Info US GLOBAL EXOTICS SPCA RAID

[BPelizabeth]

Thank you very much. We try real hard to make the store the best we can. Now, on a side note. Michelle, being that you are an experienced businesswoman, you know for a fact that there is someplace that sucks in EVERY business sector. Whether it's auto dealerships, food companies, pet stores, animal wholesalers or rug shampooers. I've been in this business all my life, in zoos, wholesale, breeder, retail, you name it. And I can honestly say that I know a lot of people in this field, mom and pop store owners, field researchers, wholesales, commercial breeders, field collectors of animals and tons of hobbiests. I have found this diverse group to be honest, hard working folks who all have the same thing in common, the love of animals and the love of doing what they do for a living. Yes, there are assholes in our trade. Yes, there are some who should be selling used cars instead of animals. There always have been, and always will. But that's a very, very small percentage, much less I think then in most other fields. I'm proud of what I do, and I'm proud of the people I work with, breeder, wholesaler, importers. They all care. If they don't, I won't do business with them (and you know who you are, 'cause I've told you so). You won't find a better group to be in the company of. I'm happy to say that most of the people I deal with are friends who I have a great deal of respect for. I'm happy with the company I keep, and the people I do business with. One bad example does not represent the entire industry. Well, except for banks, but I regress

Strictly - I was talking about his store.....

I agree not all are bad apples...totally. In fact I have met AMAZING ppl in this industry...and 1 or 2 I will never have a relationship with.

I have also walked away...thought about things and have this to say. First of all....I don't know anything about this industry. Who am I other than someone looking in. I have 5 snakes, 2 dogs and a beardie. Im a well taken care of stay at home mom who use to have a career and by choice doesn't now. The most I have done is a reptile show with 40 animals and 400 kids...trying to teach them about reptiles. However with that being said.....I do know what it feels like to look in and see the reports. I have enough sense to know the snakes in racks are happy...and the dead animals in the freezer are not a person being mean, and mice will eat each other sometimes. But instead of five hundred and something posts as to if they are guilty or not guilty ....we should be banning together and coming up with a solution to this situation in the future. Because continuing on...and saying...that is how they have to do it to be profitable....is like me putting a hamburger on a plate in front of my dog and hoping he doesn't eat it. (mind you...he is NOT well trained). And I am talking about us being the hamburger and PETA being the dog.

Us just sitting around is like Chlorox Bleach Company saying...well ya know....the toxins are going into the ground and killing ppl....but nothing we can do about it. There are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many business savvy ppl, well educated, well experienced individuals that we should come up with a way to regulate that this doesn't happen again. Now....I am not talking about big brother....I am not for bigger government. I am talking within our own walls. Put a think tank together...use some of the big guys, some medium breeders, some wholesale, some little and some non existents. Let us all figure this out ....becasue if it continues on its merry way....we can all cry...but but...and it will do us no good....big brother will do it for us.

 

[StrictlyExotics]

Strictly - I was talking about his store.....

I agree not all are bad apples...totally. In fact I have met AMAZING ppl in this industry...and 1 or 2 I will never have a relationship with.

I have also walked away...thought about things and have this to say. First of all....I don't know anything about this industry. Who am I other than someone looking in. I have 5 snakes, 2 dogs and a beardie. Im a well taken care of stay at home mom who use to have a career and by choice doesn't now. The most I have done is a reptile show with 40 animals and 400 kids...trying to teach them about reptiles. However with that being said.....I do know what it feels like to look in and see the reports. I have enough sense to know the snakes in racks are happy...and the dead animals in the freezer are not a person being mean, and mice will eat each other sometimes. But instead of five hundred and something posts as to if they are guilty or not guilty ....we should be banning together and coming up with a solution to this situation in the future. Because continuing on...and saying...that is how they have to do it to be profitable....is like me putting a hamburger on a plate in front of my dog and hoping he doesn't eat it. (mind you...he is NOT well trained). And I am talking about us being the hamburger and PETA being the dog.

Us just sitting around is like Chlorox Bleach Company saying...well ya know....the toxins are going into the ground and killing ppl....but nothing we can do about it. There are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many business savvy ppl, well educated, well experienced individuals that we should come up with a way to regulate that this doesn't happen again. Now....I am not talking about big brother....I am not for bigger government. I am talking within our own walls. Put a think tank together...use some of the big guys, some medium breeders, some wholesale, some little and some non existents. Let us all figure this out ....becasue if it continues on its merry way....we can all cry...but but...and it will do us no good....big brother will do it for us.

You are preaching to the choir there sister... LoL

 

[BPelizabeth]

Ok...well cmon....lets do it. Im a sooooo not a choir girl....lol...hence I don't sit by and watch.

I don't know many ppl...but some....we can get a teleconference set up. Pick out ppl. I am sure the two of you alone know waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy more ppl than me. I know a breeder that is highly respected not huge...but not tiny by any means. Im friend of a friend with the ear of a leading reptile vet in the southwest. Ken seems to know some wholesalers as well as breeders. Lets come up with something. It is not beyond me to pick up the phone and talk to ppl about this.....but again.....I am a total greenhorn. They probably would give me lip service unless this was totally serious and we had some real names on board.

 

[BPelizabeth]

Cmon!! All it takes is 1 person to start. Look I have nothing compared to others invested in this. What 5 snakes....1 beardie....I maybe have 3 grand invested. You guys pay more than that for 1 snake. Why not get together.....start with teleconferences of some of the leaders and some that are not the leaders and come up with ideas. There is something that we all can do....we just need to figure it out. If we all just close the door and stick our head in the sand or continue to argue and make excuses....well then your worst nightmare will happen.

 

[Matt K]

.....I am a total greenhorn.....

YOU said it! As a greenhorn, you probably need to learn to listen to what you are saying, and then learn to think it through.

Most anyone you alluded to has to make a living somehow, and can't afford to do another full-time job for free / instead of what they are doing now.

 

[BPelizabeth]

YOU said it! As a greenhorn, you probably need to learn to listen to what you are saying, and then learn to think it through.

Most anyone you alluded to has to make a living somehow, and can't afford to do another full-time job for free / instead of what they are doing now.

What is that suppose to mean????? Getting together on a teleconference and coming up with what to do to fix this before it is out of your hands is a full time job?? Really??? I am listening to what I am saying...and as I see it.....this industry is being attacked from all different angles. HSUS...Peta...S373....I think we all could go on and on. Therefore....those of you that make a living ....or make a little extra cash should want to do more than sit around and argue about it and hope for the best. Be proactive.....what is so scary about that!!

Listen I have no vested interest here....I could just blow it off. Hell....I only have 5 and could breed later on just for the fun of it. But funny thing...this is an industry that I am interested in...there are ways to fix it. I may not know it...but put a bunch of ppl together and I bet you could figure it out.

 

[Ken Foose]

Michelle, actually what you are proposing is already being done. We had a huge meeting in Chicago last month, and teleconferenced with our reps in Washington DC. PIJAC and USARK and others are working for us now. No need to duplicate the work already started. I'd suggest you join PJAC now and get on board. It's open to the public now, just go to their site and sign up.

 

[BPelizabeth]

Michelle, actually what you are proposing is already being done. We had a huge meeting in Chicago last month, and teleconferenced with our reps in Washington DC. PIJAC and USARK and others are working for us now. No need to duplicate the work already started. I'd suggest you join PJAC now and get on board. It's open to the public now, just go to their site and sign up.

I agree! Did not know that was being done. I will go on Pjac....

And I highly doubt it will be a full time job to follow and help out.

 

[StrictlyExotics]

What is that suppose to mean????? Getting together on a teleconference and coming up with what to do to fix this before it is out of your hands is a full time job?? Really??? I am listening to what I am saying...and as I see it.....this industry is being attacked from all different angles. HSUS...Peta...S373....I think we all could go on and on. Therefore....those of you that make a living ....or make a little extra cash should want to do more than sit around and argue about it and hope for the best. Be proactive.....what is so scary about that!!

Listen I have no vested interest here....I could just blow it off. Hell....I only have 5 and could breed later on just for the fun of it. But funny thing...this is an industry that I am interested in...there are ways to fix it. I may not know it...but put a bunch of ppl together and I bet you could figure it out.

Michelle, dont take Grumpa the wrong way. What hes saying is that we all are doing what we can, when we can. Trust me, he applauds your willingness to help in the matter. There are organizations devoting full time hours to this issue. Pijac, USARK, even some anti-HSUS and anti-Peta groups out there. Its really no longer a laymans issue as it has become a political fight. The most that I am capable of doing is funneling money to help them in their fight and educate the masses regarding our hobby.

Matt, please dont take my "grumpa" statement as a dig on you. I respect you and I hope that you realize this. Its just what I called my grandfather

 

[kmarsh]

I am in agreement with Matt and Dean. It kinda made me wonder what you were talking about and all because if you had read allllll the pages there is alot of talk about US ARK and PIJAC and all the orgaizations that are working on this issue. Maybe you should also do some more research on this as well as joining these organizations. UNITED is what we need Not more little orgaizations to fight such a huge issue. We have some big guns we just need to load them with as much ammunition and money to carry on the fight for us all.

 

[BPelizabeth]

well as I understand they are fighting s373 and they are trying to fight against hsus and peta. Are they in the meantime trying to figure out what to do with companies like this one. How do you clean up a wholesaler that has sooooo many animals that perhaps are not being taken care in the manner a smaller company would due to profit margins. Or for that matter a store. It seems like these organizations are targeting the stores and the wholesalers as they are the easiest targets to further their means.

 

[Matt K]

@ Strictly- You did not need that added line in your post. The first one made me laugh and be thankful that some people have a sense of humor.... you are alright Dean!

@ BPelizabeth- nope, you did not think about what you read / I posted. Gotta use the ol' noodle. Of course you can make a few phone calls and not worry about the cost of that. You can get all the redundant phone calls together you want to, organize people and everone can talk all they want or have time for. But to actually do the effort that would result from anything remotely resembling a productive call or meeting would require some additional person(s) to get to work on it 40-60 hours a week, and I doubt you know anyone with that much time to spare that is in the pet trade already. Possible, but highly unlikely. For most in the pet trade that would constitute a "career change" and someone (you?) would have to pay to replace thier income from whatever it is you know them to be doing.
Why do I feel like I always have to state the obvious?

...and yes, I have made some donations to the aforementioned organizations (USARK, etc.) to help pay for thier efforts to do what they do since they spend so much time doing it. I recommend the same to anyone reading this. That and take action locally, reasonably.

 

[Matt K]

More grumpy Devil's advocation from me:

well as I understand they are fighting s373 and they are trying to fight against hsus and peta. Are they in the meantime trying to figure out what to do with companies like this one. How do you clean up a wholesaler that has sooooo many animals that perhaps are not being taken care in the manner a smaller company would due to profit margins. Or for that matter a store. It seems like these organizations are targeting the stores and the wholesalers as they are the easiest targets to further their means.

Again:

Whyyyyy do your fingerssss stick on the letter oooooo soooo much?

"Companies like this one" - how many do you know of that are in a similar boat?

Got some other news for you, which is no suprise if you have read this whole thread: NONE of the wholesalers/importers have animals "being taken care in the manner a smaller company would due to profit margins" (maybe a fw exceptions at some of the whoelsalers). That is the nature of the whole pet trade to some extent. To keep the animals the same from collection to consumption would make the prices go from tens of dollars to hundreds of dollars, and exclude a large population of the people who keep them. Is this a realistic solution?

"It seems like these organizations are targeting the stores and the wholesalers as they are the easiest targets to further their means."

YOU ARE KIDDING! Do you have other targets for them in mind? Where alse would they go to get the same attention/impact that they get? Is there another part of the industry that is readily accesible to the public, of which the opponent belongs to?

Just sayin' some thoughts, not trying to pick on you specifically...

 

[Twizted Paths]

well as I understand they are fighting s373 and they are trying to fight against hsus and peta. Are they in the meantime trying to figure out what to do with companies like this one. How do you clean up a wholesaler that has sooooo many animals that perhaps are not being taken care in the manner a smaller company would due to profit margins. Or for that matter a store. It seems like these organizations are targeting the stores and the wholesalers as they are the easiest targets to further their means.

I will not buy animals from a store. Find out what healthy herps look like and then walk into Petco. I have seen more death, dismemberment, disfigurement, improper husbandry & disease in PetCo's leopard geckos alone than in that entire video.

You are new. You are also not listening.

You just don't realize how long and hard we've been fighting already, let alone on how many different fronts.

Aside from not seeing the business aspect of this, you're coming across like we don't care & are just too lazy to do anything.

If you want to help get involved in the organizations already mentioned & if you haven't already find & join your local society.

If you bothered to go read up on the organizations listed you would see that they are indeed working on multiple fronts.

If you bothered to stop and actually look at our posts you would see that we are helping on multiple fronts as well, under direction from aforementioned organizations so as to provide a stronger united voice.

 

[zzzdanz]

speaking of pet-co..38 leopard geckos in a 10 gallon tank at my local store...sorry to go off topic

 

[StrictlyExotics]

well as I understand they are fighting s373 and they are trying to fight against hsus and peta. Are they in the meantime trying to figure out what to do with companies like this one. How do you clean up a wholesaler that has sooooo many animals that perhaps are not being taken care in the manner a smaller company would due to profit margins. Or for that matter a store. It seems like these organizations are targeting the stores and the wholesalers as they are the easiest targets to further their means.

Michelle,

Right now, there are so many fronts to the fight. The first one, my priority, is that they cant take my animals away from me. I do agree with you that one of the fights is changing the pet trade standards in the wholesale industry however, if all of the bills pass, we wont need to worry about the wholesale side of things because there wont be one.

This is like a step program, its one fight at a time. I do encourage you to get involved though. People with your spunk and fire will do well fighting for the rights of the animals as well as the owners of them. Join USARK and Pijac and get involved with these issues at your local level. Help educate the masses with the issues at hand.

 

[Tim Cole]

I will not buy animals from a store. Find out what healthy herps look like and then walk into Petco. I have seen more death, dismemberment, disfigurement, improper husbandry & disease in PetCo's leopard geckos alone than in that entire video.

You are new. You are also not listening.

You just don't realize how long and hard we've been fighting already, let alone on how many different fronts.

Aside from not seeing the business aspect of this, you're coming across like we don't care & are just too lazy to do anything.

If you want to help get involved in the organizations already mentioned & if you haven't already find & join your local society.

If you bothered to go read up on the organizations listed you would see that they are indeed working on multiple fronts.

If you bothered to stop and actually look at our posts you would see that we are helping on multiple fronts as well, under direction from aforementioned organizations so as to provide a stronger united voice.

Agreed! We have a store here in Austin that is MUCH worse than Global and no one wants to do anything about it. Animal Control gets complaints from the public. Then Animal Control calls me and asks if the complaint is legitimate. I tell them it is, and nothing gets done!

 

[Ken Foose]

Please don't compare most stores to Petco. It's not really fair to the hundreds of really nice stores in this country. Stores that take care of their animals, spend thousands of dollars a month on husbandry equipment and really care about what they are doing. I know there's stores that suck out there, but I sure do wish not to be lumped in with them. And how do you get rid of stores that suck? Stop giving them your money. The free market system will weed out the bad places over time. Even Petco.

 

[Twizted Paths]

Please don't compare most stores to Petco. It's not really fair to the hundreds of really nice stores in this country. Stores that take care of their animals, spend thousands of dollars a month on husbandry equipment and really care about what they are doing. I know there's stores that suck out there, but I sure do wish not to be lumped in with them. And how do you get rid of stores that suck? Stop giving them your money. The free market system will weed out the bad places over time. Even Petco.

Sorry Ken I totally did not mean to lump you in with the garbage. That was entirely to broad of statement & I apologize for the insult.

If others would do even half as much for the animals in their care as you do then I might buy from them. Up here though, they are bad & like Tom says ~ nobody cares who is in a position to do something.

 

[BPelizabeth]

well I think for someone that is trying to help.....alot of you come across not very nicely. Thank you Dean and Ken for not being linked with that and taking the time to tell me things in not a rude or condensending way. I appreciate it. To be completely honest....I now know why I have choosen NOT to post on this site very much other than to give my thanks to vendors that have been awesome to me.

Tim - as I stated previously...I have bought 1 snake from a store and that was my first time.
Matt - of course they target them...but in fact if they wanted they could go to ANY breeder.

I do listen to what I write....I would have been willing to give it the time needed. And I will check out those other companies. However....if you want ppl on your side.....don't be rude to them and talk down to them. I may not be a breeder....I may not have a store....but I do buy BP's often...I spend the money on the morphs....and though I may not know everything.....I had willingness to help.

After this experience....I will not be posting on here anymore other than to check the BOI and research whom I may buy a snake from in the future. Thank you so much for such warm welcome into this industry.