FaunaClassifieds - View Single Post - California state law issues
View Single Post
Old 01-14-2003, 03:56 PM   #5
BrianB
The only hitch in this law is that it doesn't say the caresheets have to be accurate. PetCrapCo and PetStupid will still be putting out the same dangerously inaccurate caresheets they always have.

Then again, could we really trust the state to standardize caresheets? If they did, who would they go to? Dedicated breeders of each species, who may be highly knowledgable but not have name recognition, or "authorities" on herp keeping, who may have a broader but shallower knowledge level of individual species care? I've seen vets who are ARAV members who have given horribly bad advice on reptile husbandry, most zoos may have knowledgeable people, yet keep few of the pet trade species, and most of the self-proclaimed pet trade book publishing experts have gaping holes in their knowledge of specific species.

State authorities here haven't had a great history of caring about pet stores abusing herps, and do not have many herp knowledgeable people on staff. I've called in complaints for stores leaving dead animals ROT in cages with live animals, and nobody even knew which agency to call. At least this is a step towards the state doing something about petstore abuse of herps.