snail rehoming rant!!!

[suzz]

I have worked in a pet shop for ages, I am now full time after finishing my animal management qualifications.
I am head of pets te he he oh so fluffy...

I cant believe how many snails I take in a week and am thinking of ways to increase customers knowledge on snails in the last month I have taken near on 500 babies last week I took 19 fully grown adults ( unfortunately some of my favourite species will never come over the thresh hold ) but these snails are some ones family and class room projects. It doesn't matter how many I sell to good homes there seems to be 5 more lining up in there place
I sell quite a lot of snails and everyone gets as much advice as I can give them, if they like it or not! but when should I say no (ATM its very hard to refuse snails but we have 8 vivs full of them. opps)
Is anyone else in this predicament and what else can I do they all have fact sheets on their vivariums.?? any ideas

[Cashell]

3 things:

#1 Stop selling to people that don't care

#2 If caring for that many snails is putting a strain on you (I can imagine that it probably is) say no!

#3 Stop letting people use you as their snail dumpster

[malacophile]

For a long time, I entertained the idea of having my own pet shop. I love animals and have a lifetime of experience with a huge variety of them. However, upon the realization that these sorts of things would happen, I discarded the idea. Besides, I'd probably be forced out of business for scaring my customers away. No way could I sell to people who didn't appear to care much for the animal's welfare, or to parents bringing in their spoiled kids demanding the next "cool" pet that would just languish under their care. Then there's the lectures I'd give. ...Oh, the lectures!

Anyway, Cashell is right. As much as it might hurt to turn away snails in need, you're going to have to unless you want this to keep happening.

[wreckoning]

Personally, I am impressed that people are returning the snails to pet stores, instead of releasing potential pest species into the wild or neighbours' gardens. I think that you should continue to educate people as best you can when they are considering purchasing gastropods, but do not discourage them from returning their snails if they find they are in over their heads. If you do not have the means to care for all these snails, it is still better to euthanize them yourself, than leave it to others to find inappropriate (and sometimes cruel) ways of disposing of their former pets.

[suzz]

Most of the snails I have taken on aren't babies from snails we have sold, we take any eggs and young and place them in the freezer to euthanas them correctly, the re homing of snails are from people who care that much that they cant kill them and keep them till they work out that 90 is difficult to house, mostly children who love watching them grow up and cant let mum or dad hurt them.
There is a coffee shop on site and I get endless supplies of left over veg which a lot goes too the snails and food that is left over from all the other herbivores which we buy in.
Ii just wish that sellers and pet shops would do more about this problem.!!!! working in a pet shop is hard work you get too find out how uneducated and ridiculous customers can really be .
BUT no more snails since and about 10 have been rehomed so something is going right.

[muddydragon]

i think what you are doing is wonderful and well done on enforcing the education! it's not just Achatina fulica that can go crazy which a lot of people assume, if i kept all eggs just from my four old margies i'ld be drowning in babies and i think often people do not realise that you have to freeze the eggs of other species too!

(you may do this already) but have you educated the people who bring them in to you too to make sure it does not happen again?

[Deleted]

What a fantastic thing to do. Yes sadly peopledo get GALS and indeed other pets just for the sake of having a pet. I did a lot research before getting my 2 Gals I know have 5 . If anything I probably care too much and spoil my GALS rotten.

[suzz]

well we took 10 snails on Tuesday and two got rehomed quickly too me WOOH!!!!
I think their Achatina reticulata but there shell is so black lovely specimens but the customer didn't know the species and I'm a bit iffy on them.
I try my best have about 200 still in store but I had a few go too new homes this week it makes my day talking about them, and I love hearing everyone walk past there vivariums and talk about them, they get a lot of recognition .
I hate freezing the eggs but the older snails wont stop mating recently its snowing in there viv all eggs are fed too the chickens atm and koi so no harm there, i just wish they would slow down and relax a bit on mating.
Yes they get told what to do if it occurs again as its better for them to be euthanased than not to hsve a home or a suitable enviornment. :/ i wont stop trying yet.....

[Cashell]

Chickens eat snail eggs? That's pretty intersesting! I've grown up always hearing that they eat mostly grains, seeds and insects and plant scraps.

[Deleted]

You can also feed snail eggs to goldfish

[muddydragon]

I've heard that chickens can eat snail eggs too (infact also snails, slugs etc in the garden). I've done a lot of research into chickens as i would love some ex-bats one day .

I wouldn't feed GAL eggs to goldfish due to the hard shell. Soft shelled eggs would be fine (and they do enjoy pond snail eggs!) but i dont think they could cope with the hard shell of GAL eggs and could easily choke or cause digestive blockages.

[Deleted]

A friend of mine got ex bat chickens he only intended to get 2 now he's got 10 he likes them that much. Plus he's got names for them all.

[malacophile]

Since chickens are scavengers that will eat nearly everything, I'm not surprised they'd eat snail eggs. In fact, they probably love them.

[vallery]

Back to suzz pet shop:

I like what reckoning suggested about buyers (not discouraging them from returning the snails if they find they are over their head).

Also you could let the buyers know and feel comfortable enough to call the shop if they have any questions about their snails.


I think it is great taking in the snails and educating people about them, but making sure they purchase the proper supplies at your shop before you allow them to purchase the snails, and seriously making sure the proper supplies for the snails are stocked in your store, right down to misting bottles and everything, if you are going to be selling snails in your shop.

I find most pet shops don't have all I need. Which is frustrating. Time consuming to have to go to different stores to find everything.

[suzz]

So christmas has passed and no snails have come in and about 20 went out I got too make 7 full set ups mostly -(heat mats and even mat stats, bowls, decorations, logs, substrate and enclosure and some cute little fish decoration, spray bottle and tubs to transport animals in, cuttlefish, calcium powder and some clamp lamps with lighting) for 16 snails in total and only two were being brought as the person ordered snails off line and they were crushed in the post RIP snaileys.
I give as much info and care sheets I have had a few phone calls and customers in, one snail brought back "dead" or as we like to call it hibernating . I try and keep everything in stock Oxfordshire people like their snails a lot!!
its bad working in a pet shop especially with snails I need them all in my collection... ex batterys are the best chickens they are so great fun our three are.

[crucify]

That's great, sounds like you're making some good progress. You're in Oxfordshire? I wouldn't mind taking some if you're running out of room, not that I actually live there, literal snail mail necessary and all, but I always have room for snails. I could open a zoo in my bedroom at this rate.

Working at a proper pet store sounds really fun, I didn't have a good experience and I got hurt several times when I was working in one, but I was the only person there most of the time and constant physical labor doesn't agree with me. Nor does the angry parrot who was determined to take my eyes out after he missed the first time.

If you really need some getting out I could post some details on my Tumblr, getting a lot of questions lately about actually getting some snails and I'm sure there'll be some people in the area who want some.

[Zorst]

Likewise Suzz, If your happy to post to Ireland I'd cover the postage etc I'll take a few snails to re home here.

We have quite a few already various kinds of Gals and native species but have some rescues as well. I do freeze any extra eggs that I don't want to hatch, though even I manage to miss some once in a while. Young Glas I keep until they are re homed. And will only release Native species back to the wild on my own land. Food wise most of it I grow myself or gather it here as I have a mountain farm so its all organic n pesticide free, they always have a good clean fresh supply.

The offer is there if you want to find another home for some of the snails you've taken in as there's always room here for a few extra homeless slimmers. Just pm me.

Zorst