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INDIANAPOLIS STAR (Indiana) 14 November 06 Snake-bitten Eastsider loses his deadly pets (Tim Evans)
Conservation officers served a warrant on an Eastside home Monday night and confiscated more than a dozen venomous snakes after their owner sought treatment for a bite from a deadly green mamba.
The owner of the snakes, Michael Fillenwarth, was taken into custody, but later released, said Sgt. Dean Shadley, an Indiana Conservation Officer.
Fillenwart did not have the proper permits to keep the snakes, which Shadley described as "extremely poisonous."
Officers confiscated rattlesnakes, cobras and green mambas from the home in the 1600 block of North Bosart Avenue.
Authorities learned of the snakes after Fillenwarth sought treatment over the weekend for a bite from a green mamba, a highly venomous snake from Africa.
Shadley said officers also found quail in cages, which were being used as food for the snakes.
Shadley said investigators plan to present information to the Marion County prosecutor that could lead to criminal charges in the case.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061114/LOCAL/611140447

WISH (Indianapolis, Indiana) 14 November 06 15 venomous snakes found at home of man bitten by reptile
Indianapolis: Indiana Conservation officers have confiscated 15 venomous snakes, including cobras and rattlesnakes from an Indianapolis home.
They went to the home after the homeowner, 47-year-old Michael Fillenwarth, sought treatment for a bite from a green mamba, a highly venomous snake from Africa.
Conservation officers say Fillenwarth didn't have the proper permits to keep the snakes. He was taken into custody, but later released after last night's raid.
The snakes were taken to a facility run by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Due to medical issues related to his snakebite, Fillenwarth was not jailed. A summons for his court appearance will be issued when the investigation is complete and the charges are filed.
http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5679100

What ever happened to patient confidentiality?!!! The EMS had no legal right to ring the police.

The behaviour of the EMS actually will directly create a more dangerous situation since people will try to ride the bites out rather than go the hospital and risk gettting their snakes taken away.

Thoughts?
Bryan
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Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry
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Department of Biochemistry,
Bio21 Institute,
University of Melbourne
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http://www.venomdoc.com

he was breaking the law and putting himself and others at risk. i think in this case it supercedes basic patient confidentiality.
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Rescued Ball Python - Apep
0-0-1 Rescued Bearded Dragon - Zeus
0-0-1 Rescued Non-Alpha Green Iguana - Bud
1-2-0 Rescued Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet, Isis
0-0-1 Rescued Fit and Trim Panda Hamster - Mr. Fluffy
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids

Bryan, how can you say he was endangering others? Is there proof he was beside the fact of him keeping them illegally? I am sure this will be an issue in the future, the more states that get banned, keepers will just go underground to keep their collections and accidents will continue to happen. But I wouldn't say he was endangering others, as there is no further proof he was.

Joe

np
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Rescued Ball Python - Apep
0-0-1 Rescued Bearded Dragon - Zeus
0-0-1 Rescued Non-Alpha Green Iguana - Bud
1-2-0 Rescued Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet, Isis
0-0-1 Rescued Fit and Trim Panda Hamster - Mr. Fluffy
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids

>>What ever happened to patient confidentiality?!!! The EMS had no legal right to ring the police.

I don't know about Indiana, but in many states here in the U.S., health care personnel are required by law to report injuries that suggest illegal activity (gunshot wounds, drug overdoses (I think), kids with lots of unexplained bruises, etc.).

We also have things like reporters (illegally) monitoring EMS radio traffic looking for good stories. They could just as easily have turned him in, or just put the story on TV, atracting the attention of the cops.

Neither story says who reported him...

Here in Indiana and this is very close to home for me as I've just had to deal with a whole slew of health board employees releasing my own personal information. It is in direct violation of any one persons personal rights and I am having a hard time remembering the exact phrase they use to explain it, but it sounds like hepa rights. It's basically a privacy act they have to follow concerning patients. Where they can't release exact treatment, they can confirm that a person was in the hospital due to a venomous snake bite, however they can't disclose what treatments they used, what the persons name is without consent, or any identifiable remarks that will obviously tell the public who the person was. I went threw this with a health scare they attempted to blame on my snake. They released my information concerning my own health to my company, then I volunteered to have my snake tested for the same issue, and they were only allowed to release his information to me, as he wasn't an employee lol Frosty is on no payroles yet, but they released my pets information to my company three days before they released it to me. Granted I understand it put my company at ease because Frosty was proven to not be the cause, but still yet, they directly violated my rights, Frosty's health fell under my rights as he was tested threw a human facility and not a veterinary facility as it was.

Long story short, they may have, but being as they have released his name, more than likely, he signed that release.

It's HIPPA, and this is one of the catch-all exceptions that they probably apply in a case like this:

""(b) PUBLIC HEALTH.--Nothing in this part shall be construed to invalidate or limit the authority, power, or procedures established under any law providing for the reporting of disease or injury, child abuse, birth, or death, public health surveillance, or public health investigation or intervention."

....and his neighbor should sue him for illegally keeping snakes and violating his peace of mind.

That whole rights and freedoms thing swings both ways.

In a way, I understand your point, but the relative risks don't support your conclusion. The neighbor probably owns a car. People are killed by their neighbors' cars all the time. As far as I know, not one person in this country has been killed by their neighbor's snake, native, exotic, venomous or nonvenomous. If you could sue people over your phobias we'd be in even worse shape than we are.

Not saying I support his breaking the law, but as far as I'm concerned, what you have in your house is your business as long as it stays there.

Add to that the fact that if he had gotten a permit, he would be REQUIRED to notify his neighbors. Who would they sue for their "peace of mind" then? Him or the state? I doubt they would feel much better knowing he had a permit.

I'm tired, I'm probably babbling...

BGF, unfortunately here in the states we are losing many individual rights, including the right to privacy throughout our country.
Whoever violated this patient/doctor pact should have a nice civil suit slapped against them IMO...

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Cheers
Lateralis
"I would rather be precisely wrong than approximately right"
Marion "Doc" Ford

I have had severe snake bites helicopter ride and all no law involved. Are our freedoms being reduced mabie so .

I think our freedoms have been on a decline for ages. We have the laws that govern what kind of dogs we can own within some city limits. If the government says they're dangerous, then we can't as responsible pet owners have them. In some areas, even proving that your rottweiler whom you've had since puppyhood (is that a word?) has never ever bitten even a flea off his butt and is safe, that's not enough. They want that dog ran out of their town. It's a rottweiler, they bite people, they must go. Some towns are alcohol free as well, alcohol causes people to act stupid and wreck their cars, killing people, so therefore, no alcohol even for responsible drinkers. It's the same with alot of different issues today. Smoking, gambling, drinking, pet ownership, vehicles, gun ownership, etc. It's part of american government to control their people.

Granted I believe that a person wanting to own and care for venomous reptiles should be of age, I say this not just because of age, but with age comes experience, with experience comes knowledge. Of course this man in question was 47 years old and irresponsible as they come. But I still hold true to my belief that you should be above age 18 to own a hot because of the experience factor, plus, have your own home, in your own home or at least a single dwelling, you are responsible for those four walls and nobody elses. If it's a duplex or an apartment or your parents house, you're not just responsible for yourself and your family, you've now become responsible for other tennants.

If an escape happens, then you're at least able to confine the animal to one dwelling and not two.

Anyway, I've become long winded here and should just shush. Otherwise, I'll go on for awhile.......

Izora

You left out seatbelts, my biggest government infringement pet peave. I'm talking about the requiring of a person of age & consent to wear one. Ridiculous!

My wearing a setbelt as the sole occupant of a vehicle will not save the life of anyone but me. Its my life, my choice. If I wanted to commit suicide it wouldn't be through a car wreck.

Obviously, too many of us survived the 50's & 60's without seatbelts to where a survivor of this era decided to push their ideals on everyone else. Uugggghhhhh!!!!

OK, I feel better now. Have a great day!

Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

Too much of a hurry and failure to proofread.

Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

"My wearing a setbelt as the sole occupant of a vehicle will not save the life of anyone but me."

I agree, but the decision not to wear a seat belt has one possible societal impact: Medical costs passed on to other insurance policy holders and tax-payers.

Of course, this same arguement was used in calling for mandatory helmets for motorcyclist until a study came out that riders without helmets had lower healthcare cost because they were more likely to DIE and not require any medical. Not sure if a cost comparison has been done for belted vs non-belted motorist and passengers.

How about this for a slogon to repeal seat belt and helmet laws:
"Seat Belts/Helmets Save Lives, BUT Dead Motorists/Cyclists Save Cash"

When it comes to affecting people's cash...they get very quick to wanting to regulate their neighbors and friends.

The one thing my state has done very well in keeping regulations of the law books is with helmet laws. Our motorcyclist have united time and time again to fight these laws. Many of them wear helmets. To them, it isn't about wearing a helmet. It is about their CHOICE to wear a helmet.

It is no surprise venomous laws changed in my state and will change in others. Motorcycle riders that are not smart enough to wear a helmet are smart enough and dedicated enough to fight for their rights wheras a snake keeper just can't figure it out. Maybe it is part because motorcycle riders can join together on something, while snake keepers can only argue on the internet for a little while to blow off steam.

Hows that for a rant

It is not the motorcycle people banding together, it is the fact that most of them have don't have a high enough vocabulary to argue with anyone. Or it may be that they are to busy picking the bugs out if their teeth to talk much.

***that was a joke... I am proud to be in the 'motorcyclist' category and I speak just good as the next 'en

E4 - that was a sad but very true point you made!
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Rescued Ball Python - Apep
0-0-1 Rescued Bearded Dragon - Zeus
0-0-1 Rescued Non-Alpha Green Iguana - Bud
1-2-0 Rescued Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet, Isis
0-0-1 Rescued Fit and Trim Panda Hamster - Mr. Fluffy
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids

Run for cover! LOL!!!

My first thought was, "Wow!" Then I saw the "joking" comment. LOL! I like pickin' on us hillbillies, too.

What's life without humor? Insanity.

Have a good one!
Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

You're right about medical costs. In fact I believe this was the secondary argument at the time only because "saving lives" sounded better. Either way, somebody's pockets probably got lined.

Like the slogan, BTW.

Take care!
Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.