DK Reptiles, Wisbech
04/10/09 17:09 Categories: Supplier
Review
I've been visiting a few suppliers in and around the
Cambridgeshire area recently. I thought it would be a
good idea to present my impressions of each of them.
This article is a review of a couple of visits to D K
Reptiles in Wisbech.
DK Reptiles is in the centre of Wisbech town, just
off the Market Square (9 Union Street, Wisbech, PE13
1DJ). They don't appear to have a web site
(there is one at http://www.dkreptiles.com but
it isn' them). They can be contacted by email at
dk.reptiles@yahoo.com. The tag-line on their
business cards is "Bringing the cold-blooded to
the warm-hearted. Cute :).
The shop has been open about a year and appears to be doing fairly well. It is owned and operated by David and Kay Johnson, with a couple of assistants in the shop as well.
They have a good selection of varied stock and it appears to be well looked after and in good condition. David & Kay know what they are doing - I spoke longer wih David, but they both came across as very knowledgeable about Reptiles and Invertebrates. Apparently they do a lot of rescue work with the RSPCA, and appear to take in unwanted animals from the general public. They have a pair of medium sized (about 30") Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana) in the shop ('Iggie' and 'Pop'!) that they took in after they out-grew their last home. These are now a fixture of the shop, and are not for sale! What they do have for sale is on offer for quite a bit over the average prices - I have seen most of the things they stock on sale for 15 - 20% less than they are asking, but what they have is top quality.
I was impressed with the attitude of both David and Kay - they don't just want to sell 'stuff'. they are keen to make sure that their stock is going to a home that can care for it. For example, they had a small Nile Monitor (Varanus nilotictus) in the shop the day I visited. It's about 8" long (and looks very nice). However, like most monitors, it is quite aggressive (OK, very agressive). Someone came into the shop while I was there, and was keen to buy it. Kay took some pains to make sure that the buyer had proper housing before agreeing to sell it. As it happened, she wasn't happy with the answers she got, so she persuaded the buyer that an creature that can grow up to 7' and will be a very dangerous animal in 3 years time, quite capable of killing and eating the family cat or dog may not be the best pet to start a collection with! I like their attitude.
They also run an enthusiasts club once a month (on a Tuesday evening, I believe). i haven't been to one of these, but David claims that they are popular and good fun.
If I have any negative comment, it is that the stock could be better presented. They have something of a mish-mash of cages and vivs, including some old cupboards that have been pressed into use for storing the spiders and scorps in plastic boxes. This doesn't affect the quality of the stock, but is something they could be doing better.
The shop has been open about a year and appears to be doing fairly well. It is owned and operated by David and Kay Johnson, with a couple of assistants in the shop as well.
They have a good selection of varied stock and it appears to be well looked after and in good condition. David & Kay know what they are doing - I spoke longer wih David, but they both came across as very knowledgeable about Reptiles and Invertebrates. Apparently they do a lot of rescue work with the RSPCA, and appear to take in unwanted animals from the general public. They have a pair of medium sized (about 30") Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana) in the shop ('Iggie' and 'Pop'!) that they took in after they out-grew their last home. These are now a fixture of the shop, and are not for sale! What they do have for sale is on offer for quite a bit over the average prices - I have seen most of the things they stock on sale for 15 - 20% less than they are asking, but what they have is top quality.
I was impressed with the attitude of both David and Kay - they don't just want to sell 'stuff'. they are keen to make sure that their stock is going to a home that can care for it. For example, they had a small Nile Monitor (Varanus nilotictus) in the shop the day I visited. It's about 8" long (and looks very nice). However, like most monitors, it is quite aggressive (OK, very agressive). Someone came into the shop while I was there, and was keen to buy it. Kay took some pains to make sure that the buyer had proper housing before agreeing to sell it. As it happened, she wasn't happy with the answers she got, so she persuaded the buyer that an creature that can grow up to 7' and will be a very dangerous animal in 3 years time, quite capable of killing and eating the family cat or dog may not be the best pet to start a collection with! I like their attitude.
They also run an enthusiasts club once a month (on a Tuesday evening, I believe). i haven't been to one of these, but David claims that they are popular and good fun.
If I have any negative comment, it is that the stock could be better presented. They have something of a mish-mash of cages and vivs, including some old cupboards that have been pressed into use for storing the spiders and scorps in plastic boxes. This doesn't affect the quality of the stock, but is something they could be doing better.
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