, but what came next really made me sick to my stomach...

Being a reptile enthusiast, I was browsing their reptile section when I came across a baby savannah monitor. He was clearly in shed, and a bad one at that. Upon closer inspection, I realized that because of this shed (and countless others) he was missing several toes and his entire front right foot. He couldn't move at all because of his lack of a foot and the fact that he was on inappropriate substrate that he couldn't gain and traction with. He could barely open his eyes and his breathing was labored. This is the little guy.




So I asked the first girl that I saw if she could take him out for me. She put him in my hand and he didn't even move. She said "He's in shed right now" to which I replied "Is that why he's missing a foot?" Mind you, I already knew that answer. She didn't even know he was missing a foot until I pointed it out. I asked how long he'd been in this condition and she couldn't even answer. I asked to speak with her manager.
The manager came out and told me that it is completely normal and he is eating and drinking fine and that she mists him daily. I told her that missing an extremity like that is not normal and take time to develop to that extreme of an injury. She told me I was wrong. So I asked for her name and number as well as her superior's and she referred me to the website and refused to give me any other information. She walked away while I was still talking to her. I made sure to get her name and a photo of the monitor and I left. I filed a report at the mall customer service area. I stopped back at the store again to take a detailed report of the other animals when I realized that they had removed the baby monitor from the shelf. There is no contact information on the website, just a link to submit a comment and my information so that they can contact me.

I feel sick just thinking about what is going to happen to this guy, and all of the other animals in their care. He's probably not going to make it, but this is really my last straw with this pet store. They need to be shut down. What can I do?
 
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#2 ·
Awe, poor little guy :(
I would contact local AC, get them as much documentation as possible. Are there any local herp societies in your area you can also contact?

I'm a reptile fan myself :)

I hope you are able to find someone to take some action, for the sake of the animals.
 
#3 ·
Oh dear, poor Varanus exanthematicus. I, too, am a reptile enthusiast (I keep and breed several species of lizards and snakes, including 14 monitors from seven different species, so I see this all the time. Unfortunately, most animal activists don't care about reptiles. The only thing you can do is spread the word about the shop, print out valuable information to give to the shop owner (savannahmonitor.co), and inform the highest person in the chain as you can get. Inform them that you will continue to check back to see if they've been making improvements, and if you don't see change you will report them to the authorities.
 
#4 ·
That's so sad. There's no way she's misting him at all if the substrate he is on is bird seed, otherwise it would sprout or grow moldy. I wish pet stores would stop selling animals. With all of their other duties, they just don't have enough time to really care for all of the animals they sell. Plus all of their animals come from mills, which is bad enough itself.
 
#7 ·
When hermit crabs were all the rage, my sister took it upon herself to police the little crab shacks that popped up in every mall. The shell art was more important than what lived in it.
I wish USDA that supposedly has all these regulations in place would act upon them, instead of trying to add more stupid laws to their agenda's.
 
#9 ·
Well, I have to admit I'm not real fond of reptiles but cruelty is cruelty. I can't stand to watch any living creature suffering. I'd like to do to them ( the people ) what they did to that poor creature. Bloodthirsty? You bet! And kudos to you for doing something about it!
 
#10 ·
The ASPCA will help animals in need. I would contact them they could point you in the right direction. ASPCA | Report Animal Cruelty

Contact the local News channel. If they do a story on this and bring it to everyone's attention something will get done.

Contact the crazy PETA people they care about everything living thing to the extreme. They could find a way to help.
Contact PETA | PETA.org

I live in a town that banded any store from selling puppies. We had a problem with a guy opening a puppy store in town. Basically selling puppy mill puppies. He got shut down. people talked the word spread on how sad the store was and they got shut down. The local paper brought the problem to everyones attention.
 
#11 ·
I don't know about where you live,but AC usually monitors what goes on in pet stores if a report is filed with them. In addition to everything else mentioned I would try contacting animal control to see what they say. If you had some footage from your cell phone that would also probably help.
 
#17 ·
Well I called animal control this morning and had to leave a message (of course). I also emailed PETA and the Upstate NY Herp Society and I'm sharing the photo with my friends on facebook in hopes that it will circulate. We're going to go back to the store later today for a look around to document anything else that I can find. Wish me luck!
 
#22 ·
Good for you for getting the ball rolling in stopping these people. Not a huge reptile person (think they're cool, but not sure why people think they should be pets) but they shouldn't suffer just because people are ignorant/lazy.
 
#24 ·
You are a wonderful person gatordog! Wish I lived nearby so I could help you out and shake your hand. I rescued my corn snake from Petsmart where he was living in a 10inx10in glass cage with only shavings and no places to hide, just laying there exposed.

Reptiles can feel pain too. What terrible human beings. I understand needing a job and money, but how can a person support a store that hurts animals :(
 
#25 ·
:blush: lol Thank you! I'm trying hard. It is actually much more difficult than I thought it would be. It's a case of everybody referring me to somebody else. PETA is actually really helping with making all the calls and stuff.

As much as I don't want to support them, I don't know how many more days I can stand seeing him in there. I wish they'd just give him to me..Today my boyfriend went in and asked them questions and they told him that he was 'attacked by another animal'..So now they're just blatantly lying and making up stories. It makes me so angry.
 
#27 ·
Nope. I didn't really get much more info from AC or the SPCA other than they're going to be looking into it and it isn't the first complaint. They asked me to send them any more pictures that I had and took a bit of my personal info to file a formal report.

A really nice guy from PETA gave me his cell number and told me that I could call/text him with any questions. He has also been in contact with AC, the PD and the SPCA. He's been super helpful.
 
#29 ·
Awesome news today!!

Animal control went into the pet store and ordered the manager to get the monitor medical attention by Monday. They are going to do an unannounced visit again on Monday to make sure it was done, and if it isn't they are going to be in a whole lot of trouble.

Maybe the little guy will make it after all! :D
 
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