Buk has some really good ideas floating around. I'm working with him on a few freshwater ideas and he is working with Richard on the saltwater side as well. Should be a really interesting approach to the new program. Those two have really been doing a lot of work.

As always, anyone with questions, ideas, or concerns is more than welcomed to e-mail me. My e-mail is in my signature along with my AIM contact.

Burks said :

Buk has some really good ideas floating around. I'm working with him on a few freshwater ideas and he is working with Richard on the saltwater side as well. Should be a really interesting approach to the new program. Those two have really been doing a lot of work.

Now you're just teasing us!  I would love to hear what it is you all have cooking.

pundam said :

Burks said :

Buk has some really good ideas floating around. I'm working with him on a few freshwater ideas and he is working with Richard on the saltwater side as well. Should be a really interesting approach to the new program. Those two have really been doing a lot of work.

Now you're just teasing us!  I would love to hear what it is you all have cooking.

having worked in a few petstores as the "fish guy" a few things really really really got to me. 1)the nitrogen cycle being a great mistery 2) the "one inch" rule 3) general disregard to a pets wellbeing

so my biggest project i'd like to undertake is a subgroup within the club, or as a separate group all together if need be, aimed toward beginner fish keeping and preservation. this group would compose a flier, pamphlet, or instuction guide on the basics of the hobby to help reduce the three annoyances i listed above. these would hopefully be available at lfs as a guide to the "ooooh that's pretty" customer.

more to come...let me know if anyone is interested in this

All of those are good ideas. I was thinking somewhere along the same line on presentations. Maybe the next time someone is doing a presentation we could do a test recording it and put it up on the site for reference testing and such. Possibly draw more people in with Vid.

We had considered that before Will but I don't remember what happened.

Would certainly be an awesome thing to have though!

Do you think that would actually work though?  I wish it would, but I think its a waste of time.  There are two completely different types of pet owners.  I would never buy another living thing without researching it first, and providing the best home for it that I can.  Most of the people that I've seen in pet stores though could care less.  Its not just fish, its all animals.  They buy the animal, spend $10 to get it going, and then forget about it when something better comes along.  Meanwhile, the goldfish can't even turn around in its bowl, and the dog that is chained up outside rarely even gets food or water. 

I don't mean to be cynical, but IME the majority of people don't care about the welfare of the animal, so I don't think they would take the time to read about them.

I like both your ideas Buk and Will.  I also totally have seen what MSOsborne is saying too.  You work in rescue long enough you WILL get jaded.

BUT, even if 95% of the people we try to reach don't care, there's still that 5%.  I actually think we will  realistically reach more than that, especially if we start with groups that are already inclined to thinking about the well being of other living things(science classes, scouting troops, etc).

Morgan, I've seen what you're describing so often. I know a rescue that had two dogs surrendered because the owner redecorated and the dogs no longer matched the decor. Seriously.  I could type for hours about the dogs and cats we've brought in, or the iguanas that even 90% of the vets around here have no idea of proper diet., etc etc. And I know I'm preaching to the choir about the Bettas in vases.  AGH! 

It's so incredibly frustrating there aren't even adequate words.  But I really do see people who are interested in learning. I've given presentations to groups that later we have parents touching base to let us know changes they've made, or that their kids have made.  I KNOW we can reach people.  I think as long we keep our expectations realistic, we could do some actual good.  Not as much as we'd like to, probably, but more than we might expect.

pundam said :

BUT, even if 95% of the people we try to reach don't care, there's still that 5%.  I actually think we will  realistically reach more than that, especially if we start with groups that are already inclined to thinking about the well being of other living things(science classes, scouting troops, etc). 

I think that would be the most beneficial thing that we could do.  Educate the employees so that they could then educate the customers.  They would have to be willing to give up a sale though. 

BuK said :

 

 

having worked in a few petstores as the "fish guy" a few things really really really got to me. 1)the nitrogen cycle being a great mistery 2) the "one inch" rule 3) general disregard to a pets wellbeing

Don't forget 4) the fish won't outgrow the tank you put it in. 

MOsborne05 said :

 

 

I think that would be the most beneficial thing that we could do.  Educate the employees so that they could then educate the customers.  They would have to be willing to give up a sale though. 

And they don't have to be willing to give up sales, just adjust the sales.  Been there done that too(lots of years of retail sales, customer svc & mgmt).  You can actually increase your sales when people feel confident that they have a knowledgable & honest staff to turn to with questions.