# N.a.p.a.k



## TSKA Rory Matier (May 27, 2007)

National Association of Private Animal Keepers

Does anyone ;

a] Know who these were?

b] Remember who they were?

c] Belong to the actual Association itself or rather did?


Originally formed in 1986 for private animal keepers, which was to focus on raising a voice against restrictive legislation surrounding the hobby.

Cheers Rory


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## chris_walton (Dec 20, 2007)

i have a few few friends who were on the chairi dont know if its still going i did try and join once but got nothing back from them


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## TSKA Rory Matier (May 27, 2007)

Hi Chris, 

It sort of died in 2004.

I also tried to become a member, but l tried in the year when it sort of went defunct.

Thanks for replying.

R


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## alfie99 (Oct 12, 2007)

I actually joined, but to be honest after paying, that was the last i heard of them.


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## TSKA Rory Matier (May 27, 2007)

What year was that Alfie?

I know in 2004 NAPAK was fast disappearing. Response rates were in fact very poor at that time.

R


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## Pouchie (Feb 9, 2008)

Maybe they felt they had bitten off more than they could chew so gave up.

Shame if that is the case.


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## alfie99 (Oct 12, 2007)

I think it was 2003 but never received a thing from them no magazine nothing.


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## Paradoxurus (Jan 10, 2008)

I was a member of NAPAK in the late 1990s and then again in about 2002/3. There is certainly a lot of potential for such an organisation and it would be worthwhile someone persevering to keep one going but, of course, it would only be faesible with strong support from its members. Clashes of interests and a distinct lack of altruism seem to be the two main bug-bears of private animal keeping unity and the failure of NAPAK reflects the situation in wild animal keeping in the private sector as a whole - certainly with regards to wild mammals.

While NAPAK's goals and benefits of membership were ambitious, the reality fell a little short. The journal "Animal News" was cobbled together with items gleaned from the internet or copied from similar publications. There was little original material and even less of direct meaningfulness to animal keeping.

I was unaware that NAPAK had 'officially' folded. Certainly it has been inactive for a few years but the website was still online last time I checked.

The short-lived glossy magazine, "Animal Keeper" (anyone else remember this?) was perhaps the best effort made to bring together all specialist keepers of non-domestic animals. It is tragic that this lived to only two issues.


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## TSKA Rory Matier (May 27, 2007)

Hi P, 

A lot of what you say is sadly true.

The magazine l think proved too costly - and combined with late responses if any, members started to feel left out and one member said she felt betrayed by those whom had so readily taken the subscription.

Finding viable content was also not an easy task, and slowly things started to fall by the wayside. As l have in the double of this post in General Herp. The website at present only serves as an archive of information. Having talked to Jim last night, l said l would run a preliminary advertising slot to see if we could reawaken lost members from NAPAK and also see if we could possibly attract a new blood from the curent market of keepers, both domestic and exotic.

R

ps: You actually hit the nail on the head: 'Persevering' it basically took its toll, and only today l think there are two members paul & jim himself.

With Jims work with DEFRA, he could not uphold the originality of the association by himself.


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## Diablo (May 25, 2007)

You know my views about this already Rory lol


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