How do we save our hobby?

[Chris633]

I was, like most within this community, pretty disheartened regarding the python ban that passed today. I've read a lot of different forum threads and posts as well as blogs regarding this issue and it got me to thinking. Some have said that we need to try and change how people view reptiles. I'm not sure if that is necessarily the route we need to go. I am probably a bit of a cynic, but I just don't think we are going to change how people look at reptiles in time before they get taken away from us. I wonder though, if instead, we may be able to change how people view reptile keepers instead. Unfortunately, I think we tend to get stereotyped in ways that aren't flattering.

I think that bans like what we saw today get past for several reasons. Ignorance and fear mongering from special interests with their own agendas. But also, from government officials who see something that they can regulate that appears unregulated. So it makes me wonder if we can sidestep needless government regulation by regulating ourselves.

I think part of the reason that this occurs to me is that I belong to a licensed profession that has a non-government accrediting professional organization associated with it. Examples of these types of organizations would be the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association just to name a few. These organizations create standards of practice for those within their respective professions. And in many cases, government licensing boards lean heavily on these non- government organizations and the guidelines they set forth. In other words, the government steps in when it needs to but otherwise allow the professions to police themselves.

So in our case, I wonder if the USARK could potentially fulfill that role. I think I would much prefer being regulated by other reptile keepers who actually understand, rather than state or federal governments who act out of fear or political opportunity. If we had our own organization that had a more active role in regulating our hobby, when things like Burmese-pythons-in-Florida or crazy-zookeepers-in-Ohio happen, I think we will have more credibility when we stand up for our hobby. It just seems that the way things are now, the government just doesn't take us seriously.

I don't know if any of this is even feasible or makes sense. I don't know if this is even the best idea for our hobby. This is just me brainstorming out loud. Part of our hobby got taken away from us today. It just seems that if we don't do something different, we could lose a lot more.

Thanks for reading my ramblings. I'm no authority in these matters, but after today, it seems like we need to be thinking and talking about what next.

[WingedWolfPsion]

I would like to see USARK grow into a lobbying organization that can afford to run TV ads that generally promote herp keeping and the herp hobby as being normal, beneficial, and safe.
It seems that the majority of the populace has lost the ability to think for itself...we can't change that, so we will have to play the same game that our adversaries are playing.

We're going to have to put in more of our money, and a LOT more of our time, if we're going to turn this trend around.

The most recent Reptiles Magazine has taken on a paranoid, withdrawn sort of tone which I think is the exact opposite of what we need to be doing. We don't need to withdraw and hide. It may seem 'safer', but in the long run, it's going to destroy us. We have to actively promote our hobby, because if we're at all passive, we will lose to those who are more outspoken.

We need to do more than just make information on reptile keeping available, now--we need to put it in front of as many people as we can, make it pretty and shiny, and do all we can to encourage others to take up this hobby. (Reptiles aren't for everyone, but let's be realistic--if a person can keep a fish tank, they can keep a corn snake...MOST people can handle it, if they're given the basics on how).

If corn snakes were in as many homes as hamsters, we would have a much larger lobbying base.

The other side of this is bringing in the 'fringe' of the reptile keeping community...the pet owners. There are a lot more of 'them' than there are of 'us', and the majority of reptile owners out there don't even know this ban EXISTS. They never heard about it, because they don't hang out on reptile forums. They just have a pet gecko, they aren't the type of reptile fanatics that we all are.
We need some way to reach them, and include them in the reptile community, so we can rally their support when it is needed for causes like this.
We need to reach out to the general pet keeping communities and establish a greater and more vocal presence there.
I've gone to a number of general pet keeping online communities and forums, and found virtually nothing on reptiles...always a few people asking questions, but no one to answer them. We have to do better than that.

I'm not saying that everyone should announce to their neighbors that they have reptiles, mind you--far from it. But the Reptile Nation as a whole has GOT to establish a bigger presence in the public eye than it has now.

[Chris633]

Those are some great points. I think we do need to do a better job of getting the reptile pet owners into the community or at least on some kind of mailing list. Because I think we can use all the support we can garner when things like this arise. I think that only by being proactive will we be able to preserve our hobby in the long run. I think the big question though is, how do we show others that this is a safe and desirable hobby? It is, but how do we go about breaking the stereotypes? At the end of the day, I think we do need to be more organized.