Once again, I am all for legitimizing the lineages. I would also be willing to post your info on my website. I think it would add credibility & value to be able to assure that my gliders are part of a registry like the AKC does for dogs. AKC has been around for years and is very well known. If you get a dog with AKC papers, you know for sure that it has not been inbred and comes from other dogs that meet the breed standard. The glider community is new to this kind of registry, so it will take time to get accustomed to, but I do beleive it has come time to go in this direction. There needs to be a breed standard and colors that everyone agrees on and not just an opinion based on a picture, that may not show the "true colors". I know I am relatively new to gliders, in general, but I have done everything possible to learn more and will continue every day! I want to breed good quality gliders from good lines and want those lines to continue. To the new people coming in, I think it would give them peace of mind to know the background on their gliders is registered and recognized as being a solid community member. That, of course, is just my opinion.

OtteMom you are correct in noting there are not that many breeders out there. It is also true that breeders will benefit the most from the Registry.

As I mentioned, this is a LOT of work with a faint hope of a modest return. Because there is very little hope of generating lots of money, you may never find anyone willing to take on the task. This should prove to anyone thinking that we are here to try to exploit you and get rich somehow, that it just isn't going to happen.

Just like we are asking you to gamble and give us $25 We are making a gamble too - I have put months of my time into this and face many more months putting the database together. And yes, we said going in, that it is non-refundable, and we have made no promises, the Registry may never become a reality and then YES - I will state it clearly - You are out $25. Is that really such a big deal in light of what you *might* gain? All worthy endeavors take visionaries - people who can see past the small hurdles - and are willing to take chances like spending money on something that my never come about - and see the larger and more beneficial goals.

As far as individual owners go - they seem like people who love these sweet little animals - and pamper them and I can't imagine them NOT wanting a pretty certificate with their name on it, and the glider's name - and knowing both are recorded in a National Registry and are permanently part of Sugar Glider History. You buy them toys, you feed them better that most Americans eat - you make sure they have comfortable hazard free environments, you carry them around in your bras - from what I can tell - Glider Owners will not suddenly draw a line at getting them a frameable certificate that they can display for everyone who walks into their home to see. It's a frivolity, it's a luxury, it's a flashy fancy novelty - and I think most owners would like to have it. I could be wrong. Am I going to get rich by them paying around $10 to register their gliders and get certificate? Nope.

One last point - maybe I misunderstood something, or maybe I didn't say it correctly before but I'll try to make it clear again: Rescuers would NOT pay for their account or for registering the glider. I understand this effort to be completely humanitarian and we want to support this effort - I also understand that rescued gliders are not bred - and having a Rescue Registration number will insure that any offspring coming from that glider will be ineligible for establishing pedigrees - this protects the glider in a way, because if we cut off the ability to establish pedigrees the 'value' is lost - it will make the rescued glider unattractive to this kind of exploitation. Does that make sense? We can't go out there and tie the glider's little tubes - but we can 'sterilize' it's official documentation.

Finally - I the Registry will never be an indication of the degree of love one has for their pets. Further, all gliders - regardless of where they come from or how they came to you - are eligible for Registration (and a pretty frameable certificate)

Everyone made excellent suggestions for us to consider, thank you all.

GliderMa and others who have specific knowledge about lineages and pedigrees. I need to know exactly what type of data we would want to collect for the database.

If you could start a list of things we want - it will help me greatly. Remember you are talking to someone with little knowledge about these specifics - so try to be as descriptive as possible. It will be an ongoing thing, so don't worry if you post a list and then think of more things - just keep letting me know when things come up! Thanks. Remember we can only get out of the database - things we put in it.

To all - I will try to put more work into the Website itself. The website, too is a work in progress - so don't be discouraged - it too, will increase over time and will have more information for you. Look for it here Gliderregistry.com

One Point of Clarity - I made a statement in a previous post about needing 3000 people to pay $25 and that we might consider doing the registry - this was an exaggeration in the hopes of illustrating the magnitude of the project.

Obviously we are dedicated enough to have come this far with no funding or support at all.

We will make every effort to make the Registry a reality. There are many ways to do it - the ideal way would be to do it with proper funding. That's really the point I was trying to make.

There is a page on the website gliderregistry.com where you can ask your questions - we will use these to populate the FAQ page - which also has a few questions/answers there now. all the input that you give us will make the final result a better product. Please take this opportunity to have your say.

R.