You may have seen my postings about pet shops and how they treat their animals, especially one in particular down near my house. I purchased my Blue Phase WTF from them a few months ago just to save it from the agony of having to live in a terrible place like that, I'd like to think I've made his life better by purchasing him, even though I was supporting the store in a way.

I went into this particular shop today as a matter of fact and saw a full size adult crested gecko (A beautiful creature. If I had had the money and the space I would have rescued him too...) in an Exo Terra nano, sitting on a branch. His body length filled the tank, I doubt if he could even have laid long ways in the tank as the branch he was lying on was diagonal inside the set up. I'm not sure if typing it out has the same effect as the visual I got today when I saw him, my eyes watered out of pity and anger at the fact that they were housing such a beautiful animal this way. But it did not surprise me, they sell RETFs for $80 and pack all their animals in cages too small to be long term housing. They're always over stocked and out of room, keeping turtles in cages so small that the poor things can't even turn around. It is sickening to see, and if I was bolder I could give them an earful about the way their treating their animals. Not to mention the staff are a bunch of stuck up pricks who think they know everything about herps, when obviously, by the state of things, they do NOT.

I was in this shop and saw a small baby tortoise wedged between some decor and the glass of his tank, he was struggling to get out, kicking his legs and wiggling his body. I don't know if the thing would have survived if I hadn't gotten someone to come and help him, and when she did I thanked her and she looked at me like I was nothing but a bother. That poor turtle was kicking for at least fifteen minutes before I went and got her, it took her three seconds to move him, and she gave me the dirtiest look I have ever seen in my life.

That's just my brief splurge, but I agree in part with what everyone has to say. If only regulations were up to code at places like this and if the owners/managers actually cared, maybe we wouldn't have so much to complain about.