Inquiry USARK/Andrew Wyatt, What's the story?

I would like to correct myself on my previous post. If the bill in Illinois had passed as written it would have banned the breeding and sale of turtles, not the ownership of turtles. This was brought to my attention and I wanted to make sure I had it correct.

Regardless, it doesn't alter the gist of my post. Herp Alliance failed to live up to their self proclaimed hype.

To be fair, USARK has spent a great deal of time patting itself on the back as well. Ultimately we must rely on the efforts of people like you in Nevada, Ken, and others on a grass roots local level. USARK and Herp Alliance (and leadership of both organizations has reached out to me as we navigate the final Ohio rules at various times) can provide support, but it up to us as individuals to take care of business with our legislators.

Figured this could use a bump, since Andrew is hot on getting help on this recent addition to lacey act!

RichsBallPythons said:

Figured this could use a bump, since Andrew is hot on getting help on this recent addition to lacey act!

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Actually, according to USARK the addition isn't recent at all. It's information that's been around for months and doesn't constitute an official decision on anything. I personally think that Andrew is setting it up as a scare tactic to round up more donations, or he's genuinely just THAT far behind current events.

I only bumped as today good portion of ppl have been posting links from his organizations page and figured something was up.

RichsBallPythons said:

I only bumped as today good portion of ppl have been posting links from his organizations page and figured something was up.

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I'm glad you did. It really astounds me how many people share his stuff on Facebook and don't even know the story behind how USHA was founded.

And a bit of interesting history. Back when Wyatt was still with USARK, they had a lobby group working for USARK. They ended up terminating them for a new lobby group soon before USARK canned Wyatt. This is the same group that currently represents Feld entertainment, among others.

Well, about a month ago, Wyatt got a new job, working for the lobby company that USARK dumped. Ain't that a hoot? And if you go to their site, they list all the groups they lobby for. Herp Alliance is there, as well as USARK. But they have not represented USARK for some time now. They either need to update their web site or stop padding it. Sounds like a place that would hire Wyatt.

I did notice the USHA site did change from being a group like USARK to a rescue/conservation group now.

I knew something has changed but wasn't sure as to what.

Interesting tidbits from Andrew's article from USHA:

"With the apparent unwillingness or possible inability of the reptile community to file a lawsuit challenging the shaky legal standing of the original ‘Constrictor Rule’ of 2012, FWS has become emboldened to press their advantage. Burmese pythons and three other constricting snakes were added to the Lacey Act under what some think to be an “arbitrary, capricious and unlawful” process conducted by FWS. Now FWS threatens to add five more snakes, including boa constrictor and reticulated python."

Here he goes again, talking about the lawsuit that he would never give anyone any numbered goals on to donate to and blaming the reptile community for it not coming to fruition despite his own failures and excessive need for cloaked tactics.

"The Herp Alliance has not engaged in advocacy for some time. Funding for a first class federal advocacy program is extremely costly. We have reorganized as a conservation and education organization."

What does this mean? It means USHA is not getting enough donations to be a lobbyist group any longer, so they are going to "reorganize" fear monger and off handedly bash the other groups still involved that people are still willing to give money to because the leaders of said groups have not shown themselves to be ... well ... Andrew.

"The reptile and pet trade associations cannot sit fat, dumb and happy while the rights of herpetoculturists are regulated into oblivion. By the time the collective coma is shaken off, the days of breeding Burmese pythons, reticulated pythons and Boa constrictors may be lost forever."

Here he is, again blaming only the members of the community for what is going on.

When anyone asks Andrew what they can do, he copies and pastes this response:

"AWyatt | December 2, 2013 at 7:02 pm | Reply

I suggest that if you belong to a trade association, or make significant donations to a trade association, you suggest that they use donations to file a lawsuit against FWS challenging the merits of the ‘Constrictor Rule’. Good luck!"

Really helpful. Exactly how does this get started again? He failed to mention that last time. Also, how much would be needed? Again, he failed to mention that last time.

The man cannot be trusted and considering he's the only one "reporting" that these animals are, for certain, being added, I'd say it's suspect at best.

Thanks for bringing this back up, Diem.
He's also bringing us old news. The statement issued on his website from the USFWS is dated 7/23/13... Almost 5 months ago.

This guy is a crook and he is trying to get your money. Plain and simple.

As a disclaimer, Andrew has been very helpful to me in my lobbying and testimony in Ohio re: the Dangerous Wild Animal Law, and unlike some here, I still respect him,. Having said that, A) The sky is not falling and B) This is old news (as others have posted). He is right that a lawsuit should have been filed, and his testimony before the congressional committee last year was highly professional and influential. There is nothing wrong with self-promotion (anyone in any business does it, or should) but the timing...just after he gets his new job, leaves me wondering. He has my cell, I would be happy to hear an explanation.

I can't help but feel very nervous about what Andrew recently said regarding the FWS adding more snakes to the list since I currently own a large constrictor and plan to get more in the future. Has USARK mentioned anything about this?

Herps Alive! said:

As a disclaimer, Andrew has been very helpful to me in my lobbying and testimony in Ohio re: the Dangerous Wild Animal Law, and unlike some here, I still respect him,. Having said that, A) The sky is not falling and B) This is old news (as others have posted). He is right that a lawsuit should have been filed, and his testimony before the congressional committee last year was highly professional and influential. There is nothing wrong with self-promotion (anyone in any business does it, or should) but the timing...just after he gets his new job, leaves me wondering. He has my cell, I would be happy to hear an explanation.

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If the sky is not falling why is Andrew saying they are definitely being added when there is no evidence or proof of that at the moment?

Andrew had a chance to show himself to be an upstanding individual who was not egotistical and selfish, but he shot that horse in the face pretty quick.

All he is doing at this point is taking vague jabs at the community because Herp Alliance is not getting the funding it wants because people do not trust Andrew. It is as simple as that.

He does not have any respect for the community, how does that command respect for him?

Arachno said:

I can't help but feel very nervous about what Andrew recently said regarding the FWS adding more snakes to the list since I currently own a large constrictor and plan to get more in the future. Has USARK mentioned anything about this?

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There is information posted on the previous page from USARK's FB page.

I have absolutely no respect for this guy. I can't speak for others, but I am the owner of a targeted species, a retic. I definitely try to keep tabs on what is going legally with that species and what he is posting is old news. In fact, a lot of what he had posted under USARK was old news. I felt he never focused so much on educating policy makers on the minimal public safety hazards these animals possess when contained properly, but rather how much they were worth to people who bred them. OF COURSE money talks, but comparatively, I think the number of private pet keepers/hobby breeders like myself outnumbers those who use these animals as a major source of income. I feel we have been poorly represented by Andrew in general, but in that aspect. Now he seeks to say his organization changed directives to focus "education". If soliciting donations by posting old news is educating, then I clearly did not know that definition.

Names are blacked out for reasons of privacy and nothing else.

Still peddling the philosophical differences angle i see and basically wiping his hands of the industry since they wouldn't back him up

Ha. When the questions start getting to the meat of the situation he bows out. Good old Andrew, ever the spinner. We all know why he left USARK. He was kicked to the curb. I do have to say I never thought he'd last this long though.

I have always enjoyed working with reptiles but I have not always liked a lot of the "characters" associated with them. I joined USARK as a pet owner/hobbyist out for other pet owners and he seemed to be backing the industry only. No thanks.

reptifari said:

I have always enjoyed working with reptiles but I have not always liked a lot of the "characters" associated with them. I joined USARK as a pet owner/hobbyist out for other pet owners and he seemed to be backing the industry only. No thanks.

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The government does not care about anything you cannot prove has a financial impact on anything.

Trying to defend the hobby based on your love for the pet is not going to work. It's as simple as that.

For the record though, regardless of if you breed, if you own reptiles, you are part of that dreaded "industry".