Thank you Amanda,.... more

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Posted by BrianSmith on April 23, 2003 at 17:12:21:

In Reply to: To Rob and Brian Smith.....(and anyone else)... posted by Tenor Goddess on April 23, 2003 at 08:16:02:

What you said here really makes me feel good. And I appreciate it greatly. Over the last decade I have been ever gradually becoming more and more optomistic about responsible reptile ownership and the burgeoning explosion of awareness and information leading directly to the better care for pet reptiles. When I was young (in the 70's) owning a reptile was generally something more of a novelty and respect for the animal as a living thing was not something that was commonly encouraged. So I am more than pleased to be a part of threads such as this that hopefully have a domino effect and carry onward to better care for herps in captivity.

:You two guys rock. I loved what you said Brian about weighing the quality of the animals as living beings as opposed to making a quick buck! ;)
:What you two said I won't repeat, just know I feel the same way. As an individual rescuer (who doesn't right now even have the income to afford to move out on her own...I know, TRUST ME I WANT TO!!!) I spend all my extra money left from paying on the same debts most people have, credit cards, car payments, insurance and such.....I take all the money left from each check and spend it on who? me? heck no, I spend it on my animals. I am constantly upgrading habitats and trying to make things easier, more efficient and still maintaining the animals under my care with the upmost respect, all the love I can give and the best food, lighting/heating and habitats I can afford/build. :) Eventually I plan to be able to afford each animal a wonderfully built habitat by yours truly, fully furnished to look like their native habitats (one of my favorite hobbies), but for now, I offer what I can...all of my heart and resources.
:For people like me, it is VERY difficult to try and afford the spaying/neutering (IF it wasn't a risk and easily performed) for reptiles and such. It's hard enough affording care to keep them healthy.
:For the giant snakes...Rob, you're certainly no stranger to my immense love for the big boys of the animal kingdom whether reptiles, mammmals, birds or more. ;) DO I want retics, anacondas and burms? Yes. Will I be getting any right now other than the itty bitty baby burm that is under my care now? No. Will I be getting them in the next few months? No. Next year? Quite possibly adding ONE to my home.
:What's my point? Um, well, I may have lost the track....maybe not. As a person who has a great love for these animals, I can see the great temptation to go out and buy the cute babies to love and have because I (think) I want them. Most people THINK they want one, just as with the one animal that has been my most abundant dumpee the giant green iguanas...they think they want a large, beautiful lap iguana...do those exist? um...well yeah, our Sheena is a priss deluxe and sits with you while getting loved on, but that's one in several hundred that are like that. Despite the fact of WANTING a large reptile, whether snake or lizard, most people are not totally informed of the major factors of these animals. I strive to the best of my ability to sit down with a person and tell them about the size, feeding, lighting/heating, and temperment concerns of the animals I adopt out. Still, people do not let these factors fully sink in until they get the animal to an "unmanagable" size. Such is the case with iguanas, burms, retics, savannah monitors, niles, etc....there are far too many animals that are considered disposable. It's heartbreaking and a challenge for any rescuer, let alone one person in an area that feels so vastly fully of people who don't listen.

:I know I rambled but hopefully some of my points got across (bare in mind that I am full of frappuccino and Penguin chocolate caffinated mints!!!!!!!). ;)

:There are so many factors contributing to overpopulation. I love it that we can discuss it here and put our heads together, rather than fist to head combats which such a conversation typically arouses. I am trying to compile a letter to send to my local newspapers on the overpopulation of animals commonly found in stores that end up in sanctuaries, rescue organizations and humane societies. I am looking for any rescuers, sanctuary owners and the like to contribute their thoughts and experiences along with any statistics on how many of each animal is typically sent to rescues and sanctuaries yearly as well as how many are euthanized. It will be in the name: For the Plight of the Animals (or something to that effect).
:If anyone would like to contribute please feel free to email me and lets compile! :D
:tenor _ goddess 2002 @ yahoo.com (be sure to remove the spacing as I did it to prevent auto spammers. ;)

:All my love and respect to you all,

:Amanda & the Menagerie - http://amandas_menagerie.tripod.com

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