I know there is already a reptile thread, but it just doesn't cover or exaggerate enough how easy it is to pass right by animal abuse when it comes to reptiles.
I am sure you have all heard of puppy mills and stuff like that, where they force breed dogs to mass produce puppies to sell to pet stores? Well this isn't just the case with dogs. The same thing happens with cats, rodents, reptiles, and almost any other kind of animal you can think of buying in a pet store.
A lot of people don't find reptiles to be good pets, but I am part of a large community of people who adore the scaly and slimy little creatures. I see reptile neglect, abuse, and mistreatment on a regular basis. And I'm not just talking about in the hands of inexperienced and uneducated pet owners, but at the hands of people who's jobs are supposed to be to take care of these creatures.
I see people at pet stores (not sure if i'm allowed to name the businesses, so i'm just gonna say big name pet stores) who are specifically in charge of taking care of/feeding/giving water to/cleaning up after reptiles who don't know how to do their jobs right. There must not be an instruction manual for new workers at these big name pet stores, or no requirements at all for research or education on how to take care of something with needs different from a human's, because I see this happen at almost ever store I go to.
Sometimes they like to say things like, "Oh, we do this because it is the company policy" or "We don't have enough time to give each animal what it needs all the time" but these are not valid excuses. If there is something in the company policy that is responsibly for killing innocent baby animals, then someone, maybe a lot of someones, should speak up and request for it to be changed. If there is no time in a worker's schedule to care for animals, then hire somebody who does have time. Maybe even just ask for volunteers to do it! God knows I would sign up!
But even worse than the incompetent workers, is that the stores buy from businesses who mass produce reptiles and treat them like products; like objects to be sold.
Some people reading this may be like, "Why should I care? I don't like lizards anyway." But they are not as bad as you think.
I currently have 3 leopard geckos. They are just my favorite animals. They are cute and squishy and lovable, and if you treat them right, they will love you to. Mine give me kisses all the time. They are perfect pets and cuter than cats.
Lots of people keep these world wide, and almost every pet store sells them. But there is a difference between good healthy reptiles and sick, neglected reptiles. I am soon going to be getting a boy from a pet store in my town who just came from a mill himself. Here is a picture of a healthy leopard gecko of the same morph compared to him.
I am hoping by the time I've have him for about a month, he will start to look like the first picture.
If you are now suddenly interested in owning a reptile, DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!
If I see someone post here saying, "Oh awesome! I'm gonna get one now! Those are so cute!" You better do your research. These animals are pretty easy to take care of. You just have to know how to do it.
I DO NOT WANT TO SEE PEOPLE BUY THESE FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS!
The animals can live A LONG TIME and require a lot of commitment. Just like any animal, they require more than just food. You have to take care of them for 10-25 years!
If you have any questions about leopard geckos, or any other kind of reptile, there are lots of great people to ask.
I would be most willing to answer questions about leopard geckos, but there are a lot of other kinds of reptile pets i don't know much about. Here is a website where you can find more information about how to care for reptiles and they have special forums where you can specifically ask health questions, like if your animal looks sick and how to treat it.
http://geckoforums.net/forum.php
I am in no way saying "go buy a reptile! they're awesome!" I am just saying don't hate them because they don't have fur, and don't think they can't be abused.
I am sure you have all heard of puppy mills and stuff like that, where they force breed dogs to mass produce puppies to sell to pet stores? Well this isn't just the case with dogs. The same thing happens with cats, rodents, reptiles, and almost any other kind of animal you can think of buying in a pet store.
A lot of people don't find reptiles to be good pets, but I am part of a large community of people who adore the scaly and slimy little creatures. I see reptile neglect, abuse, and mistreatment on a regular basis. And I'm not just talking about in the hands of inexperienced and uneducated pet owners, but at the hands of people who's jobs are supposed to be to take care of these creatures.
I see people at pet stores (not sure if i'm allowed to name the businesses, so i'm just gonna say big name pet stores) who are specifically in charge of taking care of/feeding/giving water to/cleaning up after reptiles who don't know how to do their jobs right. There must not be an instruction manual for new workers at these big name pet stores, or no requirements at all for research or education on how to take care of something with needs different from a human's, because I see this happen at almost ever store I go to.
Sometimes they like to say things like, "Oh, we do this because it is the company policy" or "We don't have enough time to give each animal what it needs all the time" but these are not valid excuses. If there is something in the company policy that is responsibly for killing innocent baby animals, then someone, maybe a lot of someones, should speak up and request for it to be changed. If there is no time in a worker's schedule to care for animals, then hire somebody who does have time. Maybe even just ask for volunteers to do it! God knows I would sign up!
But even worse than the incompetent workers, is that the stores buy from businesses who mass produce reptiles and treat them like products; like objects to be sold.
Some people reading this may be like, "Why should I care? I don't like lizards anyway." But they are not as bad as you think.
I currently have 3 leopard geckos. They are just my favorite animals. They are cute and squishy and lovable, and if you treat them right, they will love you to. Mine give me kisses all the time. They are perfect pets and cuter than cats.
Lots of people keep these world wide, and almost every pet store sells them. But there is a difference between good healthy reptiles and sick, neglected reptiles. I am soon going to be getting a boy from a pet store in my town who just came from a mill himself. Here is a picture of a healthy leopard gecko of the same morph compared to him.
I am hoping by the time I've have him for about a month, he will start to look like the first picture.
If you are now suddenly interested in owning a reptile, DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!
If I see someone post here saying, "Oh awesome! I'm gonna get one now! Those are so cute!" You better do your research. These animals are pretty easy to take care of. You just have to know how to do it.
I DO NOT WANT TO SEE PEOPLE BUY THESE FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS!
The animals can live A LONG TIME and require a lot of commitment. Just like any animal, they require more than just food. You have to take care of them for 10-25 years!
If you have any questions about leopard geckos, or any other kind of reptile, there are lots of great people to ask.
I would be most willing to answer questions about leopard geckos, but there are a lot of other kinds of reptile pets i don't know much about. Here is a website where you can find more information about how to care for reptiles and they have special forums where you can specifically ask health questions, like if your animal looks sick and how to treat it.
http://geckoforums.net/forum.php
I am in no way saying "go buy a reptile! they're awesome!" I am just saying don't hate them because they don't have fur, and don't think they can't be abused.
