Posted by:
Katrina
at Fri Jun 12 14:57:10 2009 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Katrina ]
Get yourself a lawyer if at all possible.
Make double copies right now of any paperwork you have on the animals, and the paperwork given to you by the state of NJ. Keep one copy in a safe place other than your residence, and keep one copy with you. It might not hurt to make copies of reciepts for any expenses you incurred while traveling to NJ as proof of where you were when.
As far as PA laws, unless you have a special permit of some kind (scientific, educational, etc):
If it's a native PA animal, other than a common snapping turtle, you cannot take it in or out of PA state lines or sell it in PA. If it is a native PA softshell, it was illegal to sell it at Hamburg and was sold to you illegally. There is a season in PA for snappers, and if you cannot have a snapper out of season. (Stupid, but true.) If it was a common snapper and sold to you out of season at Hamburg, it was sold illegally.
As for NJ, it's illegal to sell a turtle in NJ, period, so if you were going to sell in NJ, that's a problem. If you were headed to New York, it was illegal to sell (or have) native reptiles in NY. You have to have a permit to have a python and alligator in New Jersey - but not sure about just driving through. I'm pretty sure that big pythons and alligators are illegal in New York, but don't have the regs to back it up at this time.
NJ Department of Fish and Wildlife at 609-292 9591 or go to http://www.njfishandwildlife.com
For Animal Exhibitor or Animal Theatrical initial applications please call the Wildlife Permit Unit at 908-735-5450 or e-mail ExoticPermits@dep.state.nj.us
You want to read this and print this out:
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/exotic_apps.htm
It states that common snapping turtles are specifically exempt from requiring a permit in NJ - so having a common snapping turtle in possession in NJ should be legal no matter what.
I didn't see anything about traveling through NJ, but I wasn't reading too closely, either. I do know that a few years ago when I did a one day exhibit at the request of a reptile society in NJ, and even coming from MD with my MD permit and legally obtained animals from MD, I had to fax in 9 pages of paperwork to display native and exotic turtles for 8 hours, and I wasn't even staying the night!
IMO, at the very least, YOUR AFRICAN TURTLE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CONFISCATED. If your softshell and snapper weren't native to PA, they shouldn't have been confiscated, either. NJ requires a permit to keep most turtles, but I think (don't quote me) there's a 20 day grace period to get your permit after you've aquired the turtle (but you need a receipt of some kind proving where and when you acquired the turtle).
That's my unprofessional opinion on the matter.
Katrina
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RE: Urgent help and advise needed!! - Katrina, Fri Jun 12 14:57:10 2009