What would you do?

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Posted by Joey Buchan on November 09, 2000 at 22:37:17:

Hi everyone :)

Haven't posted in a few days, but I've been here. Just too busy to
post anything. My 2 babies are doing great. The little one (Kashka)
that we got last week is finally starting to really settle in. She
eating like a pig and follows Kianga around...they're really cute
together.

What I'm writing about is something I saw tonight that really
disturbed me and I'm not quite sure how I should handle it. I was at
work today and was talking to someone about my torts when somebody
walked by and asked if I had been to a local pet store that had 2 big
torts that walked around and had the "run of the store". I hadn't
heard about them, but they really got me interested when they
described them and they sounded like Sulcatas.

Well, I got off work and went by and sure enough, they were
Sulcatas. I have to say...never seeing a grown one in person, I was
so amazed by them. They were gorgeous! One was about 18 or 20
inches long and weighed about 40 lbs. The other was about 12 inches
long. Although they were quite beautiful and pretty tame (the
largest one loved to have his head scratched), they are NOT getting
the care they deserve. Since they have the run of the store, they
have no substrate to dig around or burrow in. They just have one
corner of the store where they "live" in a laundry basket. They
certainly aren't getting the temperature requirements, and I know
they can't be getting the right amount of UVB light either. I played
dumb and asked what he was feeding them and he said "the best thing
on the market" and then proceeded to try and tell me how they like
iguana pellets. I looked in their food bowl and they also had
chopped up iceberg lettuce and what looked like cheese. I also
didn't see a water bowl anywhere (although I might have just missed
it).

I don't think this guy is trying to mistreat them, I just think he's
too dumb to know better. He was sitting behind the counter telling
everyone they were his "attack turtles" and they watch the store at
night and he was gonna "fatten 'em up so he can ride 'em around the
store"! Maybe I'm overreacting, I'm sure there are turtles and torts
in much worse shape than this, but this really bothers me.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do? I'm not very
good at "confrontations" and this guy is a big 'ole redneck! I
thought about printing out alot of information off the Tortoise Trust
website, Sulcata Station, and Turtle Cafe and just mailing it to him
with a note saying to please read it over.

What do you guys think??

Joey
& Kianga & Kashka

Oh yeah...when I asked what kind of torts they were he said "an
African Spur Thythed"!

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: Hi everyone :) : Haven't posted in a few days, but I've been here. Just too busy to : post anything. My 2 babies are doing great. The little one (Kashka) : that we got last week is finally starting to really settle in. She : eating like a pig and follows Kianga around...they're really cute : together. : What I'm writing about is something I saw tonight that really : disturbed me and I'm not quite sure how I should handle it. I was at : work today and was talking to someone about my torts when somebody : walked by and asked if I had been to a local pet store that had 2 big : torts that walked around and had the "run of the store". I hadn't : heard about them, but they really got me interested when they : described them and they sounded like Sulcatas. : Well, I got off work and went by and sure enough, they were : Sulcatas. I have to say...never seeing a grown one in person, I was : so amazed by them. They were gorgeous! One was about 18 or 20 : inches long and weighed about 40 lbs. The other was about 12 inches : long. Although they were quite beautiful and pretty tame (the : largest one loved to have his head scratched), they are NOT getting : the care they deserve. Since they have the run of the store, they : have no substrate to dig around or burrow in. They just have one : corner of the store where they "live" in a laundry basket. They : certainly aren't getting the temperature requirements, and I know : they can't be getting the right amount of UVB light either. I played : dumb and asked what he was feeding them and he said "the best thing : on the market" and then proceeded to try and tell me how they like : iguana pellets. I looked in their food bowl and they also had : chopped up iceberg lettuce and what looked like cheese. I also : didn't see a water bowl anywhere (although I might have just missed : it). : I don't think this guy is trying to mistreat them, I just think he's : too dumb to know better. He was sitting behind the counter telling : everyone they were his "attack turtles" and they watch the store at : night and he was gonna "fatten 'em up so he can ride 'em around the : store"! Maybe I'm overreacting, I'm sure there are turtles and torts : in much worse shape than this, but this really bothers me. : Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do? I'm not very : good at "confrontations" and this guy is a big 'ole redneck! I : thought about printing out alot of information off the Tortoise Trust : website, Sulcata Station, and Turtle Cafe and just mailing it to him : with a note saying to please read it over. : What do you guys think?? : Joey : & Kianga & Kashka : Oh yeah...when I asked what kind of torts they were he said "an : African Spur Thythed"!

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