geckomun

[geckomun]

[geckomun]

Blog update!

It's been pretty quiet here in terms of me posting my lizards, and mostly that's because it's been had to photograph them in the dark basement we were living in. But! We're moving now!! To a really cute and nice apartment! And also we're getting rats!

That being said, I've been using my Instagram account (also daftpatience) for all my phone-related photos for awhile, so it kinda makes sense for me to post pet pics there too.

So! Happy new year, see you on ig!

[geckomun]

WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME ITS THE YEAR OF THE RAT!! ITS A BLESSING I ABSOLUTELY AM EXCITED ABOUT GETTING PET RATS THIS YEAR AHHHH!!!!

[geckomun]

i know literally nothing about dogs/adopting dogs but i've grown up thinking adopt don't shop is good/breeders=bad. if you don't mind explaining a lil bit about your pov i'd love to hear it

hey! i’m happy to explain. some of this may be slightly boiled down 

so like, right off the bat, my central ethos about dog ownership/adoption is that 

people should get dogs who are the right fit for them as a person, for their household, and for their lifestyle. not every home is good for every dog and not every dog is good for every home. 

all dogs deserve to be in circumstances that maximize their likelihood to have a home. this means making sure that dogs end up in appropriate homes to begin with, that dogs are successful in their current homes and don’t need to be rehomed, and that if they need to be rehomed, they have the highest possibility of quickly finding a new home

another right-off-the-bat statement: for many people, a dog at a shelter or rescue will be a wonderful fit, and that’s great! homeless dogs deserve homes. there is no argument here that is anti-dog adoption for those who want a shelter dog.

so like, two key points here:

not all dogs are interchangeable and not all homes are interchangeable

responsible and reputable breeders contribute positively to both ethical principles i mentioned above

what you have to understand about dog homelessness is that it’s not just, like, an arithmetic problem. it’s not like there’s, let’s say, 5 million dogs coming into existence and 4 million prospective adopters and if we could just have a million fewer dogs then all our problems could be solved. 

the reasons dogs become homeless (and the reasons dogs have trouble finding homes) could frankly be their own essay. i do want to particularly note marginalization, impoverishment, and a lack of resources for vulnerable dog owners – sometimes keeping a dog in a home can be as simple as fronting someone the money for a pet deposit. 

other reasons include things like behavioral issues, health issues, and breed. 

in many areas – like mine – the issue is not necessarily that there are all these adopters simply choosing not to adopt all these available dogs who would be a good fit for them, but that there are not many adopters for whom those dogs would be a good fit. 

for some people who are buying a dog for a specific reason, notably service dogs and other working dogs, like herding dogs, a purpose-bred dog is most likely to succeed in their situation. 

for other people, they need a certain amount of predictability or stability and can’t take on the risk of a shelter dog who won’t be appropriate for their situation. 

and some people are just passionate about a specific kind of dog and that’s the dog they’re going to be happy with! i don’t think those people should be obligated to get an animal they don’t want out of guilt.

so really quickly, i want to define what i mean when i talk about a responsible breeder. a responsible breeder:

performs all of the health tests that are appropriate for their breed

breeds temperamentally sound, relatively predictable dogs

has a clear purpose and vision for their breeding program (why are they breeding this breed? why are they breeding these dogs in particular? what are they hoping to accomplish?)

screen their owners to ensure that they and the dog will likely be good fits for each other  

are willing to take back their dogs at any time should the dog need to be rehomed (many breeders require this)

are actively working on early socialization and behavioral development – the first 12 weeks of a puppy’s life are developmentally crucial, and breeders have an extraordinary ability to set their puppies up to be successful down the line

are a resource for their puppy buyers for the lifetime of the dog (i deliberately chose a breeder who i think is more knowledgeable and a better trainer than i am!)

breeders who do these things are not a part of the dog homelessness problem, they are part of the solution.

they are choosing homes for their dogs where they are likely to succeed and are unlikely to be rehomed. 

they are willing to provide the dog a home if the dog should become homeless. 

they are providing their dogs a foundation in terms of health and behavior that will make it most likely that the dog stays in their home or is adopted if the dog should be rehomed. 

they are giving puppy buyers guidance to raise dogs that are likely to be well-adjusted and healthy, which maximizes the likelihood of the dog staying in the home or being adopted if the dog should be rehomed.

if all dogs were bred under these circumstances, or even most, it would be a net positive for dogs individually and as a population. supporting good breeders is, for me, an arm of preventative animal welfare along with behavioral care and access to low-cost resources. 

hope this helps! i know it’s long lol

[geckomun]

[geckomun]

check out shadow the rat on youtube! she makes amazing informational videos as well as cute ones of her rats just being dorks. she’s the one who helped me decide what food and cage to get.

thanks, ill check her out!!!

[geckomun]

after we move in the new year i’ll be getting rats ;w; im so excited (i had rats as a kid and afdfg i miss having em) 

can peoble reccomend me good rat keeping blogs/youtubes for me to follow? (esp youtube, i don’t really wanna sift thru the pet community there myself if i dont have to urg)

[geckomun]

the most effective means of preventing dog homelessness are 1) providing material support to impoverished and marginalized pet owners and 2) preventing and addressing behavioral issues before they become cause for relinquishment 

but that’s far less fun and takes way more effort and human compassion than self-righteously chirping “adopt don’t shop!” 

[geckomun]

PLEASE DONT SCROLL PAST

hey everybody, im sorry i sound so desperate here, but my landlord and my roomate want danny gone. hes disabled (his leg is deformed) and hand raised, so he wont survive on his own outside, and i desperately need to find a home for him. i live in philadelphia and cannot drive but i am willing to take the busses wherever i need to! if you can come pick him up yourself though he comes with a cage and a diaper (just the diaper is coming w him if i have to drop hom off though, as im disabled and bringing such a huge cage on the busses and trains would be impossible.

it has more in it now, but im at work and i cant take a picture of it right this second. ill be updating this post with pictures of his current setup that he would be coming with, but because this situation is so desperate hes literally free. the cage cost like 150$ off craigslist, and buying it new would be close to 400$ just because its so large. it’s a little old because its double used, but its better than nothing

if you cant help me find a new home for him, please please reblog this. if you do youre helping save this birds life! we really really need the help.

[geckomun]

some important memes abt keeping animals and being humble

[geckomun]

’3 friendos - red tail boa, milk snake, & gargoyle gecko!’ Transparent Sticker

this is a sticker design comm for courty! aren’t these lil guys cute?

[geckomun]

‘Komodo Dragon Witch’ Sticker

i’m really excited about this one guys! i LOVE komodo dragons, and this comm came it just in time for halloween ^u^ go get this lovely lizard over on my redbubble as a sticker or all sorts of other cool stuff!!

[geckomun]

gonna keep commission slots going thru november (5 slots a week)! we gotta save up for moving expenses : p same-day doodles are unlimited and don’t count as a slot used up! ( i gotta update it manually tho) :D

[geckomun]

thedragonwoodconservancy on ig

[geckomun]

When harness training your kitty, don’t expect him to walk the same as a dog! This is about how well my cat walks on a good day. It takes him about two minutes to walk to the next door neighbours house.

[geckomun]

We need to better educate kids on the importance of animals that are typically hated because otherwise you end up with adults who think hating wasps is a personality.

[geckomun]

This cute little foot is attached to an appropriately cute frog. The Penton’s toad [Schlerophrys pentoni] is a medium-sized toad with olive skin and powerful hind legs, which aid in digging. They spend much of their lives below ground. They can be found in Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Arabian Peninsula, and possibly other regions nearby. Images by Alberto Sanchez-Vialas.