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Re: Responsibilities of Breeders in Buyer Screening v.1
Right from the start I have wondered about the ethics of the reptile breeding/importing industry. Personally, I hold the view that very few people should be keeping reptiles as pets, especially folks like me. I think the care is very involved, and most people are just not equipped for problems. I think serious inquiry and study should be a prerequisite, and there should be a 10-day waiting period for a giant snake, just like there is for buying a gun. I actually spent 2 months researching boa care before buying one, and I still am finding out things I didn't know. It's not as easy as it appears and should not be taken lightly.
However, there are many of us who have all sorts of pets--cats and dogs included--who don't have thousands$$ stashed away for emergency vet bills. We all do the best we can with our animals. In an imperfect world, I think the best we can hope for is that those who love and keep animals can do our best and be conscientious pet owners, that we belong to a site like this, and seek ongoing help and education. I do not personally understand the practice of buying, selling, and trading reptiles, as though they were inanimate commodities, but some of these people are impeccable at taking care of their snakes so who am I to judge? Seems, though, that there are more captive bred reptiles than there are really appropriate homes for them. Makes me wonder.
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