# Appaling state of Leopard Gecko in Cherry Lane!



## Breadrun (Mar 1, 2007)

Hi all,

I was wondering if there was any way of making a complaint to someone like the RSPCA about an appaling state of a leopard gecko i saw in a local shop

Today i went to a shop which is very like QD stores, they are re-knowned for their cheap bargain items and they have an aquarium section at the back, when i went in to have a look at the fish i noticed that they started doing reptiles, upon having a look i was sickened at the site of a leopard gecko they were selling, it was £75 for a normal morph leo and i would say it was about 3-4months old, its tail was the thinnest i have ever seen on a leo, it was like string seriously, it was kept on soiled paper stuck down with stones and had a mealworm bowl inside which had about 85% dead mealworms in it which were shivelled up and some were black, running around the tank was about 50 black crickets 3 times the size of its head (probably standed), I told the owner about it and he said he didnt have a clue on the reptiles and the shop had just started selling, i tried to inform him about the things that were wrong and he just looked at me like some wierdo and said its out of my hands!

makes me so angry and that gecko i would say hasnt got long left and no one is going to pay £75 to give it a caring home, are there any options i have, i remember a friend rang someone about a different shop in my area and the state of its reptiles but i have lost contact with him so can not ask who he contacted


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

Contact your local council's environmental health department.

Explain to them calmly and politely what you've seen (with the date!) and how what you've seen violates the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Tell them that you are making a complaint about the shop and would like them to have their licencing inspector visit the shop regarding your concerns.

Do not bother reporting them to the RSPCA; the RSPCA has no legal power to do anything about the problem, while the council inspector absolutely does.


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## Breadrun (Mar 1, 2007)

just done a search on cherry lane and theres been at least 3 threads about the poor state of their reptiles so i think i will need to contact the local council, will do it first thing monday, thanks


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## Austin Allegro (Oct 5, 2008)

Chris think it is bad now it was worse a few months back. I went up there a week or so ago and noted that they had separated the leos and beardies. Even provided the leos with a hide. I didn't see the animals inside the hide. I am assuming the one you saw with the thin tail is a survivor of the previous conditions which has been chronically damaged by the prior shop stress (i.e. bright glaring lights 24/7) Sadly, it sounds like it has gone pass the tipping point for recovery and probably needs putting down. 
It really bugs me that they don't even have the commonsense to realise that sickly animals left on view isn't really a very good image for a pet shop. Overall i seem to get the impression that those working their are not in agreement with the shop managers new line in reptiles. i.e. its nothing to do with me, or i don't know anything about reptiles. Last bit is probably true.


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## MiniMonsters (Feb 24, 2009)

Hi - you'll have read my thread about Tink then. I haven't been back yet to see how things are now (I had hoped they'd improved), but they did compensate me for the vets fees. It is worth contacting the RSPCA as they and Yarmouth environmental health did a joint inspection following Tink's death, so they are well aware of the issues and it would be best for the RSPCA to find this gecko there. Well done for raising the issue with the staff.


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## Austin Allegro (Oct 5, 2008)

Called in at cherry lane yesterday to see what RUBs they had in and took a look at what herps they had in. No sign of any leos or beardies. Probably finished them off.
Must say they seemed to have plenty of vivs and equipment hanging around the place which was very competitively priced compared to the local shops.


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## Austin Allegro (Oct 5, 2008)

They're at it again with sloppy husbandry. 
Called in yesterday to see what RUBs they had in. At the same time I wandered over to the animal section to see what herps they had in. 

Not too impressed again as I noticed they were housing Horsefield tortoises in the same viv as Saharan uromastyx's.


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## nena-berber-skink (Jan 22, 2009)

Hi I was in there today. I had to search for a member of staff to inform them that their milk snake was dead. The fella at the till snapped at me when i told him that the snake was 'fine' this morning. I kid you not, this snake was dried and had been there at least 2 days. Its tail was down to the skeleton...  Poor little mite  

(I did try and get a picture so i could prove to RSPCA and EHO but was unable to zoom!)

Still mixing species... Saharan Uromastyx with Horsfieldi Tortoises :whistling2:


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