Policies

Please skim through my policies before sending an email. I have tried to make this policy sheet as comprehensive as possible to cover any general questions you may have.

I cannot offer shipping on small mammals. I am located in central Massachusetts which is relatively accessible to most of New England; we also travel to Keene, New Hampshire on a regular basis. I am happy to work with you to arrange pickup of your new pet.

In general, prices on babies produced here are firm, though discounts are sometimes available on purchases of two or more animals. Cash on pickup is the preferred method of payment, though I will also take PayPal payments, in full, prior to the time of pickup. I am sorry, but due to past experience I cannot accept personal checks.

All animals must be paid for in full before leaving our home.

I will hold a weaned baby for up to two weeks, for no extra charge, with a $25 deposit via PayPal. This deposit is nonrefundable – if you change your mind about buying the animal, you forfeit your deposit. However, the deposit is transferable – you can apply this deposit to another animal in the future, should you choose to back out of the current transaction.

A $25 PayPal deposit will hold an unweaned baby chinchilla until such time as it is ready to leave its mother and go to its new home. This deposit is refundable only if I am unable to complete the transaction on my end (it can also be transferred to a future baby of your choice, if you prefer). The baby must be picked up and paid for in full within two weeks of weaning.

I cannot accept monetary deposits for animals that are unborn; however, if you are interested in an animal I am happy to put your name in a waiting list with no obligation.

Trades are occasionally considered; trade values are generally higher than stated cash values. Trades will only be accepted from experienced small mammal owners who are looking to diversify their stock. If this is your first time owning a small mammal pet, please do not email about trades.

I will not sell to persons under 18 years of age without parental permission.

I will not sell to persons under 12 years of age at all.  I will only sell live animals to responsible, capable adults, and I consider the adult making the purchase to be fully responsible for the animal’s care. If the child takes full responsibility for the animal’s care, and does so diligently, that is wonderful, but I consider the parent to be responsible for ensuring that this is what occurs. If you intend to purchase an animal for your children, please only do so because you want it just as much as they do, because you will probably be the one caring for it down the road. Chinchillas can easily live for 12+ years, and a lot can change in a child's living situation in that time -- for example, few colleges allow small mammals in dorms.

Along those lines, I reserve the right to refuse sale to any person at any time.

Guarantees

All babies produced here are guaranteed healthy for one  full week (7 days) from the date of purchase. Should anything go wrong with the health of the animal within that week, please contact me  immediately and I will work with you to remedy the situation. If need be, I will replace your pet or, if a suitable replacement is not available, offer you a full refund. Ill pets must be returned to me to qualify!

I cannot be responsible for husbandry errors, such as improper diet, improper caging, mismatched cagemates, etc.. I also cannot be responsible for health issues that occur after 7 days, as there is no way of knowing, at this point, where the cause of illness was generated. Refunds are available only if there is an issue with the health of the animal itself within 7 days of purchase. However, I am always available to help new pet owners, so if you have a question about your new pet please do not hesitate to contact me.

Any baby that is labeled as a gene carrier is guaranteed to be 100% heterozygous for that gene. In addition to the pedigree (if available), you will be provided with a written statement of genetics stating the animal's genetic background.

Any baby that is labeled as a possible gene carrier is just that – a possible gene carrier. There are no guarantees on the genetics of these animals, and the pedigree provided will be the only proof of genetic background.

Pricing