Visit www.dontletitloose.com for more information!

Exotic pets are growing in popularity at an astounding pace. With that growth, we've seen huge changes in quality of care provided to our pets. Reptile and amphibian husbandry supplies are commonly available at virtually any pet store and proper care information is more widely available than ever before. We all want what's best for our much loved pets.

With pet ownership comes responsibility—not only for the care and well being of our pets themselves, but also a responsibility to "first, do no harm". Do not, under any circumstances, ever release pets, feeder insects, or plants into the wild.

Pets, plants, and insects can be dangerous when released outside, and should NEVER BE RELEASED INTO THE ENVIRONMENT. Doing so may be illegal and can be very harmful to your native wildlife. Make sure to always rehome your animals if you find yourself unable to care for them, and dispose of your plants and insects appropriately.

To protect your environment, follow these practices:

1. Rehome unwanted amphibians—NEVER release them into the wild
2. Never release feeder insects outdoors
3. To dispose of unwanted feeder insects, freeze the organisms (and all materials exposed to the organisms, such as bedding) for 3 days, then dispose of them in the trash

Follow the simple steps outlined above and protect the environment. Remember, keeping exotic animals is a privilege that must be protected. Be a responsible pet owner–it's the ethical (and legal!) thing to do!

If you have any questions about the handling, keeping, or disposal of these organisms, please contact Josh's Frogs or APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine at (866)524-5421 or [email protected]. Another great source of information is PIJAC's Habitattitude page.