rescued g. pulchripes from petco

[cameron137]

I was in petco today and saw the g. Pulchripes sling in a tall container similar to a bulk spice contaner. it was like 2 inches square in the bottom by like 10 inches tall and it had no substrate and they misted in there so there was a small amount of brown standing water and it stunk. I have him in a little deli cup with coco fiber and a little hide and water dish. I gave this one to my cousin that has 2 snakes as his first t. Much better home now. Very happy

 

[cameron137]

oh and he was sitting on the side at the very top and looked like it could have been a dangerous fall

 

[Spideyfan101]

I got mine Thursday, from Petco, in the same kind of container, same age I imagine. Instead of substrate it was a little sponge thing. And a bunch of uneaten crickets. She just sat all curled up by the sticker. I took off all the stickes, and I switched to cocofiber, filled like a quarter of the jar with it(see profile pic) now the little guy runs all over.

 

[Tomoran]

Congrats on your new acquisitions, both of you! Love to hear about the rescues.

Sadly, it sounds like there's going to be a lot more rescuing to be done with Petco going full-bore with this new tarantula program. I've seen photos of the "Tarantula Huts" that they now sell slings in, and I'm left feeling a bit disheartened that that this was the best they could come up with. I get that they have to have something "attractive" and eye-catching to display them in, but the height of those containers, at least with only an inch or so of sponge on the bottom, make them inappropriate for all but the arboreal species...at least if not filled with SEVERAL inches of substrate. And those sponges are going to turn into petri dishes right quick when dead crickets are allowed to fester and boluses are left to mold. Although I know some Petcos have employees who make sure that there are not prey items and waste left in the enclosure (a friend of mine visited a Petco that had a very knowledgeable clerk), but I'm certain there are others that will just keep dropping crickets in. I feel terrible for the slings that are bought immediately.

Of course, in all fairness, I just rescued three Ts, two Euathlus sp. reds and a dehydrated H. maculata from a reptile store, so this problem extends to all pet stores.

 

[Enn49]

The problem is that the more they sell, the more poor Ts they will stock in these conditions. Ideally we ought to boycott these shops but unfortunately there will always be someone to buy them.

 

[Zaiaku]

Plus it's hard to walk into the store and see the T's kept like that and NOT rescue them... boycotting it feels like leaving the creatures to a slow horrible end... wonder if there is a way to get information to a chain store like petco to help them keep the T's s little happier and healthier while allowing them to keep them on display. For the smaller pet shops a little nudge from a customer in the right direction seems to work. I helped my local store understand a few species they'd never had before like an emerald skeleton that was always unhappy and very quick to anger. Told them they are a species that likes to burrow and now they made sure it could burrow but kinda guided it to burrow along the edge of the glass with a pre started burrow on the edge. Customers can still see her but she is happier. They have told me she isn't as defensive now. Wonder if enough of us some how contacted petco if they'd get the hint? Easier said than done I know but it's a thought

 

[Enn49]

@Zaiaku I totally agree with you, I wouldn't be able to walk away and leave any creature in bad conditions. Maybe if a few of you get together and write to their head office it may have some effect.

 

[Tomoran]

@Zaiaku I totally agree with you, I wouldn't be able to walk away and leave any creature in bad conditions. Maybe if a few of you get together and write to their head office it may have some effect.

There was a HUGE thread about this over on another forum when Petco made the announcement about carrying more Ts. One of the members on that forum actually spoke to someone in corporate about the concerns, and they were supposedly contacting some of the members on that board to hear their concerns and suggestions. I'm not sure how it all played out. In the very least, they seemed like they were actually taking the time to listen.

 

[Zaiaku]

http://www.petco.com/contact-us

Went there and actually put in a submission, I used "stores" and then "in-store experiance" i just said that as someone in the hobby i have noticed a lack of proper care for the Tarantulas kept and that they should try to educate their employees who handle that part of the store on proper housing...at least the very basics. honestly i encourage more to do this if this is going to be a wide spread problem. Others may just see them as "just spiders" but we in the hobby are petco's target group to sell these little guys and gals to so hopefully they realize we are the one's looking at their Tarantulas and would want to please us right? lol anyway yeah if enough people send in such a thing I bet they might try to make it a LITTLE better. who knows though. It IS a large corporation....

Edit: Haha seems Tomoran and I posted near the same time. That's encouraging to hear Tomoran. Still it might help PUSH the situation if MORE put their concerns in.

 

[cameron137]

Congrats on your new acquisitions, both of you! Love to hear about the rescues.

Sadly, it sounds like there's going to be a lot more rescuing to be done with Petco going full-bore with this new tarantula program. I've seen photos of the "Tarantula Huts" that they now sell slings in, and I'm left feeling a bit disheartened that that this was the best they could come up with. I get that they have to have something "attractive" and eye-catching to display them in, but the height of those containers, at least with only an inch or so of sponge on the bottom, make them inappropriate for all but the arboreal species...at least if not filled with SEVERAL inches of substrate. And those sponges are going to turn into petri dishes right quick when dead crickets are allowed to fester and boluses are left to mold. Although I know some Petcos have employees who make sure that there are not prey items and waste left in the enclosure (a friend of mine visited a Petco that had a very knowledgeable clerk), but I'm certain there are others that will just keep dropping crickets in. I feel terrible for the slings that are bought immediately.

Of course, in all fairness, I just rescued three Ts, two Euathlus sp. reds and a dehydrated H. maculata from a reptile store, so this problem extends to all pet stores.

yeah the sponge wasn't even on the bottom it was standing sideways like he was supposed to climb on it. There was just an open bottom with standing water. Just bad bad bad

 

[Fuzzball79]

I know it's so hard, but it's one of those cases where you have to let your heads rule you hearts. It's supply and demand and because you buy those spiders from those shops (probably at full price) they make a business out of it so it's not really a rescue, as harsh as that sounds.
Most people these days (I'd hope) wouldn't buy a puppy from a puppy mill, because even so that one pup might have the chance of a good life, you inadvertently condemning hundreds of other puppies and their parents to misery (the *****es usually get "bred" to death).

I think the better solution would be as Zaiaku wrote. The more people making aware of the issue, the more chance there is for it to be changed. It worked around here with the care of rats being sold at the bigger chains. People complained and they're now in big spacious cages with lots of toys and hiding spots (still wouldn't buy a rat from a pet store).

 

[Thistles]

The conclusion to the thread @Tomoran mentioned is that Petco decided not to carry any OWs, but they will continue to use the same atrocious containers for the NWs they will keep selling. Initially there was an approximately equal number of OW Ts that were in stock.

 

[Kymura]

The problem is that the more they sell, the more poor Ts they will stock in these conditions. Ideally we ought to boycott these shops but unfortunately there will always be someone to buy them.

The thing is not buying them won't make them stop simply because they don't lose any money on a dead one. It's a write off come tax time. They are simply a draw to get folks in the door even if they don't sell but a few a year.
I look at it this way. My 'not' buying them isn't going to make them stop selling them. But it just might mean the life of the one I do buy. I make zero apologies about it. Having been on the other side I know first hand exactly how shady most of them are.

 

[kormath]

The thing is not buying them won't make them stop simply because they don't lose any money on a dead one. It's a write off come tax time. They are simply a draw to get folks in the door even if they don't sell but a few a year.
I look at it this way. My 'not' buying them isn't going to make them stop selling them. But it just might mean the life of the one I do buy.

I can't do the rescues. I don't have the mindset or patience or means. Tried it many years ago with a dog and it didn't go well. Kudos to those of you that can and will

 

[Rmac88]

I wish they would at least properly train the employees. When I rescued Buttercup (A. avic) the woman who was ringing me out actually held the box she was being sold in up to her face and asked "Is this thing real?"

Then, just recently, I was in the same Petco and noticed another one of these 'Tarantula Huts' (I call em death cubes) with a very sad looking maybe 1/4 inch sling scrunched up in the bag. I called over an employee and asked to at least see what of T it was, she immediately responded with "Oh theres no spider in there"

:facepalm:

"Yes there is look" *points out the spider*

"Well I'll be damned none of us thought there was anything in there"

[emoji36] [emoji37]

Sent from my SPH-L520 using Tapatalk

 

[Kymura]

I can't do the rescues. I don't have the mindset or patience or means. Tried it many years ago with a dog and it didn't go well. Kudos to those of you that can and will

I wish they would at least properly train the employees. When I rescued Buttercup (A. avic) the woman who was ringing me out actually held the box she was being sold in up to her face and asked "Is this thing real?"

Then, just recently, I was in the same Petco and noticed another one of these 'Tarantula Huts' (I call em death cubes) with a very sad looking maybe 1/4 inch sling scrunched up in the bag. I called over an employee and asked to at least see what of T it was, she immediately responded with "Oh theres no spider in there"

:facepalm:

"Yes there is look" *points out the spider*

"Well I'll be damned none of us thought there was anything in there"

[emoji36] [emoji37]

Sent from my SPH-L520 using Tapatalk

they make me want to literally shake them!

 

[justdon]

The people that they hire are in and out of that job like people through a revolving door.They don't get any training.

 

[kormath]

The people that they hire are in and out of that job like people through a revolving door.They don't get any training.

actually they do, well kinda sorta. couple videos they have to watch online is about it. And don't forget the personality quiz to get hired. If you think, act, and respond like a normal caring person you don't get the job.