• 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.

  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    Posted 08/15/2025
    =====================


    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

    =====================
    Addendum: 01/10/2026
    =====================


    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

Bad Guy Ian Curtis - Stolen African House Snakes

Welcome, Chris!

You are right...maybe Ian will come here to share his version of events. Until then, we can only form opinions based on what's been presented to us.
 
I'm gonna go ahead and bet that Ian doesn't show up here.....instead he may have some of his KHS buddies come to his "defense."
 
thecrazychris3000 said:
I would be very careful in assuming this is the whole truth, just like a history book, there is always more than one side to a story.
Click to expand...

Since you joined today and this is your first post, is there any information that you'd care to share in addition to what the OP posted?
 
Earlier today I sent this to Will, Phil and Kathy, along with a link to the thread:

Per Ron Allen's suggestion and the advice I others, I am bringing this to your attention. I'm uncertain as to whether or not Ian has been sharing his side of these events. But, I feel my screen shots and honest account of the transaction is a fair representation of my side and what I have experienced from him. I want you both to understand that my level of professionalism and respect led me to avoid airing this out at the KHS holiday party. Also, for reasons stated, I had my reservations about meeting up with him to "talk this out" at Pets Galore after hours and well after sunset.

I am in no way expecting any of you to step in and solve this issue. I simply want you to be aware of his actions, and if he isn't already, make him aware that his reputation has been compromised by his own actions and responses. He has blocked me on FB, so any further efforts to communicate on this matter have not worked. Perhaps he would eventually wish to step in and defend himself and his actions.

Please accept my apologies if this was not a matter you wished to be brought into. No response or action is required, but I felt I would be doing a greater disservice to let this kind of behavior go completely unnoticed by others who have been led to trust and depend on some one like this.
 
I do know both parties involved in the dispute and I'm not privy to all of the information about this situation. However, I do know the guys at the pet store, the same pet store we all go to for rodents. They are not thugs and were going to be mediators, all of the parties involved know each other and all are good standing members of the herp community.
 
thecrazychris3000 said:
I do know both parties involved in the dispute and I'm not privy to all of the information about this situation. However, I do know the guys at the pet store, the same pet store we all go to for rodents. They are not thugs and were going to be mediators, all of the parties involved know each other and all are good standing members of the herp community.
Click to expand...

Who selected the mediators?
 
thecrazychris3000 said:
They are not thugs and were going to be mediators, all of the parties involved know each other and all are good standing members of the herp community.
Click to expand...

Hi Chris,

Have they given any indication as to what, exactly, they are going to mediate? Is it their opinion that these snakes belong to Ian? I think we would all like to hear another side of the story, if there is one. (If you reference a third party on this forum, you have to name them). Thanks.

Noelle
 
Pete and Matt were going to mediate the discussion between Sarah and Ian. Sarah and Ian both know these guys from the local reptile community and Pete works at the pet store where we all get our rodents from, Sarah included. I think these guys also saw the snakes in question when Ian first got them and can attest to their health, condition, and care provided. I don't know what kind of shape they were in so I can't speculate on that.
 
thecrazychris3000 said:
Pete and Matt were going to mediate the discussion between Sarah and Ian. Sarah and Ian both know these guys from the local reptile community and Pete works at the pet store where we all get our rodents from, Sarah included. I think these guys also saw the snakes in question when Ian first got them and can attest to their health, condition, and care provided. I don't know what kind of shape they were in so I can't speculate on that.
Click to expand...

Did both parties, Sarah and Ian, agree to have Pete and Matt as mediators? Alternatively, did an impartial third party suggest them? If not and only one person on one side of the dispute made the choice, it about as much mediation as choosing kickball teammates is.
 
I know Pete. I know Sarah. They are both good people in my book. I don't know Ian....but I do know that it sounds VERY shady to ask a woman to meet a group of guys in the dark after one of those men has been very course in a disagreement with the woman, regardless of the details.
 
thecrazychris3000 said:
Pete and Matt were going to mediate the discussion between Sarah and Ian. Sarah and Ian both know these guys from the local reptile community and Pete works at the pet store where we all get our rodents from, Sarah included. I think these guys also saw the snakes in question when Ian first got them and can attest to their health, condition, and care provided. I don't know what kind of shape they were in so I can't speculate on that.
Click to expand...
What qualifies Matt and Pete to be so called mediators? Were they present during any phase of the business transaction or would they be regurgitating hearsay? Why have they not contacted the op to get her side privately like they did with the puerile thief she is putting up with? If the only testimony the two so called mediators is they they saw a friggin mite, they have no business getting involved.
 
thecrazychris3000 said:
I do know both parties involved in the dispute and I'm not privy to all of the information about this situation. However, I do know the guys at the pet store, the same pet store we all go to for rodents. They are not thugs and were going to be mediators, all of the parties involved know each other and all are good standing members of the herp community.
Click to expand...

Sidestepping the highly suspicious appearance of your profile and activity on this forum immediately following my complaint here, lets address something:

Chris, the fact of the matter is that Ian and I met outside a reptile show, in the parking lot, ALONE when I gave him these snakes. The fact that he is roping in "witnesses" that were NOT PRESENT makes me highly suspicious. If his claims were valid, why not tell me about the condition of my snakes? Why not write me back and inform me they were infested with blood sucking parasites? Why would Pete--who Ian claims was witness to their condition--not bring this up when I saw him on a WEEKLY basis to purchase rodents for my other snakes? Is this not the sort of thing a reptile keeper/breeder would wish to be aware of?

Read Ian's response, Chris. He states they are there as "witnesses" and that was the "only reason" they were there. Not Mediators. They were his back-up. I'm not prone to rash or foolish maneuvers, even at the expense of animals that are still very dear to me. Meeting them up after dark at a pet store after hours to "talk" just doesn't sound safe or sane to me. It does, however, as many others here have suggested, stink highly of bullying.

Me beef here is not with Pete and/or Matt. Yes, they could have contacted me themselves. That would have been appropriate. That would have been the "mediator"-ish thing to do, if they were indeed roped into this as mediators. As far as I know, Matt and Pete are entirely unaware that Ian has been wielding their names in his defense. But I have not heard a single word from either one of them that would support either theory.

Lastly, you claim to know me. I'm not quite certain you do. I'm bad with names, but thus far 'thecrazychris3000' and/or Chris Florence do not ring any bells. I apologize if we actually are acquainted, but as it currently stands I'm not sure.
 
Clearly the crazy illiterate Chris needs a dictionary for spelling, but aside from that if you look at his location (KY) it would appear that he is a friend of Ian. Or who knows who he is. First thing I noticed was his location.

This Ian guy took your snakes that you let him have on breeding loan. Total weasel.

Obvious that if someone is broke, selling their critters online is fast at the right price. Any other story than this weasel comes up with (he is illiterate and needs a dictionary as well) is just that.

I gave a friend a car with the pink slip once, I was 18. Said he would pay payments....

The guy just needs to give you back your animals, period. If it costs so much money to feed and deal with them perhaps he should have considered raising rodents or purchasing large quantities of frozen. Why pretend to be a breeder if you cannot do it right. Why come up with vet bills stories. Since the guy cannot spell I doubt he can come up with plausible ailments or methods of treatment either.

Doesn't sound like your critters had mites, but even if they did, dealing with snake mites is trivial. Dealing with imported chondropython parasites is another matter (and some are better at keeping animals than others...).

These people and their gang sound like a group of motards. Like the sixth sense..."I see stupid people..."

Unfortunate you had to leave them with this guy, and could not take them with you and house them in tubs.

I really do hope you get your animals back.
 
SincereArtisan said:
Earlier today I sent this to Will, Phil and Kathy, along with a link to the thread:
Click to expand...

Expect this as a response from Will:

i-b8VRBF2.png
 
John...I already contacted Ian privately and suggested the same thing. That is the nice thing about a democracy though... he doesn't have to run unapposed.
 
As more and more people become aware of this scenario, I have been asked to clarify on a few things:

The members and/or officers of the KHS--excluding Ian, of course--have no involvement with the theft of my animals. This outcry has been ringing in the ears of the KHS during a very difficult time, and in no way was this situation being brought to light in order to bash the members of the KHS.

Matt and Pete are well renowned to be good guys and upstanding members of the herp community. In no way did I intend for their names to be slandered on here. I was not aware at the time--and I am still unaware--what version of events Ian has shared with Matt and Pete regarding this situation. I did not feel that they needed to be involved because they were not there in the beginning, despite Ian's claims, and I tried to make that clear.

I did not wish to involve the KHS. I made this abundantly clear, not only to Ian, but eventually to the KHS's officers, explaining why I declined Ian's offer to air it out at the KHS Holiday party. I have enjoyed membership in the KHS for years, as I clearly outlined in my initial post.

I am greatly moved and thankful for the support I have received here, and the efforts of those who have tried (in vain) to make Ian step forward and present his side of things. At this point I have still not heard from Ian, but steps are being taken that will hopefully result in the return of my snakes. At this point, while voicing your opinion on this matter is well within your rights, I ask politely that no more be said against the KHS and it's members for the time being.

I will gladly and honestly report the outcome of this situation, be it good or bad.
 
For what it is worth, if it were me, at this point, I would start posting "Stolen Snake" ads everywhere, including KY Craigslists, with attached photos of that female patternless albino and links to this thread. If nothing else, it would make it difficult for him to dump them.
 
Back
Top