ERAC show - Latest Press Release

[Connie_F]

I just received this from the Brentwood Gazette, which made front page news today. What are your views? (Please be careful with your responses or if writing to the newspaper - any abusive or insulting comments would do our cause more harm than good!) : -

Wednesday September 30,2009
Prosecution threat over event which kept animals in takeaway tubs


Exclusive by Paul Ainsworth
editorial@gazettenews.co.uk

A SCHOOL could be prosecuted for the part it played in staging a
reptile event where creatures were caged in takeaway containers.

Hundreds of lizards, snakes and spiders were on sale at the
Reptile Breeders Expo at Shenfield High School on Sunday, allegedly putting children’s lives at risk.

As record numbers flocked to the event where some exotic animals were sold for hundreds of pounds, the Animal Protection Agency (APA) armed four private
investigators with spy cameras to collect evidence it claims could lead to prosecution.

Prosecution

The animal rights group, which strongly believes reptiles pose a serious salmonella risk to humans, initially convinced Shenfield High to pull the plug on the event it claimed was an “illegal reptile market”.

But, after the event went ahead at the eleventh hour, APA says it is sending its “damning footage” to Brentwood Borough Council and the RSPCA seeking prosecution against the organisers, Essex Reptiles and Amphibians Club, private breeders, and the
school as the venue for the part they all played.

APA spokesman Elaine Toland said: “The animals were kept in takeaway containers. They need to have a very carefully controlled environment and they need space otherwise they become stressed.”

She said these kind of commercial “markets” were outlawed under section two of the
Pet Animals Act 1951. “The school not only allowed it to take place but kept it a secret.
“If they really believed they were allowing a legitimate event then why all the secrecy?”

Head teacher John Fairhurst said: “The school is more than a little unhappy at the position it finds itself.

“We accepted a booking from the Federation of British Herpetologists in good faith. At the time the booking was made, we were unaware their activities were the centre of controversy.

Turn to p2


“When, some 10 days or so before the event, it was drawn to our attention by the Animal Protection Agency that the legality of the event was a matter of dispute, we sought to cancel it. “However, we were subsequently advised that there were no good legal grounds for so doing and we would be in breach of contract.

“Reluctantly, we reversed our decision and allowed the event to go ahead. “We do not believe anything that happened put the health and safety of children at risk.”

When the Gazette was welcomed through the doors of the event –which attracted over
1,000 visitors – the Essex Reptiles and Amphibians Club, the Federation of British Herpetologists (FBH) and private breeders all strongly denied claims the animals were in any way distressed.

Commercial sales

They also said private breeders were only selling surplus stock and there was no commercial selling, despite members of the public turning up.

FBH chairman Chris Newman said: “For more than 10 years members of the animal rights industry have been declaring these events are illegal but curiously not a single prosecution has ever been brought.”

Chairman of The Essex Reptiles and Amphibians Club Pete Clark said a vet was present to check welfare standards.

He added: “You’re more likely to get Salmonella from a burger stall or kebab shop.”

Among the estimated 40 private breeders was Dave Rushen, 20, from Southampton,
who has about 250 blood and ball pythons at his home.

Although he defended the size and suitability of his own display containers, he did think a small number of the breeders’ containers were too small.

He said: “I can see where they (animal rights groups) are coming from, I like to give good natural displays.”

[Ozgi]

They need space otherwise they get stressed? She should try telling that to my royals!

I think this is the only threat the APA pose to our hobby and interests, their lies and propaganda are swallowed up by the media and the public. It could harm future shows if they see this one being portrayed in a negative way.

I think more needs to be done about this!

[karlos79]

i think a national press release would be an idea, with clear facts and figures for which people can find for themselves. quoting laws etc.

this will quash any lies that she brings up, facts speak for themselves!.

i do find it interesting as to why she has specifically targeted this one show in depth. surely the bigger shows would be the target where DWA animals are also sold! it makes no sense why to target one show with such propaganda.

will be interesting how they act with the shows that are left for the year!

[ian14]

I have just tried to find this story on the Brentwood Gazette site, but it wasn't on there.

[MJ75]

My old school used to have tokay geckos and garter snakes as well as a few toads in the biology labs. I don't suppose this school already had any herps kept there did it?

It would be slightly ironic if it did!

[Athravan]

Well I am glad that Chris Newman and the head of ERAC are quoted and that the gazette obviously at least took the time to contact and hear both sides of the story, and the defense of the show sounds quite good I think even though it was very brief - anyone reading that will especially have to stop and think over the fact that if it was an "illegal" reptile market why was it not stopped by the council on the day and why have no prosecutions for these shows happened over the last 10 years they've been going ahead.

As usual the APA have put some rather extreme and unfounded opinions across but at least has the small response from the reptile community and all in all it could be a lot worse although the paper has obviously printed the APA's extremeist views for shock factor. At least it has allowed us to put some defense in which is more than the APA's website ever does.

I do feel very sorry for the school that obviously did not intend to get embroiled in such a political debacle for a cause that they no nothing of, and don't blame them for panicing and trying to cancel as I'm sure the head master has been inundated with complaints from panicing parents.

At the end of the day the media is rubbish anyway, they want to sell their papers and they want to get the biggest ooooo factor they can get. Throwing things like illegal, prosecution, threats, takeaway tubs - all extreme wording to get people to read the article and take an interest, the more people that read and talk about the article the more money the media makes and that's the name of the game isn't it, making the media money, not portraying facts.

[rum&coke]

I have read the the Animal Protection Agency's web site and all that they say about the show is twisted to suite themselfs. They say the animals are wild but infact they are CB and they talk about the small containers the animals are sold in, if they knew anything about reptiles they would know that large containers stress reptiles out and small containers make them feel safe.
In my eyes if you are gonna call yourself an animal protection charity then knowing about the animals you want to protect is a number one priority, The Animal Protection Agency is just a sham a charity set up for a tax dodge and are targeting reptile keepers because most of the public dont know or understand the hobby so they can get away with the bs they say about us, I dont think they care about animals at all only donations

[ian14]

The APA have been very clever in the way they name themselves - calling yourself an "Agency" in the way they have gives the impression that this is some form of official organistaion, as opposed to a group of animal rights protesters.

[medusa0373]

Where DO they get their information from?

I've just been on the APA site for a look, and their information certainly appears to be factually incorrect. Do they really believe that the animals spend their entire lives in takeaway boxes?? And that "virtually all" animals sold are wild caught? This may apply to perhaps a few rarer species, but certainly not the more commonly kept beasties.

Looking at the "story" in this link, can anyone tell me please, what the signs of stress are, that were so obvious "within seconds" of entering the show?

Animal Protection Agency

[Malti]

my advice would be to the FBH to retaliate in force - these small daily lies, will end up being what the public thinks if not educated - and what the public thinks is the politician's order...if you don't act now, you'll sow huge problems in a few years time