Reptile & Amphibian Forums

The latest link on the HSUS page.

http://www.hsus.org/ace/19646
HSUS and Reptiles

What is amasing is how they come up with their figures. How can they or anyone else for that matter have any idea how many homes have reptiles. How accurate is that 90,000 figure for reptile related salmonella cases? Doesn't that Qualify for slander?

looking to cause trouble. Keep an eye out for these people @ your local shows. They left abruptly when they discovered we knew why they were there.

I called the VA Health Department for these figures, because I am writing the agrument to get a ban on iguanas, turtles and rabbits, etc as carnival games prizes, and I was told that the health department does not keep the origin of salmonella. Interesting.

The salmonella figure quoted from the CDC is bogus. The figure 93,000 is on the CDC sight is an estimate taken from some research paper. There is no way that anyone can get an accurate figure on the number of actual cases of reptile associated salmonellosis each year. The TOTAL number of reported cases of salmonella infection from all sources is about 40,000 a year according to the CDC website.

This is the kind of stuff that hurts the pet industry. I think the tons of cats and dogs without homes and the over-breeding of these animals should be more of a concern than salmonella-carrying reptiles. As far as I know, it is usually reptiles that are not well-cared for that are more likely to carry salmonella. Besides the kind of people that get seriously ill from salmonella (children and the elderly) are the ones who probably don't keep them anyways. I don't let my toddler play with the reptiles and always wash my hands before touching him. Simple precautions such as washing your hands and using alco-gel can prevent salmonella infections. Any animal can carry infectious diseases, so why are reptiles being singled out. It's not like the monkey-pox came from a reptile.

Hi Samcin, Chad, from Murfreesboro here. I just emailed our local HSUS in response to the ban. I would like to get a group together and protest HSUS anywhere they show up for fundraisers or anywhere they set up at in general. I know that they frequent PetSmart. Get in touch with me sometime @ duggincl@aol.com. Later.

What do you think about printing up bumper stickers saying something to the effect "IM A PET LOVER AGAINST HSUS". Or perhaps putting together an information packet with facts about HSUS letting honest pet owners know that by donating to them, their money is not being distributed to animal shelters, but causing more homeless pets to be put down. Distribute these packets to pet stores, dog groomers, zoos, dog & cat shows and to schools (so they don't invite any of these people to be guest speakers), while still carrying out your plan to go wherever they set up shop. The ones who really need to learn the truth about them is their present clientele. HSUS is getting too much funding from people who aren't aware of what they are really supporting. That's why HSUS has the power they do. Lets make these people worry about keeping their high paying jobs, instead of worrying about what we are up to. Anyway just some ideas. Take care.

n/p
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"When the laws in your city/state change, how will you cure your passion for reptiles?!"

Is that they are listing TONS of diseases carried by mammals but the article is for the majority anti-reptile. The only disease they list that reptiles carry is salmonella, and you have a far better chance of obtaining that from a chicken than a reptile.
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Cindy
PHFaust
Email Cindy
Land of the Outcasts!

I noticed that too. What b.s.! I'm currently writing an article for a newsletter for zoocrewzone.com that deals with exotic ownership and now, I think this article is going to be my focus! My article has to be a journalistic view...and this sort of rubbish is perfect because I can present it as unbiased yet disprove them by stating real numbers!

Thanks HSUS!

Ignorance can bliss sometimes!
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~redmom~
My Email
Herps:
1.0 Normal corn snake "Ed"

Others:
1.0 Blue Betta fish "'Beta' test"
0.1 White/Lemon/beige splotched and spotted hound mix "Angel"

Human pets:
2.0 Children "Matthew" 7 yrs, "Duncan" > 1 yr
1.0 Hubby "Roger"

"Life will find a way." Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) Jurrasic Park

Hammer all of the high-points you are looking to get across with one group - mammals and monkey-pox, Hepatitis, lyme disease, SARS and whatever else you care to make up, and then simply pull in an entirely different group - reptiles, and associate them to the same hype.

They are indeed, far too big for their britches.

I hope HSUS plans on banning undercooked chicken as well. I would support that ... and personally go house to house to see that kids aren't eating undercooked chicken nuggets and getting salmonella.

Is there a way to contact this person and ask them a few ?s. If they know that their response will be publicized then they may say something. Or, their lack of a response can be publicized. Either way.
For example, just what venemous amphibians are being imported/sold?
Isn't the priority of the SPCA to find homes for animals, not put them down (someone mentioned that more of their $ goes towards that)? Just how hard do they look for homes for these animals...? Also, what ratio of homeless reptiles do they have IN THEIR shelters, compared to cats, dogs, etc.
And other ?s that have been stated so far
I noticed that he used a quote, but never gave the name of who said it.
Also, he lists things like "reptiles" or "poisonous amphibians" but I don't recall hearing about any specific species, besides the monster rat.
How many monster rats have been imported compared to say sick dogs, cats? Or, even more, how many monster rats spread disease compared to chickens? Or, sick dogs from puppy mills? Sure the #s sound scary (even if they were REAL) but compared to the other #s (that I assume are worse) they aren't that big (again i'd have to research it). Of all the problems with dog bites and death by dog attacts, are death by tigers (how many of these were pets? were they zoo animals?) that big of a problem?
How many snakes actually kill people per anum? Of those that did, I think it would be safe to say that they didn't have responsible owners. I think a license to have said animals would be better... ?
Also, I would like to ask what he plans on doing with the thousands of lizzards and innocent animals once his ban is in place.
Who is going to pay for that?

HSUS is not interested in hearing or telling the truth. No sense in asking them any questions.

But if you did ask questions, and were to do a write-up about them to hand out to the public, you would have their answers as quotes.. or proof of lack of answers, instead of just assumtions (which we know they are more than that, but a good bad quote goes a lot further) to write about. That's all I meant. It's a i bit of work to prove they aren't interested in the publics ?s but also a good point to be made if one were to make the public aware of their flaws...

Alan is right . I have asked several questions of the HSUS ( and PETA for that matter ) and I might as well have been talking to a brick wall .

Kevin
NAROA

Well I've done quite a bit of looking for Mr. Pacelle, and I was unable to come up with an e-mail or a snail-mail address.
...but I did find a phone # for him...try giving him a jingle, and ask away
(202) 778-6112
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Pozdrav,
Anton T.
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1.1 Python regius
0.1 Boa constricor imperator
0.1 Elaphe g. guttata
1.0 Lampropeltis t hondurensis
0.2 Varanus exanthematicus
0.1 Crotaphytus collaris
0.1 Testudo horsefieldi
1.4 Anolis carolinensis
1.0 Tarentola mauretanica
0.2 Pachydactylus bibronii
1.0 Litoria caerulea

Wow, these guys are mislead! I've been working with reptiles for over 11 years in pet shops, and haven't met anyone who has had a life threatening illness because of their herp pets. I'm sure occasionally people may get sick, but what about the dangers of having a pet share your living space on a day to day basis like cats or dogs? I'm sure letting them sleep in people's beds is a sure way to share, at least, ecto parasites not to mention the other nasties that come out at night. If the shoe was on the other foot, would those concerned be as willing to give up "Checkers" or "Boots"? I think not!