Post by koffee on Jun 8, 2006 17:47:56 GMT -5
Hello, and welcome to the forums!
The fact that you are reading this shows that you are willing to do some research before you get your new companion. So, I assume you’ve read the care sheets and books, or plan on reading them before you get an iguana. Some good examples include:
Congratulations! You are on track to being a good, responsible owner.
You know about heat, light, food, and so on. You fully understand how big and old they can get. Maybe you even have a door in your house with a sign that reads, "Future adult iguana room."
Great!
You know how to pick a healthy iguana from that tank full of cute young green iguanas at the pet store.
Wait a minute...
Did you know that many people have not done the research? Many of those tiny iguanas at the store stand a fair chance of going to owners that will not give them the proper care.
It is a cycle that repeats. The pet store gets the baby iguanas in for sale, people buy them, and people often neglect or abandon them. There are iguanas that began just like the ones you saw in the store, and now have no responsible, caring owner.
Sure, those tiny babies in the store deserve a good home and future too. But buying one reinforces the store's cycle of sales and reorders. This cycle will probably never stop. But, in the long run, adoptions can equate to less sales and less reorders.
Adoption means that you still get to care for this wonderful critter. You are giving it a second chance at a decent home and future. And adoption may result in a few less babies facing grim futures as the cycle in the pet stores continues.
Even if you are not ready or willing to deal with a rescue - possibly a victim of abuse or neglect - there are other options available. In fact, some of the best cared-for iguanas in the world are sometimes forced to part ways with their current owner when that person goes off to school, the military, or so on.
Finding a potential adoptee or rescue can take effort and time. A few links below may help in your efforts. As for time - well, choosing a new iguana shouldn’t be rushed anyway. Patience is a good thing in this case.
Adopting older (even if just a year or two) iguanas can also have some advantages. Babies are not set in their ways, but you can better see traits and habits with an older iguana. It is also quite possible that, due to all the stress and trauma in their early life, babies can die for no obvious reasons even with proper care.
If you are ready to take that next step on caring for an iguana, please do not assume that it is towards the pet store. Consider the alternatives, and all of the other iguanas that also need homes.
Where to find iguanas:
The Internet is a global village, so it is hard to come up with a comprehensive list that works for everyone.
In the USA, many regions have Animal Control and/or the SPCA. They may get and hold iguanas and other critters (besides cats and dogs) for adoption. These places would also have knowledge of any other organizations in your area. Sometimes these places even have want lists where you can register yourself as looking for a specific critter. However, these places are normally too understaffed to check these lists. It has been my experience that owners looking to find new homes will often check these lists themselves.
Community newspapers and bulletin boards - sometimes even at pet stores - may contain advertisements for iguanas needing homes.
And, of course, there are resources at the on-line communities, such as:
You are putting time and effort into the research. You will put time and effort into the home you create, and the care you provide. So, please, put some time and effort to look around and discover your options for finding the right iguana before you rush off to the pet store.
Good luck to you and your future reptilian companion!
The fact that you are reading this shows that you are willing to do some research before you get your new companion. So, I assume you’ve read the care sheets and books, or plan on reading them before you get an iguana. Some good examples include:
- Patrick's Iguana & Herp Forum: Iguana Care Sheet
- Green Iguana Society Care Information
- Iguana Care, Feeding & Socialization (PDF file by Melissa Kaplan)
- Iguana for Dummies (also by Melissa Kaplan)
- Green Iguana: The Ultimate Owner's Manual 2nd ed (by James W. Hatfield III)
Congratulations! You are on track to being a good, responsible owner.
You know about heat, light, food, and so on. You fully understand how big and old they can get. Maybe you even have a door in your house with a sign that reads, "Future adult iguana room."
Great!
You know how to pick a healthy iguana from that tank full of cute young green iguanas at the pet store.
Wait a minute...
Did you know that many people have not done the research? Many of those tiny iguanas at the store stand a fair chance of going to owners that will not give them the proper care.
It is a cycle that repeats. The pet store gets the baby iguanas in for sale, people buy them, and people often neglect or abandon them. There are iguanas that began just like the ones you saw in the store, and now have no responsible, caring owner.
Sure, those tiny babies in the store deserve a good home and future too. But buying one reinforces the store's cycle of sales and reorders. This cycle will probably never stop. But, in the long run, adoptions can equate to less sales and less reorders.
Adoption means that you still get to care for this wonderful critter. You are giving it a second chance at a decent home and future. And adoption may result in a few less babies facing grim futures as the cycle in the pet stores continues.
Even if you are not ready or willing to deal with a rescue - possibly a victim of abuse or neglect - there are other options available. In fact, some of the best cared-for iguanas in the world are sometimes forced to part ways with their current owner when that person goes off to school, the military, or so on.
Finding a potential adoptee or rescue can take effort and time. A few links below may help in your efforts. As for time - well, choosing a new iguana shouldn’t be rushed anyway. Patience is a good thing in this case.
Adopting older (even if just a year or two) iguanas can also have some advantages. Babies are not set in their ways, but you can better see traits and habits with an older iguana. It is also quite possible that, due to all the stress and trauma in their early life, babies can die for no obvious reasons even with proper care.
If you are ready to take that next step on caring for an iguana, please do not assume that it is towards the pet store. Consider the alternatives, and all of the other iguanas that also need homes.
Where to find iguanas:
The Internet is a global village, so it is hard to come up with a comprehensive list that works for everyone.
In the USA, many regions have Animal Control and/or the SPCA. They may get and hold iguanas and other critters (besides cats and dogs) for adoption. These places would also have knowledge of any other organizations in your area. Sometimes these places even have want lists where you can register yourself as looking for a specific critter. However, these places are normally too understaffed to check these lists. It has been my experience that owners looking to find new homes will often check these lists themselves.
Community newspapers and bulletin boards - sometimes even at pet stores - may contain advertisements for iguanas needing homes.
And, of course, there are resources at the on-line communities, such as:
- Patrick's Iguana & Herp Forum Adoption/Rescue board
- The Green Iguana Society Adoption Board
- GIS: Other Adoption Boards/Rescues(US/Canadian)
You are putting time and effort into the research. You will put time and effort into the home you create, and the care you provide. So, please, put some time and effort to look around and discover your options for finding the right iguana before you rush off to the pet store.
Good luck to you and your future reptilian companion!
