Laws banning reptiles!, your state could be next!

All I know is when I look into the eyes of my animals I feel a strong desire to conserve their species.

I think there are other ways to compensate the retrieval and recovery of said animals in question!

OK, and what ways are those? You are thinking monetary expenses incurred and I am talking about damage to the environment and endemic species.
Don't forget about those that aren't caught, and the thousands that are but you do not hear about in the press! It's no wonder so many think the problem is petty

Ok.......(yawn) tell me about the damage to the enviroment and the endemic species that the reptiles in question have done to the state of New York?
Wake me up when you find the answer!...K?

Sure! I will as soon as you tell me about other ways to compensate the retrieval and recovery of said animals in question!

Boring to rediscover the velcro this day and age...

Nite nite

Charge the people who lose the animals.
Issue permits and charge a fee to the people who keep and/or breed Venomous reptiles and large constrictors.
Your turn!

Charge the people who lose the animals.

dam, why didn't they think of that? The people are only waiting to be charged! Maybe standing at the next reptile show or pet store?

Issue permits and charge a fee to the people who keep and/or breed Venomous reptiles and large constrictors

Oh yeah, charge a fee for keeping an animal.. a lot like those dog licenses. They keep animal shelters empty and the ASPCA without material for TV shows on animal abuse. And I am sure they'll prevent owners from dumping them too when Iggy outgrows the 10 gallon tank!

Who needs Bush or Kerry when you are on the planet teaching us all common sense!

And who knows how many more reptiles were abandoned in the US in the last ten minutes, sure nobody would notice
BRING ON whatever it takes to protect local wildlife and innocent animals! Bite the bullet and deal with it! You can't have all the snakes you want, because it has been proven that such lack of control leads to harm to the environments and the animals. Deal with it and move on.
I'm bored with this redundant thread myself. Gawd help the wonderful, innocent critters going to irresponsible humans tonight

Humpback! they have issued permits for certain animals for years! It's not rocket science!
The difference of a law forbidding the keeping of reptiles and a law making them available by having the neccessary licenses or permits is Like trying to get your money by fining and/or imprisoning someone after that person has broken the law. Or Getting your money first by charging for licenses or permits!
That is what you were talking about isn't it? Who's gonna pay?

As for people letting go there animals into the wild, no law will ever stop that....there are already laws against it!
Maybe they should ban goldfish! They play hell on the local fish populations.
Thats it! Lets ban Goldfish too cause somebody in Yonkers is letting them go!
We can send out the animal control posse to little timmys house so we can fine the hell out of him and get our money!!!! cause he has a goldfish!!!!

Anyway don't get me started! LOL
And Humpback Im still waiting for that list of species on the list that have caused those huge problems in New York! come on do a search, you should be able to find hundreds with your velcro thingy!

Humpback,
I would be interested to know what type of havoc those reptiles have reeked on New York as well. I think Pit Bulls have probably been more responsible for injury in NY then reptiles. They have been proven to be dangerous animals yet where are the laws on them? They are victims as well, victims of irresponsible owners who misuse or misunderstand that breed of dog. Yet if the State where to come in and impose ownership regulations there would be all sorts of outcry. We are free to own whatever dog we want....I wouldn't want the state coming in and telling me I can't own certain reptiles.....

Now don't get upset Overton, you are a Leo breeder and as such have disease ridden Leos stacked in filthy bins according to Wanda, as do the rest of us.

I wouldn't argue with someone who slams breeders yet shows she herself has little knowledge of the species, or at least hasn't bothered reading a good book on them but wants to breed.

Don't start bashing pitbulls now -- RESPONSIBLE pitbull owners have to deal with as much legislative crap and prejudice as reptile owners do (breed specific legistlation, to be exact). But I do see your point -- even if an acceptable pet, such as a Golden Retriever or horse, harms a human, nothing is done in the way of legislation. OR, as the topic of debate seems to be environmental issues, if a free-roaming pet cat kills an endangered species of bird (as has happened before), the topic of banning cats is not even brought up. As well it shouldn't be.

And herin lies the central arguement between the people making the laws and the people fighting them. Is it the responsibility of the owners of the animals to control their pets, or the responsibility of the government to control the owners?

Certainly I'm part of the "responsibility of the owners" camp. Though I do agree that SOMETHING should probably be done to keep thirteen year old boys from buying Burmese pythons and then lying to their parents about the adult size (as the ever-depressing KS Burmese python forum will demonstrate). Or those pesky water moniters and Burms and gators that apparently keep appearing in apartment buildings. I'm not of the mind that the government should ban everything -- I'm not even of the mind that the government should ban RESPONSIBLE ownership of these reptiles at all.

So then what's left to insure responsibility and public safety? I honestly don't know. It would be nice if people could be safe and responsible, and sellers could be more thorough in their evaluations of a potential owner's skill and experience. Sadly, people are irresponsible, so more laws are made. From the point of veiw of both the lawmakers and the non-herp-keeping public, this probably seems like a no-brainer. So how do we convince them otherwise?

But what is a "pitbull"?

A putbull is a new breed of a pit bull that only attacks golfers....or those who enjoy a game of put-put....
Sorry have not had my coffee yet and our heat is broken in the office....60 degrees inside here.....