10/30/2026
THIS IS WHY VELVET FANGZ EXOTICS IS MOVING. 🖤🐍
We can stay here 1 more week or another month or 2 at max.... that all depends on yall.....
I want people to understand that this decision wasn't made overnight. It's not because we don't love our shop or what we've built. It's because staying here is financially destroying us, and quite frankly, some of the things we've dealt with in this town have made it even harder.
Since September, we've been averaging $50–$60 in sales per day. Some days we can sit here for hours without a single customer walking through the door.
We're looking at a financial shortfall of over $6,000 in just TWO MONTHS.
We've marked animals down. We've run sales, offered discounts, hosted events, and practically stood on our heads trying to bring people in. Nothing has made a lasting difference.
And then we have people who want animals for next to nothing or completely free.
Let me be clear about something. I will not place an animal in a home simply because someone wants a handout. If you cannot afford to purchase the animal, I have serious concerns about whether you can afford its enclosure, heating, food, and veterinary care. These animals deserve responsible, financially prepared homes. Their welfare will ALWAYS come before making a sale.
And the financial side isn't even the whole story.
Since opening, we've dealt with repeated complaints to the Department of Agriculture and Animal Control. We've had law enforcement sent to our business. And despite all of that, inspections and visits have not uncovered the violations people apparently hoped they would.
We've had people show up outside our business to pray over it without ever stepping inside, speaking to us, or bothering to learn who we are.
We've dealt with judgment over our beliefs, our oddities, and the fact that our business doesn't fit everyone's idea of what a shop should look like.
I was raised to love people regardless of whether they believe the same things I do. Apparently, that courtesy isn't always returned.
And then there's the lack of community support.
We joined the Chamber of Commerce. We attended events. We tried to become involved. Yet since our reptile shop's ribbon cutting in March, we haven't received another official visit, and our oddities shop's grand opening in August came and went without the support we'd hoped for.
We've sat through events feeling ignored, hearing whispers, and knowing rumors were being spread about us.
I'm not saying everyone in Barnesville has treated us this way. There are some absolutely wonderful people here who have supported us from day one, and I will never forget them.
But here's something I really want people to think about.
When you hear we're moving and you get sad, disappointed, or upset that Barnesville is losing another small business, ask yourself one question:
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU ACTUALLY WALKED THROUGH OUR DOORS?
Not liked a Facebook post. Not commented that you wanted to come by. Not told us how cool our shop is.
When was the last time you actually came in and supported us?
Because here's the reality. The first of the month is THIS WEEKEND. People are getting paid, bills are coming due, and guess what?
OUR SHOP IS DEAD.
We're sitting here looking at thousands of dollars in bills while barely making enough in sales to cover a fraction of them.
People love to say they want unique businesses in their town. They want something for their kids to do. They want places that aren't another chain store, another fast-food restaurant, or another empty storefront.
But those businesses cannot survive on compliments, Facebook likes, and promises to stop by someday.
You cannot beg small businesses to stay in your town while giving them absolutely no business.
Before Buggy Days, we had days when this shop was slammed. Since then, it has felt like a ghost town.
We have animals depending on us. They don't understand slow sales, rent payments, or small-town drama. They just know they need to eat, be warm, and be cared for. And we will do everything in our power to make sure that never changes.
And that's exactly why we're looking for a bigger, more accepting city to call home.
We want to be somewhere with a larger population, more foot traffic, and people who genuinely appreciate what makes our business different.
A place where reptiles, oddities, alternative lifestyles, and different spiritual beliefs aren't automatically met with suspicion or judgment.
A place where people can walk into our shop, whether they're Christian, Pagan, atheist, or anything in between, and feel welcome. Because that's what we've always wanted Velvet Fangz to be.
We're not asking everyone to believe what we believe. We're asking for the same respect we give everyone else.
We want to be part of a community that embraces unique businesses instead of making them feel like outsiders. A community where we can put our energy into educating people, caring for our animals, hosting events, and building something incredible instead of constantly defending our right to exist.
We're not moving because we failed. We're moving because we're refusing to let this business fail.
To everyone who has genuinely supported us, thank you. You have no idea how much you've meant to us.
But I will not sacrifice everything we've built just to stay somewhere that is no longer financially sustainable.
So before you tell us how sad you are to see us leave, ask yourself when you last helped give us a reason to stay.
We don't need everyone to understand us. We just want to be somewhere we're welcomed, supported, and given a fair chance to succeed.
Velvet Fangz Exotics isn't closing its story. We're just turning the page. And this next chapter deserves a bigger, more accepting place to unfold. 🖤
