Why We Donate to USARK (And Think You Should Too)
If the reptile hobby was a reptile itself, it would be labeled as “critically endangered”.
And not only the reptile hobby, but rather the hobby of keeping any pets that aren’t domesticated dogs, cats, or farm animals. Yes, that includes fish, hamsters, birds, and almost any other animal you can imagine.
Specifically at this time, legislation is being pushed that would affect millions of pet owners, as well as pet businesses. It’s called the Lacey Act Amendment, and you can read all about it here, or watch this video by Richard at The Tarantula Collective.
This is where USARK comes in.
USARK is a science, education and conservation-based advocacy for the responsible private ownership of, and trade in reptiles and amphibians. They are the primary resource that we as reptile and amphibian keepers have to fight for our ability to keep pets other than dogs and cats. In their own words…
Our goal is to facilitate cooperation between government agencies, the scientific community, and the private sector in order to produce policy proposals that will effectively address important husbandry and conservation issues. The health of these animals, public safety and maintaining ecological integrity are our primary concerns.
The Lacey Act Amendment is simply one of dozens of attempts to restrict pet ownership. We would agree the hobby needs improvement, but blanket legislation can do more harm than good. USARK has fought (and won) several legal battles, and is critical to the survival of the hobby.
USARK is also a major advocate for proper care and husbandry of pet reptiles. They provide a Code of Ethics that strives to uphold the highest ethical standards in the keeping, care, breeding and sale of reptiles and amphibians, and we encourage every person that keeps (or plans to keep) reptiles to read it.
We hope you choose to do your own research on the subject, and eventually join us as a donor yourself. Donations start at as little as $40 for an entire year, or $5 a month for a continuous donation.
