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I can not believe it, this country is in war fighting for others freedoms, while our government is busy at home taking away freedom of its own citizens, what a shame.

Zuzana Kukol
www.rexano.org

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http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070817/APC0101/70817161

Alligator bust yields only tarantula, snake

Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers August 17, 2007

City police and county humane society officers executed a search warrant on the home of a 37-year-old Stevens Point man yesterday on suspicion that he owned a three-foot alligator, a python snake and thirty tarantula spiders without a license.

Police were only able to find a single tarantula and a ball python yesterday evening, however, from Norman Chandler, after receiving an anonymous tip in the form of an email that showed Chandler and other residents of his home with a caiman, a bearded dragon, and other various creatures, including one that humane officers were not able to identify except to say that it looked like a mud puppy, or an aquatic salamander.

This is the third incident this summer where humane officers have been called to monitor or track down various exotic animals, including another incident where officers had to capture a small alligator.

“A three-and-a-half (foot) alligator can take mine or your arm off easy — the teeth are like razors,” said Humane Officer Scott Wiza. “It’s been a very interesting summer.”

' “A three-and-a-half (foot) alligator can take mine or your arm off easy — the teeth are like razors,” said Humane Officer Scott Wiza. '

LOL. I don't think their teeth are very sharp, they just have strong clamp-down power. Maybe if you were heavily sedated and tied to a tree a three and a half foot alligator could take your arm off.

Also the teeth are more like spikes.. sharks have the "razor teeth"

dumb(bleep) getting the press to believe him...

Lance

>>“A three-and-a-half (foot) alligator can take mine or your arm off easy — the teeth are like razors,” said Humane Officer Scott Wiza. “It’s been a very interesting summer.”

I wonder why anyone would even quote one of these goofballs. He should have went on to say, "A three-and-a-half (foot) alligator is like a small army. They have been known to destroy small villages eating up to 30 people a day and killing 20-30 more just for the sport. If we don't eradicate alligators, the world will soon come to an end!"
It's good that they got this menace to society tarantula keeper off the streets. I will sleep better at night knowing that there is one less tarantula to worry about.
Idiots..
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Snakes of Hudspeth County, Texas

I am very sorry and I know I will catch hell for this but I disagree. A law is a law and if its broken then the individual must face the music. If licenses were required and he did not have them then good for the victory of the authority's. We can do what we can to attempt to change the laws but should follow all laws in place while doing so. Once again I am sorry please don't hate me
Foot Hill Reptiles

I don’t think anybody is saying it is OK to break laws, what u r seeing here is peoples' frustration we even have these stupid exotic laws to begin with. Considering this country has some serious REAL problems like murders, robberies, pedophiles, going after somebody with pet tarantula or baby gators shouldn’t be a high priority on law enforcement agency list.
I am sure there was some other more serious crime going on somewhere near that should have been higher on the law enforcement priority list, but they were too busy with little reptiles since it was an easier job.
I mean, if this is the worst crime they had to worry about that day, it must be a very safe place to live.

Just my opinion
Zuzana Kukol
www.rexano.org

It's not so much that the animal control guy did his job. I have no problem with that. It's the fact that he exaggerated the dangers in order to scare the public.

Yes I agree any representative of any agency should not do that. They should be strait forward and host, Maybe he was not educated in which fact someone with the education should have been involved or at least did the public speaking. As far as worse crimes yes there are many things that go on in this country every day but fish and game are not trained nor required to handle them. They are required to up hold the fish and game regulations at the state and federal level and this is exactly what they did so bravo for them again. We see things every day that makes us question people in general for example, How could someone leave there dog in a parked car? I don't care if the window was cracked opened or not. This makes us question weather or not said people should be able to even have the privileged to own a pet at all. Alligators can be very dangerous animals and I agree there should be regulations and licensing requirements to keep them. God forbid anyone be able to get there hands on an animal that has the capability at full size to kill a person. I think the point is well made and there is no need to go further.
Foot Hill Reptiles

>> Maybe he was not educated in which fact someone with the education should have been involved or at least did the public speaking. Alligators can be very dangerous animals and I agree there should be regulations and licensing requirements to keep them. God forbid anyone be able to get there hands on an animal that has the capability at full size to kill a person.
>>Foot Hill Reptiles

I guess dogs should be against the law then because they can be dangerous. Can you see where we're going here? No matter what type of animal you have accountability goes with it. A toy poodle could do a lot more damage than a 3-1/2 foot gator. But toy poodles don't make good news.
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Steve W.

I understand what you are saying but I highly doubt an alligator can be acclimated to people the way a dog can. I find the fact that they are even compared a little disturbing. I am a keeper of snakes, lizards as well as dogs so I believe that i can speak with a fair amount of confidence on the comparison. Keep in mind I do not keep alligators "I AM NOT LICENSED TO DO SO" so maybe there is something in particular about them that I do not know about that makes them more sweet and cuddly than my collie but I doubt it.
Foot Hill Reptiles

By the way people that keep dogs that do not do so responsibly should not be allowed to keep them so the issue here is the same. The bottom line is laws were made to keep honest people honest and to bring to justice the violators and otherwise dishonest individuals witch is what was done here. We both however do agree that the person representing fish and game should have been better educated.
Foot Hill Reptiles

It was an empty bust and it still made the news and they still took the opportunity to scare the public with bad information.

This type of press by LE is irresponsible.

Lance

Yes once again I agree the information given to the public could have and should have been done differently
Foot Hill Reptiles

You're jumping to a few conclusions here.

1) It's not too clear whether or not any laws were violated from this short article. There is no mention of this guy being charged with any infraction and it sounds like most of the critters on which they based the search were not there.

2) No one in this thread has suggested that this guy shouldn't be held accountable *if* he was breaking the law. You start your post saying you disagree; but I can't figure out who you're disagreeing with. Maybe best to read the thread first next time instead of just assuming what people think, eh?

I did read the post as well as the article did you?

"City police and county humane society officers executed a search warrant on the home of a 37-year-old Stevens Point man yesterday on suspicion that he owned a three-foot alligator, a python snake and thirty tarantula spiders without a license."

As said manny times if this is the case than I believe justice should be served. Just because they didn't find what they were looking for done not mean it was not there "illegally"

I think personal attacks are uncalled for here and childish

"Maybe best to read the thread first next time instead of just assuming what people think, eh?"

Do you feel like a bigger better person now? I hope so. For reference the article in its entirety is pasted below from its original source

Alligator bust yields only tarantula, snake

Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers

City police and county humane society officers executed a search warrant on the home of a 37-year-old Stevens Point man yesterday on suspicion that he owned a three-foot alligator, a python snake and thirty tarantula spiders without a license.

Police were only able to find a single tarantula and a ball python yesterday evening, however, from Norman Chandler, after receiving an anonymous tip in the form of an email that showed Chandler and other residents of his home with a caiman, a bearded dragon, and other various creatures, including one that humane officers were not able to identify except to say that it looked like a mud puppy, or an aquatic salamander.

This is the third incident this summer where humane officers have been called to monitor or track down various exotic animals, including another incident where officers had to capture a small alligator.

“A three-and-a-half (foot) alligator can take mine or your arm off easy — the teeth are like razors,” said Humane Officer Scott Wiza. “It’s been a very interesting summer.”

As far as my original disagreement was of the original posters message. Once again for reference it is pasted below from its original source

"I can not believe it, this country is in war fighting for others freedoms, while our government is busy at home taking away freedom of its own citizens, what a shame."

Also remember I said in my first post Please forgive me I know I am going to catch hell for this so I was actually expecting someone to post something bad about me but oh well. Also at the end I said "Please don't hate me" so please don't hate me, understand that in each post is the posters point of view and I do not agree that by serving the warrant there were trying to take any freedoms from us.
Foot Hill Reptiles

"I think personal attacks are uncalled for here and childish

"Maybe best to read the thread first next time instead of just assuming what people think, eh?"

Do you feel like a bigger better person now? I hope so."

Your initial post was mildly insulting, I only responded in kind. So stop with the "poor me, I'm being attacked" routine.

My original post is pasted below in it entirety please explain to me and anyone ells who might be reading this what was insulting about it? I truly do not mean to be insulting at all and if your claim is valid then I will apologize for being insulting.

"I am very sorry and I know I will catch hell for this but I disagree. A law is a law and if its broken then the individual must face the music. If licenses were required and he did not have them then good for the victory of the authority's. We can do what we can to attempt to change the laws but should follow all laws in place while doing so. Once again I am sorry please don't hate me"
Foot Hill Reptiles

I didn't find it insulting at all. Perhaps what he found insulting was the implication that people breaking the law are law breakers. Most would view it as an honest (and obvious) observation. Someone living in the fantasy that they are entitled to break the law (even if stupid) without having their actions considered criminal might find reality offensive.

I break my fair share of laws (speeding, road cruising, removing tags from pillows, etc) and accept the reality that I am criminal scum.

LOL I couldn't help but laugh "criminal scum" I did not think it was offensive eather. Perhaps the point of the main article was lost in the debate but I hold strong to all my beliefs.
Foot Hill Reptiles

I always find it insulting when people assume I hold a stupid viewpoint. Your attitude here also really rubs me the wrong way. No one's going to beat you up if you've got an opinion, so stop cringing.

But really, this is just silly. Let's drop it.

Yes I agree. The opinions set forth here are of there each individual poster and we are all entitled to have our own opinions. so I agree enough has been said. so now lets go herping
Foot Hill Reptiles Club