Improving and Supporting the Reptile Hobby

[sandmatt]

Maybe start a new thread, try get people interested?

[arthur cooke]

I applaud your good intentions but I have been here before.

In the early 1990s some of us realised that animal rights were targeting our hobby and we set up the Federation of British Herpetologists to fight them as a political lobby group.

It took years to convince people that the hobby was under threat amid a huge amount of infighting accusations of all sorts of things. Personal vendettas. I won't go into detail as I don't want to raise ghosts.

We got a memorandum of understanding with the RSPCA via Tim Wass, we provide "experts" to work along side the RSPCA, to train their Inspectors in reptile care and even to give evidence in court in cruelty cases.

We would take all rescued animals and find them suitable homes, all this by the way being at our cost,despite the millions of pounds at the RSPCAs has at their disposal.

When it came time to put this into action, the animal rightists on the board of trustees voted it down and refused to give us any reason why.

cheers arthur

[ratboy]

Yes. I was at that FBH Conference Arthur.

Tim Wass actually gave a good account of himself other than not knowing what the RSPCA had actually published with regard to the keeping of reptiles and other exotics ( like the "fact" that it is impossible to keep them alive for longer than a year.)

At the end of the day, the RSPCA inspectorate are good and well meaning people with very little knowledge or training with reptiles other than the blanket "They are very expensive and difficult animals to keep with specialist care requirements." which although not totally untrue as every animal has specialist care requirements is designed to put people off keeping them.

The RSPCA ruling council however are not interested in working with hobbyiests in the slightest and this will presumably remain the case until we become to big to walk over.

[arthur cooke]

Hi Ratboy,you're right the RSPCA will never work alongside us as long as the board of trustees follows their AR agenda.
Yep, our old friend Clifford ***********, better not mention his name or he might begin suing everyone in sight again, ha ha ha.

Are people more politicly aware in the hobby nowdays? They seem to be. On this site anyway. I tend to only post and read this forum so am not as aware as I used to be on the politics of reptile keeping.

At some point this year I'm intending to make my move to Italy, where there doesn't seem to as many ARs. Now our local commune has a wi fi I can get on the net and not be as cut off as I have been for the last couple of years.
Altho Berliscone has banned the keeping of Tarantulas, because he's frightened of them.
Mind you, I wish he'd ban those dammed sheep ticks. I got one on my backside last year and had to knock next door and ask for help to get it off, most embarrassing moment of my life. Of course the door was answered by next doors wife and I had to explain in very very poor Italian that I had a tick on my bum and could they help, ha ha. Anyway I ramble.

cheers arthur.

[ratboy]

That would have been one for UTUBE Arthur ... hahahaha brilliant

I think people are more aware, they are certainly more aware of the RSPCA but I think the country is more aware of them too, or rather more aware of their political shortcomings. They were on the TV a couple of nights ago about fund raising in Scotland.

On here, I think the awareness is due in no small part to Rory. Although not that many people responded to many of his threads, they certainly got the viewings and many of the points raised have had considerable mention elsewhere on the forum since.

[arthur cooke]

Oh, it got worse Ratboy because my neighbour didn't know quite what to do and called in the rest of the village for a debate as to how to get it off, burning it off with a lit cigarette was one idea, ouch.

Yes Rory is doing a good job and I wish him lots of luck. I expect he's finding like we did that lack of money is very limiting on what you can achieve when you're up against groups like Animal Aid and the RSPCA.They can throw around vast sums for so called scientific reports.

8 million people puts us on the same level as dog keepers, if every one pulled together that would make us a very powerful voice indeed.
cheers arthur.

[Carlie]

So sorry I haven't been back to this thread sooner. Had to root around to find it!

Really interesting replies - thanks so much for your input.

I'd like to keep this topic going to perhaps raise awareness and let other people know about what has been tried before and how things turned out.

It's certainly been an eye-opener for me and a fascinating topic.