I live in Houston TX and there is a TERRIBLE pet store. S&S Exotics. They have everything you could imagine (Even a tiger) But the place is FILTHY and their animals are neglected and SICK. My friend bought a hedgehog there and the day they brought her home she was throwing up green and had awful green diarrhea then her EYEBALL FELL OUT on day two. She's okay now after a few costly vet visits but how can they get away with this? They seemed to be healthy but it just isn't the case. Look at their Yelp page and it is nothing but "If I could give 0 stars I would" "Dead pet within a week" and things like that.

But this is where it gets awful.. Yesterday my sister was there to check in and see if the conditions were any better and she came across the sugar glider cages... There were 10+ sugar gliders in ONE cage with TWO pouches. There were gliders hanging on the bars hiding their faces from the bright fluorescent spotlights and gliders curled up on the bottom the of cage cause there is no room in the pouches for them. There was one glider in particular who was SOAKED in his own diarrhea and moving so sluggish it looked like he was just barely clinging to life THIS INFURIATES ME. How can people run a business this way?! How can you get away with treating animals this way????

What should I do? What CAN we do??

This is horrible.

I think first a call to the local animal services for that county with some urgency put into having it checked out would be first. Also try the non-profits like ASPCA, Humane Society, rescue groups...get the word out. That's a fast way to get people onto it. The rescue group people, usually regardless of particular animals they are into, are really activists!

Ok...then who licenses these places to operate in that area...some government agency...you'll have to make some calls or surf the net to find out.

Anyone have any other suggestions? The real shame is that there is going to be a great need to try to rescue as many of these animals as possible if they do succeed in shutting them down, because animal control could be brought in and euthanize some that could otherwise be saved.

More power to you Kayla!!!!

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Originally posted by Blue Nostalgic


Ok...then who licenses these places to operate in that area...some government agency...you'll have to make some calls or surf the net to find out.

Anyone have any other suggestions? The real shame is that there is going to be a great need to try to rescue as many of these animals as possible if they do succeed in shutting them down, because animal control could be brought in and euthanize some that could otherwise be saved.

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Their website says they are licensed by the USDA, the Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Harris County Animal Control.
The ASPCA said to report animal cruelty in a pet store I'll have to contact the USDA. I've sent an email and they should reply with a form for me to file my complaint. I am going to contact local shelters and exotic rescues to get more people behind it and acting on it.

I will take in some animals if I have to. Maybe giving the shelters some notice would help get them out of there safely and prevent euthenasia.

Wow the same thing happened to me today about finding out about a FILTHY pet store that has sugar gliders. I have only been in it once many years ago and there were tons of flies and maggots and dead animals. But today I was talking with a friend who went in and saw sugar gliders that were in a cage not any bigger than a small dog cage. I'm really tempted to go to the place and check it out. But if the place is as bad as it was when I went in many years ago I'm afraid I might either cry or go home and make a plan with totes to bust them out.

So I'm also curious as to what I can do to help these gliders if need be. I could take two or three in but I'm also super nervous about health. But is there an actual way to keep these animals out of pet stores like that? ( like if this bunch of gliders get taken away there is a way to keep future gliders from going in?)

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Originally posted by TotesMaGoats



So I'm also curious as to what I can do to help these gliders if need be. I could take two or three in but I'm also super nervous about health. But is there an actual way to keep these animals out of pet stores like that? ( like if this bunch of gliders get taken away there is a way to keep future gliders from going in?)

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I refuse to purchase anything from them. I could (and want) to go in and save all of those gliders.. But just as you said. They would be replaced in a heartbeat. I want them shut down permanently. I'm wondering if the conditions are severe enough for the entire place to be shut down.
17 of the 24 reviews say that their animal died within a week. That doesn't just happen.

Don't give up, and do ANYTHING and everything you can because that is beyond wrong. Just keep contacting every source you can.

Okay so I did some digging.. and on the USDA APHIS website they legally have to make all inspection records available to the public. I found the Inspection record for S&S and there are only two. One in 2013 and one in 2014. They've been in business for 20 years. Where are the other 18 reports?

Both inspections were conducted by the same person.
The 2013 inspection had one indirect non-compliance which said that the sugar gliders had insulation from the walls falling into their enclosures. But other than that both inspections were flawless.
The inspection SAYS it lists the number of each species kept in S&S. But it is missing a large amount of animals and I seriously doubt these numbers.
The lists are the EXACT same.
8 gerbils in 2013
8 gerbils in 2014
30 hedgehogs in 2013
30 hedgehogs in 2014
2435 Sugar Gliders.. Wait what? Yeah. 2435. At least that's what the report claims. (They breed their own gliders on site. But still that number is obscene)
And still 2435 in 2014
The only difference in the lists are that the 2014 one includes a few more species.

It says the first inspection was conducted by Charles and a veterinarian (The second was just Charles). NO WAY a vet would walk in there and clear them. It just isn't possible. Unless it is their regular vet (The one they claim on their website gives their animals check ups monthly). In which case of course he would. Why would he want to lose their business? They have tons of sick animals for him to stuff his pockets off of.

This is all just so shady to me.

The USDA website says they inspect the warm blooded animals. Well who inspects the cold blooded? They are just as neglected. Does anyone come inspect them?


So.
We have Charles the inspector.
a mystery vet.
missing animals.
fake numbers.
sick/dead animals.
shady employees. They literally hang up on you if you try to ask questions.

I have multiple people and rescues lined up to take these guys in and I'm just trying to get a little more information before I go to the news.

The worst part about this is if it was puppies it would have been shut down forever ago but since its exotics nobody cares. Or nobody knows.

Good for you!!! I don't live near there (I live in KS) but if there is anything I can do, please let me know.
Terri

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2435 Sugar Gliders.. Wait what? Yeah. 2435. At least that's what the report claims. (They breed their own gliders on site. But still that number is obscene)
And still 2435 in 2014

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By definition - a mill breeding operation.

As far as the inspections - USDA standards are actually much lower than most of us consider minimum. Cages only need to allow the animals room to stand and turn around and I expect in this case they are no larger than 2 x 2 x 2 cube - or LESS.

Check APHIS again using their number or the owner's name rather than the company name. It is possible that the reports are misfiled by the computer if the name on the report was put into the system as S and S or S&S or S & S. Their USDA number may give you more reports.

They may have also lost their license and requalified in 2012 so only the 2 current reports are shown under the current number.

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Originally posted by Candy

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2435 Sugar Gliders.. Wait what? Yeah. 2435. At least that's what the report claims. (They breed their own gliders on site. But still that number is obscene)
And still 2435 in 2014

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By definition - a mill breeding operation.

As far as the inspections - USDA standards are actually much lower than most of us consider minimum. Cages only need to allow the animals room to stand and turn around and I expect in this case they are no larger than 2 x 2 x 2 cube - or LESS.

Check APHIS again using their number or the owner's name rather than the company name. It is possible that the reports are misfiled by the computer if the name on the report was put into the system as S and S or S&S or S & S. Their USDA number may give you more reports.

They may have also lost their license and requalified in 2012 so only the 2 current reports are shown under the current number.

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I looked into it some more with their number and I still was only able to find the two reports. Maybe they did lose their license a few years ago.

I'll be going in this weekend to get some pictures and maybe act like I'm going to buy something to get some information then I'm sending it all to the media. I've already told them about it and they are interested so let's hope!

Pictures are REALLY helpful. If it's possible, you could ask the owners who made the reviews (if it's not anonymous) if they had their pet examined to see cause of death. I tried to get a pet store shut down a few years ago, they had 10 rabbits put in to a 50ish gallon tank.. The long and narrow kind.. Out of sympathy, I brought two home. One was coughing SEVERELY and the other was being picked on for its size. The seemingly healthy one bit me and I found it dead the next morning.. The ministry of health had to get involved, the owner called me yelling, saying that I was lying and he was going to sue me. The rabbit did have an illness, but nothing transferable to humans and after antibiotics.. The cough went away on the other bunny. Two months of fighting and is till have to drive by that place.
They get all their pets from a neighbouring province that has a lot of mills.. The truck shows up, the owner takes what he wants and no one seems to notice/care.
Makes me so angry.

I posted a few pictures in a new topic.
http://www.sugarglider.com/glidergossip/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=53991

Have you been able to turn them in yet? I would love to see them go down, and the gliders and other exotics find good homes!

Is there an update on this? It looks like their mystery vet is Dr David Brust, who also happens to be the president of ASGV or whatever. That explains some of it.

You could contact your state division of Wild Life to report them. They would be the ones to inspect a pet store that sells exotics.

Yep, and these people are highly recommended by MANY other breeders. "not me btw".

Thank you so much for this post, I appreciate it. I wish more people's eyes were opened when it comes to S&S.

Kayla I live very close! Let me know if there is anything I can do to help you!
Hope to hear you're making progress!

This is just plain horrible the way many people treat animals. Just if i looked at that ugly face of a horrible person i would cry.

http://aldf.org/resources/when-you-witness-animal-cruelty/what-to-do-when-you-find-animals-in-substandard-conditions-at-a-pet-store/

This link tells you what to do to report this pet store

This is a thread from 2014. But, it is still relevant. S&S and Even Keel Exotics are still up to the same dirty tricks.

Please do not purchase any animals from them they will overcharge you and you will have something that is very unhealthy, and there will be no resolution.  I have raised multiple exotic animals as well as farm animals and I have never had a creature in this bad of condition. I have never given a bad review ever, this will be my 1st because I feel like it is extremely necessary.  I will be sharing this on as a many sites as possible. They are listed as a breeder, I will be contacting the necessary people to get them shut down if possible. Please stay away from this place. I must unfortunately purchased a skinny pig from them who died within a week of purchase. She was infested with ring worms, earmites, pinkeye, and respiratory disease. This place needs shut down most definitely all the animals are housed in appropriately. I should have never been tempted to purchase this little critter I was just so tempted by her cuteness. It is so super frustrating that people are allowed do this to animals. I will be going down every Avenue to hopefully help to shut these people down

Something else I did that I suggest everybody else do as well if they haven't. Research all the reptile and exotic shows they will be listed as a vendor, and leave your experience in the review section. I'm sure all these big reptile shows will not like having the one star and may eventually boot S&S out

Yeah. It's so frustrating and sad that there are places like this.