MT Press: Fair �winners� may have sick iguanas

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Posted by Desiree on August 23, 2001 at 10:45:03:

Fair �winners� may have sick iguanas
By BECKY SHAY
Of The Gazette Staff
Iguanas given as prizes at MontanaFair may have gone to unsuspecting new owners who could now have sick pets, Billings animal advocates said this week.

The Rocky Mountain Region Humane Society of the United States has received complaints about giving the iguanas as awards and will look into the matter, said Dave Pauli, regional director. The Mighty Thomas Carnival based in Austin, Texas, provided this year�s carnival.

Staff at local veterinary clinics and at least one pet store that saw the young iguanas say the reptiles were generally dehydrated and a few were showing early signs of calcium deficiency. The little green lizards, some of which turned brown because they were ailing, were given as prizes in a ball-toss game. Goldfish were given at the same booth.

The same people had concerns about the public health aspect of caring for an iguana. The lizards can carry salmonella, and anyone who handles them should wash their hands before going on to other activities.

Dr. Edward Jorden at Moore Lane Veterinary Hospital said giving animals as prizes is irresponsible and inhumane and added they were �treated like stuffed animals.�

�If you want a pet, you ought to make the decision, learn about and prepare for and then go purchase it,� Jorden said. �But doing it at the fair, spur of the moment, has nothing to do with responsible pet ownership.�

A Thomas Carnival representative would not comment Wednesday. Calls were referred to John Hanshen of the Thomas Carnival, who was not available while setting up for the next stop in Miles City.

Sue DeVries, admissions manager for MetraPark, said the organization does not have control over what carnival booths bring into the fair. The iguanas arrived in a box Aug. 15 and sat outside of her office until she contacted Thomas Carnival who directed her to the correct vendor.

DeVries said it is unfortunate the iguanas were given as prizes.

�We certainly don�t condone actions like that,� DeVries said. �It�s just that we have no control over things like that.�

Todd Keenan, a concession owner at the Western Montana Fair, told The Missoulian that he gave away about 65 iguanas which were grown on a farm in Louisiana.

Staff at the PetSmart store in Missoula e-mailed their counterparts in Billings to warn them that MontanaFair might also have iguanas. Billings PetSmart Merchandise Manager Kristin Campbell said her staff took information sheets to the fair. The sheets had a discount coupon on top which Campbell said was aimed at bringing people into the store to inform them about their new pets.

�We did our level best to provide information to these people,� Campbell said.

The store staff has fielded about 24 calls from new owners and seen about six of the iguanas, she said. Most of the iguanas seemed healthy, but �a little shockey and definitely dehydrated,� Campbell said.

�People have no idea when they are trying for this little green thing, it can get almost six feet long,� Campbell said. The store does not carry iguanas because they can get so large, she said.

Campbell and Jorden agreed the iguanas at the fair were likely overstimulated by the number of people, sights and noises they encountered.

Informed owner
Cassie Lunder, a veterinarian technician at Caring Hands Veterinary Clinic, won two of the iguanas. Lunder owned an iguana from 1995 to 1999 which grew to about four feet before it died of kidney failure.

Lunder said she picked the iguanas that appeared most active and had a good green color. The iguanas were kept in tanks, several to a tank, on the corners of the booth, she said. Lunder is nursing the iguanas back to health, although one, named Jade, is making better progress than the other.

Iguanas can be high-maintenance pets, at least early on. Lunder said she worries that people who received iguanas at the fair were not ready to care for them, including having a proper tank, full-spectrum ultraviolet light, food, foliage, basking light and the proper devices to measure humidity and temperature in the aquarium.

Lunder said her knowledge of raising iguanas comes from personal interest and research. She hopes the new owners will seek information and, maybe more importantly, take the lizards in for a checkup.

Pauli, of the Humane Society of the United States, said he is baffled that the iguana could be given away.

�It crosses ethical lines of prize giving or animal protection,� Pauli said. �It puts animals at risk for certain and because of the risk for salmonella and other issues, it put the prize winner at risk.�

His organization will write the carnival to learn the rationale of giving the iguanas, how many were awarded, where they came from and to �get them to reconsider doing that kind of thing down the road,� Pauli said. The case could lead to legal questions about import and export, Pauli said.

Although Lunder is concerned that iguanas may be ailing from their time at the fair, she said there was one good aspect.

�They are highly socialized because the carnies played with them while trying to get people to play games,� Lunder said. �They are used to people�s hands.�

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Becky Shay can be reached at 657-1231 or at bshay@billingsgazette.com.

Updated: Thu Aug 23 09:24:21 CDT 2001 Central Time

Fair �winners� may have sick iguanas

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: Fair �winners� may have sick iguanas : By BECKY SHAY : Of The Gazette Staff : Iguanas given as prizes at MontanaFair may have gone to unsuspecting new owners who could now have sick pets, Billings animal advocates said this week. : The Rocky Mountain Region Humane Society of the United States has received complaints about giving the iguanas as awards and will look into the matter, said Dave Pauli, regional director. The Mighty Thomas Carnival based in Austin, Texas, provided this year�s carnival. : Staff at local veterinary clinics and at least one pet store that saw the young iguanas say the reptiles were generally dehydrated and a few were showing early signs of calcium deficiency. The little green lizards, some of which turned brown because they were ailing, were given as prizes in a ball-toss game. Goldfish were given at the same booth. : The same people had concerns about the public health aspect of caring for an iguana. The lizards can carry salmonella, and anyone who handles them should wash their hands before going on to other activities. : Dr. Edward Jorden at Moore Lane Veterinary Hospital said giving animals as prizes is irresponsible and inhumane and added they were �treated like stuffed animals.� : �If you want a pet, you ought to make the decision, learn about and prepare for and then go purchase it,� Jorden said. �But doing it at the fair, spur of the moment, has nothing to do with responsible pet ownership.� : A Thomas Carnival representative would not comment Wednesday. Calls were referred to John Hanshen of the Thomas Carnival, who was not available while setting up for the next stop in Miles City. : Sue DeVries, admissions manager for MetraPark, said the organization does not have control over what carnival booths bring into the fair. The iguanas arrived in a box Aug. 15 and sat outside of her office until she contacted Thomas Carnival who directed her to the correct vendor. : DeVries said it is unfortunate the iguanas were given as prizes. : �We certainly don�t condone actions like that,� DeVries said. �It�s just that we have no control over things like that.� : Todd Keenan, a concession owner at the Western Montana Fair, told The Missoulian that he gave away about 65 iguanas which were grown on a farm in Louisiana. : Staff at the PetSmart store in Missoula e-mailed their counterparts in Billings to warn them that MontanaFair might also have iguanas. Billings PetSmart Merchandise Manager Kristin Campbell said her staff took information sheets to the fair. The sheets had a discount coupon on top which Campbell said was aimed at bringing people into the store to inform them about their new pets. : �We did our level best to provide information to these people,� Campbell said. : The store staff has fielded about 24 calls from new owners and seen about six of the iguanas, she said. Most of the iguanas seemed healthy, but �a little shockey and definitely dehydrated,� Campbell said. : �People have no idea when they are trying for this little green thing, it can get almost six feet long,� Campbell said. The store does not carry iguanas because they can get so large, she said. : Campbell and Jorden agreed the iguanas at the fair were likely overstimulated by the number of people, sights and noises they encountered. : Informed owner : Cassie Lunder, a veterinarian technician at Caring Hands Veterinary Clinic, won two of the iguanas. Lunder owned an iguana from 1995 to 1999 which grew to about four feet before it died of kidney failure. : Lunder said she picked the iguanas that appeared most active and had a good green color. The iguanas were kept in tanks, several to a tank, on the corners of the booth, she said. Lunder is nursing the iguanas back to health, although one, named Jade, is making better progress than the other. : Iguanas can be high-maintenance pets, at least early on. Lunder said she worries that people who received iguanas at the fair were not ready to care for them, including having a proper tank, full-spectrum ultraviolet light, food, foliage, basking light and the proper devices to measure humidity and temperature in the aquarium. : Lunder said her knowledge of raising iguanas comes from personal interest and research. She hopes the new owners will seek information and, maybe more importantly, take the lizards in for a checkup. : Pauli, of the Humane Society of the United States, said he is baffled that the iguana could be given away. : �It crosses ethical lines of prize giving or animal protection,� Pauli said. �It puts animals at risk for certain and because of the risk for salmonella and other issues, it put the prize winner at risk.� : His organization will write the carnival to learn the rationale of giving the iguanas, how many were awarded, where they came from and to �get them to reconsider doing that kind of thing down the road,� Pauli said. The case could lead to legal questions about import and export, Pauli said. : Although Lunder is concerned that iguanas may be ailing from their time at the fair, she said there was one good aspect. : �They are highly socialized because the carnies played with them while trying to get people to play games,� Lunder said. �They are used to people�s hands.� : : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : Becky Shay can be reached at 657-1231 or at bshay@billingsgazette.com. : Updated: Thu Aug 23 09:24:21 CDT 2001 Central Time

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