Reptile & Amphibian Abuse: Examples, Laws & How You Can Help

[bronxzoofrank]

Hi All,

Have you observed herp abuse, or do you suspect that it is occurring in a store, food market, private collection or elsewhere? It can be difficult to know for sure, and even harder to decide what to do about it. The following article may be of some help, and I’ll do my best to advise those who post questions and concerns.

Unfortunately, animal abuse is a serious and surprisingly common problem in the USA. The applicable laws vary from state to state, and it can be difficult to determine which agency is responsible for enforcement. Regulatory agencies are often under-funded, so many rely upon citizen complaints. It is important, therefore, that concerned people learn how to proceed when they suspect that animal abuse is taking place. This is especially true where reptiles and amphibians are concerned, as they draw less interest than mammals, and mistreatment is difficult to detect by the inexperienced. Please be sure to post your own observations below, and let me know if you need help in deciding how to report a problem.
Read article here http://bitly.com/Ut6sJa
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Thanks, Frank
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[infernalis]

This is a good thing, many of us feel helpless when we see herps neglected.

[Lankyrob]

In the UK it is best to report issues to the RSPCA, they do need specific reasons why conditions etc are unacceptable tho, not just a rough complaint

[bronxzoofrank]

Originally Posted by infernalis

This is a good thing, many of us feel helpless when we see herps neglected.

Thanks, glad it was useful, Best, Frank

[bronxzoofrank]

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

In the UK it is best to report issues to the RSPCA, they do need specific reasons why conditions etc are unacceptable tho, not just a rough complaint

Thank you...good to know, I'll forward to others when questions arise, Best, Frank

[Lankyrob]

Originally Posted by bronxzoofrank

Thank you...good to know, I'll forward to others when questions arise, Best, Frank

When i reported the shop in question the RSPCA admitted they know little about reptile health and well being but do have experts that they rely on to help them assess conditions. I was asked to make a log of the reasons for my complaint so returned to the shop and took notes of missing water bowls, sheds left in vivs, poor or no substrates, staff with little or no knowledge of the animals requirements etc (i did all this under the guise of buying an animal and doing research).

I then passed all this info onto the RSPCA, when i tried to return to the shop a week later it was closed.

Normal practice for the RSPCA is to give an enforcement/improvement notice and then return a while later to reassess. The fact that the shop was closed within a week suggests to me that either the shop had previous notices that hadnt been followed or the owner decided that the cost of the improvements was not worth paying. Either way the animals were moved out of the conditions and the shop could no longer pass on their poor information to others.

[bronxzoofrank]

I then passed all this info onto the RSPCA, when i tried to return to the shop a week later it was closed.

Good to hear, and nice of you to get involved..it generally is a much more complicated process in the US, but much depends on state, region, etc. I have been called in to do reviews as well (NY) and in one case a major "reptile zoo" was closed down ; unfortunately, there was no supervision on that process, and hundreds of animals were left in an unheated building for days, during the winter). Best, Frank