My local pet store has been taking sub-par care of their reptiles for years. But recently I was at the store and I saw a horribly emaciated ball python. Thatâs when I finally decided to confront the staff in one way or another.
Unfortunately, there is not a reptile welfare service near me and I donât know if they would have any authority since they are in a completely different city.
You can try contacting local law enforcement to file a report. You can also Google resources for reporting animal abuse in your area and see if there are any other humane agencies to report to. They do not need to be reptile specific.
That said, unfortunately in many places, animals are considered property, and welfare laws as well as enforcement of those laws tend to be lacking. Pet stores with poorly kept animals are sadly not uncommon.
Animal control would routinely pop in for surprise visits at the big box shop I worked at. If you think the care there is that dire I would consider calling the nearest animal control office or like suggested, call your local policeâs non-emergency line to request a report.
@watchout1 If it were me Iâd try everything suggested above.
I would also report the store to the ASPCA either by phone or email. Also, warn everyone you know about the animal cruelty thatâs going on in that store. Facebook is a great avenue for that. The way I see it, the more âstuffâ you throw at the wall hopefully something will stick. These people need to accept some responsibility.
Unfortunately the ASPCA only investigates cases in New York City. They advise contacting local police, animal control, SPCA (if the area has one, many do not), or other local humane organizations for anyone outside of NYC.
Thanks everyone, here is my course of action based on your feedback:
Investigate the pet-store myself. (Ask various questions to employees to verify if intervention is needed.)
If intervention is needed, Iâll report to an animal welfare agency.
If the pet store is technically not breaking any laws, and the agency refuses to help, then I will post on various platforms about the situation which hopefully will help the staff take responsibility for their sub-par care.
Edit: I probably wonât actually post about the situation becuase I realized the owner could sue me for defamation of character and I donât want to get into all that. So Iâll just hope the welfare agency can take care of it when/if I contact them.
Honestly, I would not be investigating this yourself. As much as you want to help, it should be left to the proper authorities. Iâm not sure if this is a local mom & pop place or a chain store, but either way, no owner or manager is going to tolerate someone coming in and asking their employees questions of that nature. Thereâs a very good chance youâll be asked to leave, if not have the police called to trespass you from the property.
One of the things you can do if the police wonât do anything is see if your local news channel or newspaper has a tip line or an investigative team that works on stories like this. Often times those kinds of stories can spur further action.
Take a direct approach with the store manager. Tell them your concerns and what you feel needs to be done to remedy the situation.
Be polite and informative. Tell them, gently, what you see wrong and offer advice how to fix it. Let them know what your experience is with these animals.
Set up a quarantine area at home because if you do take a direct approach, you may end up bringing it/them home. It happens. I got a group of anoles this way once. And a few other creatures.
Be polite, you donât want to light anyone up, just save a life.
If they become belligerent, politely remind them that your offering help and walk away.
Then get the animal welfare services involved.