Ahhhh!!! People! And their ignorance!

4 weeks ago I rescued a neglected Red Eared Slider Turtle, poor little guy was kept in a 20gal tank with about 4inches of water, that was soooo dirty that I could not even see him at all. No basking light no water heater a small floating dock that was not anchored so when he tried to get out of the water it would move and he would struggle most of the time igving up...nothing was good for him. So I took him away from the bad place! and now he is with us and happy.
Anyway My children are thrilled we have 2 scaley pets now...this weekend they were telling some friends about the turtle and how funny he is and their friends mom said turtles were dangerous and made children sick with e-coli...when my 10yr old proceded to give the lecture telling her that its not e-coli but samonella they naturally carried in their guts as do many other animals, and she had a Bearded Dragon too and they too can carry same thing but we just wash our hands after handling the animals and no one has gotten sick in our house...This woman had a fit and said she should call the authorities on us cause our children live in a unsafe home. And her children were not allowed to come to our house anymore and made the girls go wash their hands with hot water and antibacterial soap.
What the hell are people thinking, my 8-10 yr old came home upset and scared that the "authorities" were coming...they didn't even know what would happen if they did come or who they were...but they knew it was not good...I reassured them all was ok and no one would be coming and bothering us with this silliness and that we have friends that work for SPCA and I volunteer at the local shelter (where are cats and dogs came from!) The shelter and SPCA often call me to ask if I can foster animals...Why are people so paranoid and ignorant!!!
Anyway thats my rant for today, I don't care what they say I am happy I did the right thing for the turtle, and I love all my scaley and fur babies!

T

Thats horrible.People are just so close minded and fearful of anything different.I say their loss your gain.Your kids dont want to be friends with people like that who are so uptight.Paranoia and fear are the root of ALL evil and you dont need that in your life.I applaud your daughter for telling it like it is she gets a big hug from me for standing up to that cranky old mouthpiece.

So, if turtles carry diseases and are dangerous, I wonder if she ever pets a dog.. I mean.. dogs are more disease ridden than any RES that I have ever known...
I've been thinking about one of those guys, I'm glad to hear you are enjoying your new pet.

T Wright":39274 said:

...Why are people so paranoid and ignorant!!!

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Well, I think the ignorance comes first, causing the paranoia.

The funny part to me is that she made her kids wash their hands which is exactly how you prevent salmonella and e-coli infection.
So then, what is the big problem?
Fact of the matter is she just doesn't like reptiles, so she's going to go out of her way to convince the world that it's wrong to enjoy them.
Hey, I'm not a fan of cats and would never have one in my house, but I can completely understand how some people love them. Therefore, I have no problem with anyone having one.
Besides, I don't have time to worry about someone else's pet choice!

She needs to get over herself.

Oh my goodness!
Its something to be met with blind ignorance, but for someone to wildly and incorrectly suggest you were endangering your children with LIZARDS is beyond anything ive ever heard before.
How dare she attempt to frighten your children.
Good lord you have a great deal more self control than I would have!!!

Here's an interesting fact I picked up from my vet... dogs and cats who are fed the "raw" diet can and often do carry e. coli on their skin/fur. Anyone who touches the animal is at risk of contracting e. coli, and the risk is much greater than the risk of getting salmonella from a reptile. The more you know! :mrgreen:

I rescued a turtle to! a few months ago, my mom was cleaning my neighbors house, (for money) and he's never home, (and a complete slob!) she found a baby painted turtle in like 1 cm of water, and COVERED in slime. we took the turlte in (and of course he didnt care) and he lives with 6 little live fish (to soon become his food) and as happy as can be! i love his eyes, they're so big and bright!!!!

I have had folks get histerical about me allowing my kids to TOUCH reptiles! :shock: I laugh and ask where on earth they get their info. The answer is usually "Well everybody knows blah, blah, blah" I tell them, no most people make sure they have the facts before saying anything sooo silly. And suggest they go on this site or just search with Google. I have also had a woman threaten to turn me in to the "athorities" I told her go ahead if she wanted to get laughed at. She didn't appreciate that. :lol: They say ignorance is bliss, yet I have found the oppisite to be true. The more ignorant folks I know are usually stressed about everything. Knowledge IS power, and peace. Just my $.02.

Sandy H

Ugh. Some people. My kids will be able to point out that mommy handled beardies every single day while she was pregnant, and there's nothing wrong with them!

I say their loss your gain. Your kids dont want to be friends with people like that who are so uptight.

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I do find this sad. You can't blame the children for the misconceptions of their parents. Otherwise no one would ever learn any better!

unbelievable. it really is sad how many ignorant and close minded people there are. why would she ever express herself that way in front of kids? calling the authorities? that is insane. i agree, what is wrong with people?

i also agree that your kids are better off without friends like that. it's a hard life lesson, but they shouldn't be subjected to empty threats like calling the authorities because you have an exotic pet! it's not like you have an alligator or tiger!

i too handled our beardie during 2 pregnancies. both boys are healthy. and so am i.

Has anyone seen a dog drag it's hiney across the floor? We call it the toot scoot. It is because they have a build up of feces/oi in their anal glands and they are trying to get it out. On your carpet. Feces carries e-coli. Then you drop something on the ground or lie on the carpet and voila! E-coli can be transfered. No one would call child services on you for having a dog. It would be ludicrous. Same with lizards. It is ludicrous.

maxattack":849b6 said:

...Then you drop something on the ground or lie on the carpet and voila! E-coli can be transfered...

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Makes you stop and think about the 5-second rule, eh? :lol:

pepatt":6b19f said:

maxattack":6b19f said:

...Then you drop something on the ground or lie on the carpet and voila! E-coli can be transfered...

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Makes you stop and think about the 5-second rule, eh? :lol:

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A few germs won't hurt ya! Anyways, didn't you know that the calories fall out of cookies when they hit the floor?

Eh.. I will take my chances.. after all, I have a snake that could potentially kill a person (when fully grown). It's all about responsibility, right? Nobody here can argue that!

hey i thought it was the 3 sec rule

The truly scary thing about these people are the ones like them in government. They have the power and influence to bring new laws up for vote to ban these animals. I don't want to make this a political discussion but the direction that the average folk is going in this country and the direction the government is moving, I'm worried beardies, all reptiles, and anything exotic may be illegal at some point. Some states like California already ban animals like ferrets. Now why would ferrets be banned? How many people have been killed by ferrets?

Paul