Pet store abusing axolotls- help?

[Silver]

The pet store where I got Leviathan is keeping their axolotls in deplorable conditions. They're being kept with feeder guppies in tanks full of their own waste, no hides or anything available, and keep biting off each other's limbs. They're in maybe five-seven gallons of water, two of them in one and three in the other. They're also way, way overweight (from the guppies maybe? It seems like that was their only source of food). There was at least one dead fish floating around one of the tanks.

I live in Washington State, and everything is illegal here (as you all know). I'd like to report this store for abusing their animals, but they have a lot of illegal critters which will be destroyed if the store is shut down (baby turtles, illegal amphibians, etc). They're charging 50-60 dollars for each of them and I don't have any more tank space, so I can't rescue them . What would you guys suggest? This is the kind of store that keeps puppy mill puppies in tiny cages, so I'm not sure they'd listen if I tried to tell them how to care for them properly. Apparently, this store is "the only one the breeder trusts to handle her baby axolotls".

 

[Dr0gr1n]

I know the first reaction is to buy them but don't. All you do is encourage them to order more from the breeder and the cycle continues. I would report them if you feel the conditions are that bad. Try to educate but if the store refuses to listen then I feel it would be better to have animals put down than to be treated poorly. just my thoughts.

 

[Silver]

I understand. My first instinct was (obviously) to get them out of there myself, but you're right- it only encourages them. The only reason I bought Levi from there was because I'd never seen them in the area before and I'd wanted one for years. I'll write them a cease and desist letter, and if that doesn't work, I'll report them. Do you think I'm over reacting, or are conditions as bad as I think they are?

 

[Dr0gr1n]

Without actually seeing the store and how the tanks are set up I can not speak to the fact of an over reaction or not. If you see it as being a bad environment and call them out and try to educate and get no change or improvement then if I felt strongly about it I would report to whoever would listen. Maybe shoot some pics in the store or take some video of the conditions as proof, youtube it, link it here. You may find a lot of others that feel the same way. Just be careful not to slander or defame a business or they may take legal action.

Hope you get some results.

 

[axolotl lvr]

Silver, I was just wondering if there was any results... and if u can take a pic of the axies at the store id really like to see what conditions they had them in..

I know how ur feeling about this because I just did buy one that was well is in horrible condition... Hes under my post Paradoux Axolotl...

Did you write them a cease and distress order??

Just wondering..

 

[Silver]

They sold most of them. I went in today and their albino was dead, his gills and part of his tail eaten away by the fish that were in there. I talked to one of the managers about the issues and she sounded like she'd take care of it.