• Posted 12/19/2024.
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    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

Terry Wilkens owner of Captive Born Reptiles recovering from python incident.

Dennis Hultman

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Police ID animal store owner crushed by python
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2015/10/05/animal-store-owner-crushed-python/73396696/

Snippet
The owner of a reptile store on Monmouth Street in Newport appears to be recovering after officers pried off a 20-foot python that was wrapped around his head, neck and torso, crushing him on Monday.

Two Newport officers pulled the the 125-pound snake off Terry Wilkens, owner of Captive Born Reptiles, police chief Tom Collins said.

There was blood everywhere and Wilkens was not breathing when officers were trying to free him, Collins said, but he did resume breathing before he was taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Collins said the victim appears to be doing okay at the hospital and is even talking.

The call came around 11 a.m. and Lt. Gregory Ripberger and Sgt. Daron Armberg were at the store within minutes, Collins said.

"It was only by the grace of God that one of the officers knew how to deal with snakes," Collins said.

Ripberger grabbed the snake by the head and worked to uncurl it off the man's body. Collins and other officers pulled Wilkens by his legs to free him.

More at link.
 
His daughter responding on his facebook page

Hello everyone my name is Keiko Wilkins. Many of you know me as the little girl dragging around Smiley the alligator or playing with the large anacondas. Terry Wilkins is my dad and I want to reassure people. First, he is perfectly fine and back to work. The news media exaggerated the extent to which he was injured. He did not almost die or die as people have been saying. Secondly, the inaccurate news articles are spreading like rapid fire and we ask that people ignore them and inform others that they are inaccurate. We all know how the news media likes to exaggerate about everything and make a situation seem ten times worse than it actually is. Lastly, thank you to everyone around the world that has contacted our stores and my family. It is good to know that we have the support of so many from so far away. We thank you so much and it means a lot to know that my father has had an impact on so many people. Please share this and inform others that my father was never in any danger and he is fine. If you have any further questions feel free to message me and I will try to get back to you asap.
 
Another one

Keiko Wilkins He was bit on the arm by one of the retics and after getting the snake off, he tripped on a puddle of water and hit his head.
 
For Gary Collins, the "insane" scene inside the shop is burned into his memory.

"I'm shocked -- I'm scarred for life basically," he said.

Oh boy.....
 
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