What can I do to help a pet store to give their torts a better chance...

[mikeh]

Few weeks ago I visited a pet store in upstate New York where I got my first tortoise some 15 years ago. I was kind of excited, it brought back memories.

Knowing what I know now and learned from people here, sadness came over me from what I saw.

Its a very nice pet store with fish, torts and other animals. Its clean, no faul odors, I believe they try to take care of the animals. They have been there for 20or so years, always having larger selection of torts.

As to what made me sad. Dozens of hatchlings, about 1month leopards and maybe 2 months old sulcatas on dry rabbit pellets. No water available. None of them were awake. They looked so dried out and sad. This was around 4 pm. The only tortoises that were active were juvenile greeks and a really nice looking 10" adult cherry head, desperately trying to find his way out of 2x2 glass tank. Mind you below him were two empty 6x2 tanks. His whole shell was covered I kid you not with 1/8" of substrate dust. Looked like no one has taken him out for few days. No water either. Just a lettuce stump that did look pretty fresh.

The guy I remember to own the store was a very nice older gentleman. He wasn't there, there were two younger guys. I tried talking with one of them to see if it goes anywhere just showing interest in their torts asking general questions. He seemed uninterested and preoccupied with his phone. I let it go.


Weeks later those poor hatchlings are still on my mind and I feel like I should at least somehow attempt to relate that the animals are suffering. I am just not sure what's the best way to go about it. The guy has been doing it dry way for so many years and for him its working, hey I was doing it too when I got my tort from him.

How should I approach him with the subject? Should I nicely tell him its all wrong? The substrate, humidity, moisture, print out Toms post, show him pictures? I dont want to offend the guy, at the same time my goal is to maximize the chances of him making the appropriate changes for those poor torts and future torts he will have.

Mike





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[ascott]

All that you can do is something, right. Raising in what appears to be "dry" unto itself is not a crime D)...however, you may offer to do a demonstration for him? Suggest that he let you know him how to soak a tort, lets say, once a week? Then have a handy dandy soaking dish P) with you...and a bottle of water P)....tell him you will do this for free...place one of the torts in the dish and slowly pour the water over the shell of the tort--slowly moving towards the head...and bring the water to the correct level...and (fingers crossed the damn tort will drink...lol...and not freak out) let the tort soak ---explain to him that if using the dry housing method can be done, IF , routine soaks are also done....you perhaps would get a better response in using the redfoot for the demonstration....I think that if you do go in trying to convince someone that wet and swampy is the way to go,.especially if they use the dry method currently, may not be as convincing....you know what I mean?

The substrate may be your next visit...