Omg <IMG SRC="http://www.caudata.org/forum/clipart/sad.gif" ALT=":-(" BORDER=0>

I went into my local petstore / aquarium today and to my abject horror I saw two golden albino axies with SEVERE ammonia burn. One had stringy mucus trailiing off its spinal fin...The other had no gills, and was standing on all fours, raised on its tip-toes. Both had bright red rashes over their lips - I yelled out horribly quite loudly in the store. Two clerks came over and I screamed at them about the poor axies. They claimed they didn't realise, but I spat back at them that it is ridiculous for them to expect me to believe that they had not noticed their condition in the 24 hours they had been in the store. Not only where they ill, but they were placed into a tank with healthy looking axolotls. They sputtered their apologies and how "rare" this kind of incident is - promptly apologising and removing the 2 sick axies to the hospital ward of the pet store.

Needless to say, I'm crushed - I thought I had found a store that I could rely on - yet they failed to notice in 24 hours what I saw in the corner of my eye from across the store. I can only hope they didnt throw the axies into the bin after I left.

I felt bad about my public display; but I was outraged. I shall be checking up on them daily now to make sure they mend those axies, and that if they do take sick stock, that they quarantine them and mend them.

Sorry, but I had to vent my sheer rage over the situation.

Dear lord. Good on you!
I know exactly what you mean too.
You should threaten to report them if it doesn't improve soon.

It's a shame because I really like the store - I can only hope for my own sake that it was a mistake on their behalf and not just carelessness.

that was the same sort of situation that causede me to suddenly own 19 axies, but at least the store where i bought mine have now set up a reasonabel axie tank while using this wonderfull forum as a refference.

and trust me it allways helps to threaten with reporting them.

you should tell all your friends and any one who will listen to keep an eye on the store that way they will know that that people care and that they should take better care in the future.

i just dont get why stores cant see that sick animals are bad buisness , if i see a store that neglecks there animals it report them and then ill rant and rave to any one who will listen and urge them to boycut the store untill they change or close.

sorry im ranting againe i just feel strongly about animal wellfare.

I understand - I really think it was just the novice clerks working the friday afternoon shift; the head of the aquarium department, a mate of mine, Colin - he knows his stuff, and I'm sure if he were there then it would never have happened.

You are good guy man!
And business is business, some how they don't expect the animals as much as we do!

well even the best petstores have slip ups so, and its good to heare that the store actualy knows what they are selling, not many like that around.

morrissey i just dont get it !!!!!
my old pet store use to tell me : i can sell peoble fish and animals without telling them any thing and the animals will die soon after, perhaps the custormors will come back to get more who dies too or they give up.
OR i can give them all the best advice to keep there new pets healty for a long time and create a faithful customer,who will spread our name around and draw in new customers, and spend a lot of money here caring for there beloved pets.

its just good business to keep peoble coming back to get better food, larger tanks and better pumps.
by the way the owner would refuse to sell animals if he didnt think that peoble would treat them well. and he didnt sell animals he didnt know anything about thus he didnt have axies but he helpede me to find the info i needet when i got my first pair from a friend.

good on you all. i did that in a big "pet superstore" that sells mammels, birds, fish, and amphibians. these were being kept with cichlids, and were being reccomended as being docile, tropical or coldwater community fish.
o dear, o dear o dear!
what are these places thinking!!
i think im going to have to own a pet shop, to show them how its done!

all I have to say is thank goodness I have never seen axolotl sold in the giant pet super stores yet.

It is ashame that your little store is more about te $$$ rather than proper care for the animals they try to sell. seems like bad buisness ethic as well as bad animal care. shame shame

like I keep saying, they're a pretty good bunch of people; I'm pretty sure it was the novice's fault for not noticing. I've been calling them daily demanding health updates on the axies, and I'm going in tomorrow to see for myself. I'd rather be the thorn in the store's side and uphold the wellbeing of the axies than keep in the good books with them.

yea, belive me, when you see an axie in a big pet superstore, its not a good sight, and what really enraged be was when they said, suitable for tropical of coldwater community, and they had one on show but not for sale in a goldfish bowl(i got told, i didnt dare look!)and the tank was full of cichlids.
good way to set an example

Im sad - as it turns out, the two sick golden albinos died over the weekend. Wether or not that is their way of saying "we destroyed them because the cost of mending them is more than they are worth to us" is anyone's guess. I try not to think about it.

In the end, I like to blame the supplier. All the other axies from the pet store are perfectly healthy and look great. Including the 3 that I've bought from there. It really boils my blood to see animal neglect.

Oh, the last golden albino in the store had half its tail chewed off, and was COVERED in small bumps - about the size of a fly, they were massive bumps. The last remaining axies, 2 brown wild types however, were perfectly fine, and have been for over a week now.

I'm a sad panda.

Something like this happened at my pet store, I'd been after a axie for months and months and would go in a press my nose against the glass of the axie tanks dreamily, then one week they had a beautiful albino in, it was being sold for £27 and the next time I saw it, it was totally covered in mould, it was decaying, half of me wanted to get it to try and help it, but I doubt I could have done a damn thing. Though on a happy note, all the other axies there have been of great quality and well kept.