A post in the BellaOnline Exotic Pet forum and the subsequent comments that followed is the reason for today's article. You can find the posts here and please feel free to add your comments and thoughts. Please keep it clean it is a family forum. Exotic Pet Horders

Animal Planet is allegedly airing a new show "Confessions: Animal Hoarding." Allegedly someone from Animal Planet or associated with animal planet posted the comment. I state allegedly because it doesn't appear to be a professional letter that I have come to recognize as Animal Planet.

Yes, people with severe mental and emotional problems need help and it is wonderful you are offering psychological treatment. Is this treatment free of charge? I am sorry, but this doesn't belong on television sensationalizing a problem that yes needs to be addressed, but not on TV.

There will always be a few people around that don't properly take care of their children. There will be a few people who don't take care of their animals, exotic or otherwise.

I feel my job is to help educate people who have never had exotic pets before, to make sure they make an informed decision.

I am also here to bring other exotic pet people together to enjoy each others company, to share the great strides they have made in taking care of exotics, to share their joy, as well as their heartbreak.

I am not here to exaggerate the minuscule number of unfortunate accidents. But, I am here to help avoid mistakes. I can't do my job as long as the media blows anything to do with exotic pets' way out of proportion.

Has there been fatalities, yes but very few, very very few. Do some people horde exotic pets? Occasionally, you hear of this happening. Kind of like the poor little old cat women with all her cats. It's sad, but fortunately it is not something that occurs very often.

When there is one reported incident, there are thousands of joyful exotic pet owners with healthy and happy exotic pets. Why don't we see these families and their pets on TV, the internet, magazines, or newspapers?

There is only one reason, it doesn't make the media owners any money.

I just love it when our government representatives, rant and rave about exotic pet laws, with politically active Animal Rights groups in their pockets, only to drive home to feed their pet iguana. Hypocrites. These AR groups do more to harm exotic pets than help them.

As far as many of their so-called sanctuaries, it looks like legal hording to me, but with grants and donations to support their habit.

Am I a horder? Are you? What is a horder? When the media broadcasts such a show, potentially causing changes in exotic pet laws, where is the line going to be drawn? The hording of anything belongs on a mental health channel and not shows that primarily deal with animals.

Did they see the dollar signs when the show on hoarders actually brought in an audience? Reality TV, I doubt it, it's sad to make money off of someone else's problem. As far as I am concerned it is no different from making nasty comments about someone with a physical deformity, or mentally challenged. I thought, or at least hoped those days were long gone.

As long as there is money to be made, people will continue to hurt other people, and along with those people, our pets that we love dearly.

Animal Planet, if that post was truly from you I would like an open discussion. I have enjoyed many of your shows. However, the shows blasting exotic pet ownership, using scare tactics exploiting these rare occurrences, let's be fair and show the huge other side of the population, the pet owners with healthy and happy exotic pets.

Diana Geiger Exotic Pets Editoron

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