Little Shop of Horrors

Yesterday I was at an aquarium store picking up some supplies. It isn't one I usually go to, but I felt like supporting a neighborhood small business. I was curious and peaked around a doorway and I saw what appeared to be "breeder" axolotls. There were 5 cramped into a 20 gallon long with only a couple plants and no hides. One only had gills on one side of its head. Another was hobbling along because it was missing a limb. All were missing digits and and had short stubby gills. They all looked so unhappy. It broke my heart...made me want to go home and hug my little axie-babies. I can't get the images of my head. Please tell me not all axolotl husbandry is like that?

So sad.

Certainly is sad...

That's so upsetting to hear..

can't they be reported?

I hate when shops do stuff like that...

There are some very considerate breeders out there - look at the lovely people on this forum for example It's not uncommon for two people to start a conversation and find they actually have axolotl siblings as well, and recently I saw a setup by a breeder who keeps all his axolotls in individual tanks - ten gals each - in an aircooled storage unit. He knows his stuff and always vetoes all his potential owners before selling. A gold standard, really.

Unfortunately there are a few breeders and shops, like with any animal or trade, where they cut corners. I'm really sorry to hear about this, and if you want to take action, you can report them to your local animal welfare charity. Like a member said once on here, if it was a rabbit missing clumps of fur or puppies with a broken leg, people would be up in arms. Allowing axolotls to suffer is no more acceptable than keeping a mammal in cramped conditions. That may be a strong opinion, but they can feel pain and discomfort just as we can. As beings capable of rational thought, I always feel we have a duty to do for them as can't.

We're here with pictures of happy axolotls and caring owners, if it helps?

This reminds me...
There was a store I happened upon in Houston(S & S Exotic Animals) a few months ago that had a ton of axols that looked much the same. There were several dead(as in, at least 6) and every single baby that was alive was missing something, or almost everything. There was one that was actually missing both arms, both legs, almost every single gill and half of his tail!!!!!!!!! I have no idea how he was still alive. There was a big one who kept head-butting him and he'd try to wiggle away... I eventually couldn't take it anymore and stuck my hand in there and grabbed him. I'm sure it wasn't the best thing for him, but I was about to cry. That big one was eating him right in front of me and I just couldn't watch! It seriously broke my heart. I was BEYOND PISSED. I told a younger employee about the dead ones and the one I was holding, and he took them. I kept my fingers crossed the one I tried to save went to a separate tank, but who knows... I would have purchased several of the worse off looking ones but they were selling them at $50 a pop!!!! Insane! I brought another one of the employees over, an older lady, to show her and went off on a spiel about how awful they looked, then attempted to weasel a bargain out of her, but she wasn't having it. I went about it completely the wrong way, but I was SO MAD! It was a little privately owned place and everything... It's not like they have a corporate planogram they have to follow! They were keeping them in maybe a 20 gallon black rubbermaid container looking thing with a waterfall type filter. There had to have been at least 20 babies in it. UHG!

So, to anyone who lives in the Houston area, beware of S & S.

Call PETA. Couldn't they do something?

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PETA? Doing something to actually help? LOL

Try the ASPCA instead, they might be able to help.

I don't know if I'd really trust either to help. :lame: