Question of Ethics

[alleistmein]

I bought my first Rosehair at a shop nearby, and I felt very comfortable with the owners of the shop, and their knoweledge of their animals. Since then, I've read many of your posts on here, and also read the Tarantula keepers guide, and I've come to realize that these people in the store have no effing clue what they're talking about.

They have something like 40 Rosehairs in small, dirty plastic tubs underneath harsh, dry lights for 8-10 hours everyday. I've have now purchased six T's from them, not so much to support their store, but to liberate these poor animals!

I bought this poor, sad old Rosehair (named her grandma) when I saw her lying in bedding made entirely of dead crickets and previous molt skins.

I go back about once a month, and I see slings that have barely budged, let alone grow, I buy them and within a month they've doubled and tripled in size.

What are these people doing?
Can I say anything to them? Or do I just keep dropping my money to save these animals.

I live in the tiniest apartment in the world, and my entire bedroom is crowded with aquariums! I can't keep adopting these little ones, but somebody has to save them!

Please, your opinion is much appreciated.

O, and I have also bought from them:

a brazilian whiteknee
two chaco goldenknees
and one mexican redknee

All of which are now as fat and as happy as a tarantula can seem to be.

- Thanks!

 

[Talkenlate04]

This aspect of the hobby some people have a hard time with. But you really only have two options.

1- You said you feel comfortable with the people that run the shop, so if you truely are take some time to make proper care sheets, even bring them examples of the proper way to house a T. Some stores react well to this criticism and are willing to change, some are not. So thats option one.

2- If that fails, try your hardest to not buy from them anymore. Every time you buy something all they do is order another. It's a vicious cycle that really has no end. Bottem line most places just want money. Good proper care can be overlooked in their eyes cause all they want to do is sell sell sell.

So best of luck with option number one...... I hope they are open to suggestions and things change for the better. For all your reasons you just listed I try not to enter places where I know I might see less then average conditions. Cause I when I do I want ot buy them all.

 

[FRAZE01]

You can try and be nice and try to give them sosme tips on the captive care of the T's that they have in the store,or you might need to look for a bigger apartment cause you are going to need room for tarantulas.

 

[JungleGuts]

just remember, the more T's you "liberate" from there, the more they will get in and treat the same way. I know its hard not to rescue stuff sometime, i can say from experience.

 

[JMoran1097]

a lot of pet stores are completely clueless on the proper care of many animals because all they care about are sales. i know that a lot of the smaller, independent pet shops in my area may have like 1 or 2 arachnids that they are trying to sell, but the enclosures are much too small for the matured animals and the bedding is some outrageously hard material like mulch chips. there is probably no humidity check or temperature monitoring since usually the arachnids are kept by an open door when you first walk into the stores. it also pisses me off that they crowd their animals. one place i know of keeps a lot of frogs in dingy water and a whole bunch of 6"-1' rabbits in crammed wire mesh cages. if i could, i'd buy them all, but then the store would just order more and it's a vicious cycle all over again.

 

[ShadowBlade]

Don't buy = less profit = hopefully they'll drop selling tarantulas. Thats your only hope..

-Sean

 

[Nitibus]

I have a similar problem. There WAS a great T guy at my local pet store that has since left. It's only been a week, and the T's are already messed up : moults, dead crickets, mould in a couple enclosures.... They had one GBB spiderling with 2 crickets bigger than the sling in the deli cup... It's just a matter of time before they start to lose money from dead T's

I tried to offer some advice to the new guy, but he wasn't interested.

I'm hoping they slowly wean off T's as a business. The probelm is they will have to lose a few to do that. In the meantime they have a beautiful female B. Vagans in there I should " save "

 

[138]

with pet shops like that, i would first explain to them that what they are doing to the animal is cruel. if they are receptive i would explain care of each species they carry and even write it down or print out caresheets for them. if they don't care, don't buy from them anymore. like ryan said it's a vicious cycle. you may think you're helping the animal but you're just making it bad for more animals because they will continue to restock just as you continue to buy. remember they are a business and have to pay bills and rent. and that comes before the care of the animals to some.

 

[Avic_Addict]

Depending on where you are you may be able to report the shop, either to the local animal protection society or, if your in the U.K, to the council responsible for issuing the shops licence. Under the new Animal Welfare Bill all shop owners and private keepers now have a responsibility of care, meaning they legally have to provide a good level of husbandry to any animal (including invertebrate species) on their premises. If you are in the U.K try looking at DEFRA's website for more info.

 

[lunixweb]

Try to show them the correct way to keep the T's, give them some proper care sheets, recommend a good book like "Tarantulas keepers guide", if they don't understand you shouldn't buy T's from them anymore, and like Avic_addict said report them to the animal protection society.

 

[ShadowBlade]

If you're in America however. No 'animal protection agency' is going to care.

-Sean

 

[jr47]

i know the feeling. its really frustrating to see any animal kept in bad conditions. the bad part is that alot dont really care. minimal amount of time with care means more profit. and most of the people hired in these places are young people that just want a paycheck.
like everyone said. all you can do is try to get them to listen to reason. and hope for the best.

 

[syndicate]

yeah all your doing by purchasing these spiders is supporting there horrible shop that cant keep them properly.liek others have said mabey u can get them to change there ways.if not i would boycot them and buy from respectable dealers online or at shows

 

[spid142]

store motive

I would bet some of these stores, really only have Ts to get a kid to come in with the parents, while hopefully the parent will steer the kid to a more 'traditional' and profitable, pet like a dog. They really dont care about the Ts welfare, its only to bring in sales. And if a kid actually gets the parent to buy the T? Well, we got rid of that one.

 

[phil jones]

Don't buy = less profit = hopefully they'll drop selling tarantulas. Thats your only hope..

-Sean

the man ( sean ) is right just don't buy from them i know its hard but you can not go on and on like that ._._._ phil

 

[Drachenjager]

This aspect of the hobby some people have a hard time with. But you really only have two options.

1- You said you feel comfortable with the people that run the shop, so if you truely are take some time to make proper care sheets, even bring them examples of the proper way to house a T. Some stores react well to this criticism and are willing to change, some are not. So thats option one.

2- If that fails, try your hardest to not buy from them anymore. Every time you buy something all they do is order another. It's a vicious cycle that really has no end. Bottem line most places just want money. Good proper care can be overlooked in their eyes cause all they want to do is sell sell sell.

So best of luck with option number one...... I hope they are open to suggestions and things change for the better. For all your reasons you just listed I try not to enter places where I know I might see less then average conditions. Cause I when I do I want ot buy them all.

what he said, but id add that i would tell them WHY you are not going to be buying any more from them. At least then they will know what ran off a repeat customer

 

[Drachenjager]

If you're in America however. No 'animal protection agency' is going to care.

-Sean

actually , some do they are idiots tho.a pet store i frequent was told by an "animal protection agency" that they were abusing thier Ts by having them in a kritter keeper with bed a beast and made them use a tall arboreal setup wiht calci sand cause everyone knows that Ts are desert dwellers, they also made them use heat mats and lights. and to have crix available to them at all times.

I have already been over with the owner the proper care and housing and he rehoused them again back like our care sheets say after theier inspection. I told him to let me know if they ever come back and ill bring my PC with me and let them read the posts here ... I am sure there is enough credibility amoungst our ranks to sway them