I need to vent about ethics

I was at a friend's rescue this weekend when a GCC was surrendered. The owner was an 89 year old lady in a wheelchair, who had just gotten the GCC back in July. She had gotten him from a privately owned pet shop in our area, and was told that he would be a perfect bird for her, that all he needed was a little taming. This conure was wild when she got him. She brought along the receipt from when she purchased him, and she was charged $400 for the GCC, $120 for a "new" Visions cage that was held together with pipe cleaners, $20 for a tiny rodent cage held together with pipe cleaners to be used as a travel cage, and she was then sold 3 boxes of gravel (the owner said he HAS to have gravel), and 3 full boxes of treats, perches that are appropriate for an amazon, and several snuggle huts. Altogether she spent over $900. The cage was way too small for him, and it was packed full of things that she was told he had to have. The woman was in tears because she felt like a failure for not being able to tame this wild conure, and had bites all over her arms.

This owner told me on the phone once when I called about a pitiful plucked ekkie that had been given to him that he does not believe in feeding any veggies or fruits to any birds, that they should only eat Roudybush. He touts himself as a bird expert, and I shudder to think how many birds are suffering from his advice. His personal birds are all plucked, and in tiny cages with no toys.

I guess I just needed to vent about someone who would take such advantage of an elderly lady who was just looking for a companion and probably would have enjoyed having a canary, and also the fact that he cares nothing for the birds in his care. There is really nothing to be done as they all have water, food and clean cages I just wish that everyone who sells birds actually cared about them.

Thanks for letting me vent a bit, this has been bothering me all weekend.

Ugh. If I was on a computer instead of my phone , I would type a very long agreement.

This guy is POND SCUM in my opinion!

And sadly, there are a number of people like that out there. They keep these birds in poor condition, just so that people feel sorry for them, and then charge premium prices, which people pay just to get them out of that circumstance...

It's so crappy that they would give a not tame bird to a sweet little old lady like that, and bilk her out of money in the process... !

There is a special place in hell for people like this!

Birdman666 said:

This guy is POND SCUM in my opinion!

And sadly, there are a number of people like that out there. They keep these birds in poor condition, just so that people feel sorry for them, and then charge premium prices, which people pay just to get them out of that circumstance...

It's so crappy that they would give a not tame bird to a sweet little old lady like that, and bilk her out of money in the process... !

There is a special place in hell for people like this!

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I agree, it is so sad that there are people who will do this! It's terrible for the bird and the poor little old lady that was just trying to do what she was told was best. I recently rescued a B&G Macaw that was in a (HORRIBLE) situation and the lady thought she was an expert bird owner too but that's another story.....

Argggh.. Makes me so mad… This pet store owned is a jerk! I would use much stronger vocabulary if it was allowed here.
One thing I REALLY don't understand and will never understand - there is SO MUCH information out there about birds, their caging, feeding, entertaining etc, etc requirements; there are forums like this where you can ask about things you didn't find or are not sure about - and people are still completely ignorant about basic things!
It makes me so upset when people don't bother to keep learning about their birds and birds in general, and think they know everything.

I was I. Pet smart the other day and the sales lady was spouting nonsense, sincere nonsense, to customers. Things like, "we can't keep conures together because they would become vicious and completely untameable" and "yes, the cage he is in right now is how big his cage should be" and "see the pellets he is eating? That's all he will ever need, that and millet." I had just gotten done having a conversation with the woman and knew that rate were actually her thing, and heard her rant about the improper info given about rats and their care, but she was spouting the results of either company training or a five minute internet search. She truly thought she was giving them good advice. She did stress the importance of toys, and told them a breeder was a better place to buy (she may have done that just because I, I breeder, was standing right there and she was actually snuggling Cache while she talked) and stressed the importance of toys and patience, but it seemed like everything she said was at least a little bit off. It is so frustrating when even the people who WANT to give good info don't. And don't even get me started about our local family owned pet store who breeds many of hither own birds, uses siblings as breeders, houses hand feeding babies in clear plastic tubs in the middle of the store, force weans, their "hand fed babies" can't even step up, and the list goes opn and on and on and on. They are self proclaimed experts. One day they decided birds are where they money is, and began to breed, seemingly without reading one single thing on development, training, or anything else. In addition to conures, cockatiels, a million lovebirds, and other small birds they just got in a teenage hyacinth, some green wing chicks, and are getting in sone blue and gold chicks. Yes, to be housed in clear tubs in the middle of the store and petted by whoever wants to let them, and hen force weaned.

I know SS, the lady we rescued Bert (B&G) from kept him for AT LEAST 3 years in her basement, 1 light bulb in the center of the room that she would turn on when she went down there! All he had for light was a itty bitty window on the opposite side of the room that was made out of milkhouse blocks (those thick square glass blocks used in older barns and milkhouses) Mostly ALL SEED diet! NO baths or showers in the time she had him. His chest is completely plucked. She didn't handle him AT ALL either. Bert is the sweetest bird who is now stepping up and letting us pet him, sharing family meals with us and enjoying being part of the family. We are planning on finding a good stable home for him but are in no hurry to do so. If we don't find someone who will give him what he needs he will live out his days with us! I just couldn't leave him in her care after seeing those conditions.

Got you beat on that score... WOODY, OUR FOSTER SHAMROCK MACAW SPENT 32 YEARS IN A FRIGGIN' STORAGE UNIT!!!

ALL THAT ISOLATION REALLY MESSED HIM UP PSYCHOLOGICALLY, HE WAS A REALLY GREAT PEOPLE ORIENTED BIRD TOO... HUGE PERSONALITY BIRD!

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j251/JerseyWendy/Mark - Birdman/Mark08.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j251/JerseyWendy/Mark - Birdman/Mark06.jpg

THAT BIRD WAS SARAH'S BABY...

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j251/JerseyWendy/Mark - Birdman/Mark05.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j251/JerseyWendy/Mark - Birdman/Mark07.jpg

After the abuse, he couldn't stand to be left alone EVER! In fact, he could become quite dangerous at times when you went to set him down, or leave.

He now has a mate, and is the flock leader of a flight of 32 large macaws. He has attention 24/7 from his own kind.

That is awful! Thank you for taking him in and giving him a good home. He is absolutely beautiful!

Bert had been in a car dealership chained to his perch before she had got him. He hasn't had an easy life and he's in his mid teens supposedly. I don't know how people can do this

The OP event and similar tales of horror makes my blood boil.

The seller mistreats innocent captive creatures, takes terrible advantage of a senior, and practices mercenary pricing. Three strikes and he should be OUT of business. In an ideal marketplace that thug and his ilk would be driven from the hobby, but sadly the typical consumer knowledge base is scant, thus the misery perpetuates.

That's horrible

These stories are horrific and shocking. The OP's original post breaks my heart for the little lady and the conure. That guy must be a real piece of work with an unbelievable streak of cruelty. I'll never understand how people like him can treat sentient beings like merchandise and only think of the profit margin.

Terry, please let us know what happens to the conure.

This stuff just makes me so mad. Poor lady and GCC.

I got an update on him yesterday, and he is still terrified of everything, but they were able to get him to step up. He has been moved to an appropriate cage where he can actually move around He has stolen a bit of my heart, I think.

What the?! That poor lady!!!!! [emoji33][emoji33][emoji33] and the poor bird!!!! [emoji33][emoji33][emoji33][emoji33] that guy should be ashamed of himself!!!! Karma is a you-know-what and he'll get what's coming to him sooner or later [emoji35][emoji35][emoji35][emoji35]