Gloryhound

Yes everybody does deserve their rights to keep anything they want as long as it presents no danger to the public. On the other hand, USARK came about because of the attacks on reptile owners rights. We (I say we as I believe myself a member of USARK) do not collect donations for the purpose of fighting for all exotic animal owners rights. USARK clearly states, unlike the HSUS, the funds it collects are for protecting reptile keepers rights. USARK quite simply is not funded well enough to fight the kind of war against the special interest lobby groups like HSUS to protect all exotics.

I do believe most reptile owners, myself included, would be more than willing to show up and fight most any kind of exotic animal ban. USARK and its executives on the other hand can not spend funds fighting things that are not part of its charter without risk of alienating donors. If USARK spends funds fighting a big cat bill in one state and has no funds available to fight a reptile ban in another state what does that look like to reptile owners that donated? As it is USARK does not have all the funds it needs to fight in every state and depends heavily on grass roots movements in those states to take up its banner.

In politics money talks, unfortunately USARK is being out spent on almost every front!