USARK Alert: Arlington County, VA

No need to apologize :) Most people are responsible, I love my clients that know the work it takes in caring for any animal, whether it's a cat, a snake, or a rat. And you are also right that money does not equal care - unfortunately in VA our animal control officers are under payed and under-staffed, so it is hard to even charge people when they don't care for their pets (no matter what kind) and so they are the ones that get the spot light when something goes wrong. Honestly it's the few that don't care that often stick out most in our minds.

I don't even mind clients that do the wrong thing for the right reasons, those I can teach and help them learn how to better their pets' lives, often they are also the ones that are the most willing to do whatever is necessary to right whatever the wrong was.

It's the ones that don't care and obviously see animals as means for status or objects that really get my goat - but luckily they are few and far between :)

Guns & Snakes will have to be pried from my hands.. When we lived in VA for 3.5 years It was noticeably becoming more and more like NY.. What a shame.

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Originally Posted by Crowfingers

No need to apologize :) Most people are responsible, I love my clients that know the work it takes in caring for any animal, whether it's a cat, a snake, or a rat. And you are also right that money does not equal care - unfortunately in VA our animal control officers are under payed and under-staffed, so it is hard to even charge people when they don't care for their pets (no matter what kind) and so they are the ones that get the spot light when something goes wrong. Honestly it's the few that don't care that often stick out most in our minds.

I don't even mind clients that do the wrong thing for the right reasons, those I can teach and help them learn how to better their pets' lives, often they are also the ones that are the most willing to do whatever is necessary to right whatever the wrong was.

It's the ones that don't care and obviously see animals as means for status or objects that really get my goat - but luckily they are few and far between :)

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It's really nice to find someone who is respectful in debating these issues. Usually people have such polar opposite views that they are ready to rip each other's throats out. You sound like someone I would take my pets to see. :) I think licenses would be a good idea for some animals for sure. Are you a rehabber? I'm planning to get a rehab permit in a few years since I love working with wild animals, birds in particular.

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Originally Posted by FlynnTheBP

It's really nice to find someone who is respectful in debating these issues. Usually people have such polar opposite views that they are ready to rip each other's throats out. You sound like someone I would take my pets to see. :) I think licenses would be a good idea for some animals for sure. Are you a rehabber? I'm planning to get a rehab permit in a few years since I love working with wild animals, birds in particular.

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Thanks, I try to be respectful as much as possible. Hot heads rarely get listened to.

I've had my rehab permit since 2009, not too difficult to get here in VA, yearly conferences and symposiums help keep everyone up to date on medicine and techniques. It's been rewarding for sure. The hardest part is unlike companion animal medicine, you loose a lot more patients. The state dictates that an animal has to be fully functioning to be released, which can be hard - so if it is too hurt to survive at 100% - you have to put it down. There are also very strict limits on what can be kept in captivity for education animals, so even if you can technically 'fix' them but not enough to let go, sometimes the state denies your request for keeping it for education purposes. Also, many are not ok with captivity and are supper stressed - even if the state approves. If you can handle that, you'll do fine. The survival rates are what usually burn us out first, healthy orphans do ok - things that are actually suffering disease or severe injury can have a harder time of it.

I have a soft spot for predators - I leave the bunnies and squirrels for volunteers and prefer to deal with the birds of prey and reptiles.

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Originally Posted by Crowfingers

Thanks, I try to be respectful as much as possible. Hot heads rarely get listened to.

I've had my rehab permit since 2009, not too difficult to get here in VA, yearly conferences and symposiums help keep everyone up to date on medicine and techniques. It's been rewarding for sure. The hardest part is unlike companion animal medicine, you loose a lot more patients. The state dictates that an animal has to be fully functioning to be released, which can be hard - so if it is too hurt to survive at 100% - you have to put it down. There are also very strict limits on what can be kept in captivity for education animals, so even if you can technically 'fix' them but not enough to let go, sometimes the state denies your request for keeping it for education purposes. Also, many are not ok with captivity and are supper stressed - even if the state approves. If you can handle that, you'll do fine. The survival rates are what usually burn us out first, healthy orphans do ok - things that are actually suffering disease or severe injury can have a harder time of it.

I have a soft spot for predators - I leave the bunnies and squirrels for volunteers and prefer to deal with the birds of prey and reptiles.

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There's a much more thorough process for California...anyway, I'm trying hard not to hijack this thread lol :rofl:

true - you can always pm me