Reptiles in NSW pet shop

[jacks-pythons]

Reptiles sold in NSW pet shop

In the next two weeks the decision will be made to allow the sale of reptiles in NSW pet shops. The main concern is the size of the enclosure which the animals will be on display in. This has been dragged on for a while but id like to see what everyone thinks about the decision to come. Personally im not a fan of the idea of them being sold in pet shops but i haven't see it before like they have in perth and QLD etc.

whats your opinion on this matter? all welcome positive and negative.

 

[hayden123113]

I think that this is a good idea, it makes our hobby more known, lets people know just how good it can be to keep snakes as pets, not to mention that australia has 7 out of 10 of the most venomous snakes in the world leading people to be scared of them. If people keep them as pets more often maybe people will not be as afraid as they are now and not try to kill them when they are seen in the back yard. not to metion it will be convenient to buy the reptile and enclosure at the same place, and you will also be able to by at expos. on the other hand there are some pet shops that keep there animals in disgusting conditions and i would not want any animal let alone a reptile to live in them, so there should be complusory checks on the living conditions on the animals as well as course done that teaches the pet shop owner to care for reptiles.

p.s sorry for any spelling or grammar errors

 

[jacks-pythons]

i know that the pet shops which may be able to sell them will need to shop experience with reptiles before they are given a license to sell them. i personally wont buy from a pet shop. id prefer a breeder who knows what there talking about and not what they have read.

 

[Variety]

If done correctly this could be a massive plus to the hobby, Naturally it can also be a minus depending on how certain things are handled such as advice and husbandry within the shop itself.

Please do expect a mass of people with walls of text stating that nothing good can come from this as it is an old topic but as its nor relevant, nows the time for an official topic like this. They will argue that it will cause a dramatic increase in impulse buying that will often lead to poor husbandry and horrible living conditions for reptiles once they're home. I would argue that its better to have impulse buyers going to a pet shop instead of gum tree as they can be given proper advice (I can only assume) & a number to call incase something goes wrong down the path.

It all depends on the husbandry standard expected of pet shops.

 

[Gonemad]

I'm still on fence. But there has been a lot of valid comments for and against.
At the end of the day we can only decide if we personally will purchase from a shop.
I admit I seen a beautiful little Darwin hatchie in Melbourne pet shop but decided against it.
They do look more appealing in a shop as breeders don't like you viewing except through photos, this is a MUST
I completely understand why this happens, so displayed in shops could be a great way to promote reptiles.

 

[emmadiamond]

I work in a pet shop, we only sell small animals and the occasional rescued kittens.
I'm not sure that I'd feel comfortable selling reptiles to your everyday joe blows.
I think their would be a lot of people who think it'd be a cool pet to have without realizing the long term commitment especially in upsizing their enclosures as the reptile grows and getting heating requirements right. But in saying that I feel that having the licensing process would stop a lot of impulse buying. I think people interested should maybe have a cooling off period and perhaps have to give an expression of interest before buying the animal.

 

[hayden123113]

I work in a pet shop, we only sell small animals and the occasional rescued kittens.
I'm not sure that I'd feel comfortable selling reptiles to your everyday joe blows.
I think their would be a lot of people who think it'd be a cool pet to have without realizing the long term commitment especially in upsizing their enclosures as the reptile grows and getting heating requirements right. But in saying that I feel that having the licensing process would stop a lot of impulse buying. I think people interested should maybe have a cooling off period and perhaps have to give an expression of interest before buying the animal.

I think a expression of interest it a great idea although caring for a reptile isnt always hard if it on a class one licence, snakes for example are one of the easiest pets to care for, feed them one a week depending on age, clean there water 3 times a week watch for poo every now and then, and if you have a thermostat and correct equiptment heating is not a problem. if you ask me that alot less commitment than a dog even cat whcih you have to feed every day or it will die.

 

[KaotikJezta]

Plenty of idiots that know nothing come into our shop and they have already bought reptiles from breeders so how is this different. Not one breeder I have purchased from has asked me how experienced I am. I interrogate customers that want to buy from our shop and turn many away. Having said that, as stated in another post on the topic, there are more bad shops in Melbourne than good and even half the good ones get lazy or sales driven. Some of our other staff have worked in other shops and some of the stories I have been told are heartbreaking and infuriating. Things like getting staff to smash live rats against the wall even though they have frozen ones, standing behind the enclosures looking up girls skirts (owner included) etc.

 

[Anunnaki]

Worst idea in my opinion.
More neglected animals, more keepers who have absolutely no clue about the reptiles care.

It also makes me wonder how the reptiles will be treated in the shop, I can only assume that not all current pet shop employees are comfortable with reptiles. That to me means that the animals will more than likely not have their basic husbandry requirements met due to the employees fear.
I hope they decide to do the right thing by the animals for once and don't allow it.

 

[KaotikJezta]

I'd also like to state that there is a big difference between a pet shop and a specialist reptile/aquarium shop. I say reptile/aquarium as most shops would not survive with reptiles alone.

 

[Gonemad]

We have reptile shops it's just we don't get to walk in off the streets and they are still in business so I'm not real shore they wouldn't survive.

 

[KaotikJezta]

We have reptile shops it's just we don't get to walk in off the streets and they are still in business so I'm not real shore they wouldn't survive.

What do you mean don't get to walk in off the street, I'm confused. Our shop is a reptile/aquarium and we make a lot more money from the fish side of things. A reptile shop may survive if it is the only one in a remote area, but not when you can visit half a dozen in a day and pick and choose.

 

[saintanger]

i'm a fence sitter too. i see some good points and some bad.

it would be a good idea to make the hobby more well known, you would not believe the number of people that don't relise you can keep them as pets or others that keep them as pets but did not relise you need a licence. caresheets should be mandatory to be handed out with the reptiles they sell.

but these days you can get a licence online in minutes so there would be impulse buying from people who know nothing about reptiles and think they look cool. then a few months down the track they will be trying to sell them or letting them lose.

also how many reptiles will die because of not being cared for properly.

i know this already happens, no breeder i have bought off has ever asked me if i have experience or a set up ready to go. or even given me a care sheet.

but if this goes all wrong and animals are being dumped, released, excaping or to many dying in captivity ect who will pay the price for it? we as reptile owners will face tougher laws and regulations because of other peoples actions.

 

[SteveNT]

I bought one of my snakes- Sweety- a tiny gorgeous pink Darwin hatchy, because the idiot in the pet shop had welding gloves on and just ripped her out of the tank. I guess it was a parental reaction, but what I was seeing was all wrong. THIS TEEN WAS A MONSTER who actually hated the snakes and made no secret of it. Anyway Sweets is all good now but when LPS employ uninterested clowns there is no joy in that.

 

[Skinnerguy]

I don't believe impulse buying will really be an issue, because usually if the idea takes time or has a major cost, the novelty wears off, and I believe the licensing in NSW will be an easy deterrent. If someone walks into a pet shop and thinks "That would be cool, I could keep a snake at home in an ice cream tub", they will easily be put off by the staff informing them that they need a licence (which requires money) and if when explaining the licence they mention that the rangers have the right to perform impromptu inspections of the home of anyone who has a licence, I'm sure the person in question will have a rather long think about whether they do want to make that commitment. If the impulse buying comes from people already licenced and within the hobby, well that's not really different from the current situation, as we are all driven to get that one that we "really shouldn't", when faced with the nice shiny prospect of an expo. I swear expos are all equipped with doors that as soon as you walk through them, they instantly melt away your inhibitions.
I think it could be a definite positive for the hobby, and as for the abuse and neglect, well I believe that already happens in pet shops, and the only difference is that the poor creatures suffering the conditions would have scales. It's like saying "you can't sell steak at McDonalds! It's too fattening!"
And personally I would like the convenience of not having to deal with people through impersonal means of communication, and all the second guessing that happens when it comes to selling/buying.

 

[Blake182]

It's a bad idea....

 

[Gonemad]

What do you mean don't get to walk in off the street, I'm confused. Our shop is a reptile/aquarium and we make a lot more money from the fish side of things. A reptile shop may survive if it is the only one in a remote area, but not when you can visit half a dozen in a day and pick and choose.

I mean breeders are suppliers (shops) that people can't walk in off the street and they seem to make their money without selling fish they are easily found with google to the public just don't have shop front ( don't get me wrong I will purchase from well known breeder before I do a pet shop).

 

[Bananapeel]

I agree that if it is done correctly in pet shops that have staff with real knowledge on reptiles and the reptiles are kept well it could be a great success. However, if the shops aren't checked regularly by official people, the shops use reptiles as another way to make quick money or other negative attributes, it could be damaging to wildlife and be a let down to the hobby.
Personally I prefer breeders as you know all the history, the breeding lines etc. Breeding is their job so they are in it for hobbyist's sake not just money and they give fair prices for usually a better animal than a petshop. Just IMO.
However, there are shops such as Amazing Amazon which specialize in reptiles, so like a breeder, they know their stuff and they have only good quality animals.

 

[KaotikJezta]

That is one good thing about Melbourne, takes weeks to get a licence. You can't always tell with some people either. I sold an outstanding BHP to someone who appeared to be very knowledable. he was in his forties, quite respectable, talked the talk, had an advanced licence. This was in 4 months, she came back the other day as he could no longer keep her, he claimed she was too aggressive. I wasn't there lucky for him. He gave this big sob story about how his daughters were looking after her and neglected her etc. She had a rather large burn scar on her side and was incredibly stressed. No cages, top opening enclosure, his total lack of confidence and god knows what else. Temperament wise though, she is cage defensive but when out is a puppy dog. I nearly cried when I saw her. My boss gave him very little for her and he had the nerve to complain about how much he had paid. He also broke the 6 month rule but know way we were going to leave her with him for 2 more months. On the flip side you get the ones that look like they haven't got 2 cents to their name and know absolutely nothing but go on to be outstanding pet owners that truly care for there animals and spend every spare dollar on them. I am sure breeders encounter this all the time as well.

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I mean breeders are suppliers (shops) that people can't walk in off the street and they seem to make their money without selling fish they are easily found with google to the public just don't have shop front ( don't get me wrong I will purchase from well known breeder before I do a pet shop).

Not many breeders do this as a fulltime job, most have another fulltime source of income. Where do you think shops get most of their juvenile stock? From breeders who can't sell them or don't want the hassle of selling privately to individuals. A private breeder is a completely different scenario to a shop.

 

[rachmoo]

I work in a pet shop myself, and I have mixed feelings about this. I have so many people coming in asking for reptiles that didn't even know you needed a license, just thought it would be 'cool' to buy one. Luckily, I care more about the animals than sales so make sure I keep them there to explain all the requirements for the animal and it usually actually turns people away! But some find it interesting so I give them leads to specific dealers and where to get their license first.

The main concern for selling any animal in a pet shop is that employees are required to push a sale when the animal gets too old (my shop doesn't sell pets other than fish luckily). But when an animal gets older, they need to get rid of it, so instead of sussing out the buyers that may be impulse buying, they need to convince the buyer that this is a good idea.

I think if employees are trained properly in the information they need to tell the people first, and there should be a system of proof that they have all of the required enclosure setup, then it should be fine....or there should be a day course involved on the care for the reptile. But that will never happen with the costs and requirements for trained staff for this.

I think the mere fact that we sell reptile products entices people to look into it more, or ask us some more information, and I think that is enough personally.