Opinions on "rescuing" tarantulas from pet stores?

[Poec54]

any T you rescue will get replaced, so unless you plan to keep on buying every T they get in stock til they run out, you aren't making any difference in the number of T's that will suffer and die in that store. and yes, the ones that die there will also get replaced, but buying them only speeds up that process, it doesn't prevent it.

So, your plan is: 'Let them die!' Excellent. Maybe in another 50 years they'll stop importing wild caught spiders. Until then, I think we hobbyists have an obligation to keep trying to educate both the stores and the public.

I just can't walk away from a spider that needs help, especially one that's been taken from the wild. Just not right, that by luck of the draw it was bought by the wrong distributor. It shouldn't have to pay with it's life. Those stores have a lot of turnover, and little employee training, so if one manager is hard-headed, the next may be open-minded.

 

[timisimaginary]

like i said, it doesn't hurt to try talking to them. i just wouldn't expect great results.

unlike you, i don't have time, money or room for 600 spiders, let alone all the beardies, cresties, skinks, chameleons, turtles, and other species that are kept in terrible conditions in pet stores. neither do most people. for those few who have the resources to start a genuine rescue operation, and take 100s of spiders off the hands of pet stores, more power to you if that's what you want to do (though personally i'd still start with all the craigslist spiders and other T's that have terrible NON-pet-store homes... or just check out some of the classifieds on this forum). for the rest of us, rescuing one or two spiders from a pet store makes no difference. it's a choice between "let it die" and "get the T and let the next one die": either way, a spider is suffering and dying. but at least for one of those choices, the pet stores don't profit off of your choice.

 

[Poec54]

like i said, it doesn't hurt to try talking to them. i just wouldn't expect great results.

Nothing's going to change if you don't make any effort.

 

[Beary Strange]

When I was in college (with a tarantula collection), my source of crickets was cleaning/feeding/watering the tarantulas in deli cups for a local pet store and a reptile importer. I saved spider's lives (back then most were w/c adult female B smithi) and got enough crickets in trade to feed my spiders.

Teach people, volunteer to help, make a difference. Poorly-kept spiders in pet stores WILL be replaced, so you're living in a dreamland to think that letting them die accomplishes anything. We as humans owe it to those magnificent animals to see that their lives aren't wasted by people who don't know how to care for them in captivity. Boycotting that store, or refusing to buy their spiders is a cowardly approach. Speak up, save some lives. Aren't we supposed to be sharing our knowledge?

The problem is some people that work at/own these places aren't receptive and think they know better than hobbyists. No amount of noble lecturing will work on some people. I've had a herp shop guy tell me he knew what he was talking about because he sold them (yes dude that makes you an expert); despite me having to explain that those "versicolor" slings his supplier sold him were definitely not, that they would never "grow into their blue color" or why their T.stirmi and M.robustum on bone dry sub, waterdish blocked with a sponge, under a heat lamp were dying constantly. I have tried this educational approach, inspired by your words to do so as a matter of fact-explaining everything they were doing wrong, how to fix it, I even volunteered to take care of their spider section for free. The guy did such a good job placating me that I left thinking I'd actually made a difference...and initially they did clean the sub, move out the sick/dying/dead spiders and remove the sponges. Initially. It's all very much back with a vengeance now. Every spider but one that I attempted to rescue from this place met it's unfortunate end, 3 out of 5 from nematode infection (luckily I take quarantining very seriously), the last from what looked to be an injury poorly patched up with superglue (that I was aware of but naively thought I could save). It got to the point where I just couldn't do it anymore; I was throwing away money on dying spiders.
I definitely agree that genuine attempts should be made to educate, but what do we do when they won't listen? When the only spiders they sell are dying? I really wish there was some sort of regulation where they could get in trouble for this kind of thing because while a lot of it is due to ignorance of proper husbandry or reliance on myths, some definitely know better and would rather cut corners or ignore scientific facts.

Edit: ^Not meant to be snippy at all, I do actually really want to know what you would do about this because I have long since been at my wit's end with these people.

 

[timisimaginary]

LPS are tough because it really does come down to the individual owner's attitude. some are receptive, some are not.
i think the strategy with the most chance of making a widespread and long-term difference with the big box pet stores is writing or contacting the parent companies, either to correct their husbandry guidelines for their animals or, better yet, try to convince them to stop selling exotics in their stores altogether. it worked with puppy mills, maybe hopefully one day it will work with other pets.

 

[tweakz]

As far as petco goes, I wouldn't necessarily blame the employees. The one in my town actually has a guy there who is an avid herp and invert keeper who knows what he's doing. Unfortunately it's not up to him. Corporate gives them an option of cage sizes and the smallest one is still too big. He's told me if he could he would have the avics in a proper setup but he can't. But having said all that he does make sure the roseas are kept dryer and the avics humid, I can't say the same for other locations.

---------- Post added 07-09-2014 at 02:42 PM ----------

I've 'rescued' from petco as well. They had a MM G. rosea who was constantly on the move (looking for a mate); crawling up to the mesh top of the 18-20 inch enclosure. I decided to buy him since he was only 20 bucks to prevent from taking such a nasty fall.

 

[Jterry]

if you really want to rescue a T, you can find plenty on craigslist that were bought from those same pet stores that need to be rescued just as badly, and you won't be adding to the profits of any irresponsible companies in the process.

I do this occasionally. Often I'll find ads for a "Rose Hair Tarantula" or a "Stripe-Leg Tarantula" being kept in a 20g long tank with a huge heating pad and a heating lamp, usually on bark chips and sometimes with a sponge in the water dish. They're trying to sell the whole setup and I email them like, "How much for just the tarantula?" haha. Once or twice I've found ads in places that were just out of my driving range to pick them up so I'd send them a polite e-mail letting them know that the conditions aren't ideal and the T would thrive better if they changed a few things. That isn't percieved very well, in my experience. :sarcasm:

 

[klawfran3]

A large chain pet store by my house (that rhymes with letmo) sells G. Rosea. I have been in that store often enough to get to know the assistant manager, manager, and a significant portion of the employees. They all refer to me as the "spider dude." I gave them a few pointers on their setups, and they changed it as best as they could. The one thing that I think you all don't realize is that they are a chain store, and thus have corporate standards for caring for animals. if they deviate from that too much, they could be in trouble. It is good that my friends at the store by me are taking a bit of a risk so that their T's can live better.

I definitely will keep giving them my business.

 

[Poec54]

Instead of shunning pet stores, they should be a challenge for us, for us to teach them how to better care for their spiders (and other animals). We've done the research, we have the experience. Let's put it to use outside of our homes and make a difference. They've been selling them for 50 years; boycotting them or walking away and letting their spiders die hasn't done anything to improve the situation. We're not always going to be successful, but if we don't speak up and make an effort, the problems will continue for decades to come.

 

[goodoldneon]

Absoluetly not. W/C tarantulas are cheap and easy to replace, that's been going on for at least 50 years with no end in sight, so your symbolic 'boycott' is wishful thinking. Tarantulas draw in curious people who buy things in the store (usually not the spider itself). Great for boosting floor traffic that they wouldn't normally get ('Hey mom, look at the spider!'). The merchandise sold to those people more than pays for the replacement spiders.

So in your mind, the poor tarantulas unlucky enough to wind up in a pet store poorly taken care of, should die to prove some point of yours? They didn't get to choose who caught them and who bought them. They were minding their own business in the wild, and next thing they know they're in a lousy cage with humans staring at them and pointing. They don't deserve a chance to live? Is that how you want to die, rotting away in a cage while no one cares?

Why not actually do something positive to help those spiders, like calmly talking to the employees and teaching them how to care for them? They get VERY little training. Why not save those spiders, because whether they're sold or they die, they'll be replaced.

^^This.

I would also add - if you feel pet store tarantulas (other pets, etc) should be allowed to perish to prove a point, why are you patronizing a pet store that stocks them? Those dollars you use to purchase supplies, food, etc, are enriching the store. Your dollars, now reinvested in the business, are used to purchase more supplies and animals.

 

[CupcakeRosea]

My story: It wasn't so much a rescue as a "I felt bad for it" kind of situation. I had gone into my local Petsmart and they just recently started selling T's and scorpions. They had a little pink toe sling in a small KK and it was running around, with the sponge in the water dish. Then there were two roseas stacked up on eachother. A little one and a big female. One had a sponge and one had what appeared to be gel in their water dishes. I decided to take the big female home. She was in a little KK with the water dish taking up half of it, but she was fat and colorful (for a rosea) so I wasn't too worried about her health as I was that the poor girl had almost zero room to even turn around.
I brought her home and she's in a much bigger container now and she's much happier, but I didn't think of it as a rescue. I thought of it more as a comfort situation. Like I said, she is fat, a poop monster, and not unheathly, but she was cramped.

In the picture, the wet spot was where the water bowl/sponge was. As you can see, she had room to just spin around, if that.

I don't think you can really "rescue" from a chain store unless it's clearly on it's way out and there's a chance to help it. Otherwise, it's just another empty spot on the shelf that needs replacing. I wasn't going to let her sit there and rot, I brought her home to a comfortable situation. I have no remorse towards Petsmart because as stated, they are truly doing their job and following the guidelines. The only way this could change is if you happen to run into a higher up while they're in the store and even then, they might not listen.
Will I go back and see if they have any more big fat spiders in small containers? Absolutely.
Will I take them home so they can stretch their legs? Absolutely.
Is it a rescue? Nope.

 

[gobey]

I guess I'm guilty. Mostly due to being uneducated at the time still too. I got my first T. My rose hair. From these exotic reptile people at a booth at a horror movie and rock and roll convention. They had a lot of adult rose hairs. So at the time I thought they must breed them. I now realize these were probably all W/C. But I say hey my poor Rosie could be traveling around new England in God knows what kind of container instead of living with me.... Although the poor thing is dealing with being my first tarantula and that means she has put up with a lot of newbie mistakes and crap from me. I've awakened the cranky side of her finally.

About 5 days into having my rose hair and learning about Rosies, Tarantulas in general, T keeping, and beginner species, I saw a pink toe at petsmart. And I got excited because it was the only time I saw something other than a rose hair in a pet store other than the OBT at the terrarium ad aquarium pet shop. And I don't want the OBT. (Alhough I kinda do just because it's there)
So knowing that Avics were a "beginner" species and now knowing just how little my rose hair would be doing and how little she would need from me, I wanted to care for another. And I had a spare enclosure.

Now I did want to take this poor thing too even though the pink toe didn't particularly hit my most wanted T list, but the petsmart was keeping the poor thing inside a cricket keeper! Inside of another lizards enclosure! With a sponge. And the cricket keeper was cracked. And this Avic is about 3 inches.

Lastly tho. It was $25 for a 3" pink toe. Which wasn't too bad. Considering how much one that size would cost online with shipping. Even my Rosie was $20 from her and her enclosure with water dish and substrate. And she's about 4"

So yeah... I told myself I saved it. Will they doom another one. I suppose so. I'm sorry that they will. I will also never buy another T from there again.

The 2 L.P.s I just got. Breeder bought C.B. Phenomenal price. In fact too good of a price because I ended up with 2 of them. :/

But my Rosie and Avic are the last "rescue Ts". And mostly because I think I never want another Avic again and I'll never need another Rose hair for another 15 years. And then I think I won't want one again lol.

 

[Smokehound714]

I do love seeing eutylenum types being sold as A. chalcodes. :\

Why cant they just call it a blonde? I mean, it's not exactly lying, but to label it as a chalcodes is deceitful. I hate it.


Ah as much as these petstores blow, their own ignorance often costs them money, they often end up having a rare species without even knowing it, or they'll accidentally sell you a valuable species.