Most would not know this but I'll share.
For decades, back to when I was not even ten years old, I had to rely on crappy books (Tetrapress) or what little I could get from a library when it came to keeping these neat lizards. I lost a few...
I started asking questions. Back then there was no internet. I would hang out at the local pet shops and wait for a customer to come in buying reptile foods or products and then hit them up for info. Some were helpful. That's how it was back then.
Once I learned about the importation issues a lot made sense. As I got into the pet industry I learned about the importation side. I was a tad shocked.
So fast forward to now.
I have kept to myself mostly over the years. I'm just a dedicated hobbyist. I specialized with tree boas and chameleons. I've met a few nice people over the years via this internet thing, but more than not were just not worth talking to. Kinda like most importers.
Now while I agree in order to keep my hobby going I need importers, I will never agree that I need an importer who can't provide me with what was paid for when that was within their ability to do so. If the whole shipment was crap, that happens. When the whole shipment is not, I would expect that importer to follow through and provide the quality animals paid for. Importers that can't do that should not be patronized or tolerated by any of us who care about this hobby. That's the lesson, the purpose of this topic really.
When we visit a pet store and take a look at their animals, we have the option to either buy or not buy that animal. Pet stores that don't have healthy animals or decent customer service fade away. Importers are different. Especially when they have a retail store. They can use the fact that a bunch of animals have been paid for already to get a big order and cherry pick the best for their needs. Those are the kinds of "Wolf in sheep's clothing" businesses that need to be avoided. If only since the business will continue to make money off of animals not really in a condition to be sold.
Now, I was thrilled when Laurie "recruited" me into the Quad project to help get these animal well established like Panther's. For a guy who as a child used to wait at pet stores to find other keepers just to ask questions of them and then now via the internet put all those years of experience into helping establish a species in the hobby was a treat. I'm a Parson keeper at heart. Make no mistake about that. However I've always enjoyed these Quads and I did have the room to help out and contribute.
When I heard we as a group could go in on a big shipment for "best picks" I really felt that even at the importer level we were doing something constructive, that the importer saw the importance of this group of dedicated people getting quality imports so that we could make a small difference in the hobby. Instead nothing has changed.
The importer made max profits, quality animals got into the hands of those who have little exp. or little desire to actually breed them, and the dedicated keepers who have huge amounts of money invested in reptile rooms and equipment who would have made sure the imports are taken to a reptile vet and given solid care for the first few months, they got burned with B grade animals some of us couldn't help despite our willingness to do just that.
One last thing folks, as the moderator asked, don't make any comments for "making amends" or the such. I'd hate to see the topic deleted since this has been a good discussion and I know many new keepers are reading this. They might learn some things that decades ago I couldn't learn without a place like this forum.
