Re: NY Press: Holley couple seeks the owner of a stray iguana

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Posted by James on May 23, 2001 at 08:16:54:

In Reply to: NY Press: Holley couple seeks the owner of a stray iguana posted by Wes von Papine�u on May 22, 2001 at 15:13:19:

Hi everybody I posted the following feedback letter to this newspaper in question...

I have a comment to make regarding the article entitled: "Holley couple seeks the owner of a stray iguana" Tuesday, May 22nd 2001.

: It never amazes me how when there is an iguana loose running around in a city it makes the paper. Unfortunately, that is usually where the story ends.

: What people don't realize is that iguana's who are well taken cared of with all of the proper environment and food can be extremely friendly and gentle creatures especially when handled daily. They are NOT "green terrors" and they don't just "lie" around that is a sure sign of illness.
: In fact most pet stores don't even give the proper care information for an iguana because if they did chances are they would not get a sale.
: Also people who take strays in should REALLY not be taking an iguana in unless they know how to take care of it...Iceberg lettuce is probably the worst thing you could feed it and if you think a heat lamp is the only source of light and heat the iguana needs you would be sadly mistaken!
: I think it is commendable that someone who has never had an iguana would be willing to keep it in there home to find the owner but I think because they have no idea what they have gotten themselves into the best thing to do may be to contact the local Herpetological Society (if there is one) and get some help immediately.

: I did not appreciate the way this article was written as I'm sure most of the iguana lovers who spend their time and effort on raising a healthy iguana or rescuing an iguana from its unhealthy situation will as well.
: If more people took the time to research their pets before they bought them on a whim then maybe an iguana that deserves respect will get the respect it deserves in living its life healthy.
: Now for an ending of the story... the iguana suffers endless days contracting numerous decease�s and eventually dying because of improper care or... the iguana is sent to Animal Control where it eventually gets euthanized because there are already too many iguana strays and most Humane Societies don't have the proper facilities to care for an iguana. Finally...the happy ending... the owner who was away on vacation and had an iguana sitter looking after his/her iguana were both searching endlessly for his/her pet that managed to escape his/her home and read the local paper or internet site and was relieved to find him in this article and was able to bring him back home to his healthy environment.

: Thank you, I appreciate being able to give some feedback on this subject.

: James

:
: I hope I didn't affend anyone on the forum but I just had to give this paper feedback on this story.

: James again.

: Photo: David Carpenter on Monday returns "Iggy" the iguana to the rabbit cage where he's been staying since he was almost hit by a passing car Saturday near Carpenter's Holley home.

: DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE (Rochester, NY) 22 May 01 Holley couple seeks the owner of a stray iguana (Greg Livadas)
: Holley: A joyous reptilian reunion seemed imminent Sunday when an Orleans County family which found a large iguana scooting across the street answered a newspaper ad for a lost iguana five miles away in Brockport.
: But the student who lost her iguana May 3 was heartbroken when the captured iguana wasn't hers.
: Which means her iguana is still out there somewhere, and another one needs a home.
: "We're just hoping someone is missing him," said Susan Carpenter, who took in the stray reptile with her husband, David Carpenter. "Iggy" sat in a rabbit cage on her kitchen floor and munched iceberg lettuce while under a heat lamp that keeps him toasty warm.
: The saga began Saturday afternoon when a car nearly struck the 3-foot, 9-inch creature on South Main Street. The motorist got out of his car, picked up the iguana and asked neighbors where it belonged.
: Neighbors assumed it belonged to a nearby family that kept turtles, so they opened the family's unlocked door and threw the iguana inside.
: "If I came in and saw that thing here in my house, I would have a stroke," Susan Carpenter said.
: Her husband, who is a friend of the homeowner, went in to retrieve the lizard. He's keeping it until its owner can be found. If no one comes forward, he'll give it to the Brockport student, who did not want to be identified.
: "It's not very exciting. It just lays there," David Carpenter said. "It's not like a puppy. You can't take it for a walk."
: It's possible Iggy was abandoned, as many iguanas are each year, because they outgrow cages and have a feisty temperament.
: Gary Oechsle, whose son owns Captive Life Forms, a Henrietta pet shop specializing in reptiles, said 50,000 iguanas are imported to the United States each year. Area stores sell them for as little as $10 or $15, he said.
: "They are the worst pet to have," said Oechsle, who calls iguanas "green terrors" because of their temperament.
: The store has had six calls a week from iguana owners wanting to get rid of their pets that have outgrown their cages or become hard to handle.
: Dr. Rebecca Price, a veterinarian at South Towne Veterinarian Hospital in Henrietta, said iguanas are becoming more popular as pets.
: "They're not dangerous, but they do have a pretty sharp plate of teeth in their mouth," she said. Iguanas come from Central or South America and can live for 10 or 15 years, she said. They can grow to more than six feet long.
: Iguanas on the loose here would not survive a winter and are susceptible to dogs, coyotes, raccoons and cars. They are very good climbers and prefer to live in small trees, bushes or shrubs.
: Anyone who thinks the Holley iguana is theirs may call the Carpenters at 638-7307.
: "It's just as weird as can be," Susan Carpenter said. "Although we did have a loose emu here four years ago."
:
:

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: Hi everybody I posted the following feedback letter to this newspaper in question... : I have a comment to make regarding the article entitled: "Holley couple seeks the owner of a stray iguana" Tuesday, May 22nd 2001. : : It never amazes me how when there is an iguana loose running around in a city it makes the paper. Unfortunately, that is usually where the story ends. : : What people don't realize is that iguana's who are well taken cared of with all of the proper environment and food can be extremely friendly and gentle creatures especially when handled daily. They are NOT "green terrors" and they don't just "lie" around that is a sure sign of illness. : : In fact most pet stores don't even give the proper care information for an iguana because if they did chances are they would not get a sale. : : Also people who take strays in should REALLY not be taking an iguana in unless they know how to take care of it...Iceberg lettuce is probably the worst thing you could feed it and if you think a heat lamp is the only source of light and heat the iguana needs you would be sadly mistaken! : : I think it is commendable that someone who has never had an iguana would be willing to keep it in there home to find the owner but I think because they have no idea what they have gotten themselves into the best thing to do may be to contact the local Herpetological Society (if there is one) and get some help immediately. : : I did not appreciate the way this article was written as I'm sure most of the iguana lovers who spend their time and effort on raising a healthy iguana or rescuing an iguana from its unhealthy situation will as well. : : If more people took the time to research their pets before they bought them on a whim then maybe an iguana that deserves respect will get the respect it deserves in living its life healthy. : : Now for an ending of the story... the iguana suffers endless days contracting numerous decease�s and eventually dying because of improper care or... the iguana is sent to Animal Control where it eventually gets euthanized because there are already too many iguana strays and most Humane Societies don't have the proper facilities to care for an iguana. Finally...the happy ending... the owner who was away on vacation and had an iguana sitter looking after his/her iguana were both searching endlessly for his/her pet that managed to escape his/her home and read the local paper or internet site and was relieved to find him in this article and was able to bring him back home to his healthy environment. : : Thank you, I appreciate being able to give some feedback on this subject. : : James : : : : I hope I didn't affend anyone on the forum but I just had to give this paper feedback on this story. : : James again. : : : Photo: David Carpenter on Monday returns "Iggy" the iguana to the rabbit cage where he's been staying since he was almost hit by a passing car Saturday near Carpenter's Holley home. : : DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE (Rochester, NY) 22 May 01 Holley couple seeks the owner of a stray iguana (Greg Livadas) : : Holley: A joyous reptilian reunion seemed imminent Sunday when an Orleans County family which found a large iguana scooting across the street answered a newspaper ad for a lost iguana five miles away in Brockport. : : But the student who lost her iguana May 3 was heartbroken when the captured iguana wasn't hers. : : Which means her iguana is still out there somewhere, and another one needs a home. : : "We're just hoping someone is missing him," said Susan Carpenter, who took in the stray reptile with her husband, David Carpenter. "Iggy" sat in a rabbit cage on her kitchen floor and munched iceberg lettuce while under a heat lamp that keeps him toasty warm. : : The saga began Saturday afternoon when a car nearly struck the 3-foot, 9-inch creature on South Main Street. The motorist got out of his car, picked up the iguana and asked neighbors where it belonged. : : Neighbors assumed it belonged to a nearby family that kept turtles, so they opened the family's unlocked door and threw the iguana inside. : : "If I came in and saw that thing here in my house, I would have a stroke," Susan Carpenter said. : : Her husband, who is a friend of the homeowner, went in to retrieve the lizard. He's keeping it until its owner can be found. If no one comes forward, he'll give it to the Brockport student, who did not want to be identified. : : "It's not very exciting. It just lays there," David Carpenter said. "It's not like a puppy. You can't take it for a walk." : : It's possible Iggy was abandoned, as many iguanas are each year, because they outgrow cages and have a feisty temperament. : : Gary Oechsle, whose son owns Captive Life Forms, a Henrietta pet shop specializing in reptiles, said 50,000 iguanas are imported to the United States each year. Area stores sell them for as little as $10 or $15, he said. : : "They are the worst pet to have," said Oechsle, who calls iguanas "green terrors" because of their temperament. : : The store has had six calls a week from iguana owners wanting to get rid of their pets that have outgrown their cages or become hard to handle. : : Dr. Rebecca Price, a veterinarian at South Towne Veterinarian Hospital in Henrietta, said iguanas are becoming more popular as pets. : : "They're not dangerous, but they do have a pretty sharp plate of teeth in their mouth," she said. Iguanas come from Central or South America and can live for 10 or 15 years, she said. They can grow to more than six feet long. : : Iguanas on the loose here would not survive a winter and are susceptible to dogs, coyotes, raccoons and cars. They are very good climbers and prefer to live in small trees, bushes or shrubs. : : Anyone who thinks the Holley iguana is theirs may call the Carpenters at 638-7307. : : "It's just as weird as can be," Susan Carpenter said. "Although we did have a loose emu here four years ago." : : : :

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