WC ball pythons sold as CB...unethical treatment

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Posted by mgl on February 28, 2003 at 20:32:09:

Hello all, I have have a sick feeling in my stomach. I went to a local pet store tonight and was getting some feeders. I always just browse at the reptiles for sale. Well, I saw 2 gorgeous ball pythons that were for sale and I asked to look at them. I pulled them out and they were covered in scars and worst of all, ticks. One had 5 and the other had 2. I brought it to the clerk's attention. He said they were CB and that it was normal to have this. I said you have to be joking, right. Anybody could see that these were WC. He was told they had eaten (but never saw that...from the importer I suppose) and said you can just pick off the ticks...they will be fine. I about blew up. I said you have to treat these things atleast and give them a fair chance...plus what about internal parasites and stress. They were caged together on newspaper with no hiding at all, a white light left on all the time and a water dish. He said that the substrate they put them on gets rid of ticks...well all be darned if newspaper is treated now adays for parasite control. I said it was imoral to sell these and especially to a beginner...they would just die. He said "Oh well, they are what they are." Anyway, who can I talk to about the humane treatment of animals? I said that your store is practicing bad habits and he then spouts out..."you can't shut us down, we've been open for 30 years." I had to ask the experts on advice. I'm not the expert by all means, but I do small-time breeding and have some valuable and common animals and regardless, they should all be treated with respect. I am going back tomorrow to talk to the manager and possibly buy them to treat them if they refuse to. I know I don't want to give them my business, but it isn't fair to the animals to suffer a slow death because people don't know what the h$ll they are talking about. Can any legal action be taken? Sorry about the rant, but we all need to get the malpractice terminated. Please, any info or suggestions would be helpful.

Matt

Follow Ups:

Re: WC ball pythons sold as CB...unethical treatment Stryder 03/01/03 (3)
- Re: WC ball pythons sold as CB...unethical treatment KLorentz 03/01/03 (2)
  - Re: WC ball pythons sold as CB...unethical treatment StephanieA 03/10/03 (1)
    - Re: WC ball pythons and the import trade reed 03/16/03 (0)