Cole,

You're spot on, my friend. I think you speak for many (if not most) of us in your frustrations, but as you suggest, it's a lot easier to see the negative trends than to know what to do about them. I've consoled myself for some time with a few thoughts:

1. While we can't undo what's been done to the hobby, we have an amazing core community here that's not going anywhere. There have been "fly by nights" for years and they'll continue to come and go -- yes, that trend is here to stay -- but the people who are HERE are here because they share the same passion and dedication that you do. We're not going anywhere either.

2. As Doug mentioned, if there's an unlikely silver lining to these trends, it's that our "normal" stuff actually becomes rarer the more it's tainted in the hobby. Let them do their worst!

3. As per several conservations with Senor Niles, the commitment, experience, expertise and TRUST that underlies any dealings with locality animals means that business relationships frequently become close lasting friendships between people of deeply shared values.

I realize this skirts the issue of how to address mislabeled animals, whether we need an annual symposium, etc. I think others have pretty accurately summarized my feelings there. These are just a few additional things to think about!

Brad

Jefferson Parish, LA - 6 feet of glory

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http://www.waffahousereptiles.com

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