# Bad pet shop



## Welsh dragon (Oct 27, 2009)

For the last 3 weeks I been going into a reptile shop and have been concerned over their set ups and especially one adult beardie who is in a small viv cant be any bigger than 18 x 18 and its got no uv lighting and no heat lamp only a ordinary candle bulb , yesterday it looked sick lying flat on the floor and not raising its head, I called the shop assistent over and told him that that beardie had no uv lighting or heat lamp and that it looked ill and I had been going in for last 3 weeks and it had been like that, He tried fobbing me off telling me they switched lights over through out the day , which is a pack of lies as I have been in there different times and different days and its been exactly the same. They also keep baby beardies on wood chips So I came home and rang the RSPCA These poor reptiles cant talk so someone has to do it for them. The RSPCA are going to let me know of the outcome.
I know I am new to keeping beardies but I know these in the shop are not being looked after properly. They tell customers that beardies need uv lighting and heat lamps yet dont follow their own advice and care properly for animals in their care and its wrong.


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## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

I'm afraid you will find a lot of pet shops fall short when it comes to reptile husbandry - just search the forum for all the threads. Well done for trying to do something about it. I think there is a sticky in General Herp Chat (or somewhere) about the best course of action to take - unfortunately the RSPCA are generally not much help - they would like to ban the sale of herps completely and actually have no legal powers. Your local council environmental health is the place that issues the licence, call them if you get no response from the RSPCA.


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## leptophis (May 24, 2007)

it is true some shops fall well short of the mark, as it also true some keepers do, i think you have done the right thing, 

pete


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## Welsh dragon (Oct 27, 2009)

If fact it was the council Environmental health I rang first and some stupid girl told me she didnt know of any rules regarding animal welfare and to ring RSPCA. I asked if there was someone else who I could speak to and she said "no" . But I think I will try again monday.


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## rbailey182 (May 4, 2009)

Try and keep with the council approach mate. The R.S.P.C.A will probably only slap there wrists a little bit and leave it at that.

But good on you for trying to sort it out.

Richard.


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## looby loo (Nov 20, 2009)

good on ya!! if everyone reported these ignorant shop keepers who have`nt got a clue the the world would be a much better place for us and the animals we love


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## Welsh dragon (Oct 27, 2009)

I was gobsmacked with the RSPCA because after they took all the details ,they asked me would I like to make a donation of a £1 or more, so i just said a £1,... I know its not much but they get left loads of money and a lot goes on boss`s and office admins.


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## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

Welsh dragon said:


> If fact it was the council Environmental health I rang first and some stupid girl told me she didnt know of any rules regarding animal welfare and to ring RSPCA. I asked if there was someone else who I could speak to and she said "no" . But I think I will try again monday.


You need to ask to speak to the officer responsible for issuing Pet Shop Licences (PSL). They are then duty bound to make an inspection. Only problem is that not many of them know much about the conditions that reps need. They may well only check basic things like availability of water, cleanliness and the pets shops records.


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## Welsh dragon (Oct 27, 2009)

Thank you jools I will certainly do that on monday. Do you think it would be ok to ring them even though I have reported the shop to RSPCA?.


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## Welsh dragon (Oct 27, 2009)

I remember a few years ago Focus D.I.Y were selling reptiles and they closed the pet dept due to the RSPC paying them visits because of the reptiles not being housed properly.


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## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

Welsh dragon said:


> Thank you jools I will certainly do that on monday. Do you think it would be ok to ring them even though I have reported the shop to RSPCA?.


Absolutely, yes. The excuse that may well be given by the pet shop (and it is legitimate to SOME extent) is that this is temporary housing and so can be far more basic than the permanent housing they would recommend to customers. Things like substrate choice are open to debate and you would have difficulty proving that this was unsatisfactory.


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## Jczreptiles (Sep 1, 2009)

rbailey182 said:


> Try and keep with the council approach mate. The R.S.P.C.A will probably only slap there wrists a little bit and leave it at that.
> 
> But good on you for trying to sort it out.
> 
> Richard.


 Or confiscate the bad animals and them PTS.


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## paynestaley (May 28, 2009)

Hello, as you're from South Wales (like me) I'm assuming Cardiff Council cover the area the pet shop is in. If so have a look at this page Cardiff - Home, Animal Related Licences, Animal related licences - there is a list of the standard conditions pet shops need to meet to enable them to have a licence. If you know that the shop is not meeting one or more of these conditions, for example look at numbers 2.1, 2.8, 6.1, 6.2, 6.4, then their licence needs to be reviewed. The number at the bottom of the link page is for the council licensing section, it's them you need to speak to and don't let them fob you off with ignorance. Well done for reporting it, you should definitely follow this up because I wouldn't trust the RSPCA to do anything. I'm curious to know which shop it is now!


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## ReptileJord (Nov 14, 2009)

tell the police, RSPCA will take more notice if the police tell them: victory:


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## .D.o.m.i.n.o. (Aug 19, 2007)

What shop isit?


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## callum gohrisch (Jan 8, 2009)

confront them and ask them nd mabey they will lissen 2 the costumers


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## Welsh dragon (Oct 27, 2009)

Its Swansea so it comes under Swansea City council.......I did approach the shop sales person and he tried fobbing me off by telling me they switch lights throught the day , complete codswollup I been in there in the mornings and I been in there in the afternoons and that beardie has had the same candle bulb in there. the poor thing is now getting weaker and weaker and I am really worried about him.


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## paynestaley (May 28, 2009)

Here it says that only local councils, animal health officers and the police have the power to enforce the Animal Welfare Act Animal welfare and advice : Directgov - Home and community So you should report it to Swansea Council Pet Shops - City and County of Swansea , but if you think the beardie needs more urgent action then tell the police, after all animal cruelty is against the law, and it is cruel to be keeping the beardie in conditions that do not meet his needs, ie little heat and no UV. Can you see what the temps are? Best to provide them with as many facts as possible.


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## CharlieBrown (Nov 17, 2009)

I say fair play to you to be honest!
I bet the shop has lots of people walking in and out of it daily and no one bothers to stand up and shout! The animals did not ask to be put there so therfore should be looked after well, its so crewl.
A local reptile shop local to me is bad too. not just the animal care but glass broken on some vivs, pipes and wires running across the floors.
When we visited a second reptile shop up the road from this one there was a vast difference in the care and attitude they gave and the way they treated the animals, this was clear from the moment I walked in. I bought up the state of the first shop and he had nothing but negitive comments about them, not because there competition to him but because of what customers have told him!
i know the shop has been reported therfore I have not done this myself.


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## Welsh dragon (Oct 27, 2009)

Same here I went to shop in a garden centre yesterday and its a pleasure to go there with everything as it should be. And the person working there has said he`s had lots of cutomers comming in telling him about baby beardies they have bought at this bad pet shop who have died after about 3 days because of the substrate they kept on, He said I am not the first person who has reported them, but if its been reported in the past, why has nothing changed I would like to know?


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## Welsh dragon (Oct 27, 2009)

paynestaley said:


> Here it says that only local councils, animal health officers and the police have the power to enforce the Animal Welfare Act Animal welfare and advice : Directgov - Home and community So you should report it to Swansea Council Pet Shops - City and County of Swansea , but if you think the beardie needs more urgent action then tell the police, after all animal cruelty is against the law, and it is cruel to be keeping the beardie in conditions that do not meet his needs, ie little heat and no UV. Can you see what the temps are? Best to provide them with as many facts as possible.


 Thanks for the link , I shall ring them on monday morning.


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## jarvis and charlie (Mar 27, 2009)

theres a shop that we go to regular and the last time we were there the bds were black , poo build up, light and that were on and 1 had a toe haning off and still bleeding ffs told one staff and they said they will sort it am waiting for the guy who owns the rep department and gonna go nuts at him ive know him and been going to this shop for 4 years will see what he says for himself .


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## queenquack (Apr 6, 2009)

u did the right thing  its sad wen u see animals in that sort of situation -its hard not to take them home!! but that means there will be a bunch of babies right in there place a week later! keep at the RSPCA if the shop doesnt make improvemnts. the RCPSA can serve a duty of care notice. they have to imporve the standard of care (listed on the noctice) within a certain amount of time. if they dont the RSPCA can confiscate them and ban them. its the best they can do if the animal isnt in immediate danger. keep ur eye on it xxx


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## darrengodzilla (Sep 30, 2009)

The shop in swansea, is it in llansamlet by any chance?


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## Welsh dragon (Oct 27, 2009)

darrengodzilla said:


> The shop in swansea, is it in llansamlet by any chance?


do you know it then Darren?


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## panther_87k (Feb 4, 2009)

if its in llansamlet, i know the one you mean, although ive been in there i havent actually had a look around there yet, so havent seen what conditions the rep's are in, only looked at the fish. animal addict on here is in swansea and is fairly experienced with rep's, give her a pm about it and im sure she will be able to help ( have a feeling shes had dealings with them herself) im sure she wont mind me telling you her name!


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## bubba31 (Apr 19, 2009)

id go down the council bit,but still have to be careful, im opening a pet shop and when i spoke to the person in charge got told that they would come out and see my shop with a vet, but the vet wouldnt know to much bout the housing of reptiles as he doesnt deal with them, good job i do then.


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## darrengodzilla (Sep 30, 2009)

Welsh dragon said:


> do you know it then Darren?


 As mentioned above If its the one I'm thinking of, they do fish aswell. I'm new to all this reptile stuff myself, but even I had a bad vibe from there.


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## panther_87k (Feb 4, 2009)

next time im in the area i will pop in and have a proper look around, and mention anything to them that i know is wrong, obv wont try to advise them on animals i have no knowledge of though so the more people who go in and point things out the better, i know they have a website too


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## Welsh dragon (Oct 27, 2009)

Just to let you know I have rang swansea council but as usual there was no one available who deals with these issues so the lady I spoke to took details and my phone number and said she will get them to give me a ring as soon as they come in. But when telling this lady the name of the shop she said she knew them, and knew they used to be in a different area.
So I dont know if its because of complaints or because of issueing the license.


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## mikec. (Mar 31, 2006)

as a member of staff for this shop i would like to inform all concerned that we had a suprise visit from enviromental health officers and rspca inspectors first thing this morning.the shop passed its inspection with flying colours and no concerns were raised with the health of any of our animals. may i suggest in future that if u have any corncerns with the keeping of animals at any esstablishment it might be better to approach a senior member of staff rather than someone who is employed as a cleaner.thank you for youre concerns and lack of support.:whistling2: and i look forward to youre future custom welsh dragon.


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## Welsh dragon (Oct 27, 2009)

I am surprised the envoromental health were there first thing this morning as I only got through to report it to them at 1-30pm. 
I would like to know why the adult beardie has been left without any source of UV light and a proper heat lamp . he only had a small candle light . you have a notice in the shop telling customers that" it only takes an ounce of common sense to keep a reptile" surely that should also apply to you . I had been fobbed off by a member of staff telling me that "you switch lights Through out the day" which I found a total load of bull and taking me for a fool. 
Like a lot of people have stated on here, the rspca wont do much because they dont have a lot of knowledge on the keeping of reptiles. You, as a reptile keeper and advising customers on the correct method of keeping them should at least make sure that the reptiles in your shop have the same care you advise to others like a UV light and a proper heat lamp and not a candle bulb .


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