Practical Pet Care

[coyote]

Your experiences?
So as not to come off as a coward who hides behind other peoples comments I will start this thread with my own. I have spent many hours reading, posting and perusing FaunaClassifieds. I am learning a great deal by doing it and am grateful that it exists.

It is not an uncommon topic to discuss and unabashedly diss certain other forums or persons. I am not arguing that the criticisms are unwarranted.

I notice that Practical Pet Care has a Banner(?), sorry I am unfamiliar with the lingo, on FaunaClassifieds. I was one of the "experts" there for a short time. It proved to be a most unpleasant, disappointing and frustrating experience.

The moderators "boycotted" my posts so that I could not maintain my expert status. I was ridiculed daily in very childish style. I was most flabbergasted when told that I could not utilize any wording that sounded "religious". I had ended some posts with "God bless" or "I will pray for you and your dog/cat/parrot" etc. These were in response to people coming to the site for support after the loss of a pet or when a pet was in dire straights.

After having used this "wording" I was told that it might offend atheists and devil worshipers so was verboten.

It was not uncommon for members to be treated as if they were stupid for posting "stupid" questions or even told that they didn't deserve to own a pet based on the question posted. I was disgusted over this.

So, has anyone had experiences that contradict mine or were similar.

After the treatment I received and saw being given out to others, who's only crime was being naive or ignorant, give much credibility to reccommendations Practical Pet Care might make.

Thank you

MFZeier

 

[LakesideBoas]

If you do not care...

for the treatment you and others received, by all means, cut your losses and move on to friendlier, more understanding waters.

I hope you find what you are looking for here.

I do have to take issue, so to speak, with your "naive or ignorant" comment though, as when it comes to living, breathing beings, naivete or ignorance should not be in the equation. If someone can not or will not do the research required to care for another living being, be it a mammal or a reptile or amphibian, perhaps they should log on to the forums or buy a book or ask someone with more background before purchasing such a living being.

I am sorry if I come across as harsh, as that is not my intent, but I have heard too many times during my stint as a reptile specialist/salesperson how "the guy/gal at the pet store" didn't tell them how to take care of -->>insert any type of high maintenance pet name here<<-- so it died, now they think they want to get an-->>insert another high maintenance pet name here<<-- expecting me to tell them every single thing there is to know about said pet.

I do believe it is my responsibility to educate people...within the scope of my abilities...but it is their responsibility to help themselves also.

I met a lady just the other day...had a monkey...I ask..."Oh, what kind of monkey is that and where is it from? He's cute!" She says...and I quote..."I don't know, he comes from MICHIGAN!" I ask, "Oh...um...wow...didn't know they had monkeys in MICHIGAN...what does he eat?" She says........"I feed him PIZZA." I implored her to do some research on the monkey as they have special dietary and husbandry requirements...she called me a...well, not so nice name.

Now, I must ask you, do you feel it right to know that this animal is going to suffer an unjust and possibly painful death because this person wanted to be known as "The cool lady with the monkey?"

I hope this is what some of the people on your other forum experienced, which is a sincere want from some of us that are frustrated to try to make people help themselves and their animals, not just a wanton lambasting of people for no reason.

I am more than happy to give advice to people and help them, that's why I am here , but I am not going to do all their homework for them. I don't think that makes me a big meany, I think that people learn more if they have to do some of the work for themselves.

I hope you can see some of what I am talking about and know I'm not knocking you in any way, just pointing out another side of the coin.l

 

[coyote]

Just some background. I was a licensed Veterinary Technician in California. I worked at the only emergency veterinary clinic in the South Bay area (Santa Monica) that treated any kind of exotic for emergency care. I interned at the LA Zoo and for an Exotic specialist in addition.

I did see ignorance and the consequent neglect and definable abuse placed upon animals that the owners described as "pets". Don't think that I was not incensed and disgusted at times. However, the people needed education. They needed it to be given tactfully, accurately and firmly. We were the first in line to give them that. To have ridiculed, openly judged and verbally abused these people would have sent them underground. In which case the animals would have had to continue to endure inadequate care having been sacrificed for the sake of my arrogance and indignation.

There is never any justification, especially when a person is reaching out, to humiliate and denigrate him/her who are is obviously in need of accurate information regardless of the situation. Indulging my own arrogance in such instances is not only a pathology of character , I then become another obstacle in the effort to get the animal the care it deserves. What good is my expertise and experience then?

By the time a person consults any resource for help with an animal in trouble, IT IS TOO LATE TO BE JUDGMENTAL and still be effective in inspiring the needed changes. I think that animal care professionals and experts have an obligation not to slam doors in peoples faces. Isn't it the desire to serve the welfare of the animals involved? Either a professional or expert is available to share his/her expertise or s/he is not.

I most certainly do not advocate enabling those who refuse to assume personal responsibility. I think that sometimes irritation becomes justification enough to some people such that they behave as dismissive and intolerant. And lastly, self elevating arrogance, and the mean entertainment of humiliating others is distasteful and unconscionable.

Thank you.

 

[coyote]

Am I mistaken in presuming...

for the treatment you and others received, by all means, cut your losses and move on to friendlier, more understanding waters.

I hope you find what you are looking for here.

...that this site is friendly and underatanding waters?
I hope you can see some of what I am talking about and know I'm not knocking you in any way, just pointing out another side of the coin.

 

[coyote]

Oops!

...that this site is friendly and underatanding waters?
I hope you can see some of what I am talking about and know I'm not knocking you in any way, just pointing out another side of the coin.

understanding

 

[LakesideBoas]

...that this site is friendly and underatanding waters?

I would definitely like to think so! I know you can not see a person's expressions when they are typed out, so that is why I try very hard to be clear and concise in my posts (saves hard feelings later! ) Sometimes things don't always come out the way the are supposed to.

Since I failed miserably to welcome you to the site in my last post, please, let me do so now.

I know what you mean about "us" being the first line of communication toward understanding (assuming "us" to mean herp keepers) and I do strive to do that. Alas, as you also stated, some people do not take responsibility.

I am also Licensed, here in Indiana. Worked in the field for several years, then decided to branch out into other areas. My employer did not "do" reptiles, hence how I ended up in a reptile shop. I definitely got an eye-opening experience in dealing with the general public. It is also the main reason I no longer work there-LOL!

I feel it's time to be around like-minded individuals for a while (those of us in the reptile community). My breeders are breeding and now I get to go out and meet some of the myriad of people I have been corresponding with these last few years. I find I really like that. I get to meet people like you!

I hope that you and your friends from the other forum(s) find a home here. Just like siblings, we don't always play well together, but I would like to think that, for the most part, we are family.