Question: Ethics in the reptile business

[Aztec Fred]

Ok Folks,

I have a question.Lately I have pondered on this, though it has been on my mind for a long time. Why are people "respected" in this Industry when they sell sick animals, misrepresent animals, give poor customer service and ship poorly?

I have seen, and heard of and talked to people that often took really bad care of their snakes and lizards, yet were respected in the herp community as a whole. I dont get it, not at all,.
I have seen people, with established businesses and nice websites, sell *wild caught* ball pythons as captive bred babies for three times the amount.And had customers rant and rave about the quality they received from that same vendor.
I dont get it......
I have seen Pet Shop owners, maintaining their snakes in DEPLORABLE conditions, with old urates in the cages, dried feces, filthy water bowls(Or no water bowls at all and dessicated snakes as a result) And these same shops harbored literally DOZENS of mites per snake, around the orbit of the eyes, everywhere.....

Yet...these same shop owners post pictures on servers, boast of their latest breeding accomplishments and even organize and run herp societies, and shows.
I dont get it...........

At what point do shop owners, breeders, and show organizers finally become *responsible* for their animals and business practices? Anybody can make a mistake, but I am not talking about 1 isolated incident ,I am talking about a way of doing business that is masked in goodness, but in reality is as bad as the worst wholesaler/importer-with snakes dieing and sick and full of mites...and all this masked in their reputation or connections. Politics......plain and simple. I am from the U.S.A., but this law applies everywhere.

I just dont understand how people can function on this level and still do so well in this business.Is it truly "Quantity" over "Quality"?
Does the public have such a short memory or are they so blind that they dont see the connection between what is being said by these people and what they actually practice in real life...at their homes, with their animals, at their shops at their warehouses?


Any answers?


Sincerely,

Fred Albury
Aztec Reptiles U.S.A.