Dear reptile lovers,
We want to thank each and every one of you for all of your support and your emails and letters to our mayor. That support means a lot to us. We are responsible pet owners and our animals have always come first. For those of you who may not have heard, on January 3, 2007, our home in Dubuque, Iowa was invaded by four police officers, two animal control officials, a representative from the Dubuque River Museum, a park ranger, two housing officials, and two representatives from the health department. This was in response to someone lying to city officials and claiming that we had boa constrictors, pythons, and venomous snakes. We have a collection of more than three hundred snakes, all of which are well cared for. The officials confiscated three baby sand boas, two milk snakes (caught in Wisconsin, one by a three-year old girl), and one indigo, purchased from a reputable breeder, that we’re in the process of obtaining the permit for. Our local newspaper, the Telegraph Herald, published an article full of misinformation. Among the most glaring errors were their inclusion of a photo of a Columbian boa constrictor (which we do not own) and a false claim that officials found boa constrictors in our home. Our privacy has been shattered and our home invaded because an individual that city officials refuse to identify decided to falsely accuse us. Since this occurred, we have received a lot of media attention. Many of you have been very supportive, and in response, we just felt that we owed you a bit more of an explanation of what really happened. Thanks again for your letters and emails. We really appreciate it.
Linda Merfeld and Bill Shaffer
