Hermanns in my local Pets at Home :-(

alotoffluff · 09-04-2009, 02:36 PM

Sorry if i have posted this in the wrong place.
I went into the shop today as there was a big sign outside saying "NOW SELLING REPTILES".

So there they all were, in vivs of course, along with bearded dragons. They were living on that grey dust stuff as substrate, literally not even a centimetre thick, spring greens for food and one terracotta pot on its side for a hide with meadow hay in it.
I called the manager and she got the reptile "expert" out for me.
I pointed out that the temp in there was 25C and that they should have a hot and cool end, and she said that the viv is ventilated and that is the overall temp. I then pointed out that in the wild they wouldnt be eating spring greens and that a plant pot wasnt a sufficient hide for about 12 torts,
This lady then told me that she was sent to college to study the care of reptiles and that torts were kept in vivs there, and they thrived. She showed me a book the college issued them listing foods that should be provided. It was all green veg and peppers, tomatoes and so forth!!!!!

She then said they would provide weeds for their second feed later in the day. I commented that i would love to see which member of staff was going to pick them!
She said that Pets at Home would not sell a tort to anyone until they had first purchased a £10 book to go away and read on how to care for them first. They then had to come back and take a test before they would sell a tort.
I asked could they not promote the vivs and instead quide a customer towards table top enclosures but she said that she hadnt been trained to advise that!!!! GRRRRRRRRRR
I was so upset about the torts, they all had glittery stickers on their backs, had no substrate to dig down in and a tiny bit of meadow hay in that pot. I was also informed that the lights would be kept on 24 hours a day! Fried tortoises anyone?

I could see that i wasnt going to get anywhere and left quite upset!
Why do these stores get away with it????

jenc · 09-04-2009, 02:43 PM

I bet it was the same pets at home that I went to!! I to spoke to the so called expert and explained the same as you and got the same reply!!! It was very upsetting. I am gona print of some care sheets and take them there. Not sure if it will make a difference though!!!

alotoffluff · 09-04-2009, 02:45 PM

I told the lady she should join the tortoise trust or Shelled Warriors and she might learn something! I was so angry and my daughters were highly embarassed by my behaviour! Even the security guard was hovering around me!

09-04-2009, 02:55 PM

send them a email to the m/director stating how unhappy you are, asking why they felt the need to decorate with stickers and that they were causing unnessary suffering ect, this of course will all be a waste of time, but one day someones complaint will stick in someones brain and they will more than likely think your the nutty one with daft ideas about torts

jenc · 09-04-2009, 02:58 PM

I had to leave cos i felt myself getting to angry and the lady was just not listening to me! She kept saying she had been on a course!! I am just gona keep going in there giving them care sheets and websites to look at!! Maybe they will get fed up of me and change!!! Well I can hope

mazkc · 09-04-2009, 03:04 PM

aww thats so sad

they have them in pet shops near me too and they just look so slow and tired and arent active at all. i wanted to rescue them all! you did good asking them questions and putting them on the spot by telling them they are doing wrong though, maybe if enough of us do it they will start to care for them properly!

alotoffluff · 09-04-2009, 03:22 PM

it just frustrated me so much! I came straight home and gave my Fluffy a big cuddle

and let him out for a recreational.
I just wanted to buy them all! £250 a pair though, im sorry im not rich!

jenc · 09-04-2009, 03:25 PM

I know Hercs, bert and Ernie got a huge cuddle when i came home to!! I also wanted to buy them all but don't have that sort of money either!!!

Jillyp · 09-04-2009, 03:27 PM

The only saving grace is that hopefully the price will put a lot of impulse buyers off. Just hopefully whoever buys them will have done their research and ignore the crud advice given (I live in hope).

I wonder if we'll see them arriving in the "adoption" section when they cant sell them (there's a suspicion that this is what happens to unsaleable bunnies).

choink · 09-04-2009, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jillyp

I wonder if we'll see them arriving in the "adoption" section when they cant sell them (there's a suspicion that this is what happens to unsaleable bunnies).

i'm sure this is what happens to unsaleable bunnies, gps, hamsters etc. i got one of my guinea pigs from PAH adoption (before they officially introduced it) and the member of staff just told me that they could sell her because of her colour and eyes (she's white with beady red eyes!)

09-04-2009, 02:36 PM	#1
alotoffluff Senior Member Adult Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: greenwich, london, previously born and brought up in Kent! Posts: 2,127	Hermanns in my local Pets at Home :-( Sorry if i have posted this in the wrong place. I went into the shop today as there was a big sign outside saying "NOW SELLING REPTILES". So there they all were, in vivs of course, along with bearded dragons. They were living on that grey dust stuff as substrate, literally not even a centimetre thick, spring greens for food and one terracotta pot on its side for a hide with meadow hay in it. I called the manager and she got the reptile "expert" out for me. I pointed out that the temp in there was 25C and that they should have a hot and cool end, and she said that the viv is ventilated and that is the overall temp. I then pointed out that in the wild they wouldnt be eating spring greens and that a plant pot wasnt a sufficient hide for about 12 torts, This lady then told me that she was sent to college to study the care of reptiles and that torts were kept in vivs there, and they thrived. She showed me a book the college issued them listing foods that should be provided. It was all green veg and peppers, tomatoes and so forth!!!!! She then said they would provide weeds for their second feed later in the day. I commented that i would love to see which member of staff was going to pick them! She said that Pets at Home would not sell a tort to anyone until they had first purchased a £10 book to go away and read on how to care for them first. They then had to come back and take a test before they would sell a tort. I asked could they not promote the vivs and instead quide a customer towards table top enclosures but she said that she hadnt been trained to advise that!!!! GRRRRRRRRRR I was so upset about the torts, they all had glittery stickers on their backs, had no substrate to dig down in and a tiny bit of meadow hay in that pot. I was also informed that the lights would be kept on 24 hours a day! Fried tortoises anyone? I could see that i wasnt going to get anywhere and left quite upset! Why do these stores get away with it????

09-04-2009, 03:04 PM	#6
mazkc Member Hatched Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: West Midlands Posts: 499	aww thats so sad they have them in pet shops near me too and they just look so slow and tired and arent active at all. i wanted to rescue them all! you did good asking them questions and putting them on the spot by telling them they are doing wrong though, maybe if enough of us do it they will start to care for them properly! __________________ Maria 0.1.0 THB - Paddy ♥

09-04-2009, 03:27 PM	#9
Jillyp Member Hatchling Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 727	The only saving grace is that hopefully the price will put a lot of impulse buyers off. Just hopefully whoever buys them will have done their research and ignore the crud advice given (I live in hope). I wonder if we'll see them arriving in the "adoption" section when they cant sell them (there's a suspicion that this is what happens to unsaleable bunnies). __________________ Jill

09-04-2009, 02:43 PM	#2
jenc Member Incubating Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kent/London Posts: 204	I bet it was the same pets at home that I went to!! I to spoke to the so called expert and explained the same as you and got the same reply!!! It was very upsetting. I am gona print of some care sheets and take them there. Not sure if it will make a difference though!!!

09-04-2009, 02:45 PM	#3
alotoffluff Senior Member Adult Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: greenwich, london, previously born and brought up in Kent! Posts: 2,127	I told the lady she should join the tortoise trust or Shelled Warriors and she might learn something! I was so angry and my daughters were highly embarassed by my behaviour! Even the security guard was hovering around me!

09-04-2009, 02:55 PM	#4
purplelinda Guest Posts: n/a	send them a email to the m/director stating how unhappy you are, asking why they felt the need to decorate with stickers and that they were causing unnessary suffering ect, this of course will all be a waste of time, but one day someones complaint will stick in someones brain and they will more than likely think your the nutty one with daft ideas about torts

09-04-2009, 02:58 PM	#5
jenc Member Incubating Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kent/London Posts: 204	I had to leave cos i felt myself getting to angry and the lady was just not listening to me! She kept saying she had been on a course!! I am just gona keep going in there giving them care sheets and websites to look at!! Maybe they will get fed up of me and change!!! Well I can hope

09-04-2009, 03:22 PM	#7
alotoffluff Senior Member Adult Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: greenwich, london, previously born and brought up in Kent! Posts: 2,127	it just frustrated me so much! I came straight home and gave my Fluffy a big cuddle and let him out for a recreational. I just wanted to buy them all! £250 a pair though, im sorry im not rich!

09-04-2009, 03:25 PM	#8
jenc Member Incubating Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kent/London Posts: 204	I know Hercs, bert and Ernie got a huge cuddle when i came home to!! I also wanted to buy them all but don't have that sort of money either!!!

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