My Little Republican Dragon!

[NeosMom]

So... I live in one of the wealthiest towns in the country. Quite the experience considering I earn minimum wage and my husband makes $10 an hour. But I was born here and grew up with a swamp buggy in the back yard and can remember when things were different. (Before all of the money came here and started buying things up.) Anyway... this is a place where the women carry their little miniature dogs around in their purses and these dogs have collars that cost more than all of the jewelry I own combined.

After the way Fluffy was treated at Petsmart yesterday, I decided she will not be discriminated against and she can go anywhere that those snooty little rich rat dogs can go. So, our first excursion was the Mitt Romney rally right downtown on 5th Avenue. Mind you, I can't afford to buy anything more interesting than an ice cream cone down there (and those cost $6). But I packed my son and my little red dragon up and away we went. And she wasn't hiding in a bag. She adores attention, people, crowds... you name it. So, by the time we were actually at the rally she had scooted out from under my hair (her favorite hiding spot) and was proudly basking in the sun and checking out everything going on around her. It was FANTASTIC!

Yup. I got some snotty comments. One lady even referred to her as "disgusting". But we stuck it out and had a fantastic time. It's funny. One older guy came over and played twenty questions about her and thought she was very cute. He told his wife that he bet their grandsons would love a pet like that. And another woman came by with three little girls and the two younger girls begged to be allowed to pet her. After I assured the mother that Fluffy was sweet and didn't bite, she let the girls pet her. Fluffy was on cloud 9 and I think there are two more open-minded children walking around the world right now.

I'm so glad I took her with me. And she is definitely going to be getting lots more around town time from now on. :twisted: Regardless of what the snooty people think about it. So, there.

Oh, and for anyone who is reading this and wondering how Romney's speech was... Eeeh. So-so. Nothing really got me fired up either way, My son was grateful for the experience and he can now say he saw three of the four candidates. But really... Fluffy was far more interesting today.

 

[Irwinshealth]

Good for you!!! I really think too many people are rude about others feelings when it comes to bearded dragons. When my Irwin passed I had several co workers make fun of me for saying I had lost sleep from it. They told me "It's just a lizzard" If we can make a couple of children here and there interested, we have some hope for the future generation. I'm with you, right now there seems to be too many snooty people and pups getting all the credit. Heck what do I know though, I'm just a broke but very happy mother of five kids!! Our ice cream it the $1.00 sundae at McDonald's and none of the seem to complain.

 

[noella5088]

I don't see any problems bringing a bearded dragon out of the house if it's warm. Why should all the little dogs get all the attention. I'm planning on taking Ali with me when he gets older and can fit in the leash. I have a dog carrier made of mesh. It has these dog bones and three mesh sides. He can see out of all them and loves to watches the scenery.

 

[Drache613]

Hello!

That is great! Good job, people should just get over it. I mean, bearded dragons are just as much a part of our families are as a dog or a cat.
I am sure that was quite an experience.
Yeah, I am sure Romney's speech basically sounded like Obama's speech would have! LOL Not impressed.

Tracie

 

[DragonsNDoodles]

You should tell the children (and anyone else you see who is interested in dragons) that they live in the heart of the reptile trade! Some of the best reptile specialty shops and breeders are down in Florida. Lucky...

 

[jjh1]

thats awesome !!!! The more people take out their reptiles in public the better.
Alot of us here in Canada take ours with us when the weather warm up. I have alittle carrier that i take one out and everyone goes out they all take turns.

My Male he loves to ride in the car with me and loves sitting on my shoulder people give stares and I stare right back and even sometimes wave lol.

I dont get why pets have to be always the furry ones, even when I take my dog out with my bearded dragon people make comments and with the attitude I have sometimes I say well have you ever thought that maybe if you educated yourself that you might realize that they are pets too. Get over yourself lol.

Good on you for doing that more power to our reptile lovers!

 

[DragonsNDoodles]

Joanne, I wish I could bring my dog and a dragon out at the same time! Whenever I try that, the dog ends up trying to swipe the dragon when I'm not looking. She also does this weird thing with her mouth... looks like she's licking her lips obsessively, just thinking about the tasty morsel on my shoulder! And she sits really pretty, begging me to drop the dragon for her hahaha.

 

[NeosMom]

Hey DragonsandDoodles... You are right about Florida being such a hot bed for reptile shows and stuff. How could it not be with our weather? However, a lot of people aren't aware of the downside to that.

Did you realize the massive damage done to our ecosystem because of that thriving reptile trade and Hurricane Andrew? Yup. In addition to the wonderful legit trade going on in this state, there is an enormous illegal exotic market here, as well. When Hurricane Andrew took out the East Coast the way that it did, many of the reptile dealers / breeders over there were wiped out... including the illegal ones. The legit businesses reported their losses, but there was a lot more that wasn't reported. Well a bunch of those reptiles ended up in the Everglades for the last 20 years breeding to their hearts content and it is creating some pretty amazing problems. In 2005 a snake ate a gator. No kidding. I can't remember the size of both animals, but it was enormous and really freaky. The snake ate the gator and then basically exploded because of the size of the gator. A helicopter got an ariel shot of the dead animals out in the glades and it was published in our local paper. And you would be amazed at what ends up loose in the neighborhoods around here. Some days it's a wee bit scary.

Anyway, sorry for the off topic. That happens with me sometimes. Ha! Ha! But I wasn't sure if people in the northern regions were aware of those things.

 

[DragonsNDoodles]

Yes, I've followed everything that's happened down there regarding the snakes, including the recent ban. I've talked so much about that, though, that I'm basically done beating a dead horse about it because all anyone seems to do is either get mad or start blaming the snakes themselves for just trying to survive (and then I just get mad, hahaha). I've lost several facebook friends because they stated that the world would be better off without reptiles (in response to the ban).

I was referring to the legitimate and ETHICAL breeders you have in Florida. I'd love to visit!

 

[NeosMom]

You're right. We do have a lot of good ones here. I have a beautiful red hypo, as well as a leatherback for pets. Both dragons were purchased from a pet store that is a mere two miles from my house. I realize most people aren't lucky enough to have that kind of access. Believe me, I take advantage of it.

Kinda like you get frustrated over the reactions from anti-reptile people, I have a tendency to get tired of hearing how lucky I am to be here in Florida. It sounds like paradise to people who live up north. I understand that. I just try to point out that things here aren't as "perfect" as it seems to be portrayed. I guess after another winter of baking Christmas cookies in shorts and a tank top, and being forced to consider turning the air conditioner back on in January, I show my tendencies to point out the negatives a bit. Sorry about that.

 

[BonesMommy1011]

Hey hey! What's with the snooty rat dog comments? I've got 2 very spoiled yorkie/poms and in my eyes all animals are equal...

P.s. I'm not mad and I didn't take it into offense. Just trying to be funny. Haha.

 

[NeosMom]

I think it's where I live. It's like something from a bad reality television program with all the little toy dogs running around in jeweled collars and stuff. I just find it difficult to believe that this whole dogs as an accessory thing is THIS rampant all around the country. You said you have two little dogs. Ok. Cute. But do they wear real diamond collars? Do they literally go everywhere with you in your purse at all times? And seriously, how many people here have seen an up close and personal argument between a grocery store manager and a woman regarding the dog she insists on carrying in her purse in the cart through the produce section of the store? I have actually seen that argument more than once!

Nothing wrong with having dogs. Personally, I am a Chow lover. But my sister has the sweetest little ****zu and I adore her. But what I'm making comments about is an entirely different level of snooty dog issues. Paris Hilton would be involved in what I'm describing. :shock: However much you think I'm exaggerating, I promise I'm not.

And I must stand by it... Snooty Rat Dogs!!!!

 

[Bwalter]

Heres my take on all of this. I take my girl to the feed store, into the gas station and pet store, in a carrier for now, leash and harness this year. But I will never take her into a grocery store. Not even in a carrier, just my opinion on having animals in a grocery store near food. It should be that way for all animals except seeing eye or service dogs.
I do love taking my girl around town, some people have bad things to say, but for the most part a lot of people have never seen one up close. I even had a person take a pic of my girl on my hand with their kid petting her. They really like it when she has her bright color on ( bright orange) I tend to educate people on beardies when I have her out. Oh the vet is another place people wonder what do I have. The vet place does anything from cats, dogs, horses and exotics. I have only had her in there once, but had people looking. Even my friend who is a vet there had to come in and see what my girl looked like. I can't wait til this spring to take her out again, on my shoulder so she can scare the crap out of people.

 

[BonesMommy1011]

Haha. No diamond collars and they dont go with me everywhere. Haha. However, my little girl, Izzy got spayed last Tuesday so she is being carried around and pampered a bit more than she should be. :roll:

I can't wait for spring/summer so I can take Blaze out and Bones if he ever decides that Im not evil and he'd stop running and biting me

 

[NeosMom]

Definitely no food stores of any kind for pets. I totally agree with that. Service animals are different. But just because you have decided to treat your pet on an over the top level and consider them to be a baby, it does not make them human. They still need to abide by the same rules as all the other pets in the world. And the people who were being rude to me were either people who didn't have pets out, or were those types of pets. It's funny. People out walking "normal" dogs were actually really casual. I still stand by my original statement that I will never, ever, ever understand people.

And Samantha - I'm glad to hear I'm not the only beardie owner with a forced favoritism situation. You will notice that Fluffy gets all the attention in my posts while poor little Figment is kinda left out. 1. He's my husband's dragon. 2. As much as I would be fair about things and willing to take him out with me some, he's a wild child and would dive and run and end up God knows where.