Suspected morphing axi for sale in shop..

Zeanieboppa

Zeanieboppa

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Zena
Hi,

I have a happy and healthy axolotl, otherwise known as Sid, so like to think I know at least the basics of axolotl care. Today I went into a fish shop, who had a good reputation, and they've started branching out, selling more exotic creatures (which all looked to be in great health). Then I found one very sad, stressed looking axolotl swimming about his bare and bright tanK.

He instantly made me feel so sad as all of his beautiful frilly gills were no longer there and he had white spots over him. He was sharing his tank with some kind of small fish (not a fish expert) and had no where to hid from the glaring people or bright light.

I spoke to a member of staff about my concern, and he said, they thought he was 'about to morph, as the heater broke...' which says to me they don't have a clue how to care for this poor animal
animal. I doubt they'll take any notice of my concerns and sell his anyway! (there was nothing to inform a new owner of this axolotl fate)

I was wondering if there's anything I can do, as this must be animal cruelty? :mad:
 
First, we need a picture to see how bad it is. But for standing up to the petstore, just tell them every time you go there, and report them to your version of the aspca
 
Thanks for the response, I've already spoken to a member of staff and told them what the axolotl is needing to be healthy and happy and for it to be morphing means it's incredibly stressed and something needs to be done. I stupidly didn't take a picture as I was so cross, I just didn't think. I'm going to try to go back, to see if they've done anything to care for the axi any bette. I can't help but feel they'd laugh me out the shop if I threatened them with the RSPCA...
 
But you should contact them because it is a form of animal cruelty
 
I disagree. It may be cruel, but they do not intend on creating pain for the animal, they just don't know how to care for it. You don't see the RSPCA going into Pets At Home and rescuing all the overcrowded half-dead fish. As far as they're concerned, they have other problems.
 
I agree with both arguments, in that while I'm 100% sure they didn't intend for this to happen, they have taken on an animal they clearly don't know how to care for... It is their responsibility to research and ensure the animals they stock are properly cared for and are sold on to be healthy animal. They definitely shouldn't sell him mid-morph if he is morphing, not without some kind of sign to potential buyers.
 
Also, he could have just had his gills bitten of by those fish you mentioned
 
I originally thought the gills had been damaged, hence why they were no longer there, but if that were the case, it wouldn't have been because of the one little fish in the tank with him
 
Cliygh and Mia said:
By that I mean, they need to research an animal before they sell it and give it to people
Click to expand...

If you reported every time you saw a petstore housing an animal poorly, and they got shut down or whatever, there would be very few petstores left that sold animals, which isn't entirely a bad thing, but the point is that almost every petstore houses something or a lot of things wrong, reporting won't do much if anything
 
Zeanieboppa said:
I can't help but feel they'd laugh me out the shop if I threatened them with the RSPCA...
Click to expand...

They normally do. There are always exceptions, but normally they are normally poorly paid fools that are pressured to sell the dry goods like filters, tanks, pellets and heaters etc because that's where he money is. In general, to garden centre type places, the livestock is just the shop window really, they make little profit from it, so if it gets people through the door they don't care if it only lasts until the next delivery from the wholesalers, it consumes minimal food that way.
As I said there are exceptions, but that's the norm.
 
Ive always felt like I should go around leaving sticky notes everywhere they're doing something wrong, but I never do it lol
 
Why don't you go back in, see how it's doing and if it's still in bad conditions tell a member of staff and tell them the proper care for it. Reference to this site, reference to axolotl.org. Just say you have your own lotl and you know how to care for them and they are essentially damaging and killing the poor thing. Just tell them exactly what is wrong and how exactly they can improve on it.

If that doesn't work, ask to speak to the manager and express this again? Just let them know everything that is wrong with how they're keeping it. Don't go about it in an angry/cross way, just firmly tell them. Being angry about it will just make them angry and then they won't listen to you.

If they seem to take on your advice, visit them again in a month or so. If it's still there and nothing has been changed within a month, then contact the RSPCA.
 
Ok, I guess the next step then is to go back and see if anythings change and I if not talk to the manager; as I did calmly inform them, as an axi owner, where they might be going wrong. (I'm a lower school teacher, so am used to not letting my frustrations spill out :p)

Thank you for all your suggestions, I'd have felt like an awful human being if I didn't say anything before I left the shop.
 
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