Sad tortoise :0( (pet store)

[Elohi]

I went to petsmart today to get coconut coir and I saw this little guy and I felt so bad for him [PENSIVE FACE]
He was on sale and was sleeping until he sensed I was there. He never moved. He just blinked at me.

 

[sibi]

RE: Sad tortoise :0(

I see so many like him. I hate pet stores almost as much as the people who pretend to know what's best for them:/

 

[ILoveTortoises2]

RE: Sad tortoise :0(

I see so many like him. I hate pet stores almost as much as the people who pretend to know what's best for them:/

Agree 100%

 

[Sulcata_Sandy]

Sad tortoise :0(

Oh no! That breaks my heart. At least he has a hide. The torts at my local store have nothing.

 

[AZtortMom]

Sad tortoise :0(

[PENSIVE FACE] poor baby. I have a really hard time going into pet stores because I want to take them all home

 

[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

RE: Sad tortoise :0(

elohi, these pet store incidents are a perfect opportunity to share some education. We have some TFO members from here who work there. I know at the store by me, I did a 15 minute soap box rant (but with honey, not vinegar) near the tank. The kids were awesome, very receptive. I followed it up with a letter to the district manager and store manager and since this was last year and they were getting Greeks, I included a picture from the Princess Alia Foundation which shows them all in the back of the truck. Poor babies. About 6 months before that is when I got my two that were zombies for pretty much two months until they finally came around. My point is that we are, as Ghandi said, accountable for what we do and what we do not do. Sharing all that has evolved in tortoise care that we have learned, needs to be shared with others, for the goodness sake of little tortoises like that one. People simply do not know better. Sharing what we do know from evolving practices with others (soaks, hides, warm and humid) is important as it is not in the minds of many people. I believe people love to learn, even if it is a pet store share/rant. : )

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Here is the picture and info, below, that I shared so that the associates could see what these little guys have been through to be our pets in the USA. I adore my Wabi and Sabi but geez, they were shell shocked from the journey. Desert, back of a truck, roll and roll, to the Egyptian broker, to the boxes, thrown in a plane, to the tarp, to the warehouse, to the US broker to the store, to me. A little compassion and care please. And patience. These wild caught tortoises need to time. I think they look at us as monsters, predators. They do not know who the hell we are. How scary for them. I love my two long distance Greeks but I do feel bad that my impulse buying supported this but at the time I did not know any of this. I feel blessed to have kept them alive. Others have not be as fortunate.

http://princessaliafoundation.blogspot.com/2012/05/each-and-every-one-counts.html

 

[Elohi]

I was half tempted to buy him just to save him but I knew that would encourage more of their sale. His rear nails looked a little overgrown for a wild caught tortoise? Did y'all notice that? Maybe he was somehow sold into the line of torts they buy from? I thought it was odd.

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Oh and next to his tank was a nicely done tank of baby bearded dragons. They were FIESTY little toots! I think there were probably too many in the tank but it was a very different sight than the poor little tortoise. Maybe whomever is in charge of those displays has significantly more knowledge of dragons than torts. I dunno, just thinking out loud.