An Upsetting Evening...

[DeCypher]

I'd just like to share what happened at the pet store yesterday evening.
So, I walked in the pet store to get a new day bulb for my iguana, the other one had burnt out. I walked over to the aquatics section for a peek at any new fish. And...they had Axolotls. Which is not a good thing. They had 12 small 4-inch Axies in a 10-gal tank. There was a filter which had a very large, fast water output. They had small gravel, possible impaction risk. The water was brown and gross. The Axolotls themselves had short, forward-curled gills. They were skinny and looked diseased....
I marched right over to the manager and explained how horrible this is, and how these animals deserve fair and correct treatment. He was like "They look very healthy!" Um, no. I explained how Axolotls are supposed to be taken care of, and how I have some of my own at home. I asked him what they were feeding them, and they were feeding them fish food!!! I explained the correct food items. I told him this isn't right or ethical, and said he better fix what he is doing here.
I came back tonight....no changes whatsoever to the conditions of the Axolotls.
This is why Axolotls should be captive-bred only, and not sold publicly in pet stores. I guarantee you some young child will come in and think they're so cool, and follow every instruction the employees give them....thus killing the Axolotls.

 

[Jenste]

It is awful, isn't it?

The pet store down the street from me sold tiger sal larva as an axolotl to my mother - - now Linus from the forum has him and a few of his siblings!

They were kept on gravel, bright lights, strong out put, and the employees had no idea there was a difference in species

 

[nwmnnaturalist]

We MUST stand up for these creatures. I walk into Wal-Mart and watch a random employee dump dead fish into a waste basket. You can't blame the employees, since they are only doing what their bosses tell them to do. I've heard cases from friends who worked at various stores who tried to do the right thing and got reprimanded or even fired for it.

We have to take it to the companies themselves, not so much the employees. We have to notify management about it. Contact organizations like the ASPCA/SPCA/RSPCA to try and get them to help out. No matter how big or small these creatures are, they deserve humane treatment. The money lost to these companies in replacing the dead animals is obviously not enough to matter to them.

To those who have the ability and resources to give these animals the life they deserve, no matter how short, please do. Not all of us can rescue them personally, but we can all do our part to give them or at least other animals a better life. We have to convince these companies that they will be much better off by giving these animals the care they deserve, and thus, greater customer satisfaction.

 

[Kaysie]

Unfortunately, rescuing these animals from the pet shop just creates a bigger problem. The pet shop will see that there is a demand, especially since someone just bought all their stock; then they'll order more to replace those ones, dooming a whole new set of *insert species* to terrible care.

The best thing to do is to be confident and polite when trying to explain care to employees. Ask to talk to the manager, and email them. This is especially important, as then you have a written record. Then, report 'em to SPCA with details if nothing changes.

 

[AngieD]

I agree with kaysie - rescuing just loses you money and causes a lot of heartache when the little guys die (as they often do from situations like that)

 

[Coastal Groovin]

Sad to say the best thing you can do is let them die and have the store lose money. That is the only thing they understand. If you want to do something that matters do this. Fill up and basket with a load of supplies. Expensive stuff like Powerheads, large cans of food, and big ornaments. Walk up to and tell the manager you are appalled at the conditions the Axolotls are being kept and hand him the basket and tell him you are not buying anything from that store until he fixes the problem. Then you actually have to shop somewhere else and stick to it. Make him think he it cost the store hundreds in a lost sale. Manipulate through greed.

 

[Carl]

What really needs to happen is for people to make a stand, look at the sickening Axolotl in the pet shop feel bad that you can't rescue it realise that if you do the chances are this is going to happen to more axolotls when the shop owner buys more in because you keep buying them!

tell the shop owner that you love the Axies he has and that you wish you could buy one from him but he's killing them and that if he fixed the issues then you would happily get one. then if they don't fix it phone the organisations mentioned above and strongly complain and then publicise the fact to everyone single one of your friends who shops there!

 

[ethan]

I got some yabbys from apet store, to ad to my colection. 1 week later, ALL DEAD! they were no big loss or anything, but still! I went there to complain, they said '' aw, its kinda not our responcebility if they like, die or som'tin'' But when they tried to replace them, we looked in the tank and all17 of them were dead. Did'nt surprise me in the least. And in the Axie tank, all of them were floting and had bloat, with a sign saying : We like floting!. Not cool. On a different matter, why are they called Mexican Walking Fish?...

 

[Coastal Groovin]

I would say they are called Mexican walking fish because they have gills and fins like a fish but use their legs to walk along the bottom.