MissLissa
Avid Member
I'm Canadian, so I am culturally obligated to start this with an apology: I'm sorry for using this forum as a place to rant. I'm very frustrated today, you get the brunt of it.
I live in Canada, like I said, and the particular area I live in is basically the blackmarket capital. Additionally, some of you may have heard of the pet python that allegedly killed two little boys in the province of New Brunswick, back in 2013. In response, the local government in my province introduced a new bill banning the ownership, breeding, sale or purchase of many species of reptiles. Unfortunately, the wording of the bill is very vague and ended up banning several common, harmless and captive bred species were banned as well. For example, in an effort to ban all iguanas, the bill bans "all members of the family Iguanidae"... which includes the fairly innocuous and commonly captive-bred anole.
Now, obviously, this bill has it's issues. No one is saying it doesn't. I am also not going to argue about whether or not someone has some kind of God-given constitutional right to own whatever animal they please (because they factually don't; not in Canada, and not in this province). Honestly, I even agree with many of the banned species on the list; I certainly don't want some 16 year old hothead going out and purchasing a saltwater croc for giggles. What bothers me beyond words is the basic response of the herpetocultural people here.
Now, keep in mind that the keeping of reptiles in this province is very tightly linked to gangs, crime, drugs, monthly reports of tragically killed illegally imported baby tortoises, and the murder of children. On several occasions I have been asked if I could hook someone up with cocaine and/or meth just because they learned I own reptiles (surprise twist: I have nothing to do with drugs. I am basically a 30 year old version of your favourite cookie-baking granny).
And the local herp groups' response? Keep on carrying on as you will. I've been told to my face several times that people will keep buying what they will, but honestly I tried not to look too hard- as someone who works in the facility that will take their animals away, I'm more or less morally and professional obligated to tattle if I do officially "see" something. However, tonight someone I know fairly well (and also knows where and for whom I work) messaged me with several pictures of a breeding group of a particularly venomous species of snake that they just imported from another province via a known blackmarket dealer. I immediately also received messages from several other reptile people telling me how excited they are that this is happening, that "someone was finally taking a stand".
Are. You. Kidding. Me.
I am so appalled. I can't even, right now. In this culture of fear and basic reptile-hatred, someone brings a thrice-banned venomous species into the area with every intention on breeding and selling them. How in the world is this supposed to rebuild trust and public relations when the media gets wind of that? How how how? How am I supposed to go to work tomorrow and report this person, whom I've known several years? How am I supposed to look them in the face as we take their animals away, to likely destroy them unless we can find a zoo willing to take in a large, unexpected group of hots? How is this good for the owner, the animals, or herpetoculture as a whole? How does this do anything to shine a good light on reptile ownership? How is this okay to do to me and my coworkers, who all love animals, and now have to face killing many of the very things we love just because someone couldn't follow the law? There is no sense in it that I can see. This person will have his animals taken away and a $1000 fine. His animals will almost certainly die. And my coworkers and I will get to leave work with shaking hands and wet eyes, trying not to think about how we spent our day as we scrape or uneaten dinners into the garbage.
I am so disgusted and disheartened. I love my job. I really do; I get to do incredible things with amazing animals every day.
But I know it's going to be hard to get up in the morning.
I live in Canada, like I said, and the particular area I live in is basically the blackmarket capital. Additionally, some of you may have heard of the pet python that allegedly killed two little boys in the province of New Brunswick, back in 2013. In response, the local government in my province introduced a new bill banning the ownership, breeding, sale or purchase of many species of reptiles. Unfortunately, the wording of the bill is very vague and ended up banning several common, harmless and captive bred species were banned as well. For example, in an effort to ban all iguanas, the bill bans "all members of the family Iguanidae"... which includes the fairly innocuous and commonly captive-bred anole.
Now, obviously, this bill has it's issues. No one is saying it doesn't. I am also not going to argue about whether or not someone has some kind of God-given constitutional right to own whatever animal they please (because they factually don't; not in Canada, and not in this province). Honestly, I even agree with many of the banned species on the list; I certainly don't want some 16 year old hothead going out and purchasing a saltwater croc for giggles. What bothers me beyond words is the basic response of the herpetocultural people here.
Now, keep in mind that the keeping of reptiles in this province is very tightly linked to gangs, crime, drugs, monthly reports of tragically killed illegally imported baby tortoises, and the murder of children. On several occasions I have been asked if I could hook someone up with cocaine and/or meth just because they learned I own reptiles (surprise twist: I have nothing to do with drugs. I am basically a 30 year old version of your favourite cookie-baking granny).
And the local herp groups' response? Keep on carrying on as you will. I've been told to my face several times that people will keep buying what they will, but honestly I tried not to look too hard- as someone who works in the facility that will take their animals away, I'm more or less morally and professional obligated to tattle if I do officially "see" something. However, tonight someone I know fairly well (and also knows where and for whom I work) messaged me with several pictures of a breeding group of a particularly venomous species of snake that they just imported from another province via a known blackmarket dealer. I immediately also received messages from several other reptile people telling me how excited they are that this is happening, that "someone was finally taking a stand".
Are. You. Kidding. Me.
I am so appalled. I can't even, right now. In this culture of fear and basic reptile-hatred, someone brings a thrice-banned venomous species into the area with every intention on breeding and selling them. How in the world is this supposed to rebuild trust and public relations when the media gets wind of that? How how how? How am I supposed to go to work tomorrow and report this person, whom I've known several years? How am I supposed to look them in the face as we take their animals away, to likely destroy them unless we can find a zoo willing to take in a large, unexpected group of hots? How is this good for the owner, the animals, or herpetoculture as a whole? How does this do anything to shine a good light on reptile ownership? How is this okay to do to me and my coworkers, who all love animals, and now have to face killing many of the very things we love just because someone couldn't follow the law? There is no sense in it that I can see. This person will have his animals taken away and a $1000 fine. His animals will almost certainly die. And my coworkers and I will get to leave work with shaking hands and wet eyes, trying not to think about how we spent our day as we scrape or uneaten dinners into the garbage.
I am so disgusted and disheartened. I love my job. I really do; I get to do incredible things with amazing animals every day.
But I know it's going to be hard to get up in the morning.
