Pet Shop Issues

There's a pet shop local to me, well, it's more of a garden center that sells fish.We're friendly with the guy that's over the fish section as we keep marine fish.

A few months back, I spotted an Axolotl that we now own. Still to this day his growth rate is very slow and for his age, is much smaller than the other two mature adults. I can only put this down to the fact that he was being fed fish flake (half the reason I bought him, rescue mission).

More recently, my partners' relation bought another Axolotl from the same place, that I was unaware of. He lasted about 2 weeks and died. Apparently the guy in the store had told her to keep the lotl at higher temperatures rather than letting the winter cold get to it and also to feed it fish flake.

Bare in mind, we have had conversations with him about our Axolotls, how we keep them, what we feed them, etc. At one point before I bought our little guy, I asked him to remove the gravel from the tank as he was looking bloated and explained the situation with gravel.

So, long story short, he has been talked to, everything has been explained and yet he's still buying in Axolotls and selling them with the wrong information. It's irritating because he's a really nice guy, and is really careful about his fish so it doesn't make sense. If this was someone selling puppies and keeping them inhumanely, the authorities would be all over it. Is there someone (in Ireland) we can go to about this? Or is it just going to take us kicking up a major fuss?

Why not print off a care sheet from here and hand it over to him next time you are in the shop. Be polite otherwise it might end up straight in the bin. I don't think it's actually illegal to keep them on gravel or feed them fish flakes so going to the authorities would probably be futile. Good luck.

Regards Neil

This makes me so angry!!!

The woman who runs my local pet store is a halfwit!!! I recently comandeered the last 8 surviving larvae from a hatching of over 100 that she had in a tank in store.

I was particularly interested in them as I was comparing their rate of growth to my own babies that had hatched exactly 11 days earlier than hers.

The eggs were left in the tank, and once all viable larvae had hatched she didn't bother to remove the "dead" eggs, nor slow down the filters or air pumps, and was just tossing in fish flakes.

I politely offered advice on their care to which she replied she didn't have the time! I only wish I had stepped in sooner before the majority died. I would pop in 2 or 3 times a week to see how they were doing. They were so teeny and small...My own had reached an average length of 2 inches, yet they were still the size of newly hatched babies!

I finally gathered up the courage and marched into the store last week armed with my trusty turkey baster and a plastic tupperware box. I told her that I was going to take the remaining babies home and raise them properly, then return them to her once they were grown for her to sell and do you know what she said to me?

"Oh good! I need the tank, so was just gonna tip them down the sink"

OMG!!!!!!! I just wanted to leap over the counter and grab her by the throat and.....yes, well, let's just leave it at that lol...

Anyway, the babies are doing fine now and are growing in leaps and bounds :happy:

Needless to say, I will not be returning them to her!

Unfortunately this is very common. I've seen few axolotls in pet shops, but when I do there are always issues with their care. They're usually in an overcrowded tank with gravel, a filter, and a heater.
I have tried to tell people the correct care for these animals, how they should be ashamed of themselves for letting axolotls suffer, etc. They don't listen and they don't care what anyone says. It's the sad truth.
Axolotls just don't belong in pet shops.

Is there someone (in Ireland) we can go to about this? Or is it just going to take us kicking up a major fuss?[/QUOTE]

ISPCA? If they can't help they may know someone who can. My friend went to the local paper about a fish shop near us and they way they were(n't) caring for their Axolotls and other critters.

In this matter, at least for Australia, I can offer some help: http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...85671-aussies-throw-book-them.html#post344087. Under All state regulations, there are clauses about ensuring that animals are not kept in conditions that will cause them to come to harm, which includes keeping them on gravel, with other animals, at higher temperatures and in high flow tanks.
For everyone else, I'd suggest a good place to start looking for legal precedents is the Department of Fair Trading or whomever is in charge of regulating shops in your jurisdiction. There should be a code of practice in place, and within that there should be a clause on care. Use it well.

There's a big issue with any retailer keeping livestock badly but most people who work in a decent outlet normally like animals otherwise they'd get a better paid job with less weekend working. As someone who works in the aquatics industry I go all out to advise shop staff on how to do the right thing and would just ask one thing: Be pleasant to the staff!

A concerned, well-informed customer will normally get a far better reception than somebody who gives a load of attitude, even if it's with the best of intentions. Don't forget that you're doing it to help axies and that's less likely to happen if you generate resentment in the people who actually have the power to improve their standard of care. Offer advice - don't demand change and it's more likely to happen.

Right, I'm off the soap box now - fight the power all..

Thanks for the information everyone, I'll take it on board and see what I can do because this cannot go on much longer when we possibly have the ability to do something about it. Every Axolotl I have seen in a 20 mile radius in a store has been kept in terrible conditions, they just seem to have no interest in educating themselves which is so unfair to the animals.

CJ1981 said:

ISPCA? If they can't help they may know someone who can. My friend went to the local paper about a fish shop near us and they way they were(n't) caring for their Axolotls and other critters.

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I hadn't thought of the ISPCA, I didn't think they would have any interest in smaller, less known animals but we have a branch local to us so I'll go and have a chat with them, thank you