• Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    Posted 08/15/2025
    =====================


    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

    =====================
    Addendum: 01/10/2026
    =====================


    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

Virginia Alert: SB477

E

EricWI

New member
Joined
Nov 8, 2008
Messages
130
Reaction score
3
Points
0
Location
Madison, Wisconsin
SB 477 Dangerous wild animals.
Introduced by: L. Louise Lucas

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Dangerous wild animals. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to privately possess, sell, transfer, or breed dangerous wild animals The bill would grandfather in the ownership of any existing lawful exotic animals; however, the owner of such animals is required to meet certain conditions in order to maintain possession of the exotic animals. The bill limits the possession of dangerous wild animals to facilities accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and bona fide sanctuaries. The legislation describes the procedures to be followed in the seizure and care of dangerous wild animals.
http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=121&typ=bil&val=sb477
 
Incase you wanted the Python portion of it ....

(2) Family Boidae: anacondas (Genus Eunectes), boa constrictors (Boa constrictor), Burmese pythons (Python molurus), reticulated pythons (Python reticulatus), amethystine pythons (Morelia amethistina), scrub pythons (Morelia kinghorni), Northern African pythons (Python sebae), Southern African pythons (Python natalensis).

Trey
 
Virginia SB477 isn't on the docket for public hearing this week and will NOT be heard tomorrow (Jan. 19, 2012). It may be heard as early as next week. We will have the opportunity to testify to oppose this Bill at the hearing in front of the committee. Each person will have a small amount of time to speak. Here is a link for tips for testifying: http://legis.virginia.gov/1_cit_guide/tips_testify.html



I plan on attending this hearing and speaking in opposition to this Bill and hope many of you can join me. For those of you that can't attend the hearing, I'd be happy to hand deliver a letter on your behalf. Letters should have your hand signed signature on them to be most effective. Letters should be respectful. Be sure to include that you are opposed to SB477.



I would be happy to offer a ride to anyone that wants to meet at my house in Culpeper. We need as many people to show up at this hearing as possible. We also need a lot of letters. Get your family and friends involved in sending letters. Even if you are not a Virginia resident send letters telling how this bill will affect you.



It would be great if someone could post a pre-written letter a person could just fill in their name and print/email.



Please feel free to contact me at:

David Means

540-829-9846

540-219-5792

[email protected]
 
Last edited:
David.. fantastic! I will attend if possible, but if its on Thursday I don't think ill be able to get out of work. I have altered one of the usark letters to fit our situation here in VA and have posted it all over various sites (mainly craigslist and Facebook). Many others have copied and sent and you can feel free to use it. I'd also like to handwrite a statement, if you think you'll be able to read them at the hearing. The form letter is below. Ill call you tomorrow, if that's okay, regarding the handwritten letter.

My family and I represent a unique American Industry that has developed and grown exponentially over the past two decades—the Reptile Industry. I write to you today to describe how our hard work, job creation, and contribution to our national and state economy is about to be put in jeopardy. I very much want you to be aware of this dynamic because it strikes at the ability of Americans to maintain their jobs, family life, and their contributions to our American education and work ethic.

I suspect you have been approached by special interest groups that would like to end animal ownership and kill my industry by pushing enactment of the new reptile ban in VA. The livelihood of many of your constituents is at stake, not to mention the negatives effects on the economy that WILL be felt.

If passed, these propositions will be the beginning of the end of our industry. This rule, based on ignorance and fear, will not 'protect' people,. It will hurt American business and my family. More people are killed in car accidents, in dog attacks, and by lightning than exotic animals! Not only is the proposal unfair, it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Consider that the reptile hobby is a billion dollar industry nationwide, and consider the hardships our state and its citizens will face should this law be enacted.

With your stated agenda of sound science combined with your keen awareness of the reality of the world today, I hope you will instantly identify with my problem and make certain that I and thousands of virginians can get back to work free from fear of the consequences of the exotics ban. I know that you will want to do the right thing to stop wasting government time and money so that our government can attend to more pressing state matters.

Proposed bill 477 is prejudicial, economically damaging, and ineffective. As Americans and small business owners, we have the right to be a part of any legislation regarding the possession and sale of exotics.

I would like to be informed of any upcoming committee meetings or hearings so that our concerns and suggestions may be heard and taken into considerations.

Thank you for your consideration.
 
Seeing as how the Bill is saying that these exotic/wild animals are dangerous, we should include in our letters that these animals pose little to no danger to the public and little to no danger to the keepers.
 
Yes, that's what I was going for with the sentence about mote people being killed by cars, etc. I can rewrite it to be a little more clear and solid.
 
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.
 
Bowgod34 said:
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.
Click to expand...

Here is the information I could find. It list all documented incidents since 1990. http://www.bornfreeusa.org/database/exo_incidents.php?state[]=VA&startyear=1990&endyear=2011&species=R
 
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
 
salottimc said:
Comparatively, there are over 1000 dog bites reported in Virginia every year and 5 fatalities between 2000 and 2005 (http://www.bornfreeusa.org/database/exo_incident.php?id=70). I'm trying to find more recent data on dog fatalities.
Click to expand...

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.
 
Back
Top