Reptile pet trade

[krrc]

As Chondro suggested I have posted The mission statement for my site is below. I know the whole world hates MK (Melissa Kaplan) but the articles on the reptile pet trade on her site are primarily what got me involved with this several months ago anyone who has any input on what we can do would be great. I don’t think it matters much if we live in Canada or the US because whatever we do in one place we can at least make an example of in another.

The mission statement is as follows:

The KRRC is committed to educating reptile owners and store staff on the proper care of pet reptiles. By informing the public of the joys and responsibilities of reptile keeping the reptile community can limit the amount of restrictions placed on the hobby...

Groups such as the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) are much more concerned with “conventional” pets and don’t believe the public can take care of or should own reptiles. They address erroneous accusations of the risks of salmonella and make many references to their belief that few if any people have the funds or knowledge to care for these animals correctly. By breeding many of the common reptile species kept today, the hobby has demonstrated its knowledge of husbandry requirements and has significantly reduced strain on wild populations.
Still with all the steps forward in the last number of years we are far from what the reptile community could become. Many pet stores have slightly a clue on how to take care of many of the animals. Newcomers to the overwhelming world of reptiles are given wrong information and impulsively buy an animal that they will not be able to take care of. With many pet store selling sick, mistreated animals and people not fully understanding husbandry requirements the majority of reptiles bought die within the first year.
Education is an obvious inevitability in the advancement of keeping reptiles as pets. Showing young children and adults not to fear but respect reptiles is also an important undertaking.
None of this will be possible without a strong following in the community to change what we have for the better. To show organizations like the HSUS that we can do the “impossible” that we can take care of our chosen pet and do so responsibly. I and the members of the KRRC thank every one of the reptile enthusiasts that join the fight for correct treatment of pet reptiles.

Note: KRRC- Keepers for Responsible Reptile Care