GO FOR IT!!

[rmbrmb]

I am sick and tired of watching things happen and do nothing about it!! We need to do something about it. Adults can walk right in that pet store and mall and light a fire under their butts! You mustn't be too nervous to speak on the behave of dying animals! Hundreds, yes hundreds of places have changed their ways because of our fellow crabbers! Even if your a kid you CAN do something. I found posting ads on craigslist an effective way to spread the word. The first time I cheacked my email after posting the ad 7 people asked how they can help. After carefully reading the caresheets on HCP I equpited everyone who contacted me with information and started a boycott. No matter your age you can still help these critters!

[ladybug15057]

I totally agree that regardless of ones age one can help with the health and welfare of hermies. But one does need to be courteous, as well as well versed in hermie care themselves. Don't fly off the handle (like a few adults had been known to do) and have the pet store employees just look at you as if you are "Just one of those crazy crab people".
Depending on the pet store, PetSmart and Petco have care sheets, vague but they have them and most employees do not even follow those. One can contact cooperate, and Wai have care sheets here one can print out and have with them as well.

[rmbrmb]

I do agree. The polite approch works..... except when its a mall. Pet stores its better to start polite, then over time if they blew you off, threaten PETA. (but don't actually call them they don't care) But malls, they only wana make money and they don't care about ANYTHING else. Threating imedietly, in my opion, is ok. They want nothin but money and I feel if they think people will stop buying, or their crabs will be taken away, they will stop sellin!

( Ive been livin in kentucky too long )

[ladybug15057]

If it is not a chain store where one can contact cooperate one should mention "Planet Feedback". They will look into complaints they receive and have helped many hermies.

[rmbrmb]

I agree but when it comes to malls, they usually would much rather stop selling than spend the extra buck getting proper supplies. (keep in mind most people who go to the mall aren't looking for a hermit crab) They don't make too much and if they had to replace their 'kits' with nice 10 gallon tanks they could kiss sales goodbye.

[Wai]

A few of the small chain and independent pet stores here have stopped selling hermit crabs altogether, which I guess is a good thing, considering how dreadful the hermit crabs were being kept in the past.

The pet store where I got Ixion, Orcus, Huya and Iris closed down a few months ago, while the stores where I got Flora and Metis no longer sell hermit crabs. Last time I looked, the store where I got Haumea from didn't have any hermit crabs in their tank.

[ladybug15057]

IMO from what I have read about hermies being sold at malls it would be great if they just quit selling them altogether. IMO, no great loss and a HUGE plus for hermies all over!
Thank goodness I have not seen any at a mall in my area, chances are I would report them from the mall itself.

[rmbrmb]

You don't wana see any in a mall. There are a couple in my area and gosh, its a horror movie! Imagene a hot bulb raining down on painted shell hermies so desprate to get out of the heat the hide under the dish. Also add the blue gravel, and the 10-20 dead bodies laying in the tank. Oh, don't forget their are so many stuffed in there they barley have room to walk! It is a plus for them NOT to sell hermies.

[arhoads]

Our Petland has them in a huge plastic storage bin. The room itself is super warm because they keep all the reptiles and other animals that need warmth in one room. There were at least 40 crabs in the container and only the two I bought were in natural shells. My husband asked why I bought "the ugly ones" I actually liked the natural shells better and at the time didn't know how horrific the painted shells are for the crabs. They only had one dish with a bunch of sponges. No food, no extra shells, and several thrown in a corner missing limbs. They had a wire climbing arch that most of them were clinging onto for dear life. one of the ones I was going to get was on the wire but the lady couldn't get him off, at least she didn't try to rip him off and kill the poor thing which is probably what happened to the other ones. Oh, and they had no substrate what so ever.

[aussieJJDude]

that is so sad, i agree natural shell look better in my opinion and the pained just look pain horrible (there are not words to describe it).
today a new pet store opened in my area and the hermies in the tank were amazing the only down side is that there were painted shells and gravel in the tank. the pet store dude new alot about the lil guys (i played dumb and told him at the end) but it was humid, water dishes, climbing and hiding places, additional room to move per hermie, food dish (had a variety) had gauges and had a lid.
Going to buy hermies from there now on instead of driving 50mins to a good pet store, now it is just 20 mins. YAY