Bravo!

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Posted by Jen B on May 24, 2001 at 11:08:36:

In Reply to: Re: Do you have a relationship with the manger? posted by LauraO on May 23, 2001 at 13:17:27:

Laura, that is good advice. The pet store issue is such a difficult one. You want to save the tortoises pronto, but as Justin suggested, saving the torts provides a market and does nothing to change the situation. I was all for the animal control board route, but education is of course a good move. This does take some good negotiation skills, but is hopefully worth the effort. John, if you feel you can do this, I think it would be worthwhile.

Jennifer

: Although deep down I am still as angry as you are at ignorant pet store owners/managers, I have found that slowly and kindly working up a relationship with those in charge can have benefits in the long run. The petland discounts manager by me doesn't know much about the needs of particular chelonians or other reptiles, but he does try when somebody talks to him casually, kindly and normally, instead of in an angry tone. If you do talk to the people in charge, try being calm, down-to-earth, and give only small bits of info at a time, regardless of what you are dying to say all at once. Getting very upset or giving too much info at once on care will make you seem like an insane fanatic to the workers, most of whom are only there because they needed some source of income; not because they care about animals.

: Because of the relationship I have built, he has taken my phone number and frequently given it out to buyers of herps. And I am working on proper caresheets for him to give out to buying customers. I believe he will truly give them out to people. It costs him nothing to do so and less people will come back complaining about sick or dying animals, hopefully. This also allows me to do something for the animals already in the store BESIDES buying them. The animals have half a chance at getting better care, and at the same time I have not created a larger market for them in the eye of the store owner.

: I don't know what the laws are like where you live, but I used to work for the ASPCA in New York City. Here, reptiles are given far less consideration when cruelty cases are called in. Regardless of what the laws on the books are, the speed at which an investigation takes place ultimately relies on the sympathies of the law enforcers in charge. Most, unfortunately, still see reptiles as non-adorable and not very intelligent, thereby not deserving of better protection. Plus, I have seen reptiles of all kinds in conditions like you describe, but our laws are not designed to protect animals as far as species-specific needs are concerned. If they have a roof over their heads, water in a bowl, and are not emaciated looking, it's good enough for the animal control people here. Even a load of feces will only cause an arrest or at least a summons if it has obviously been piling up for weeks and weeks. This may be your only hope, I'm sorry to say.

: Try gently to convince these guys that leaving the animals like that is wrong. If nothing else, remind them that a sick tortoise is a dead tortoise, and dead animals don't bring in the money. It stinks that this is the world we live in.

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: Laura, that is good advice. The pet store issue is such a difficult one. You want to save the tortoises pronto, but as Justin suggested, saving the torts provides a market and does nothing to change the situation. I was all for the animal control board route, but education is of course a good move. This does take some good negotiation skills, but is hopefully worth the effort. John, if you feel you can do this, I think it would be worthwhile. : Jennifer : : Although deep down I am still as angry as you are at ignorant pet store owners/managers, I have found that slowly and kindly working up a relationship with those in charge can have benefits in the long run. The petland discounts manager by me doesn't know much about the needs of particular chelonians or other reptiles, but he does try when somebody talks to him casually, kindly and normally, instead of in an angry tone. If you do talk to the people in charge, try being calm, down-to-earth, and give only small bits of info at a time, regardless of what you are dying to say all at once. Getting very upset or giving too much info at once on care will make you seem like an insane fanatic to the workers, most of whom are only there because they needed some source of income; not because they care about animals. : : Because of the relationship I have built, he has taken my phone number and frequently given it out to buyers of herps. And I am working on proper caresheets for him to give out to buying customers. I believe he will truly give them out to people. It costs him nothing to do so and less people will come back complaining about sick or dying animals, hopefully. This also allows me to do something for the animals already in the store BESIDES buying them. The animals have half a chance at getting better care, and at the same time I have not created a larger market for them in the eye of the store owner. : : I don't know what the laws are like where you live, but I used to work for the ASPCA in New York City. Here, reptiles are given far less consideration when cruelty cases are called in. Regardless of what the laws on the books are, the speed at which an investigation takes place ultimately relies on the sympathies of the law enforcers in charge. Most, unfortunately, still see reptiles as non-adorable and not very intelligent, thereby not deserving of better protection. Plus, I have seen reptiles of all kinds in conditions like you describe, but our laws are not designed to protect animals as far as species-specific needs are concerned. If they have a roof over their heads, water in a bowl, and are not emaciated looking, it's good enough for the animal control people here. Even a load of feces will only cause an arrest or at least a summons if it has obviously been piling up for weeks and weeks. This may be your only hope, I'm sorry to say. : : Try gently to convince these guys that leaving the animals like that is wrong. If nothing else, remind them that a sick tortoise is a dead tortoise, and dead animals don't bring in the money. It stinks that this is the world we live in.

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