Discriminated @ Pet Store Over Buying Mice

[chondrogreen]

In all fairness I think you will find that these people are just doing as their employer has instructed.
There are plenty of petshops with the same view. Ignorance? perhaps but it there shop to do as they please.

Also I agree with it to an extent as the hobby expands daily we don't want the young & naive feeding live.
However buying them to breed for future fodder should be acceptable, can't see what the prob there was except she was just doing as she was told (although a bit anal).

 

[jdwango]

Mate, $20 says if you did go buy those mice, and your snake did die for whatever reason you'd be kicking up a stink on here that the shop killed your snake!
I seriously think the shop attendant was covering all bases so she doesn't have any possible dramas like the one I just mentioned.
At least she was courteous enough to point you in the right direction of a shop that would sell you live mice for breeding/ future feeding.
Just my opinion trying to be positive about the situation.

 

[noidea]

Some pet stores here in bris have paperwork you have to fill out to purchase a mouse/rat. Basically a contract saying you won't hurt or use as food for another animal at all. Has to do with the RSPCA animal cruelty act or something. What I cant understand is how are they to know what you do with it once you get home..... are they going to come visit????

 

[townsvillepython]

i've been knocked back from buying live rats, funny thing was the same person was having a sook about me buying frozen one...... I just told her that kittens give my snakes gas paid and walked out (ps I dont feed them cats LOL)

 

[kavsreptiles]

baha

thats gold!!!!!!!

 

[cosmicwolf4]

In South Australia they have to ask if they are being used as snake food. I was asked this in Pets Paradise at Marion when I went to get mine. I said no they were for breeding the food and not for the actual food.

 

[Aussie Python Lover]

gotta love the pet shop where i go to get my rats no questions asked as most the people who work there own snakes so all is good

 

[GSXR_Boy]

So what is in the cans of dog or cat food that they sell? Couldn't possibly be another animal could it? What is the difference?

 

[milli]

Hi there,
i work in an aquarium shop and we sell frozen mice but we are unable by rspca law to sell live mice , but they should have explained this to him better .when we explain it to people they understand ,the only way around it would be not to metion the snake if they dont know that they are for food then they cant say no. :lol:

 

[cosmicwolf4]

I think their concern is not that they are being used as food, it's that they may be live fed to snakes

 

[Zoltag]

Hi there,
i work in an aquarium shop and we sell frozen mice but we are unable by rspca law to sell live mice , but they should have explained this to him better .when we explain it to people they understand ,the only way around it would be not to metion the snake if they dont know that they are for food then they cant say no. :lol:

I've had the same explanation from a well known reptile store here in Sydney. They operate a "dont ask, dont tell" policy and if someone tells, they have to refuse to sell them the animals.

 

[Jasspa]

It is against the Animal Welfare Act for live animals (other than fish and insects) to be fed to snakes. So the pet shop is just protecting itself in that area... However, they should sell the mice if they are going to be bred and properly (humanely) killed prior to feeding. After all there is no difference between pet mice and the mice in their freezer.
The pet shop staff can refuse the sale if the animals welfare is a stake, but in your case, I think she was just being an arrogant snake hater
I personally wouldn't want to sell to someone knowing that they would feed it live, not for the mouses sake, but the snakes... I've seen some horrible bite marks and infections from a mouse bite on a snake...
But like I said... she's just an arrogant snake hater...

 

[BJC-787]

it is up to the shop who they sell to and they don't have to sell them to you, also for all vertebrates they have to keep a animals sold register with your name, adress and phone number.
i work in a pet shop and i have no problem selling them for breeding for food.

 

[bundysnake]

i had the same issue as the original poster, the store asked what i wanted them for and i said breeding and they refused to sell them to me. I went back to the same store one week later and the same lady asked me the same question and my reply was "they are pets for my kids, can i please have 3 females and 1 male" she replied with "no problems".

Hahaha i think that is just hilarious.

 

[GeckoJosh]

So what happens if you have no option but to feed live (the snake is refusing frozen)
I know that you can legally do it if the snake will die if not fed but how can you if its illegal to buy it live?

 

[Jasspa]

Buying it is not the illegal part, its the actual feeding live part that is illegal. The exception is there that if the snake will die if it is not fed live food.

"The feeding of live vertebrates to a snake is an offence under the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001, unless it is absolutely necessary for the snake's survival..."

 

[GeckoJosh]

Buying it is not the illegal part, its the actual feeding live part that is illegal. The exception is there that if the snake will die if it is not fed live food.

"The feeding of live vertebrates to a snake is an offence under the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001, unless it is absolutely necessary for the snake's survival..."

Sorry but when u said the pet shops are covering them selves you gave me the impression that they were breaking the law as well

 

[cris]

:lol: what a funny thread, just tell them what they want to hear. These sort of humans are very stupid and its easy to avoid conflict if you go about it the right way. Its just like picking up give away kittens

 

[Jasspa]

There was a time about 6 months ago where some agents from RSPCA and Animal welfare league etc who are employed to regulate the codes of practice and the animal protection acts were sent out to 'test' pet stores to see if they were selling mice to people with snakes and were able to fine shops that were selling to customers knowing that the mice were going to be fed live. Basically the pet shop is responsible for refusing the sale of the animal if they believe the animals will suffer anything against the animal protection act, otherwise fines could result.
As a buyer, it is against the act for them to actually feed live.
So it kinda depends on whose side you are looking from, if you know what I mean?

 

[GeckoJosh]

But just because your buying for feeding purposes does not mean that you are going to live feed it, so pet stores should not make that assumption