New member..need advice

[katiea]

I have 2 bearded dragons. One from a breeder and one is a rescue. The rescue I did not intend to keep, I was in a pet store and the owners were trying to sell him but he clearly had severe mbd. He needs to be hand fed still, not force fed, he is still gaining strength and putting on weight and hunting prey takes a lot out of him..he needs a little more. I have 6 parrots and a special needs dog among other pets. I decided to find him a home. I used to have an animal rescue and people always email or call if they want an animal, I no longer have the rescue so I wasn't really sure how to seek out someone to take him. I found someone who told me she was very experienced and I trusted her. She took him, creole, and his take with uvb, and a whole setup covered in fleece, because his back legs don't work well and he uses the fleece to get a better grip to pull himself around on. I later found out it was a teenager taking care of him, not her mother I had been talking with. And, I forgot to mention this but when I was putting his enclosure in my truck I set his heat lamp to the side to cool off and I forgot about it, oops. It had been a week and she was asking for his heat lamp.....uhhhh….you should have bought one.... I had a bad feeling about it, I starting having daily panic attacks thinking about him. I begged to buy him back, I said she could keep everything, his food and tank..i just want him back. She refused. I talked her into letting me babysit him, and fast forward I picked him up half an hour ago...ice cold and covered in sand. I started crying as soon as I saw him, he has a vet appointment Tuesday. She still thinks I am just babysitting. She knows my address, phone number, and email. I have no idea what to do. I really don't like confrontation, I've literally considered changing my number and moving...ok maybe overreacting

 

[Tasalyn]

I’m not going to lie to you, I am new to the bearded dragon game, but I am very experienced when it comes to stealing animals that deserve better. I may have done it a time or two.
I think that you should stand your ground and not give him back. Be confident in the fact that he deserves better and if they are incapable of doing so, they don’t deserve him and do not get him back.
I am 100% behind you for doing the right thing. I would love to stay posted on what happens!


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[katiea]

I’m not going to lie to you, I am new to the bearded dragon game, but I am very experienced when it comes to stealing animals that deserve better. I may have done it a time or two.
I think that you should stand your ground and not give him back. Be confident in the fact that he deserves better and if they are incapable of doing so, they don’t deserve him and do not get him back.
I am 100% behind you for doing the right thing. I would love to stay posted on what happens!


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I’m definitely not giving him back, but I’m worried about them knowing where I live and having all my contact information. She texted me this morning asking about him and I don’t even know what to say. I have a week or two to think about it though

 

[Hdrydr31]

It would be pretty hard to give him back given the circumstances.. Maybe tell her that it seems you were in the understanding that you had experience in his care yet it's your kid doing the care. You are concerned with the lack of care, covered in sand and not looking well.

 

[PatsyB]

This is a tough one. Did she pay you for anything? If so, offer her money back and then some. Like Hdrydr31 said, explain to her that this dragon needs special care and you didn't realize that she wasn't prepared to give it to him.

 

[katiea]

This is a tough one. Did she pay you for anything? If so, offer her money back and then some. Like Hdrydr31 said, explain to her that this dragon needs special care and you didn't realize that she wasn't prepared to give it to him.

$15 for enclosure, pellets, powder food, baby food, live food, syringes, enclosure with everything in it, and him. I told her I would pay anything, even hundreds, just for him but she wouldn't budge

 

[JennahS]

I hope you can figure it out

 

[JennahS]

I feel like she shouldn't get him back. I dont know what the best steps would be to take. But him being in that environment for a week, and you get him cold and covered in sand. That is just very rude the poor little guy needs more attention and help. They dont seem like they know what they are doing.

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[KateRose]

Honestly? You can say he passed away due to the neglect and just keep him. Find a proper owner through forums like these and ask fo see their set up. I used to work at an animal shelter. If they can’t properly care for an animal that animal should be taken away. End of story. I might sound radical in this but I once took someone’s gecko they housed in a tiny plastic tank WITHOUT A HEAT SOURCE or proper set up when she said she didn’t have time/money and didn’t want to fix it. This is abuse and neglect. Animals deserve better.

 

[Andy Usher]

You said he has a vet appointment, you can use this to keep him.
When she comes for him explain he was more poorly than when she took him from you originally and had to see a vet urgently, show her the bill as proof and ask her to pay for it, also ask if she had made an appointment for him to see a vet as he was obviously very ill and in more distress than when she took him, if not then that is animal neglect and cruelty, also ask her the experience she has with reptiles. Explain he is a very sick animal that requires more care and attention than her experience is capable of, offer her the money back, but tell her that he will be staying with you whether she accepts the money or not.

 

[katiea]

Honestly? You can say he passed away due to the neglect and just keep him. Find a proper owner through forums like these and ask fo see their set up. I used to work at an animal shelter. If they can’t properly care for an animal that animal should be taken away. End of story. I might sound radical in this but I once took someone’s gecko they housed in a tiny plastic tank WITHOUT A HEAT SOURCE or proper set up when she said she didn’t have time/money and didn’t want to fix it. This is abuse and neglect. Animals deserve better.

I've been considering this..any time I try to reason with her she tries to make me feel guilty about it and I feel like if I tell her I won't give him back it'll start a big fight that feels less and less worth it everyday. The vet is talking about euthanizing him, his mbd got much worse while in her care. He was starting to eat solids but now he's back to a fully liquid diet and he's weaker than when I first got him. But she doesn't care.

 

[Julieonna]

Tell her he passed and leave it at that. Theres no reason to argue with someone who wont listen. Call her crying, in the AM. And tell he he wS no longer moving when you woke.
I dont normally suggest lying, but sometimes it's what needs to be.

 

[Andy Usher]

I've been considering this..any time I try to reason with her she tries to make me feel guilty about it and I feel like if I tell her I won't give him back it'll start a big fight that feels less and less worth it everyday. The vet is talking about euthanizing him, his mbd got much worse while in her care. He was starting to eat solids but now he's back to a fully liquid diet and he's weaker than when I first got him. But she doesn't care.

If you tell her he died then she will just want another one and a healthy animal will come to an unfortunate and sad end.
I know he was ill and needed extra attention, but she didn’t even bother with his basic needs of a heat lamp, I am afraid she needs to be stopped from doing it again. I would tell her straight the extra suffering she has caused and I would refuse to sell her another animal due to welfare concerns.
We have a responsibility to all our animals to keep them safe and healthy, they unknowingly rely on us for all their care, if we as keepers don’t do that then we shouldn’t be trusted with their lives.

 

[Donna M Lester]

You said he has a vet appointment, you can use this to keep him.
When she comes for him explain he was more poorly than when she took him from you originally and had to see a vet urgently, show her the bill as proof and ask her to pay for it, also ask if she had made an appointment for him to see a vet as he was obviously very ill and in more distress than when she took him, if not then that is animal neglect and cruelty, also ask her the experience she has with reptiles. Explain he is a very sick animal that requires more care and attention than her experience is capable of, offer her the money back, but tell her that he will be staying with you whether she accepts the money or not.

I completely agree with the issue of abuse and neglect. Also..., who is to say your beardie baby wasn’t yours, she watched him for you during the time she had him, and when he was retuned to you she obviously made his health far worse...

I never promote dishonesty but I will do anything necessary to protect an animal. It sounds to me like this woman is lacking necessary brain matter to care for an animal, let alone to do anything about it or to you.

I really hope this comes out for the best for you and your little guy.

 

[katiea]

I don't know what I'll end up doing. I told her he is sick at the vet to give me more time to think about this. If I 100% believed telling her what was wrong with what she did would change her mind, I would.

 

[luvyabigred1]

Honestly? You can say he passed away due to the neglect and just keep him. Find a proper owner through forums like these and ask fo see their set up. I used to work at an animal shelter. If they can’t properly care for an animal that animal should be taken away. End of story. I might sound radical in this but I once took someone’s gecko they housed in a tiny plastic tank WITHOUT A HEAT SOURCE or proper set up when she said she didn’t have time/money and didn’t want to fix it. This is abuse and neglect. Animals deserve better.

I took my brothers dog from him because he was beating it to death. Keep your lizard and tell them it died. Find it a proper home. My brother thinks his dog ran away to this day.

 

[katiea]

I told her that he died. His vet appointment to talk about euthanasia was this morning but I got called in for a last minute job interview so it got delayed. The first available wasn't until the 23rd. I think I will agree to having him euthanized, he spends all of his time in his hide until I come to assist or sometimes force feed him. He has lost his quality of life

 

[JennahS]

That was best, she didnt deserve to have him in such conditions. Poor little guy, I hope he gets better.

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[Bellasmamma]

I have 2 bearded dragons. One from a breeder and one is a rescue. The rescue I did not intend to keep, I was in a pet store and the owners were trying to sell him but he clearly had severe mbd. He needs to be hand fed still, not force fed, he is still gaining strength and putting on weight and hunting prey takes a lot out of him..he needs a little more. I have 6 parrots and a special needs dog among other pets. I decided to find him a home. I used to have an animal rescue and people always email or call if they want an animal, I no longer have the rescue so I wasn't really sure how to seek out someone to take him. I found someone who told me she was very experienced and I trusted her. She took him, creole, and his take with uvb, and a whole setup covered in fleece, because his back legs don't work well and he uses the fleece to get a better grip to pull himself around on. I later found out it was a teenager taking care of him, not her mother I had been talking with. And, I forgot to mention this but when I was putting his enclosure in my truck I set his heat lamp to the side to cool off and I forgot about it, oops. It had been a week and she was asking for his heat lamp.....uhhhh….you should have bought one.... I had a bad feeling about it, I starting having daily panic attacks thinking about him. I begged to buy him back, I said she could keep everything, his food and tank..i just want him back. She refused. I talked her into letting me babysit him, and fast forward I picked him up half an hour ago...ice cold and covered in sand. I started crying as soon as I saw him, he has a vet appointment Tuesday. She still thinks I am just babysitting. She knows my address, phone number, and email. I have no idea what to do. I really don't like confrontation, I've literally considered changing my number and moving...ok maybe overreacting

Keep the baby, i'm in agreement with the other bearded parent's he can't defend himself, don't let her intimidate you! KEEP him, she's an abuser! I understand you don't want confrontation but you seriously need to protect that innocent baby. Next time do some serious back ground checks on anyone wanting to adopt we live in a world of sick people!

 

[Bellasmamma]

I told her that he died. His vet appointment to talk about euthanasia was this morning but I got called in for a last minute job interview so it got delayed. The first available wasn't until the 23rd. I think I will agree to having him euthanized, he spends all of his time in his hide until I come to assist or sometimes force feed him. He has lost his quality of life

You know better then anyone if he's suffering your not doing anything wrong if you know he has no quality of life and is suffering it's in his best interest to take him to the vet as you said. I know it's hard but your helping him cross over the rainbow bridge to heaven where he'll be whole and healthy again another little angel in heaven.