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Thread: Evolution of Pets/Koi Pet Store, Edmonton, Alberta

  1. #1

    Default Evolution of Pets/Koi Pet Store, Edmonton, Alberta

    A friend and I were at this pet store on Stony Plain road yesterday, and we were really disgusted with what we saw. We took pictures, as there were no signs up saying we couldn't, and none of the staff told us to stop. I'm not sure of the rules on posting pictures, but If I'm allowed, I'll post them.

    This is basically what we saw, and what we have pictures of:

    -A 4'x2' (approx) enclosure with a Green Iguana, an Australian Water Dragon, a Colombian Tegu, and a Bearded Dragon. No UV, small hot Rock, very high heat lamp. Most of the bottom was covered in potting soil (containing chunks of vermiculite) and and large lava rocks. The Tegu's eyes were swollen and stuck shut. The Iguana was missing her tail and the stump was growing back badly, I have never seen one like that...She didn't move even when the bearded dragon scrambled up her face. The tegu was in the same place he had been on the 14th.

    -3 emaciated boas in a small cage, with 1/2 inch of filthy water. One boa had a kinked neck and all had skin folds. The only heat source was a tiny little hot rock. That they were all piled onto.

    -2 Bearded Dragons housed with a Blue Tongued Skink with no real UVB (only high flourescent tube) and no heat source. They had lettuce and shredded carrot. They were all thin, and the substrate had vermiculite in it, it was just potting soil.

    -1 Deformed Veiled Chameleon (no uvb) with a large Golden Gecko

    -2 Deformed Veiled Chameleons in a reptarium

    -4 EXTREMELY emaciated boas, with tons of wrinkles and folds, in a 2x2 (approx) enclosure. One of them was sickening, a spine with skin...they were all different sizes, the smallest probably 2 feet and the largest almost six.

    -2 Green Iguanas, one quite large and one quite young, in a chicken wire enclosure. The bottom of the enclosure was bent and distorted and looked as if they had been rubbing and pushing against it. They had only a coiled pl ant bulb for UVB. One of them had a few large injurys that were scarring over, I wouldn't be surprised if it was caused by the chicken wire.

    -2 Savanah monitors in a barren (no substrate, a few chunks of wood, a glitter lamp... and a water dish) enclosure with a hot rock. We couldn't tell if one ofthe savs, which was emaciated, was alive or not.

    -A thin, scarred juvi black throated monitor with only a flourescent tube and a hot rock, potting soil, no hide.

    -Day geckos with no uvb, no heat source, in a critter keeper.
    -Snakes (corns) with no heat

    -Rabbits in extremely small enclosures, and a prairie dog on a horrible diet, that 2 years ago screamed and paced, and now just sleeps. Her cage is small and has no enrichment.

    - A full grown Argentine Black and White Tegu in a small hexagonal aquarium with no light or heat on (mid day...wasn't on mid day on the 14th, either)...it was about 5 feet across.

    I also have a video clip of some of the enclosures.

    We were unable to get pictures of conditions of the birds, but there was a pigeon with a broken wing that has been there for atleast ayear, in a rabbit cage, and many birds in small cages.

  2. #2

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    Well I apologize, if I am unable to post pictures and please do remove them if they are not allowed, but here they are for inquiring minds that would like to see:


    This iguana has an injury on its' leg. The cage had no heat lamp, and only a coiled bulb for UVB. There were two iguanas in the enclosure, and they had this tiny water dish....



    This picture is a screenshot from a video clip showing a very small enclosure containing four animals requiring completely different habitats; An australian water dragon, a bearded dragon, a colombian tegu, and a green iguana. They're lucky that iguana has no tail or they wouldn't be able to fit her in there.


    Another screenshot. Notice the hot rock that they're all trying to pile onto. There's a heatlamp waaaay up above them, no UVB.


    Iguana and colombian Tegu


    Colombian Tegu

    Close up of the tegus swollen eyes, which were stuck shut.



    This cage has three red tailed boas on a tiny hot rock, with a water dish that had about half an inch of dirty old water. The snakes were emaciated with obvious folds of skin.[/quote]


    An emaciated, scarred up black throated monitor with a hot rock, vermiculite, and a hide he can't fit into.




    This tiny cage has 2 bearded dragons and a blue tongued skink.




    There were four different sized boas in this enclosure, all very skinny. The top one in the water dish was just skin and bones.


    These were the only lights they had, none of them were actually UVB.



    Savannah Monitors...and I'm pretty sure the one underneath was dead.






    And with this one (3snakes in same enclosure) I tried to get a pic of the snake on top, but my camera focused on the glass instead...his neck was kinked and he had some sever neck folds, it almost looked as if his face was falling off.

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=aCMwtFh45aA
    This is a compilation of the video clips.

    The majority of the pictures are courtesy of my friend.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    150

    Default

    the bearie/australian water dragon/columbian tegu/green iggy combination makes me sick to my stomach!

  4. #4

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    me too, that was the first thing I saw when walking in, I welled up and wanted to cry.

  5. #5

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    Reptiles are not thing onlny animals being neglected in this place...here's some quotes from people that came with us on our picture taking mission:

    My friend, who was talking to the woman working in the store about birds, was taken into the back office to see a macaw...this is a quote of what she saw:


    She had just finished a story about how two of the parrots spent a night in her backyard in the tree one night. Then she took me into the office to show me the blue and gold macaw who broke her leg by "skidding across the kitchen floor and running into the fridge". Apparantly it broke it's leg too high up so the only options were to a) amputate the leg b) put the bird down or c) spend $4000 fixing it. She didn't want to go with any of those options so she decided just to leave it. She picked the bird up by it's head, because she didn't want to touch it's leg. He looked really bad...all hunched over and underweight...listless, too...it only beaked my finger a little when I went to touch it, and then completely ignored me. And having a large parrot at home, I know they usually won't just ignore a stranger when they go to touch them!

    This is a quote from another friend who was also speaking to the woman in the store.

    my puppy was whimpering and i said i think she wants to play with those dogs (they had a beagle and a pug in a realllly small cage with no toys) and she said does she have all her shots? and i said of course, why? and she said because they dont and i dont want them catching anything
    The "she" being referred to in these quotes it the store owner.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    101

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    I recently interened at a humane society and spca and I would say you NEED TO CONTACT YOUR LOCAL SPCA IMMEDIATELY. They will send someone ot and investigate. It is a shame to see this. So mean. Hopefully they will be shut down. I would say even offer to get their officers emails and send them your pictures stressing how bad it is.

    *Here this is who you want to contact http://www.albertaspca.org/

  7. #7

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    Well the major issue is reptiles are not protected under the same rules that apply to dogs and cats. The SPCA and Humane Society have been contacted about this place before and they have been investigated. They state that as long as they have shelter, food and water their needs are being met. We need to provide "expert opinions" on the conditions of the animals stating that they are inadequate. My friend is in the process of contacted people to help provide her with these opinions to send along with our photographic and video evidence on the conditions of this store. Our goal is to finally get this place shut down instead of them just being fined and getting a slap on the wrist. To do this we need to provide all the information that we can and that is required. The SPCA and Humane Societies main focus is mammals and although they are also being neglected it's not enough to have them shut down.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Central Maine
    Posts
    1,689

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    Contact your local state official and ask who is in charge of inspecting the codes at the local petshops. Each petshop must follow any government or state requirements for the proper care of these animals. For example, here in Maine there is a little know list of cage sizes required for each species, etc.

    If that doesn't work perhaps talk to the owner. Explain what is wrong and what requires modification. Offer to help with advice and initially perhaps your time, if this gets you no where, check and see what you local laws are regarding a boycott of sorts, you and some concerned parties can stand out front (not blocking the front entrance and without harassing potential customers) and hand out a flier with those pictures and explaining what wrong and the type of pain these animals are going through. Explain if they buy from this store that they they could ask to have the issues remedied. If it's brought to enough peoples attention, the owner will need to fix the issue or potentially loose customers.

    Rick

  9. #9

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    Here's a link to the laws up here :

    http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$departm...f/all/acts2998

    The local SPCA and Humane Society know about the conditions of this store and they have told many people on several ocassions:
    "We are very aware of the concerns at this store; however under current legislation we are very limited as to what can be done with in this
    situation. The animal protection act as it stands is very vague in its
    requirements and does not state any specifics with regards to exotic
    species.

    Therefore, as long as the animal is provided with potable water daily
    (nothing in the legislation states it should be 24/7) and is adequately fed,
    sheltered and provided veterinary care when required the owner is within
    legislation."


    We need people to write our local MLA, explain the situation and request to have the law concerning the care of exotics and minimum specific requirments be added to the current legislation for the City of Edmonton.

    Unfortunatly contacting the owner and explaining the situation, does not work and hasn't worked for many years now. My friend is working on getting professional opinions (vets, breeders, other rescue angencies) stating what is wrong with the care, what the minimim rewuirments for care are and what needs to be changed. This information will be submitted along with our photos to the SPCA, Humane Society, media and local Government.

    We feel the best place to get started with having things changed is by getting the word out about the conditions of the store and hoping people make wise decisions about putchasing there.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Mesa, Arizona
    Posts
    62

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    That brought tears to my eyes :cry: ..... those are some of the worst conditions I have ever seen in a store! Was the iguana even alive?

    Another option you might try is getting this out to the "public". Contact local tv stations, etc. and see what they might do. You know how they sometimes have news sections who watch for underhanded business and that sort of thing. Be prepared with caresheets and websites, etc on the proper care of each animal compared to what was happening. Provide info on what the store could easily do to change and rectify, explain the issues with the regulations and restrictions, provide your conversations with The local SPCA and Humane Society and their response, and the history of the store and any contact you've had with them,etc. Generate public awareness as legally as you can. Post flyers (if allowed) around the area, place on cars, anywhere you can. Many times people will be offended (as they should be) with anyone who is mistreating animals, even if they don't care for or like the animal themselves. They are living creatures who still deserve a basic "quality" of life.

    I hope for all of the critters sake, you are able to generate some attention to this place.

    ps... I am posting a link to this on other sites I go too in the hopes that others may have ideas and suggestions for you!!
    ~~ Christina ~~

    0.0.1 Argentine B/W Tegu
    0.0.1 tailess Green Iquana
    1.2 Bearded Dragons
    2.2.3 AZ. Banded Geckos
    1.0 Dumerills Monitor
    1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
    0.0.7 AZ Bark Scorpions
    1.0 Desert Hairy Scorpion

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