Virginia Alert: SB477

I'll be on Morelia Python Radio tonight at 10pm to talk about proposed Exotic Animal ban in Virginia-SB477. Please tune in to see what you can do to help.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/morelia...exotic-animals


David Means
540-829-9846
540-219-5792
dvmeans@hotmail.com

How many documented cases are there in the state of VA in the last decade where someone was seriously hurt or killed by an exotic pet?

Having these numbers, and more information than those backing this bill is going to be the key to your success or failure.

Most judgement passed on exotics come from a place of complete ignorance. people who don't know anything about their nature label them as dangerous based simply on their own fear. They assume just because a snake can potentially get big enough to take down a human that they are all man eating monsters. These same people would back abill banning the boggeyman even though it's safe to say he never hurt a single person lol.

But in all seriousness do your home work, and show up armed to the gills not with opinions, but cold hard facts.
1. How many documented cases of severe injury due to exotic pets in the last year, and the last decade.
2. How many documented deaths due to exotics in the last year, and last decade.
3. How many documented severe injuries non exotic related occur in the state each year.
4. How many non exotic related deaths occur in the state each year.

If you want to take it even further do another 1-4 for the whole nation.
Let the numbers speak for them selves. My guess is exotics related deaths and injuries make up well less than 0.0001% state, and nation wide. Having these exact numbers, and percentages broken down on an easy to read chart can go a long way towards proving how dangerous they ARE NOT.
It will be very hard to ban them under a "dangerous animal act" once you prove they are not a dangerous animal.

Don't our politicians have enough problems to worry about without constantly added to the list of things we cannot do in this "free" country.

Originally Posted by Bowgod34

How many documented cases are there in the state of VA in the last decade where someone was seriously hurt or killed by an exotic pet?

Having these numbers, and more information than those backing this bill is going to be the key to your success or failure.

Most judgement passed on exotics come from a place of complete ignorance. people who don't know anything about their nature label them as dangerous based simply on their own fear. They assume just because a snake can potentially get big enough to take down a human that they are all man eating monsters. These same people would back abill banning the boggeyman even though it's safe to say he never hurt a single person lol.

But in all seriousness do your home work, and show up armed to the gills not with opinions, but cold hard facts.
1. How many documented cases of severe injury due to exotic pets in the last year, and the last decade.
2. How many documented deaths due to exotics in the last year, and last decade.
3. How many documented severe injuries non exotic related occur in the state each year.
4. How many non exotic related deaths occur in the state each year.

If you want to take it even further do another 1-4 for the whole nation.
Let the numbers speak for them selves. My guess is exotics related deaths and injuries make up well less than 0.0001% state, and nation wide. Having these exact numbers, and percentages broken down on an easy to read chart can go a long way towards proving how dangerous they ARE NOT.
It will be very hard to ban them under a "dangerous animal act" once you prove they are not a dangerous animal.

Here is the information I could find. It list all documented incidents since 1990. http://www.bornfreeusa.org/database/...ents.php?state[]=VA&startyear=1990&endyear=2011&species=R

Basically one death "blamed" on a boid in 2008 (http://www.bornfreeusa.org/database/...nt.php?id=1222). The other injury was an infant contracted salmonella in 1995 (http://www.bornfreeusa.org/database/...dent.php?id=70). The rest is some guy who kept getting bit by his cobra.

Comparatively, there are over 1000 dog bites reported in Virginia every year and 5 fatalities between 2000 and 2005 (http://www.bornfreeusa.org/database/...dent.php?id=70). I'm trying to find more recent data on dog fatalities.

Sorry. This is the link I meant for the last post - http://leg2.state.va.us/dls/h&sdocs.nsf/fc86c2b17a1cf388852570f9006f1299/0d1249194c0e646c8525721b004f7565/$FILE/RD275.pdf

8 deaths in the US from "boids" since 1990 - http://www.bornfreeusa.org/database/exo_incidents.php

Just some numbers

There have been 186 dog fatalities reported since 2005 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._United_States

Sorry for over-posting, but I think the numbers speak for themselves. By their logic, dogs should be outlawed. Lets not mention the ecological damage cats have on native wildlife...

Originally Posted by go_topless

I'll be on Morelia Python Radio tonight at 10pm to talk about proposed Exotic Animal ban in Virginia-SB477. Please tune in to see what you can do to help.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/morelia...exotic-animals


David Means
540-829-9846
540-219-5792
dvmeans@hotmail.com

If anyone wants to call in please feel free.
347-215-7359

Originally Posted by salottimc

Comparatively, there are over 1000 dog bites reported in Virginia every year and 5 fatalities between 2000 and 2005 (http://www.bornfreeusa.org/database/...dent.php?id=70). I'm trying to find more recent data on dog fatalities.

I'm too tired to read all that and calculate the big picture but just some quick math based on numbers you have clearly posted boids account for aprox 0.0000158% of all deaths a across the US each year. Sounds dangerous to me lol. I'd bet money that you would have a hard time finding anything that is accountable for a lower percentage than that.

0.18% of all deaths happen on the job, so why not ban work?

0.87% are traffic related ban driving?

0.12% of deaths are from food related illness (not including choking victims) so lets ban eating

I think you get the point.i'll read everything tommorrow, and try to supply more ammo.