in class writing

(I got a little carried away on this post, but I think I got my point across.)



Six years ago, I was vacationing with my family in Atlantic City. I was walking down the boardwalk and spotted an aquarium in one of the shops. I looked into it and saw about thirty small green lizards. They were absolutely adorable.
Crowded into a twenty gallon aquarium, some were crawling over top of the others, while others lay motionless at the bottom of the tank. I couldn’t help but to feel sorry for the little guys; they didn’t have room to walk, the cage was soiled with feces, and I didn’t see any food or water. I knew what I had to do.

“Mom! Mom! I really want to save one of these lizards! Can I, Mom! Please?”

She finally gave in to my desperate pleads. $12.50 bought me a “critter carrier” and one green iguana hatchling. The worker at the shop told me to feed it carrots, and assured my mother it wouldn’t get any bigger.

Yeah, right.

Today, I’m the proud owner of a four foot lizard, whose enclosure takes up half a room.

So what’s the point?

A lot of people get suckered into buying “spur of the moment” pets. People sometimes think it’s a good idea to give pets out as gifts, whether it be for Christmas, or a prize at a carnival. Others try to help animals by opening rescues or refuges. Each of these examples contributes to the pet trade, and often are an aide in poor husbandry and irresponsible decisions.
Sudden decisions to bring a pet into your life often bring unforeseen troubles along with them. Parents sometimes have their kids take “the sunflower test” where the child has to keep a sunflower alive and well-watered for a month, and if they do, then they’ve proven their responsibility. This analogy is far from acceptable for determining one’s ability to care for a pet. Puppies, for example, sure are cute, but it can take a lot of work for potty training, exercise, proper diet, vet trips, and attention. On top of that, some breeds are more prone to health issues than others. Other types of pets, like my iguana, require special heat and lighting, a custom enclosure, and a high pain tolerance (his claws are sharp!).
More so, these irresponsible actions are encouraged by carnivals and fairs that give out animals as prizes. While some counties have laws against this, few provide active enforcement to prevent it. I’ve seen bunnies, goldfish, iguanas, and chicks as prizes in carnivals, and I’ve never seen any correct care guides handed out along with the prize. The carnivals aren’t interested in these creatures’ fates; they’re just there for the money.
I’m sure it’s hard to see why an animal rescue could be detrimental to animals. After all, their sole purpose is to help animals. It’s exciting to see everyday people spending their morning showing off their collection of rescued animals, or bottle-feeding a bear cub. These are the images we see constantly on animal documentaries and other shows. What we don’t focus on that the owners make large sacrifices in order to help these animals. They have to work whether they are sick or tired, whether it’s snowing or 100 degrees out, not to mention that they often must give up family vacations because these animals depend on them day in and day out to survive. Some people become inspired by these rescues and decide they want to start their own. More often than not, it ends in disaster. Things work out for a while, but over time, the daily responsibilities overwhelm them and the rescue starts going down hill. There was even a special on Animal Planet a few weeks ago, where Jeff Corwin visited a bird sanctuary that had gone severely downhill, and helped to get it up and running again.
All of these examples make it easier for people to bring home pets, and not to worry about what may be wrong with how they’re caring for the pet. They fuel the pet trade in promoting more and more careless owners and breeders to produce more homeless pets, or to throw the ones they own back into the loop. Since they rarely get stuck with the end result, they have no idea where these animals are ending up. Out of sight, out of mind, you know?
Sometimes it’s necessary to take a step back and look at the big picture. When you do, you’ll probably come to the same realization that I did. It might sound cruel, but the only way to stop (or help stop) the overabundance of animals out there, is not to be a part of it. Some animals must be sacrificed in order to make changes. I played a role when I bought that little green lizard six years ago. Looking back, I would have appreciated the knowledge I now have about iguanas and the pet trade. I could have researched iguanas as pets before I bought one and realized that owning one was going to cause big changes in my lifestyle. There are also many existing rescues throughout the U.S. where you can volunteer or adopt a pet, without contributing to the import or production of more for the pet trade.
I certainly wouldn’t go back and change my decision because the experience has helped me to learn a lot about reptiles and the career I want to go into. The best thing to do when thinking about bringing a new pet into your life is to make sure you read up on it! Find out what kind of care it requires, how much attention it needs, and what kinds of issues it is prone to developing before bringing it home. This will ensure that you’ve made the right decision and that your home will be a “forever home” for your new pet.