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Being A Humanitarian

L

Lucidum

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So many care sheets and online forums tell you to never be a humanitarian, and never take sick or injured animals. While I do realize that caring for a sick animal is much more expensive and time consuming than for a healthy animals; is it really that bad of a thing to feel sorry for an unhealthy animal? I mean...I just adopted a Savannah Monitor that is slightly underfed and not a particularly happy animal. Obviously I plan on feeding and caring for it the best I can, giving it a proper living space and so on, but just because it's underfed and therefore a liability by some standards and more difficult to care for, should I have not taken it?
 
I think that on an animal-by-animal basis you always want to take it and care for it, but the problem I see is that if you purchase animals in poor condition you encourage traders who are not looking after their animals right. Also you may bring infections and parasites to your other animals.

So, personally, I don't think it's as much the issue of the extra work in caring for it, but more the other connected issues. If they don't apply, I think you should always go for it and give a struggling animal the best chance you can.
 
I think what most people mean by this is not to encourage irresponsible breeders, nor endanger your own collection, by purchasing malnourished/ill/unhealthy animals. This stems not from an anti-humanitarian viewpoint so much as out of concern for the health of established collections and to discourage bad breeders. (For example, certainly no one would discourage you from adopting a rehabilitated pet from a shelter, but we'd all hate you if you bought an inbred puppy mill dog from a pet store. ;))

I personally take in sick or injured reptiles for rehab at times, when people ask me to, but I am meticulous about quarantine - and I never BUY them from anyone. I just got a ball python last week from someone who said she could no longer afford to feed it. Frankly, I don't think she ever could; the snake is 4 years old but he only weighs 740 grams. He's very long but so skinny, and his belly is completely concave. I've never seen anything like it. It's amazing that he doesn't seem to have other health issues. It will take care and time and maybe vet expenses to return this snake to health, but he sure won't be sold for profit or come anywhere near my other, healthy reptiles for a long, long time. I won't jeopardize my collection, and I did not contribute to anyone's irresponsibility by taking this guy in.

There is a big difference between being genuinely "humanitarian" and purchasing from (and thereby profiting) bad breeders, helping them to continue their "business."
 
I agree with Lynn and Helen. The biggest part is just not giving money to those that have caused the neglect or encouraged it in the first place. Putting money in their pockets gives them that much more money to put towards more animals that are just going to end up in the same neglected state for someone else to feel sorry for and buy.
Taking in unhealthy and neglected animals for free and then investing your money into getting them healthy and happy again doesn't really seem like it could be bad in any way. Of course there are still those that don't agree taking in sick animals, getting them healthy and putting them out there for sale as breeding or investment quality, and will seem pretty shifty to most. But going on to adopt the animals out as pets only doesn't seem like a bad idea for the most part, or of course keeping them for yourself.
 
Oh, okay awesome then :3 That means I adopted this monitor for free from what is certainly a neglectful owner, so now I can devote my time and effort to caring for it.
 
Sure thing ^^
IMG_0131.jpg
 
That's what me and my local shop owner concluded as well, though i think "he" is a she. Named him/her/it Basil :3
 
Looks good to me to. Looks just a little thin but certainly not 'skinny' or anything beyond that but you can tell it wasn't fed enough, properly or both.
Thanks for the rescue!
 
What they're saying is not 'don't take in neglected, sick, or injured animals'--that is what rescues do, after all, and there is nothing wrong with it at all, if you can afford to do it.

What they ARE saying is do not BUY neglected, sick, or injured animals. People who would sell animals in that condition deserve no reward--they deserve legal fines. Report them to the appropriate authorities.
If people are paid money for selling animals on death's door, then they'll keep doing it.
 
I used to foster for a reptile rescue from time to time. I would never BUY a neglected animal, but I will (If I have the resources and time available) lend them a hand. Proper quarantine is essential though!!

My last foster was an unholy vicious 6' boa who was pretty much a giant mass of scar tissue from rat bites. The most surprising part to me was that once he was plumped up and in good health I had no trouble finding a big nasty scarred up boa an experienced home. Go figure. :)
 
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