To: Editorial@peacearchnews.com
Subject: Who's responsible for the animals' plight??

Dear Editor,

It would be a very sad day indeed if the Rainforest Reptile Refuge Society were to close its door due to lack of financial reserves (The Peace Arch News front page article..).

This Society is a fantastic humane alternative to a zoo. It is a shelter for neglected, abandoned and abused reptiles, discarded by people who legitimately, but ignorantly buy these exotic pets from pet stores and when the novelty wears off, dump them on the R.R.R.S.

We, the public, can go and see the hundreds of animals people have bought and discarded and it is yet another one of people's numerous irresponsible acts towards animals.

But the irresponsibility is not solely the buyers' of these so-called pets. The responsibility definitely lies with the City of Surrey and White Rock, who allow pet stores to sell these exotic animals as pets.
The responsibility also lies with those pet stores that sell them . A pet store owner who truly cares about and is knowledgeable about animals, would never sell any kind of animal, but especially not exotic ones.

If the doors of the R.R.R.S. shelter indeed have to close by November, hundreds of animals are out in the cold, literally.
Is that what the City will allow to happen?
If any one of the Council members was of a creative mind, the R.R.R.S. could be reformed into a great tourist attraction, - something the City of Surrey certainly needs - by financing it to become a facility that does not constantly have to struggle to keep the animals fed and in a decent environment.

This non-profit organization should be at the top of the list for grants from the City. I have also just informed them about Tracy Holmes article "Grant money up for grabs" with regard to a grant by the White Rock/South Surrey Foundation for funding.
I know that all too often these kind of societies are too busy with the caring for and cleaning of so many animals to have staff available to apply for funding.

My suggestion to the public: give a donation to the poor abandoned reptilian souls that need food and money a heck of a lot more than the trick or treaters that you are planning to hand out all those pounds of sugar to on Hallowe'en night!

Madelon Keij,
Surrey BC