Snakes & Reptiles in NSW pet shops.

[Sdaji]

I went to a couple of pet shops in Melbourne today. It's not at all unusual to see dead reptiles in shops with the prices still written on the enclosures, but this time I would have found it amusing if I wasn't so disgusted, as instead of a price, there was "SOLD" written on the enclosure containing two dead hatchling Bearded Dragons. Not bad for $150 each. I wonder if they'll just grab another two hatchlings and put them into the 'sold' enclosure before the buyer returns. Most likely they won't notice until the buyer returns. I'd love to be a fly on the wall for that one.

I saw water bowls containing what looked more like dirty vegemite than water, animals in extremely poor condition, animals which were clearly wild caught... amusingly when I asked if they sold finches for snake food they tried to sell me live mice, I had to say no three times before they stopped pestering me with the attempted sale. Strangely, despite being happy to poach and hideously neglect their animals, they don't sell live birds if they're to be used as food. Mice obviously have less rights than birds. I suppose that pet shop has only been dealing in reptiles for a little over ten years, you can't expect them to have worked out what they're doing just yet. Yes, the authorities have been called about this place many times over the last 10 years, no, nothing gets done, no, it's not the place on Springvale Rd.

Surprisingly I didn't see any mites today!

 

[junglepython2]

Surprisingly I didn't see any mites today!

Heh so the conditions were so bad not even the mites can make a living.

 

[mysnakesau]

I went to a couple of pet shops in Melbourne today. It's not at all unusual to see dead reptiles in shops with the prices still written on the enclosures, but this time I would have found it amusing if I wasn't so disgusted, as instead of a price, there was "SOLD" written on the enclosure containing two dead hatchling Bearded Dragons. Not bad for $150 each. I wonder if they'll just grab another two hatchlings and put them into the 'sold' enclosure before the buyer returns. Most likely they won't notice until the buyer returns. I'd love to be a fly on the wall for that one.

I saw water bowls containing what looked more like dirty vegemite than water, animals in extremely poor condition, animals which were clearly wild caught... amusingly when I asked if they sold finches for snake food they tried to sell me live mice, I had to say no three times before they stopped pestering me with the attempted sale. Strangely, despite being happy to poach and hideously neglect their animals, they don't sell live birds if they're to be used as food. Mice obviously have less rights than birds. I suppose that pet shop has only been dealing in reptiles for a little over ten years, you can't expect them to have worked out what they're doing just yet. Yes, the authorities have been called about this place many times over the last 10 years, no, nothing gets done, no, it's not the place on Springvale Rd.

Surprisingly I didn't see any mites today!

That is sad How can ppl choose pet industry as their business if they don't want to look after their animals. Those poor animals don't deserve that kind of life

 

[Jason]

I went to a couple of pet shops in Melbourne today. It's not at all unusual to see dead reptiles in shops with the prices still written on the enclosures, but this time I would have found it amusing if I wasn't so disgusted, as instead of a price, there was "SOLD" written on the enclosure containing two dead hatchling Bearded Dragons. Not bad for $150 each. I wonder if they'll just grab another two hatchlings and put them into the 'sold' enclosure before the buyer returns. Most likely they won't notice until the buyer returns. I'd love to be a fly on the wall for that one.

I saw water bowls containing what looked more like dirty vegemite than water, animals in extremely poor condition, animals which were clearly wild caught... amusingly when I asked if they sold finches for snake food they tried to sell me live mice, I had to say no three times before they stopped pestering me with the attempted sale. Strangely, despite being happy to poach and hideously neglect their animals, they don't sell live birds if they're to be used as food. Mice obviously have less rights than birds. I suppose that pet shop has only been dealing in reptiles for a little over ten years, you can't expect them to have worked out what they're doing just yet. Yes, the authorities have been called about this place many times over the last 10 years, no, nothing gets done, no, it's not the place on Springvale Rd.

Surprisingly I didn't see any mites today!

haha.... very sad but i can see the amusing side, i too would love to be a fly on the wall. how'd they react when they were told they were dead? prob said they were just hibernating.....lol.
seriously though shops like that should have the animals removed then the owner should be made to live in a dump with dity water and little food in freezing conditions...see how they like it.

Heh so the conditions were so bad not even the mites can make a living.

lmfao...

 

[mebebrian]

As long as there are strict rules enforced to prevent neglect, bad treatment and ill-informed purchases, such as only specialty reptile shops able to sell licenced animals. Not every shopping mall pet store!

And maybe a requirement for everyone applying for a licence to sell animals to attend a course and or pass a test.? And maybe a few guidelines like ensuring the shop, provide a standardised leaflet or caresheet for the species just purchased. Making sure all staff are educated or at least a licenced keeper is in the shop to answer questions and queries.

If all goes well it could be a really great thing for our hobby.... on the other hand...well lets just hope nsw doesnt get any shops like the one Sdaji visited!!!

 

[junglepython2]

As long as there are strict rules enforced to prevent neglect, bad treatment and ill-informed purchases, such as only specialty reptile shops able to sell licenced animals. Not every shopping mall pet store!

And maybe a requirement for everyone applying for a licence to sell animals to attend a course and or pass a test.? And maybe a few guidelines like ensuring the shop, provide a standardised leaflet or caresheet for the species just purchased. Making sure all staff are educated or at least a licenced keeper is in the shop to answer questions and queries.

If all goes well it could be a really great thing for our hobby.... on the other hand...well lets just hope nsw doesnt get any shops like the one Sdaji visited!!!

Despite best intentions those kind of regulations will never be enforced.

 

[Sdaji]

Yes yes, of course! NSW is sure to be able to succeed where every other Australian state has failed, plus all of the USA, plus Europe... yes yes, NSW is special.

I should move to NSW, I'll be able to cure cancer, build time machines out of bubble gum and match sticks and I'll bring about world peace within a week or two.

 

[horsenz]

Yes yes, of course! NSW is sure to be able to succeed where every other Australian state has failed, plus all of the USA, plus Europe... yes yes, NSW is special.

I should move to NSW, I'll be able to cure cancer, build time machines out of bubble gum and match sticks and I'll bring about world peace within a week or two.

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

[Dan19]

Hey Sdaji, can you say what shop that was, as i'm not sure if its the one that i visited a while back. You can pm it if you can be bothered.

 

[beeman]

As long as there are strict rules enforced to prevent neglect, bad treatment and ill-informed purchases, such as only specialty reptile shops able to sell licenced animals. Not every shopping mall pet store!

And maybe a requirement for everyone applying for a licence to sell animals to attend a course and or pass a test.? And maybe a few guidelines like ensuring the shop, provide a standardised leaflet or caresheet for the species just purchased. Making sure all staff are educated or at least a licenced keeper is in the shop to answer questions and queries.

If all goes well it could be a really great thing for our hobby.... on the other hand...well lets just hope nsw doesnt get any shops like the one Sdaji visited!!!

Sorry to tell you IT WONT make any difference, the experience that SDAJI had is a common
occurance, and you can report the offenders till you are blue in the face and the authorities
dont seem to want to do anything about it!

 

[rebeccalg]

I am glad that our local pet shop is making the move away from selling live animals, aside from fish. Sydney's Mayor, Clover Moore is currently campaigning to ban the sale of pets in pet shops. I hope the bill will encompass reptiles too.

http://www.clovermoore.com/main/page/489.pdf

 

[Hetty]

I am glad that our local pet shop is making the move away from selling live animals, aside from fish. Sydney's Mayor, Clover Moore is currently campaigning to ban the sale of pets in pet shops. I hope the bill will encompass reptiles too.

http://www.clovermoore.com/main/page/489.pdf

That's the Animals (regulation of sale) Bill 2007
http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/pr...58C7306802FB93CA257307001EFDE9?Open&shownotes

and, of course, it won't happen.

 

[Sdaji]

There are legal implications involved with naming stores like this publicly. I'd love to post photographs.

In case the staff of the store are reading this thread... hello!

I'm the guy in the bright green shirt you tried to sell live feed mice to, the one who had to say no three times and you pestered even as I was walking to the door. Be glad I decided to think better of posting pictures.

Dan19: I've deliberately been vague, dead animals and squalid cages are pretty common among all of the shops. I don't think I've said anything that could identify the place, unless you happened to see dead beadies in an enclosure with 'sold' written on the front. Send me a PM if you like.

 

[albino]

I am glad that our local pet shop is making the move away from selling live animals, aside from fish. Sydney's Mayor, Clover Moore is currently campaigning to ban the sale of pets in pet shops. I hope the bill will encompass reptiles too.

she's also against keeping native animals as pets at all and she is against using mammals as food, so if you are allowed to keep your snakes, they'll have to be vegans.

and sadji, if your experiences were justification for pet shops not dealing in herps then no-one could own them because the number of keepers who keep theirs in dirty conditions, sell their problem or diseased animals, and replace dead ones with others is many. it's a fact of life, there always has to be a 'worst' and best when comparing standards.

 

[albino]

The veterans might have been doing the same old same old thing the longest, but they also have the wisdom of experience and are not subjected to the wide-eyed naivete of the enthusiastic newbies who have only been keeping a few years and think that petshops are simply another easy way to buy reptiles.



Hix

that must be difficult, p*ssing in your own pocket. is your leg wet? you must be right with that argument. i'm with you until someone else tells me that their view is the right one to go with.

 

[mr black]

I went to a couple of pet shops in Melbourne today. It's not at all unusual to see dead reptiles in shops with the prices still written on the enclosures, but this time I would have found it amusing if I wasn't so disgusted, as instead of a price, there was "SOLD" written on the enclosure containing two dead hatchling Bearded Dragons. Not bad for $150 each. I wonder if they'll just grab another two hatchlings and put them into the 'sold' enclosure before the buyer returns. Most likely they won't notice until the buyer returns. I'd love to be a fly on the wall for that one.

Am I horrible for only thinking about Monty Python's "Dead Parrot" sketch when I read that?

 

[Hickson]

I should move to NSW, I'll be able to cure cancer, build time machines out of bubble gum and match sticks and I'll bring about world peace within a week or two.

I always wondered what happened to MacGyver.



Hix

 

[herptrader]

I might be in the minority here but I would think that if pet shops are allowed to sell animals they should sell them at a premium that gives them sufficient profit that they can can and do take the effort to house them in pristine conditions.

Even if pet shops do sell reptiles and other live animals the profit is unlikely to be with the sale of the animals themselves but with the accessories and the follow up sales of food etc. The reason for having animals on display (even if they are not for sale) is to demonstrate how the husbandry wares, enclosures etc. they sell can be used thus helping them sell more of the profitable accessories. Even with a high mark up on the animals they are unlikely to make much of a profit from them.

soon they might have bar codes on them and be sold at coles in the pet food section.
stimsons python 350g SAVE 9c

 

[pythonmum]

I might be in the minority here but I would think that if pet shops are allowed to sell animals they should sell them at a premium that gives them sufficient profit that they can can and do take the effort to house them in pristine conditions.

Even if pet shops do sell reptiles and other live animals the profit is unlikely to be with the sale of the animals themselves but with the accessories and the follow up sales of food etc. The reason for having animals on display (even if they are not for sale) is to demonstrate how the husbandry wares, enclosures etc. they sell can be used thus helping them sell more of the profitable accessories. Even with a high mark up on the animals they are unlikely to make much of a profit from them.

The pet shops I'm not fond of certainly sell puppies at a huge markup. Small fluffy mongrels (pardon me, 'designer dogs') go for $1000, but can be purchased from a rescue organisation a year later for $250. I watched someone buy a puppy in one of these shops and they were told to get all sorts of ridiculous gear like soft little beds which the dog was going to tear to shreds! The pet shop I like sells herp supplies and sets up demonstration enclosures with rubber snakes or plastic lizards in them. If you ask about herps, you find knowledgable staff and a nice selection of frozen rodents. I imagine that shop would sell herps well, but I hate to think of the conditions you'd find in the shops I don't like.

 

[junglepython2]

and sadji, if your experiences were justification for pet shops not dealing in herps then no-one could own them because the number of keepers who keep theirs in dirty conditions, sell their problem or diseased animals, and replace dead ones with others is many. it's a fact of life, there always has to be a 'worst' and best when comparing standards.

The difference between best and worst in vic is the best ones put the dead animals out the back, out of view.