Re: I completely agree with you but...

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Posted by jld on January 23, 2003 at 11:33:04:

In Reply to: I completely agree with you but... posted by Flavia Guimaraes on January 23, 2003 at 06:56:43:

:...when i read people telling that the Human Society kills all the igs that are sent there i think that perhaps its better fighting than dying.....

:I completely separated my 4 fughting males...but i only have 4....
:

When the pet store closed last year we had over 100 animals in our home, including around 25 iguanas AND everyone had their own enclosure. True, some of the enclosures weren't all that pretty or practical and yes, we had to use aquariums for many of the animals, but they were functional and kept everyone safe and warm. It has always and continues to be my opinion that if you are going to be in rescue, any kind of rescue, you have a RESPONSIBILITY to act in the best interest of the animals at all times and that INCLUDES being willing and able to provide suitable housing for all the animals in your care. People get angry at PetCo all the time for housing Igs and Turtles together and yet here you are defending (for lack of a better word) the same basic behavior (he allows them to free roam together) by someone who calls themself a rescuer and that is the first person that should know better and the last person that should be doing something like that. Even providing 4'x4'x4' cages is better than allowing multiple males to free roam in the same room. You can still let them out and give them their free roam time but at least there is housing to keep them all seperated.

I think that most people have a basic understanding that not all humane groups are created equal. Just like you and many others on this board, I have a major problem when a humane group will euthanize a healthy animal just because it is a reptile. BUT And this is something that you may or may not understand or even agree with... but .... if the humane group isn't capable of providing safe, humane and proper care to an animal and there isn't another agency able or willing to take that animal on, I would rather see the animal humanely euthanized than be forced to live out it's life suffering any indignity be it from improper care or unsafe situtations. There are already far too many Green Iguanas suffering and with the pet market seemingly refusing to put a hault on their sales I don't see the problems ending any time soon.

If someone is going to call themselves "rescue" then they have an on-going obligation to act in the best interest of the animal. There are no awards given out for the person that can cram the most iguanas in their "rescue" space, it's not a contest to see which "rescuer" can do the most good deeds .... We are all supposed to be in this together and when one "rescuer" behaves inappropriately not only does it reflect on the rest of us, it makes our job harder. EXAMPLE -If some newbie comes along and sees his post, they are now possibly going to think that it's okay to free roam multiple males togther or they might even think it's cool to watch, oh how did he say it, "the same half dozen manly dudes duke it out". Eventually someone like me or another reputable rescuer on this board is most likely going to have to deal with the problem.

So, Flavia in the end, it is not okay, it is not okay at all. AND At least in the humane community I work in, it's not acceptable either.

Follow Ups:

Cool to watch?!!!Thats terrible!!! Flavia Guimaraes 01/23/03 (0)
There's a diffrence between TRUE rescuers and Collectors Double D 01/23/03 (1)
- oops this should have been up a post sorry same thread Double D 01/23/03 (0)