# Should Pet Store Animals be “Rescued”?



## TortoiseRacket (Dec 29, 2018)

Almost all reptile keepers have wandered into a petco, Petsmart, or other pet store when away from home. Everyone who has done this has thought about “rescuing” an animal. Many people say, “Don’t buy from them, they will just get another. Also, it is giving money to the bad places they get their animals.” What do you think? I think people should rescue these animals. Buy buying these animals, you are most likely saving their life. Of course they will get another one, but it is destributing the stress around. If the animal you rescued died in that store, they would get another one too. If it didn’t die, it would most likely get sold to inexperienced parents that would give it to their kid who would kill it buy either forgetting about it or giving it such bad care it just could survive. If all of the reptile keepers went out today and bought all the animals in petcos around the world, the breeder would be so stressed he would probably run out of animals to ship. By rescuing these animals you can stop misinformation about reptiles. Next holiday, when someone asks, “What do I want”, I will say, “A petco gift card!” What do you think?
-Mickey


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## jsheffield (Dec 29, 2018)

I think that financially supporting businesses whose business model and methodology I don't support doesn't make sense ... they may not change their ways because I spend my money elsewhere, but they certainly won't change their ways when I give it to them, essentially paying them to mistreat animals.

Jmho, YMMV.

Jamie


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## TortoiseRacket (Dec 29, 2018)

jsheffield said:


> I think that financially supporting businesses whose business model and methodology I don't support doesn't make sense ... they may not change their ways because I spend my money elsewhere, but they certainly won't change them when I give it to them.
> 
> Jmho, YMMV.
> 
> Jamie


This has been bugging me. To me, the animal comes before putting a store out of business, but there are just so many bad places out there, it’s hard to not rescue. I totally respect your point of view!
-Mickey


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## T Smart (Dec 29, 2018)

Hi,

It may seem honorable to "rescue" a tortoise from PetSmart, but the cycle continues. The real problem is that the United States is behind the curve in the supply of captive bred Russians. PetSmart or Petco supplies Russians for a reason. They make great pets due to their small size/hands off care, and they are most likely very inexpensive to obtain. You see hundreds of Sulcata or Redfoot hatchlings; This isn't the case for Russians. I'm guilty of shopping for items at PetSmart, but I'd never purchase a tortoise there for obvious reasons.

Just my thoughts! 

Best,

-Thomas S.


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## TortoiseRacket (Dec 29, 2018)

T Smart said:


> Hi,
> 
> It may seem honorable to "rescue" a tortoise from PetSmart, but the cycle continues. The real problem is that the United States is behind the curve in the supply of captive bred Russians. PetSmart or Petco supplies Russians for a reason. They make great pets due to their small size/hands off care, and they are most likely very inexpensive to obtain. You see hundreds of Sulcata or Redfoot hatchlings; This isn't the case for Russians. I'm guilty of shopping for items at PetSmart, but I'd never purchase a tortoise there for obvious reasons.
> 
> ...


I too am guilty with wild caught animals. Regardless if they were WC or CB, they are at a pet store going to be sold as a pet. I think to give them the best life possible for the sacrifices he made by being taken out of his habitat. 
Just my thoughts!
-Mickey


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## Jdorm01 (Dec 29, 2018)

TripodThe3FootedGecko said:


> Almost all reptile keepers have wandered into a petco, Petsmart, or other pet store when away from home. Everyone who has done this has thought about “rescuing” an animal. Many people say, “Don’t buy from them, they will just get another. Also, it is giving money to the bad places they get their animals.” What do you think? I think people should rescue these animals. Buy buying these animals, you are most likely saving their life. Of course they will get another one, but it is destributing the stress around. If the animal you rescued died in that store, they would get another one too. If it didn’t die, it would most likely get sold to inexperienced parents that would give it to their kid who would kill it buy either forgetting about it or giving it such bad care it just could survive. If all of the reptile keepers went out today and bought all the animals in petcos around the world, the breeder would be so stressed he would probably run out of animals to ship. By rescuing these animals you can stop misinformation about reptiles. Next holiday, when someone asks, “What do I want”, I will say, “A petco gift card!” What do you think?
> -Mickey



I’m guilty!! I rarely go into a large chain pet store but....i came across an adult Russian tortoise in a 12”x12” glass box with no hide, no water and dried feces everywhere and His head was in the corner. I left, did some research on the species and went back after two days and bought him because I couldn’t get him out of my mind. I made him a beautiful outdoor enclosure. It’s been about two months and he finely will come to me when he sees me. While I hate the idea that I’ve perpetuated the wc pet trade, I don’t regret “rescuing” this tortoise.


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## Cheryl Hills (Dec 29, 2018)

If the tortoise has been in there for a long time, I have been known to get them. I have gotten two this was. When no one else would buy them, I got them for a big discount. They no longer carry tortoises.


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## Madkins007 (Jan 10, 2019)

One of the dirty secrets of pet shops is that they KNOW that the 'runts' sell! 'Rescuing' runts or sickly animals just reward the store for doing that. 

I have no problem with people buying healthy animals from a caring shop- that is how most of us got started with torts, birds, fish, or whatever.


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## Jacqui (Jan 12, 2019)

I don't consider buying a tortoise from a pet store rescuing it.


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## Toddrickfl1 (Jan 12, 2019)

I don't know about the rest of the country but Petco stopped carrying tortoises here in GA about a year ago.


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## jsheffield (Jan 12, 2019)

Jacqui said:


> I don't consider buying a tortoise from a pet store rescuing it.



This!

It's just supporting their business model, and will only encourage them to keep buying/selling animals that t they house and care for poorly.

Jamie


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## Wright78 (Jan 12, 2019)

Toddrickfl1 said:


> I don't know about the rest of the country but Petco stopped carrying tortoises here in GA about a year ago.



In MA Petco still sells them.


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## TriciaStringer (Jan 12, 2019)

Toddrickfl1 said:


> I don't know about the rest of the country but Petco stopped carrying tortoises here in GA about a year ago.


Our Petco still sells them. They had two the last time I went in.


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## Torta-geddon (Jan 17, 2019)

Our petco still sells them, I saw a Russian a couple months ago. I prefer to buy everything online so I don't know if it's still there.


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## smarch (Mar 6, 2019)

I probably shouldn’t “butt in” to an older topic, but I haven’t been around the forum much detail now I’m catching up and surfing. And my Franklin is a Petco Russian tortoise... and my corn snake is a PetSmart snake. Franklin I’ve had for 7 years in June, and the snake I’ve only had a month and a half. It’s not really rescuing in my opinion, you may be saving them from poor conditions, but end of the day the store is making a profit and you have given them the money for it. Neither pet I bought was in poor conditions (I mean aside from crowded Russian tortoises being fed lettuce and tomato, they had hides and water and food substrate). When I got my Russian, I was BRAND NEW to the reptile community, and had no idea what I was doing, had done online research but that was before finding this forum, should I have not gotten a tortoise because I was only going to kill him anyway? Sure having a WC Tort had its set of issues in the beginning, for the first few months after getting him, if he so much as caught me looking at him he’d poop himself, but he warmed up to me. As for my snake, I actually found a local reptile shop and got my first baby corn snake there... week and a half later he’d died, and I was too embarrassed to go back and probably get my money back, my care was on point and the place is reputable by tons of online reviews, so my second came from a Petsmart, she’s also super shy and kinda hates me at the moment. 
Basically I wouldn’t say it’s rescuing to buy a pet from a corporate pet store, but i wouldn’t give anyone trouble for buying from them.


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## Bee62 (Mar 6, 2019)

I am "guilty" to have "rescued" my two Hermann`s tortoises from a pet shop. I know when all tortoises are sold another generation of torts will be placed there in the shop.
I could have go to a breeder. There are many in Germany but I bought these two little guys and "eased my mind". Sometimes you decide with your heart, not with your brain.


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## Bee62 (Mar 6, 2019)

I am "guilty" to have "rescued" my two Hermann`s tortoises from a pet shop. I know when all tortoises are sold another generation of torts will be placed there in the shop.
I could have go to a breeder. There are many in Germany but I bought these two little guys and "eased my mind". Sometimes you decide with your heart, not with your brain.
View attachment 266625


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## Cheryl Hills (Mar 6, 2019)

I did get two Russian torts from a pet store. They were in there for quite a bit of time. I only got them because the owner offered them to me at cost. I do consider them rescues and the pet store no longer sells torts. I did a lot of talking to them.


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## Yvonne G (Mar 6, 2019)

I see nothing wrong with "buying" a pet store tortoise if they're selling something you're interested in buying and it looks healthy.

Would I RESCUE a tortoise from a pet store? No. Would I BUY a tortoise from a pet store? Yes, if they have what I'm looking for.


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## SweetGreekTorts (Mar 7, 2019)

I also would not say that buying a tortoise in a pet store is "rescuing" it. When I think of "rescuing," I associate it with taking in a tortoise that was unwanted and discarded by its previous owner. The shelter or sanctuary charges a small "adoption fee" which goes toward their efforts to continue caring for all the other animals they are trying to find homes for.

Pet store tortoises were taken from the wild so that people and businesses can make money. A retail sale price is paid for the tortoise, and when the buyer is halfway home, the store already has another wild-caught tortoise put into the empty store display tank. All the person did was feed into that cycle.

Sure, the buyer can offer the tortoise a better environment than a small store display case, but they will never offer a better environment than the natural wild home the tortoise was originally taken from.


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## MichaelL (Jul 3, 2019)

Jdorm01 said:


> I’m guilty!! I rarely go into a large chain pet store but....i came across an adult Russian tortoise in a 12”x12” glass box with no hide, no water and dried feces everywhere and His head was in the corner. I left, did some research on the species and went back after two days and bought him because I couldn’t get him out of my mind. I made him a beautiful outdoor enclosure. It’s been about two months and he finely will come to me when he sees me. While I hate the idea that I’ve perpetuated the wc pet trade, I don’t regret “rescuing” this tortoise.


That's sort of what happened to me. Many russian tortoises in these pet stores are not in the best conditions. I bought a male for $60 at a petsmart sale, he had loads of pinworms but thankfully I had experience and treated him. Now he is worm free and lives in a huge outdoor enclosure and comes when he sees me. I know I saved him because he was skinny, had barely any food in his gut except diahrea and worms. Now I just got a cheap tortoise and saved it as well. Both sides of the debate on buying pet store tortoises are valid, but it is up to you in the end.


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## counting (Jul 21, 2019)

It is only a rescue if you get the animal relinquished to you from the store for free, or at such a steep discount that the store is not making profit from the sale.

I've heard people use the "starfish" analogy used to justify pet store rescue- that you can't save them all, but you can make a difference for the ones you do save...but
That doesn't work because nobody is being paid to throw star fish on the beach. No supply an demand like in pet stores.

Every time you "save" one pet store animal, you are paying for another animal to take it's place.

That said, many animal lovers have done it, because we have soft hearts. But as a rule, it shouldn't be done.


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## TammyJ (Jul 22, 2019)

I believe that you can rescue an animal from a pet shop, if it is obviously being ill treated by ignorant or careless shopkeepers there. I have done it myself, so a pet store "rescue" is certainly possible. But if you rescue it, you must know that you can take good care of it for as long as is needed, and it must not be on impulse to be regretted later when you find you cannot manage it.
This is Alfie, my pet store rescue Jamaican slider. He will never be normal, but he is being properly cared for now. Sorry I cannot seem to post a bigger picture.


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## crimson_lotus (Jul 24, 2019)

My turtle was from a pet shop and given to me for free after talking with some of the workers. He looked absolutely horrible and was vomiting blood, had a huge puss filled scab on his head, claws and beak falling off, a burnt shell with puss filled crevices, and loads of parasites. I sat in front of him for a long while before deciding to take him home. He is still alive and happy, you can see the before and after pictures attached.

There was a vet clinic attached to the Pet Smart, yet he was clearly untreated and left to die.

Would I take him home if he were not free? No I would not. It's appalling how they treated him, and I don't want to see another turtle in his place. He was in a tank with an african sideneck that probably also had loads of parasites. That one I did not take home as they were still selling him.


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## bluewolf (Nov 16, 2019)

I see them as sentient individuals capable of bonding with people. I would rescue one and ad that one to my family if I had the facilities and money to care for him or her.


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## jsheffield (Nov 16, 2019)

bluewolf said:


> I see them as sentient individuals capable of bonding with people. I would rescue one and ad that one to my family if I had the facilities and money to care for him or her.



Another debatable subject, since "rescuing" them from the pet store supports the industry, which will result in more animals being subjected to those conditions....

Jamie


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## BrookeB (Nov 16, 2019)

No, I worked at a pet store, you are Not rescuing anyone, you are paying them to continue to mistreat the animals. I worked at a rescue as well and also do wildlife rehabilitation at the moment and the only way you can rescue an animal is if you get them from a rescue or save them from a shelter or on occasion if they are in a bad situation or released into the wild... If you bought a tortoise because you felt bad for it, then the shop got what it wanted, your money! When you get an animal from a shelter or rescue the money you spends goes to saving other animals. Never buy an animal because you feel bad for it. Not at a Breeder or at a pet store because you are just give bad people incentive to do it again. The money you spend to save a tortoise at a pet store only goes into buying more animals for them to mistreat and sell.


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## Danimal (Nov 20, 2019)

Maybe there is another way to look at it. For the record I, personally, have not bought an animal at a pet store because it looked mistreated. I've seen some pretty horrific conditions in not only the big chains but also the mom and pop type places as well. I think that for a lot of people its just a job and for others, like so many find out, it's not exactly what they thought it was going to be. Effecting change more than likely only gets you fired. So, some have "rescued" and some will not. Trying to look at this objectively I think there is a 3rd point. Most of the animals they sell are not bought for a lot of money, same as fish, birds and mammals, losing animals for any reason is built into the business model and having any entry level pet such as a bearded dragon, gerbil or parakeet are not really pointed at the enthusiast but at the novice. It's the kid that wants the gold fish type of thing. They lose animals all the time and nothing has changed. It seems to me that whether you rescue or not has very little effect on the situation. I would point more to local clubs and groups providing not only a higher quality animal but also support in the form of education, feeders and supplies. You don't have to boycott or protest, just give people a better option. It will take some leadership and a strong community to do it.


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## hiccup (Dec 5, 2019)

As has been said, "rescuing" any animal from a pet store may save that one animal from poor conditions and possible mistreatment yet it is financially supporting the cooperation that caused the animal to be in that situation, thus giving them the go-ahead and support to continue exactly as they are doing (poor conditions and possible mistreatment).

The only true pet store rescue, in my opinion, would be if there was no payment taken from the store, when the animal is in so poor condition that the store no longer values the animal and is willing to give them away for free. 

I understand the motive behind those that have purchased from pet stores under the guise of rescue, or simply acting on emotions, I too have seen various animals in less than perfect condition in stores and it is hard to look the other way, but I do not wish to support such stores and allow this to continue. I believe that chain pet stores should not sell animals on demand and instead should focus on promoting true rescue, rehabilitation, rehoming and education, but a change like that is unlikely to be made in the near future - so for now it leaves many in quite the predicament.


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## Tortoise MasterMan (Dec 17, 2019)

I was just in a UT Petsmart, and they had two Hermann's in a 1.5' by 1' glass container, with one hide, one food bowl full of dry food, and no water with tiny lights hung directly over the whole this, making no microclimates. I went in twice in about two weeks for supplies, and the first week they both seemed squished, and in the secod, one was not moving and seemed dead. I don't know about anyone else, but I would not pay anyone to keep animals like that.


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## TammyJ (Dec 18, 2019)

Tortoise MasterMan said:


> I was just in a UT Petsmart, and they had two Hermann's in a 1.5' by 1' glass container, with one hide, one food bowl full of dry food, and no water with tiny lights hung directly over the whole this, making no microclimates. I went in twice in about two weeks for supplies, and the first week they both seemed squished, and in the secod, one was not moving and seemed dead. I don't know about anyone else, but I would not pay anyone to keep animals like that.


The operators of this pet shop should be spoken to and better, brought into the limelight with photos and media exposure, if this could be achieved they may be shamed into being more responsible with their husbandry of what they are offering for sale.


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## jsheffield (Dec 18, 2019)

TammyJ said:


> The operators of this pet shop should be spoken to and better, brought into the limelight with photos and media exposure, if this could be achieved they may be shamed into being more responsible with their husbandry of what they are offering for sale.



Tammy, 

Thanks for putting this out there... I live near a petstore that always has little tortoises, always has them in tiny/dry/dirty enclosures, always seems to be feeding them shriveled up lettuce with no water for drinking or soaking in sight, and keeps the enclosure brightly lit with a heat lamp and nowhere for the torts to hide... I always swing by and feel badly, but have never done anything... not anymore.

Next time I go in, I'm going to take some pictures and talk with the manager... if they refuse to do something to improve the conditions, I'll send the pictures and a 300-500 word article into the local papers.

It may not end up doing any good, but it bothers me enough to grump about it, so I should at least try and do something about it... I'm sure it's just easier for them to replace the dead hatchlings than to properly care for them.

Jamie


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