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Our Mission
A reptile-first platform & marketplace.
HappyDragons is a reptile-first platform for pet owners and breeders. We are committed to creating a marketplace of ethically-bred reptiles and vetted supplies, alongside a crowd sourced platform of engaged pet owners seeking to improve the care and well being of their reptiles.
We are dedicated to providing evidence-based resources for pet owners and breeders alike, while gathering data and discovering new insights through a community of passionate hobbyists dedicated to the advancement of optimal reptile care.
HappyDragons’ primary mission is to continuously improve the welfare of reptiles in captivity.
We believe that many reptiles can truly thrive in captivity when provided with the right care. Likewise, reptile pet owners can relish the experience of reptile care when their pets are healthy, active, and better understood.
Our understanding of reptiles and their care is constantly evolving with new research and experience. HappyDragons reflects the constant evolution of reptile care by offering an ethically-driven platform that grows with new insights and observations.
On HappyDragons, we aim to produce conditions that help pet reptiles to thrive in three ways:
We connect pet owners to breeders dedicated to both producing healthy reptiles and the improvement of their reptile breeding.
We provide research-driven content that strongly advocates for welfare-oriented practices, updated to continuously improve reptile care.
We discover new insights and techniques in reptile care by collecting crowdsourced care reports from passionate reptile pet owners.
HappyDragons aims to become the hub for pet owners, breeders, and all reptile lovers to connect and share experiences.
HappyDragons will advance the hobby through crowdsourced research and communication. By supporting good breeders and providing an evolving educational platform, we hope to bring more awareness and action towards bettering reptile welfare in captivity.
Always improving
Our standards are founded in evidence based science and we are constantly in pursuit of insights into how we can improve reptile care. As new findings emerge and change our understanding, our standards change, too.
We are perpetually in pursuit of discovering better reptile care.
HappyDragons is guided by three principles:
Animal Welfare
Transparency
Education
Our Commitment to Animal Welfare
HappyDragons is an ethics-driven platform. Every decision we make is rooted in serving the well-being of captive animals. Here at HappyDragons, reptile welfare always comes first. From our breeder certifications to our care guides & educational checkout process, the health and care of animals are prioritized.
As our ethical anchor, we use the 5 Provisions of Animal Welfare as set forth by David Mellor, which are:
Good Nutrition
Pet reptiles must have ready access to fresh, clean water and a species-appropriate diet which promotes optimum physical fitness. Thirst and hunger should be minimized, and eating should be a pleasurable experience.
Good Environment
Pet reptiles should have suitable housing, complete with shade areas, shelters/rest areas, and good air quality. Temperatures, humidity, and UVB intensity should be appropriate to the animal’s species. Discomfort and stress should be minimized.
Good Health
Illness, disease, and injury in pet reptiles should be diagnosed and treated promptly, and prevented as much as possible. Husbandry should foster good muscle tone, posture, cardiorespiratory function, and general physical fitness. Aversive experiences such as breathlessness, nausea, and pain should be avoided.
Appropriate Behavior
Pet reptiles should have sufficient space, facilities, and varied conditions to perform species-appropriate behaviors (“environmental enrichment”). Social species should be housed in groups to promote the pursuit of social behavior. Social needs should be met based on factors of safety, stress, and proven benefit, as social behaviors observed in the wild often differ from those in captivity. Freedom of choice should be promoted. Threats and risks to the animal’s safety should be minimized.
Positive Mental Experiences
Pet reptiles should have regular access to species-appropriate opportunities which promote a sense of comfort, pleasure, interest, confidence, and/or control (“enrichment activities”).
Transparency
We believe captive-breeding programs can be the ultimate example of responsible and sustainable wildlife stewardship. We want to showcase this example with a marketplace of breeders selected for their progressive welfare-based practices across individual reptile care, population genetic integrity, and overall ethical presentation.
Reptile Sellers on the HappyDragon Marketplace are certified by an individual application process to ensure that only healthy, well-bred reptiles are sold on the platform. At HappyDragons, we want to ensure that every customer knows who they are buying reptiles from, the quality of their breeding methods, and as much information as possible on the individual reptile they are purchasing.
Our breeders are screened to demonstrate a commitment to animal welfare, and are held to a degree of standards that we openly publish to our buyers. We understand that breeding practices are also constantly evolving to improve the well-being of active breeding stock and their offspring. Thus, our breeders communicate with each other and the HappyDragons team to report on their obstacles, observations, and discoveries in improving the well-being of their reptiles and their offspring.
Education
Buyers are given thorough instructions to fully prepare for the reptiles they purchase, encouraging proper care and allowing breeders to feel more confident that their animals are going to good homes. We believe pet owners should strive to exceed the basic care requirements for an animal’s survival and provide the most enriching environment possible for their pet. Our care guides focus on modern, evidence-based care standards that aim to better emulate natural habitats within captivity.
Browse our Care Guides
