POST-GAZETTE (Peittsburgh, Pennsylvania) 14 October 10 Snake ban disputed in Wilkins (Deborah M. Todd)

Pittsburgh: During a meeting that addressed interim real estate assessments and a time-sensitive bridge repair project, an obscure ordinance prohibiting snakes and other exotic animals took center stage in Wilkins.

Corey Hobbel of Dunbar Drive voiced his opposition to ordinance 6518, which prohibits ownership of "poisonous, non-poisonous or constrictor" snakes in the township.

Last month, Mr. Hobbel received a notice instructing him to remove his boa constrictor from his property after a neighbor saw him holding it in his front yard.

He said the ordinance unfairly classifies all snakes as dangerous, and said he would appeal the notice as well as the ordinance.

"Some people are dog people, some people are cat people. Me and my family, we're snake people," he said. "I take care of my animals. They're not contained in a cardboard box, they're in a professional enclosure that is lockable and they're safe.

"If it's a matter of me keeping my snake indoors and locked up, I will be more than happy to do so. But to outright have to get rid of my animal -- which is part of our family, weird as that might sound -- I don't see the logic."

Code enforcement officer Leonard Hill said the ordinance -- which also prohibits animals such as hippos, elephants and jaguars -- was most likely written based on a model ordinance years ago, and admitted it covers a broad range of animals.

But he also said irresponsible pet owners could release their snakes into the wild and cause a pest control problem in the township.

Although no commissioners moved to amend the ordinance, commissioner Paul Padula suggested that Mr. Hobbel bring the board information from places he had lived in the past so members would have an idea how to balance the safety of the residents and the rights of snake owners.

"I think the police, fire department and paramedics should know about it," he said. "I think people need to be made aware of what it is. But I think we need to figure out if there's some sort of neutral ground somewhere we can come up with."
Snake ban disputed in Wilkins

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