In the past few weeks, PeTA has been taking online heat going after Steve Irwin, a man who many of us in this hobby relate to. I do enjoy seeing this and people rallying around the idea that PeTA is awful. But, we have to do more than just post some memes. This brings me to the main concept of this post, USARK.
In order to keep PeTA and the HSUS out of our snake rooms, we have to rally together around the group that is USARK. These “animal rights” groups are pushing a lot of the legislation we have been seeing. In just the past few months it feels like a dozen states have put bills up restricting our ability to keep the animals we love and care for. The United States Association of Reptile Keepers do a great job helping fight this legislation. However, they need our help. Please go to www.usark.org. Sign up on their email list and donate if you can. (No, I have no connection to this organization, I simply understand the importance of supporting them.)
Whether you have one Leopard Gecko or a building full of Reticulated Pythons or anything in between we are all in the same boat. PeTA and other groups like them view all of us, dog lovers, zoo keepers, etc. the same way they view Steve Irwin. Don’t let those TV commercials with the sad songs fool you.
As someone who does this for a living, I spend every day cleaning, feeding, watering, and caring for the animals in my collection. Every day all day. I love being able to do this and cannot imagine a time when it would be impossible to do so. Thus I fully back USARK and donate a portion of every animal sold to their work. I am in no way saying you have to do that, but whatever you can, that anger you feel towards Peta, make sure you are doing something that really counts. Become a member, donate an animal to a USARK auction during a Reptile Expo. Anything helps our cause.
My small breeding company has invested in cage manufactures, rodent suppliers, shipping companies, and on and on, so it is also important to us that we help those fighting on the front lines. Phil Goss, the President of USARK and his team do an incredible job with the daunting task of fighting these anti-animal bills. We owe a lot to them, but the fight NEVER ends.
We will get back to Blood and Short-Tailed Python posts but felt that this needed to be put out there. PeTA isn’t just bad because they hate Steve Irwin. So please join the fight so we can continue to keep and care for the animals we love. USARK.org