Yes, but this isn't like your boa strangling a child and then the city banning them. It isn't like someones venomous snake bit them and now we are trying to pass laws that ban all venomous snakes. This video doesn't focus on anything specific. What exactly is a law maker going to see in this video and use to ban or limit something? I just don't see it. Just for the record this is not the first reptile supplier PETA has gone after. They have done it multiple times over the last decade and I haven't seen any consequences for reptile owners. Actually I don't think authorities have even punished the suppliers.
This is similar to one of the million articles/videos on puppy mills...have any restrictions or difficulty buying a dog recently? This just isn't something that is going to effect us as a reptile owner. Could it effect the big chain reptile suppliers? Possibly,but is that really a bad thing if something like this is going on?
Actually, yes, it does affect everyone. Your choices have been reduced as to what you can buy and from whom. Even if it means the supply has been reduced so that prices have increased, your choices have been affected. Maybe you don't care, but I'm pretty sure others do.
It's much like the old style freezers in your refrigerator used to be. You never really notice the ice gradually filling up the freezer until one day you can't put anything into it, nor get out anything that is already in it. That is the way laws of this ilk work. Keep on taking one little piece at a time until there is nothing left. Never assume that this adversary is too stupid or inept to be able to take away something from you.
If I had not retired from reptile breeding myself, certainly I would have been impacted by the actions of PETA and other such organizations. I used to sell a substantial number of animals to a wholesaler (Global Exotics) that they drummed out of business. I am certain that others were affected by this as well. For each and every wholesaler that PETA and other like organizations might be successful in putting out of business, a LOT of other people in this industry will be hugely negatively affected.
So in the case of RBM, they had apparently unknowingly hired PETA moles there who were likely tasked by RBM with cleaning and caring for the animals. So their job was to keep the cages clean, take care of the animals health and welfare, and certainly make note of any problems they found while doing their rounds. They had a front row seat with unrestrained viewing to the sort of stuff that just happens when dealing with live animals. Likely they were also involved with unpacking freshly arrived shipments. Those people got to see the worst of the worst because it was their job to deal with problems as the first responders, and what did they do? They took video with hidden cameras. Anyone here gotten a shipment that contained animals in poor condition? Anyone here had animals injured during breeding or egg laying? Anyone here had animals get sick and deteriorate rapidly? Anyone here just had animals die without warning and no prior symptoms? Now imagine someone had been at your facility with a hidden camcorder and it had been their job to deal and rectify those problems. But no, instead you get to see that all on YouTube branding you as some sort of mass murderer of animals.
Health problems and injuries are par for the course when dealing with large quantities of any animals. It's simply percentages speaking. Having one out of a thousand animals being decidedly not photo worthy because of health, condition, or injury doesn't sound so bad if you have 1,000 or less animals. Heck, with only 10 animals or less, you very well might NEVER have such problems. But if you move 200,000+ animals yearly through your facility and having someone with an apparent agenda in mind with a camcorder handy and access to the worst of the worst, well, then it does seem to be a big deal with that limited focus applied to the edited video made public. Do you think they took any video of the good work and healthy animals there? Not very likely. How long were they actually at RBM? How long was the video they compiled? If they were there for months and could only get 3 minutes of what they considered "damning" video, what is that telling you about the reality of what took place?
And while I am thinking of it. I do hope that people here realize that PETA likely has this site and others involved in the sales, maintenance, propagation, and enjoyment of animals in their sights as well. Bear what that implies in mind, please.
