When you hear the
phrase “animal abuse”, you think of cats, dogs, those sad
commercials on television, but what most people don't realize is that
is that the most abused household pets are reptiles. Recently, New
York had to pass a bill making ownership of any kind of reptile
illegal without a permit. This was because of the skyrocketing
numbers of abused reptiles that were turned in to the ASPCA. Among
these reptiles, were snakes. Because media has demonized snakes,
there is little to no knowledge of how to take care of them. Several
television shows have used snakes to instil fear, but one show in
particular is not only using snakes for humorous entertainment, but
they are also abusing them while doing it. One television show,
TruTV's 'Killer Karaoke' puts the contestant through several
obstacles while they have to sing. One of these obstacles is to sing
while being dunked in a freezing cold tub of water. After, they
proceed to dump buckets of living snakes into the tub with you, some
dying immediately from shock. Whether they are cats, dogs, or snakes,
no animal should be tortured just for human entertainment. In order
to protect the rights of all animals, you need to sign this
petition to get this show off the air.
Snakes are
cold-blooded. That means they do not create their own body heat, they
need to rely on the environment around them to keep their body
functioning. Typically, snakes thrive with a temperature of 80-85
degrees with a basking spot of 90 degrees. Exposing them to cold
temperatures very suddenly can cause them to die instantly from
shock. If they survive, then within a few weeks they will develop
respiratory infections that can prove fatal.
Even if the water
in that tub wasn't freezing, most of the snakes that were dumped in
would have most likely drowned. Contrary to popular belief, not all
snakes are aquatic. In fact, most aren't. The species that were
dumped in consisted of: Corn Snakes, Ball Pythons, Red Tailed Boas,
Carpet Pythons, and Rainbow Boas. These are all species that you can
find in a pet store. All of them are extremely docile, non-poisonous,
and non-aquatic.
From a personal
standpoint, I see no reason why these animals should be allowed to be
abused let alone feared. I own one of the species of snakes that was
mentioned above, I own a Ball Python. Ball Pythons are as docile as a
snake can get. Instead of striking defensively, they curl up into a
tight ball, as their name suggests. It is true that reptiles have not
yet evolved to feel love or compassion, but that does not mean they
can't feel comfort, sadness, happiness, and fear. Snakes, Ball
Pythons in particular, are creatures of habit, they find comfort in
things that are familiar to them. If they get to know you, know your
smell, know how you act, they will seek comfort in their owners. My
snake, Athena, has shown this many times. Her first vet visit, she
was so stressed out that she would curl up under my hand while she
was on the examining table and refuse to move. Snakes are not to be
feared, they deserve the same care that dogs and cats do.
By submerging these
snakes in ice-cold water, TruTV is has abused hundreds of snakes just
through this one TV show. You must stand with us against animal
cruelty to all animals and sign this petition.
