NSW How Hard Can It Be.....

[ArcticMonkey]

I suspect that a good proportion of Beardies sold each year never make it to 6 months due to improper care. Pet shops will only add to this problem.

It would be terrible if reptiles were sold in shops, its bad enough now with impulse buying and the number of inept "keepers" around..

 

[AUSGECKO]

There is going to be a big announcement in December.

Reptiles sold in shops most likely wont appeal to people who have already been keeping for years but will instead attract interest from people that never knew the hobby existed or previously never knew where to get reptiles from apart from catching them from the wild, it may be hard for some to believe but there are a lot of people who have no interest in forums and wouldn't go online to buy animals.
The whole applying and waiting for a reptile keepers licence rules out the impulse buy argument.

Some of the "Reptile shops" around have done more damage to our hobby than good, I know of some that have been selling exotic species and animals off licence for years out of small tubs under the counter or in the back room, often to honest people who are unaware that you need a licence to keep our native reptiles,this kind of behavior only makes our hobby look bad and does little to promote it in a positive way.

Attracting new people to the hobby is a good thing for our community and should help to change many people's perception of reptiles.

 

[Grogshla]

Yes this is a good thing AUSGECKO
I just hope that with all this new awareness, we don't get a bad stigma (worse than it already is) if people impulse buy reptiles due to them being cool and not normally available without researching them. WOuld hate to see animals dumped or into careless hands.
But I agree. It is a great thing for the community

 

[JasonL]

The whole applying and waiting for a reptile keepers licence rules out the impulse buy argument.

Not at all, how many times do you see people on forums asking for basic help for a reptile they have? just because they fill out a form on the internet and transfer some cash to Parks and have to wait a couple of weeks does not stop impulse buying... I might be a bit old school here but to me about 50% of people who keep reptiles shouldn't.
Your average reptile lives around 30 years, well SHOULD live around 30 years.... the vast majority of keepers battle to keep reptiles for 3 years before they get bored of them.
Putting reptiles on display will only help line the pockets of those people breeding them, they will become a huge fad to people who just must have one. True lovers of reptiles will find there way into the hobby whether they are sold in shops or not, and making people more aware of reptiles via selling in shops will be at the cost of thousands of reptiles lives not to mention the ever increasing number of escaped feral snakes into the wild.

 

[bohdi13]

it does defeat the purpose of a pet\reptile shop, but considering the majority of the pet shops that keep the reptiles in poor conditions is disgusting.can you please write things correctly-spelling .

 

[CaptainRatbag]

In Qld pet/reptile shops can only sell ants...... so if you want other breeds, you have to go to a breeder. The last time I looked at my local petshop, they had 1 mac about 3yo for $750 :shock: and some hatchies for about $350:shock: They dont sell well, for some reason but at least they would get people interested to know you can get and keep snakes.
When I look for snakes, I look to breeders.... they know what they are doing, give you better info than alot of shop assistants..... and they do alot of work, spend alot of time and effort....... and put alot of 'love' into thier animals, which alot of people/customers dont realise.

If I were you, I would support breeders, rather than hanging out for shops to sell snakes..... whatever a breeder sells you a snake for, a shop will charge you double

I cant believe your shops cant even have display animals, that would be good to wet peoples appetite, so to speak,
but perhaps there might be a 'Boom' for a while if shops did start selling all sorts, but that isnt neccessarily a good thing. Booms usually go bust, or fade out and then either animals would be illegally released, or the market would flood from people selling off thier 'now bored with' snake.... and this would be detramental to hard working breeders who may be forced out of the loop.

Sometimes 'letting sleeping dogs lie' can be the best idea

 

[AUSGECKO]

Jason, I agree with you that 50% of people keeping reptiles shouldn't be (same with people and kids but that's a topic for another day) but don't you think that the licensed people making impulse buys, if they can't buy from a shop they will just go home and jump on the Internet and make the same purchase anyway?

I think people will find that the "dumping" of unwanted animals will follow the same trend as dogs and cats, only a very small percentage (less than 10%) of surrendered animals originate from pet shops most likely due to the high monetary value of the purchase, the other 90 something percent represent animals purchased privately from a "breeder". People (the types that shouldn't own animals to begin with) are more likely to "dump" an animal that cost them $50 than an animal that set them back $350.

 

[wokka]

This threads arguement seems to be that if someone publically declares that they sell reptiles and fit in with the system of public scutiny, paying tax and employing people then that is no good. On the otherhand if you are a "private" seller who operates from home or the Mc Donalds carpark and only deals in cash then that ok. I dont see the logic. Surely public scutiny will soon bring any unscupulous shops undone! Just look back through this site and see how many dodgey private dealers/breeders are out their as opposed to public ones.

 

[JasonL]

The amount you pay for an animal has no indication of your interest span in it, sure if you paid $500 for an animal you no longer want you might try harder to get your money back, and when you cant you can just neglect the animal at home. You know the picture, a snake crawling around a poo encrusted enclosure with the last years sloughs decorating the floor, we see it enough now.
At the moment this hobby has a lot of problems with;
A: Short term keepers.
B: Keepers who cant afford to care for their animals.
C: Keepers who just choose to neglect their animals due to laziness or lack of interest
D: Keepers they mean the best and try hard but just don't have a clue how to keep a reptile.
E: Keepers just in it for the money
will putting reptiles in pet shops and selling them to people who are currently un-interested fix any of these problems? or just add to them?

 

[Sezzzzzzzzz]

The amount you pay for an animal has no indication of your interest span in it, sure if you paid $500 for an animal you no longer want you might try harder to get your money back, and when you cant you can just neglect the animal at home. You know the picture, a snake crawling around a poo encrusted enclosure with the last years sloughs decorating the floor, we see it enough now.
At the moment this hobby has a lot of problems with;
A: Short term keepers.
B: Keepers who cant afford to care for their animals.
C: Keepers who just choose to neglect their animals due to laziness or lack of interest
D: Keepers they mean the best and try hard but just don't have a clue how to keep a reptile.
E: Keepers just in it for the money
will putting reptiles in pet shops and selling them to people who are currently un-interested fix any of these problems? or just add to them?

I think we will end up with the same problem as we have with puppies and kittens in pet shops and it will get every tom dick and harry breeding, selling at a low price to a pet store, which will then put a 500% mark up on each snake, increasing their profit whilst selling snakes to people who have no idea and will probably be given totally irresponsible and incorrect information. In time this will result in a "snake farming" problem.

While I know that there is some pet stores that actually care about what they sell to who, The majority are just in for the money and not for the love of the animals...

My MD was a bargain and gives me just as much joy (if not more) as my other snakes, As Jason said price isnt an indicator of the length of time that someone will love an animal, the sort of person they are indicates the way they will treat their animals. Some people will pay thousands to have the latest morph/ jag, whatever, not because they love/want the animal but just to be the cool kid with the most lusted after animal, Its just some peoples mentality....

 

[wokka]

I think we will end up with the same problem as we have with puppies and kittens in pet shops and it will get every tom dick and harry breeding, selling at a low price to a pet store, which will then put a 500% mark up on each snake, increasing their profit whilst selling snakes to people who have no idea and will probably be given totally irresponsible and incorrect information. In time this will result in a "snake farming" problem.

While I know that there is some pet stores that actually care about what they sell to who, The majority are just in for the money and not for the love of the animals...

My MD was a bargain and gives me just as much joy (if not more) as my other snakes, As Jason said price isnt an indicator of the length of time that someone will love an animal, the sort of person they are indicates the way they will treat their animals. Some people will pay thousands to have the latest morph/ jag, whatever, not because they love/want the animal but just to be the cool kid with the most lusted after animal, Its just some peoples mentality....

Do most unwanted dogs and kittens come from pet stores who mark up their prices by 500%, or do they come from irresponsible backyard breeders who give/sell their unwanted puppies and kittens away? I doubt that the point of sale or price has much bearing. i dont know how to do it, but control would need to be on the breeding side if you want to reduce unwanted animals. Maybe you buy before birth so only animals with a future homes are bred.

 

[borntobnude]

I have just had an apithany

Maybe these Reptile Shops will be owned and staffed by licensed keepers/ breeders. Maybe even APS forum members /subscribers and mods ,
With real book keeping and regular visitations by DEC ( or whatever the name is today or when/if it happens )

DUCK FOR COVER !!!
and maybe even license some ferals (like corn snakes ) just to get a grip on the imense numbers out there.

 

[AUSGECKO]

What Pet shops mark up shouldn't matter, they are businesses not charities, i don't think people realise how much time and money goes into maintaining live stock that is on public display 8 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Exotics won't be legalised. There may however be a system similar to ACT with exempt animals introduced.

 

[borntobnude]

What Pet shops mark up shouldn't matter, they are businesses not charities, i
Exotics won't be legalised. There may however be a system similar to ACT with exempt animals introduced.

It should matter if you put the prices beyond realistic they just wont sell and the market goes underground . Again!!!

I didnt say legalise them , I said lisence them so they get a grip on numbers

 

[zulu]

If DECCW start issuing dealers licenses to petshops so they can turn around under 6 months they will be issuing breeders licenses etc and then there is the new minimum keeping standards,inspections etc.
Will be a grab for cash because the government is broke and they think there is lots of money on offer for reptiles.
Look at CALM they changed their spots for the money, biggest crooks going, god i detest them.

 

[JasonL]

I didnt say legalise them , I said lisence them so they get a grip on numbers

same thing really, but they have already done that in the past, didnt work...

 

[Ramsayi]

If DECCW start issuing dealers licenses to petshops so they can turn around under 6 months they will be issuing breeders licenses etc and then there is the new minimum keeping standards,inspections etc.
Will be a grab for cash because the government is broke and they think there is lots of money on offer for reptiles.
Look at CALM they changed their spots for the money, biggest crooks going, god i detest them.

Tell us what you really think uncle zulu

The NRKA really needs to become established as the hobby is too fragmented as it is,which allows the gubermint to ride roughshod over all of us.

 

[zulu]

Tell us what you really think uncle zulu

The NRKA really needs to become established as the hobby is too fragmented as it is,which allows the gubermint to ride roughshod over all of us.

NRKA , problem there is the same old big noters will want to take control that have brought the hobby down in the last few years, alright if some one with credibility like Simon Stone took interest.

 

[Ramsayi]

NRKA , problem there is the same old big noters will want to take control that have brought the hobby down in the last few years, alright if some one with credibility like Simon Stone took interest.

I was more thinking along the lines of each reptile society around the country nominate one person to form the initial committee to set the wheels in motion.

 

[zulu]

I was more thinking along the lines of each reptile society around the country nominate one person to form the initial committee to set the wheels in motion.

Yeh thats whats needed uncle Rammer

Next year could be Ramsayi holder of 2 K annually paid reptile breeders licensee , GST and ABN holder , compliant facility inspection certificate holder ..... the worlds at your feet boy dont miss this once in a life time opportunity LOL