# Urgent - please read if you want to continue keeping reptiles



## Horny Toad (Sep 9, 2006)

For those not following the thread regarding the IHS Doncaster Show.

Our hobby is under serious threat, its not just about fighting for our right to have shows. Please take serious notice of this issue.

Please donate anything you can afford;

Federation of British Herpetologists

My original plea posted yesterday evening;

I had a chat with Richard Brook (the IHS show organiser) this evening. We have had close contact with each other, for several reasons, for the last couple of months. We have been very aware of what was likely to happen with regards to holding this show, and others for the future. He requested this evening that key members of the Herpetological community like myself need to "rally the troops". I have been keeping reptiles now for over 35 years, held top positions within the IHS and own two well know reptile supply businesses in the UK. I have seen the hobby develop from "loners in bedrooms" to a mainstream industry - and also seen the evolution of the likes of APA and other so called animal welfare groups.

Now, it's time for the cold, hard truth. If you want to maintain your hobby, your industry (if you are commercial; ie shop / wholesaler) and your general passion for keeping animals we, as a collective movement, need money. I quickly flicked through this thread, many have asked what they can do to help, others have suggested giving the FBH donations - and that's exactly what we all need to do. If we allow this show to fail, we are on the slippery slope to losing our life of keeping animals (note I don't just say exotics). I am aware how much money the barrister bill is, just up until today, it is a scary amount currently funded by the IHS, FBH and industry leaders like myself. We need money.

Please follow the FBH Pay Pal links already on this thread. I urge all clubs and shops to ask for donations and forward the monies raised to the FBH. If you can afford a fiver, do it - we cannot lose this fight due to running out of funds. Help now, donate - Animal welfare groups prey on well meaning people and collect funds, they can be regarded as reasonably cash rich. If you can give more, please, it's very important that it's done now. Right now.

I will post more tomorrow, and will also start collecting donations through both Coast to Coast and Zoo Logic. I suggest any others who have the ability to collect do the same. Do I need to get on my knees? Please, collect funds for the FBH now.


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## Mynki (Mar 24, 2010)

This might help :-

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/foru...59155-raising-money-ihs-fbh.html#post10151694


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## psewell (Oct 20, 2011)

Donated!


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## blood and guts (May 30, 2007)

im going to be a little unpopular with this post but for many years now all we have done as a hobby is give them more ammo to attack us with! if we cant police ourselves then what chance have we got?

Look at the current trends with morphs, we all know what ones come with varius issues such as kinking, wobbles and worse yet many still breed and buy them because they look cool or make money! 

Standards have dropped in housing, what was once considered the minimum for housing a spieces has got smaller simply because that is or was the largest size rub that was easy to use and so on!

shows them selves have had many issues, there called breeders meetings yet every show has people selling imported stock or on behalf of shops and so on!

The animal rights groups will never go away, they make to much money and are to twisted in there views and while i will always be against such groups theres many with in the hobby who are now questioning if just maybe we are our own worst enemys!

Dont get me wrong i want to see the hobby and shows continue, id love the antis to go away for good and i have huge respect for many who are fighting for us but the time has deffently come for us to have a closer look at what we do day to day as well! shows are a easy target but you can bet if they win out on this issue once again like they have in the past they wont end there and if morphs and small housing become the next targets it will sure as hell be a tougher fight for us (and one some of us cant fight)..


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## Horny Toad (Sep 9, 2006)

blood and guts said:


> im going to be a little unpopular with this post but for many years now all we have done as a hobby is give them more ammo to attack us with! if we cant police ourselves then what chance have we got?
> 
> Look at the current trends with morphs, we all know what ones come with varius issues such as kinking, wobbles and worse yet many still breed and buy them because they look cool or make money!
> 
> ...


Perhaps not the time and place, but after recent discussions with Chris Newman some of what you relate to is up for discussion within the FBH circle. Sometimes the wheels move slowly, sometimes they dont seem to move at all but we are always active and considering the future of the hobby and industry. Cant say too much just yet, but as a group we are becoming known as a self policing organisation and have respect for this within various areas including the political arena. 

But for now, we need to concentrate and focus.


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## madaboutreptiles (Jun 5, 2007)

blood and guts said:


> im going to be a little unpopular with this post but for many years now all we have done as a hobby is give them more ammo to attack us with! if we cant police ourselves then what chance have we got?
> 
> Look at the current trends with morphs, we all know what ones come with varius issues such as kinking, wobbles and worse yet many still breed and buy them because they look cool or make money!
> 
> ...


I couldnt agree more, 

If we take away the ammunition from the APA they will find it much harder to fight us


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## blood and guts (May 30, 2007)

sadly to many things are behind closed doors and not public enough, its always been one of the major faults both in the fbh and hobby/trade! 

fingers crossed the apa and co get there arses kicked over this but once this war is put to bed its time for the reptile keeping world to take a long hard look at itself as at the end of the day the animals we keep come befor our own personal intrest, ego and money!


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## t7ikryujkm (Jun 27, 2012)

do it - we cannot lose this fight due to running out of funds. Help now, donate - Animal welfare groups prey on well meaning people and collect funds, they can be regarded as reasonably cash rich. If you can give more,


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## Pete Q (Dec 4, 2007)

Please remember that it is a mistake to think that if we do things any different that will still not be good enough for animal rights, they want to end this and no amount of cleaning up will do.

Anything for welfare is good and we should always look for improvements, but apa will only be happy when we stop keeping what they call wild animals in cages.


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## gmccurdie (Jun 1, 2012)

v-max said:


> For those not following the thread regarding the IHS Doncaster Show.
> 
> Our hobby is under serious threat, its not just about fighting for our right to have shows. Please take serious notice of this issue.
> 
> ...


Can I suggest that these appeals and Notices might be better posted by RFUK , say a well respected moderator or Administrator, which would carry more commercial impartiality yet equal concern for the hobby.

It presents ammunition when what you say can be twisted out of context as a plea for money to save your business.


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