PLEASE Buy Responsibly - Rescue Statistics

[Athravan]

We offer a rescue service here, we are not a special rescue, we do not advertise anywhere, but as a retailer, we get a lot of animals in. This year the trend has worrying been mostly lizards, no big burms and few snakes at all. Mostly WC small lizards which admittedly were easy to rehome, but a few biggies like iguanas and tegus.

This is just to give people an idea of what a small local area of South Wales can dump on a single person in what is less than 9 months of this year.

Just having a tally up and in 2008 (and its not over yet) we have had the following:

2 x Iguanas (1 rehomed, 1 still looking!)
1 x Yemen Chameleon (with MBD)
3 x Adult Beardies with Severe MBD/ other Problems (rehomed)
2 x Baby Beardies with severe problems (1 didn't make it, 1 still with us)
2 x Collard Lizards (still with us)
4 x Sudan Plated Lizards (2 rehomed, 2 still with us)
1 x Madagascan Plated Lizard (still with us)
1 x Nile Monitor (rehomed)
1 x Corn / Rat Snake Hybrid (rehomed)
2 x Corn Snake (found locally, escapees most likely)
4 x Sinai Agamas (rehomed)
2 x Chinese Water Dragons (still with us but pending homecheck)
2 x Dwarf Sungazers (rehomed)
1 x BCI with mouth and scale rot (rehomed)
1 x Leopard Gecko (severe MBD)
1 x Cooter (rehomed)
5 x Sliders (rehomed)
2 x Map Turtles (rehomed)
2 x Golden Tegus (rehomed)
1 x Crested Gecko (with FPS) (rehomed)
2 x Adult Tortoises (no papers!) (1 rehomed, 1 going to new home on sunday)

That's over 40 reptiles in a small area of South Wales. Now a lot of people ask for FREE reptiles, and I'm sure a few people are reading this and thinking "i wish I got all those for free!" - A lot of those required veterinary treatment of some kind, some required surgery, others have required months of intensive care before they could be rehomed. You don't want to see our vet bills!

It just seems like an awful lot of reptiles are being moved on. I am sure other rescues have even higher numbers than mine, especially those who rescue outside of the local area.

The point of this is just to say, buy responsibly... but also, if you can, why not ask around if there is a local rescue and consider offering a rescue a good home rather than buying, the rehome fee may be similar, but you will be easing a burden on the rescue community.

And for all those people who have said they are starting up rescues in the classifieds this year.... rescues don't need to ask for free reptiles. Any good rescue knows the best day will be when there are no rescues left to need them.

[sparkle]

100million percent agree


ONE of my rescues this year cost 250 pounds to save.. she would have cost 25 pounds to buy

[Hobgoblin]

Originally Posted by Athravan

We offer a rescue service here, we are not a special rescue, we do not advertise anywhere, but as a retailer, we get a lot of animals in. This year the trend has worrying been mostly lizards, no big burms and few snakes at all. Mostly WC small lizards which admittedly were easy to rehome, but a few biggies like iguanas and tegus.

This is just to give people an idea of what a small local area of South Wales can dump on a single person in what is less than 9 months of this year.

Just having a tally up and in 2008 (and its not over yet) we have had the following:

2 x Iguanas (1 rehomed, 1 still looking!)
1 x Yemen Chameleon (with MBD)
3 x Adult Beardies with Severe MBD/ other Problems (rehomed)
2 x Baby Beardies with severe problems (1 didn't make it, 1 still with us)
2 x Collard Lizards (still with us)
4 x Sudan Plated Lizards (2 rehomed, 2 still with us)
1 x Madagascan Plated Lizard (still with us)
1 x Nile Monitor (rehomed)
1 x Corn / Rat Snake Hybrid (rehomed)
2 x Corn Snake (found locally, escapees most likely)
4 x Sinai Agamas (rehomed)
2 x Chinese Water Dragons (still with us but pending homecheck)
2 x Dwarf Sungazers (rehomed)
1 x BCI with mouth and scale rot (rehomed)
1 x Leopard Gecko (severe MBD)
1 x Cooter (rehomed)
5 x Sliders (rehomed)
2 x Map Turtles (rehomed)
2 x Golden Tegus (rehomed)
1 x Crested Gecko (with FPS) (rehomed)
2 x Adult Tortoises (no papers!) (1 rehomed, 1 going to new home on sunday)

That's over 40 reptiles in a small area of South Wales. Now a lot of people ask for FREE reptiles, and I'm sure a few people are reading this and thinking "i wish I got all those for free!" - A lot of those required veterinary treatment of some kind, some required surgery, others have required months of intensive care before they could be rehomed. You don't want to see our vet bills!

It just seems like an awful lot of reptiles are being moved on. I am sure other rescues have even higher numbers than mine, especially those who rescue outside of the local area.

The point of this is just to say, buy responsibly... but also, if you can, why not ask around if there is a local rescue and consider offering a rescue a good home rather than buying, the rehome fee may be similar, but you will be easing a burden on the rescue community.

And for all those people who have said they are starting up rescues in the classifieds this year.... rescues don't need to ask for free reptiles. Any good rescue knows the best day will be when there are no rescues left to need them.

Thanks for that informative thread Athravan........I dont think we can ever express this problem enough......hopefully people will take note of some of the things mentioned on here.......

People need to realise that animals are not disposable just because it doesnt work out........and being responsible and doing the research might save alot of heartache and pain especially for these reps.....

Just looking at your list really upsets me ....but Im glad you have had the patience to list how many of these magnificent creatures have been passed on when the person who bought them decided it was no longer an option to keep them.......

So sad and upsetting but Its good someone is pointing out the reality of it............

[snickers]

> but also, if you can, why not ask around if there is a
> local rescue and consider offering a rescue a good
> home rather than buying

Sounds like a good idea in principle, but in practice it doesn't work so well. With all the paranoia against someone getting a cheap/free animal the hoops you have to jump through to actually offer a home are just not worth the effort.

Academic really, the snakes I like never come up for adoption, and I've never seen anyone ask for homes for a T.

[tick]

Cool thread Chrissy
Imo i honestly think there should be a ban on breeding of things like Green Iggies until the back log is cleared,or put the prices up.Same with Beardies because they are 2 a penny now and so many wind up in rescue centers.I keep high end monitors and thankfully these are well cared for,for 1 reason because these are so expensive.If you truley wanted somthing badly enough you would be willing to save for it and maybe worry about it a little more.

[Fixx]

I think the 'addiction' meme that does the rounds on the forum doesn't help either and should be discouraged when it rears it's head in threads, especially threads started by 'newbies' who get their first reptile, join the forum, post about it and get hit with a torrent of:
"You won't stop with one, you'll end up with hundreds..it's sooo addictive..."
"I bought a my first corn snake last week, now we have 500,000 of them...."

[Papscrunt]

I agree totally its just terrible the amount of unwanted reps (Or other animals)
Im going to see a lady who rescues lizards up beside my mum in scotland & hopefully will be able to give something a home
I'm excited but its not till xmas time lol
I know she has a few cresties

[neonlaurie]

aww i was thinking of buying a green iggy when i move 2 our bigger house and set up a big enclosure. i think i will go for a rescue one if i do decide 2 get one.

i think people forget sometimes bout these poor animals and only think reps are available in pet shops! though a lot of our pets are preloved so it saves those reps ending up at rescue homes i guess!

i dunno how anyone could just dump them on someone else tbh!
i couldnt let go of any of my pets! especially my beardies as they were my 1st reps

though 1 think about most of ur reps is that most are ill
and i dont think people like 2 take on ill pets

but good luck with them! i wish them a happy life whoever loves them for the rest of their lives

[cooljules]

Originally Posted by neonlaurie

aww i was thinking of buying a green iggy when i move 2 our bigger house and set up a big enclosure. i think i will go for a rescue one if i do decide 2 get one.

i think people forget sometimes bout these poor animals and only think reps are available in pet shops! though a lot of our pets are preloved so it saves those reps ending up at rescue homes i guess!

i dunno how anyone could just dump them on someone else tbh!
i couldnt let go of any of my pets! especially my beardies as they were my 1st reps

i have 7 unwanted igs pass through my hands...still had 2 for 10 years + but no room to perm keep mine..

never buy a ig from a store, your only fueling more caught from the wild and sold...so easy to find a rehoming one.

[neonlaurie]

Originally Posted by cooljules

i have 7 unwanted igs pass through my hands...still had 2 for 10 years + but no room to perm keep mine..

never buy a ig from a store, your only fueling more caught from the wild and sold...so easy to find a rehoming one.

ok thanks for the info im gonna wait til we move 2 our house 1st and build a viv for it then ill spam post about wanting a rescued iggy

btw do all iggys hate bright colours? might be a problem when im in my neon clothes. or do u think it will get used 2 it