Okay, I know the topic sounds dodge, but there is a valid reason for me asking this question. First off let me make it clear, I have no problem with most of what the SPCA does and last year I ran a charity event where we raised R50 000 where one of our main beneficiaries was the SPCA. I absolutely love animals and do a lot to donate money towards them.
Anyways, it appears I have upset someone high up at the SPCA. The other day there was a very unfortunate article that ran a story about how some exotic animals were found in a container and were dying/suffering because of neglect. The spokesperson for the SPCA blamed people in the exotic animal trade, saying if there was not a demand then these animals would not be abused animals.
I countered that and told them, thats like saying that dog owners are responsible for dog farms and dog fight clubs. If people didnt have dogs, then there would be no dog farms (outside of China).
Yes, bad people do bad things, it happens in the exotic animal trade and it happens in the domestic animal trade. However, the exotic animal market is a lot like the domesticated animal market. The majority of us love our animals and go out of our way to make sure they are happy, spoilt and cared for. In fact, thanks to conservation through captive breeding, species have been saved from extinction by private breeders and reintroduced into the wild.
So I email the SPCA and let them know that Im not going to bust my balls for them and raise money for them if they use such a broad brush to paint everyone in the trade bad.
This upset the person I emailed who basically ignored my entire argument, blamed the exotic animal trade again and then started threatening me with coming to raid my house to check out my animals.
I said that I have no problem with them coming at any time to look at my animals (they are all very spoilt, have huge habitats and have permits), but if they are going to come, because they have such strong and unreasonable ideological views... I want nature conservation to be there as well.
I have a good relationship with Nature conservation (to me, they are the authority I listen to). I told the SPCA that they have a PETA like ideological blindness and if they want to come to my house, can we please make sure there is a qualified herpetologist from nature conservation with them. I dont want some untrained fool hurting my animals or not understanding their habitats. Put simply, I dont trust the SPCA to know what they are doing with my specific animals. I want qualified professionals from government who know what they are doing there as well. I told him that I will pay for or speak to nature conservation officials to get them to assist him in this.
This request seemed to piss the SPCA guy off more and he has come back with that I must give him my address and that they never make an appointment and they will raid whenever they want to.
Now I really dont trust this guy not to abuse any power / privilege he has as he flat out has stated that he doesnt approve of my legal and permitted animals. I really want qualified professionals from nature conservation there.
What legal authority does the SPCA have? Can I tell him he is welcome to come anytime as long as he has a warrant or nature conservation official with him?
Lastly, what are good alternative nature conservation organizations that I can donate to? For now its unlikely that I will send money to the SPCA and would rather the money went to saving rhinos or other endangered animals.