shamelesslymkp: you all probably don’t know this, as the folks in the know try to keep it on t
shamelesslymkp: you all probably don’t know this, as the folks in the know try to keep it on the downlow, but dragons are alive and well, even in this day and age!now, I’m sure you’re imagining wild dragons, burning down buildings, eating people, kidnapping princesses, etc., but that kind of thing, I’m happy to say, really only happens in fairytales. nowadays, most dragons are domesticated, but even the wild dragons are really more frightened of you than you are of it! they’re very shy of humans - we’re huge and loud and do many strange and frightening things, like screaming and throwing things.(that’s another thing the fairytales get wrong. REAL dragons are NOT, as you’ve probably been raised to think, as huge as a house and twice as mean. the adults are really closer in size to a large dog, and the youngest dragon kits are much smaller, more cat size than dog.)unfortunately, just like cats and dogs and any other domesticated creature, many dragons end up on the streets or in abusive situations that they have to be rescued from. these rescue dragons get taken to dragon sanctuaries, where they’re looked after and cared for, with the goal of eventually adopting them out to a good home.some rescue dragons get adopted almost immediately! the dragon kits, of course, are the easiest to find homes for - they’re utterly charming and so excited to play that they quickly capture the hearts of potential adopters.adults who came from fairly good homes or only had a limited amount of time in bad circumstances are generally the next easiest to find homes for - they’ve been socialized already, and tend not to have the health or behavioral issues of the dragons who’ve spent longer on the streets.dragons with health conditions or disabilities are more difficult to adopt out, but for whatever reason, they still tend to be easier to find homes for than those dragons with improper socialization and problem behaviors. (alright, probably the reason is that about half of the time when a dragon’s fight-or-flight reflex is triggered, the situation ends in flames and tears, but honestly, that’s just part of having a dragon as a pet and something potential adopters should be really prepared for.)my good friend @arrows-for-pens is in training to be a dragon behaviorist (her cover is that she’s in training to be a cat behaviorist, but honestly I’m pretty sure she’s doing both, because she loves cats just as much as she loves dragons, which is a heck of a lot) and she works at a local dragon sanctuary (name and location withheld for the protection of the sanctuary and the dragons sheltered there. knights are less of a problem in this day and age, but there’s always SOME asshole out there with a bee in their bonnet about ‘those dangerous lizards’ etc etc.).she mostly works with the more traumatized and poorly socialized dragons, teaching them through experience that not all humans are dangerous sources of pain, and getting them more used to being around humans and human activity, so they don’t get triggered into destructive defense reactions as often. (dragons with this kind of a past are always going to sometimes get triggered and react to a situation in the ways that have kept them safe in the past, but with kindness and patience, they can start to feel safe enough to start to learn new positive behavior patterns.)Kate has generally a dozen favorite dragons at any given time, and she has an especial fondness for the more skittish dragons, lavishing them with the gentle and patient affection they need while still making sure to give them the space and quiet they need to feel safe.one of her favorite dragons at the sanctuary right now is a beautiful green called Flicker!Flicker has had a hard life, although the sanctuary isn’t quite sure of the particulars. She is very skittish and can be violent when startled. Kate got a nasty burn from her the other day when Flicker was frightened by a loud group of potential adopters, but Kate doesn’t hold a grudge. She says Flicker was frightened, and that she [Kate] should have known better than to try to pet her in such a stressful situation.This is a picture of Kate with Flicker. Flicker can be violent when frightened, it’s true, and she’s very skittish of people, but if you’re patient and gentle with her, she becomes incredibly sweet and affectionate, rubbing against your legs and purring loudly. if she knows you well enough, she’ll even butt her head against your hand and make demanding trills until you pet her.if you’re in the know about the reality of dragons and know that this post isn’t just a fairytale story, please think about supporting your local dragon sanctuary, either financially or by volunteering your time!there are many dragons just like Flicker, waiting patiently (or impatiently, depending on the individual’s personality) for some human to take them home and give them the happy life they deserve. <3 -- source link