|
No we don’t register our hedgehogs…
We understand that there are still quite a few people who believe that registering hedgehogs is necessary in order to
justify a higher asking price for the animals they produce in a breeding program or to be considered a progressive breeder
by fellow breeders. Although we consider ourselves dedicated and progressive, we also realize that a registration number or
the piece of paper it is typed on, should not dictate the value of any pet. Many progressive people breed animals for different
reasons. Not every person that breeds specific animals chooses to belong to or endorses the particular club or the club members
who are responsible for registering their animals.
We feel that in some instances when clubs assign any pet a number or when they send out a numbered certificate these clubs
my be unintentionally sending the wrong message to people. They may in fact be contributing to irresponsible pet ownership.
When people promote registering pet animals they are inadvertently making people think that because an animal is registered
it is somehow worth more than an animal that is not registered. In many instances breeders go too far and over emphasis importance
of registering animals, at times they even use registration papers as a tool to seduce unsuspecting buyers into purchasing
a pet from them. Oddly enough because consumers want to trust all breeders they are often misguided and misled into believing
that when an animal is registered, that they are in fact buying an animal from an ethical breeder; that registered animals
are healthier or somehow better than an animal that is not registered. This is simply not the case. Just look at how many
registered animals are produced and registered in Puppy/ Kitten mills around the world each and every year.
Nowadays there are clubs that will register just about any animal. Mixed breeds, cross breeds, hybrids or purebreds can
all be registered. There are many clubs that specialize in just about any animal you can think of. Most clubs will for a small
fee (seldom for free) register any animal. Some clubs will even offer to register animals that have no history or pedigrees,
such as pet store animals, shelter animals or rescues. Unfortunately, unless DNA is used to verify the genetic makeup of a
particular animal, the registration certificate is useless and it is nothing more than a number written/typed on a piece of
paper. No registration will confirm that an animal has been raised in an environment that is warm, safe and caring. Registration
papers do not confirm, validate or rate the experience or dedication of the breeder nor does it mean that an animal is healthy.
If you have ever called or emailed a club to ask about the history on a particular registered animal, likely your questions
are left unanswered or result in dead end answers. This is because the breeder is the only person who is familiar enough with
the animals lineage and is most likely the only person knowledgeable enough to provide answers pertaining to genetic history,
disposition, health concerns etc., of a particular animal. A contentious breeder has nothing to hide and more often than not,
will enjoy talking about their breeding efforts and the accomplishments they have achieved over the years.
Until such time that it becomes more economical and feasible for animal registration associations to implement and enforce
stricter registration guidelines. In our opinion, registering any pet animal is useless. Until clubs require the use of more
modern identification techniques such as DNA testing or microchipping we will not be registering our animals. We don’t
foresee these changes happening anytime in the near future. For now all of our animals will continue to have names not
numbers.
|
