what are these adoption people thinking
 

Hi my name is Wes,I am 15 yrs. old i've wanted a large breed snake since i've been 5.The reason i do not have a large snake is mostly because everybody thinks because i am 15 i am irresponsible and that i only want this snake because it sounds cool or whatever.so instead i am told to study and when i "grow up" they will think about it. :hot: How do they expect you to not buy one (because that encourages the breeders to continue to breed them) if you can't adopt one?does anybody else run into this problem?thanks Wes

i do not think it is the irrisponsiblity factor but rather the monitary mean plus large breed snakes are not a one person animal... you need to have at least one other person when cleaning the enclosure, moving the snake ect. it take allot of room allot of feed and allot of man power for the big boys (burms and retics)also allot of the breeders or sellers or adoptioners do not want to be liable for any injuries that you might incur because of the animal. i would bet with parental approval maybe SOME of these people will but not many because the reasons listed above.. my personal policy is that i will not knowingly deal with minors unless i can get parental approval first.

I agree with Robin. I have actually hired someone else to come by once a week for the day for feeding and cleaning enclosures of the big snakes.

As for adopting large snakes out to minors, I don't do it either. Many many of the animals that come through here were "snuck" in by a minor and the parents found it and ordered the animal out of the house!

I will admit though, my young brother does get all of the ball pythons I get. He is a teenager and has a knack for getting them to eat, and I wouldn't want them to go to anyone else. So I do know that a teen can make a great reptile keeper, but I just don't think a burmese, rock, retic, or conda is the pet for a kid. :)

Wes-

As Robin brought up I think it's more an issue of safety and not so much maturity level. Everyone who has been here (Fauna) for more than an hour knows that there are some mighty immature people who own snakes, lizards, other animals and are even allowed to drive a vehicle. I think they should be monitored at all times, myself.

As for your problem I have a simple solution. Have your parents take the responsibility and have them adopt a snake for you. If you want one that badly then do your homework on them, let your parents do their homework on them, and then go out and adopt. Ultimately it is their responsibility as you are (unfortunately for you) still their responsibility until you reach 18.

Good luck,

i realize that there are immature people out there.i've spent alot of time on the internet and i come across alot of these people but i don't under stand why my age makes one of these people.i mean of course i've done my homework like i said i've wanted one since i was 5.i know the risk in keeping large breed snakes.i know you need 2 or more people when handling or feeding but the main reason i want one is snake awareness.what i am trying to say is it unnerves me that i live in an area where the only good snake is a dead snake and i hate that i can't move away from it because i am only 15. so why do you think that every teen is irresponsible?i do realize this is not an impulse buy,a disposable pet,or a non-living responsibility.

A lot has to do with the legal reprecussions. Since you are 15 that releases you from legal liability if something should happen. If something should happen to you or someone else due to the snake, they would look for a liable party. Giving, adopting or selling a snake to a minor that is dangerous to any extent opens yourself (the adoption people) up to legal risk.

Well one thing to help you not come off as one of those irresponsible teens... present yourself as a mature and rational person. Pay attention to your grammar and sentence structure. If you fill out an adoption application with the way you write here, you will almost certainly come off as a "kid". I think the words you're actually typing are pretty mature and you do come off as genuinly wanting to be a good reptile "parent". But one cannot over look the WAY you type.

If you can sit down and have a real talk with your parents as you have with us, I do not see why they wouldn't be willing to help out and get involved.

I was young and impatient once, too. It was back before we had the internet, and writing and stuff. Sorry, we old geezers do go off sometimes. How about this...

Volunteer with whatever rescue operation you wish to adopt from. I did dog rescue for 15 years and I know we always needed help. It would be a perfect way for you to show how much you know and how mature you really are. It's much harder to think of somebody as a know-nothing kid when you are working beside them. Also, since most highschools require volunteer work for graduation these days, you could be killing two birds with one stone. And take to heart what Ms. Lawrence said, in both writing and speech; if you sound more mature, you will be perceived as more mature.

Best wishes on you quest.

Brownie

Show them (your parents) you are serious.
 

Print this post and give your parents a copy. AFTER you have saved enough money for an adquate enclosure and accessories, set aside money for vet bills and the cost of the snake then show them the money and how much money is for each item. Make sure to make a case on how you are going to earn money to keep up with feeders, vet bills and medicine.

If you are responsible enough have saved enough money to purchase, set-up and feed your pet maybe they will see just how Serious you are.

Also someone else posted that you volunter at a shelter. What a great idea for you to prove to your parents you desire to become educated about animals and your wanting to be around them!

Hope this helps.

Tracey

There's two considerations, IMO. The first is legal.

A large boid is a potentially dangerous animal. Adopting one out to, or selling one to, a minor is akin to begging for legal problems. The same holds true for venomous reptiles.

The other consideration is stability. At 15, it's pretty much impossible for you to predict with any degree of certainty what course your life is going to take over the next few years. Are you going to go to college. Will you get accepted to a local school where you can commute, or are you going to be accepted to a major university where you'd be living in the dorms? It would be counterproductive for a rescue to adopt out a Burm, for example, if there's a reasonable chance it's going to be looking for a new home in a few years again.