I find this discusion to be very interesting. Having spent more then 11 yrs in the pet industry, I can give you case inpoint as to why many pet store don't want to get involved with herp societies.

In my home town, I use to managed the best local pet store (back in the late '80 and early '90). We gave the best care to our animals that we knew how to provide. The reptile craze was just starting to take off. We jumped on the band wagon. I went to herp shows, searched magazine listings, and tried to work with local breaders to get our supply of quality herps. I soon made contact with a guy who went to the Ohio swap every time. There he introduced me to guys like Ed Luchevic, Don Hamper, Mark Bell, and Amy Zilch (forgive me if I didn't spell names right). We used all of these now well respected herpers for sources as well as more.

When we would get a new animal in we would first ask the breeder or supplier how to care for it. Then I would do my own info search. We carried the AVS books and all of magazines of the times. So I became freinds with a few club members. I attended a few club events.

From that I decided that the club was a important resource of knowledge and possible customers. I asked for fliers and news leters to help support what I truely felt was a good organization. I then started recommending new reptile buyers join the club. My thought was what was good for them would be good for us.

Boy was I wrong! I was told by one of my customers to not send anymore customers to them because the bashed all pet store including mine, which by the way I gave them 80% or better of the new members that year. Here I was helping them increase their membership and they were doing what every they could to put me and my fellow pet-shoppers out of buisness. These tactics included call the law when something wasn't done correctly, and confiscating animals from the new owners that they felt should be sold.

The other thing that realy blew my mind was that they said in one of thier meetings that there was no reason to every buy anything from a pet store. This was beacuse the president of the club could get anything you want.

I hope you see what I am getting at. It is a mater of ethics or lack there of!

Now I don't believe every club is like this one was back then. It is also my understanding that it has changed as well. I have a real problem with a organized group of people stating that pet stores are only in it for the money, when it was plain to see that that was some of thier motivation as well.

I also don't understand why they would call "Johny Law" when they think something isn't correct. All they have accomplished is to set a presideince for futer laws against all of us herpers.

I have said it before and I will say it again. Don't try to hurt the pet store. Try to make it better. I don't know of any smart buisnessman who wouldn't love help to make his buisness beter. Provided that it is done in the right way. We must remember these buisness owners have put thier livelyhood into this buiness. Offer to hold a feild trip to his store at one of the meetings, or better yet ask if you can hold the intire meeting in the store. Your group could even offer to do training of his employees. Hold events in his parking lot (like turtle and frog races). These events always draw a crowd and would work to help both groups.

Remember if you truely believe that pet stores are only there to make money, then use that to your clubs advantage. After all the more members your club has the more power it has to make changes for the better. If I still managed my store and you came to me with a plan to get 500 herp and herp supply buying customers into my store for 1-2 hours a month, you would have my full support!!!

There are bad apples on both sides, but lets not let them spoil the entire batch for everyone!

Knowledge is power!!!!!!!

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