Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was just wondering what people would do if the city or state you live in passed a law against keeping venomous animals. I am sure there are some people who have already come to face this issue as new laws are popping up on a regular basis now. So would you keep your animals, give up the hobby, or quit your job sell your house and move someplace where it's still legal (for now).
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-Dennis

I don't currently keep hots but the same thing goes for larger constrictors, I keep very close to many local offices and have made long lasting friendships in all of them and would first try to fight it, If it turned out to be something I could not logically fight then I would look into moving but not far, If I could not find another local city I think I may look into another hobby as living close to my family is more important to me than a hobby.
Foot Hill Reptiles

If you are asking advice on breaking the law.....DON'T. That gives everyone a bad rap. With literally thousands of herps to choose from, surely you can find something that falls w/in legal guidelines of where you are living. If you are dead set on keeping venomous, your only options are to move. Don't be surprised to see areas close to you where its legal now, but in the very near future, will be banned. Once one city bans them, those nearby will jump on the bandwagon.

>>I was just wondering what people would do if the city or state you live in passed a law against keeping venomous animals. I am sure there are some people who have already come to face this issue as new laws are popping up on a regular basis now. So would you keep your animals, give up the hobby, or quit your job sell your house and move someplace where it's still legal (for now).
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>>-Dennis
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

I'm not looking for advice at all just curious what people would do because this is a problem that most hot keepers are going to face sooner or later. I know what I would do.
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-Dennis

I moved from Illinois to Texas for this very reason and now look what I am having to deal with. I too have always had a good relation with local law enforcement, animals control (used to be one), and game officials. This may not make a difference but on the other hand it doesn't hurt.
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Tim Cole
www.Designeratrox.com/
www.AustinReptileService.net
www.AustinReptileExpo.com/
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Conservation through Education

Texas is starting to be this way, (with it's recent changes in the laws regarding snakes). I wouldn't be surprised if in the very near future there will be an all out ban on venomous. Your best hope is that they will allow a "grandfather" clause, thus allowing folks that possess them at the time the law changes, are allowed to keep their animals.

I own houses and property in Texas and in Arkansas and would hate to see this happening.
I would fight for a "grandfather" clause!

Randal Berry

"I wouldn't be surprised if in the very near future there will be an all out ban on venomous."

That's one of the reasons why I asked this question. I hope I'm wrong but it seems like this may become an underground hobby at some point. Even if you derive all or a signifigant part of your income from breeding or showing venomous animals how many times can you justify moving. I'm a hobbyist, and I keep mostly nonvenomous reptiles. I wouldn't even consider uprooting my family for my hobby, but I don't think I would get rid of my hots either. I guess it depends on what the penalties would be. It seems it would be pretty hard to get caught anyway, unless you or someone else was bitten by one of your animals, but in that case you have alot of other stuff to worry about first.
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-Dennis

n/p....
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Tim Cole
www.Designeratrox.com/
www.AustinReptileService.net
www.AustinReptileExpo.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<
Conservation through Education

People don’t like the handgun comparisons, I guess because people are even more passionate about that, but until owning venomous snakes comes close to the dangers of owning handguns (about 1000% increase) it seems to be something easily kept in check by being responsible and keeping your hobby off the evening news. You have 24 hour sword sales channel on TV and people are really worried about a snake kept in a locked inspected cage by a properly permitted keeper? What a colossal waste of taxpayer money…

In this I post I think I came off as being kind an advocate of breaking the law. That wasn't really my intention. This is just something I have thought a bit about recently and wanted to see if some other reptile keepers felt the same way I do. I certainly don't think people who live in areas where hots are illegal should run out snd start keeping venomous snakes. I Just don't think if a law passed in my area I would ditch the venomous animals I currently own. I would love to hear more opinions on the subject if anyone would care to add anything. Thanks to those who replied.
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-Dennis

I think that if all states had to have a certain amount of hours training with onther persons hots ( like florida does) then there would be no need to outlaw venomous keeping and 99% of hot keepers would be responsable and it would be harder for someone to ruin it for the rest of us. Just my opinin and would love to here more opinions

I'm sure most hot keepers wouldn't even mind paying an annual fee for the permit. We could have our hot rooms inspected and the permit fees would cover any costs for the inspection and permit processing. Not sure if that's how they do it in Florida But It makes sense.
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-Dennis

It makes a heck of a lot more sense then completley banning hots thats for sure! In oklahoma you have to have a 10$ non comercial breeding liscence to keep hots and i think it would be fine to have my future hot room and hots inspected. So atleast anybody cant keep hots

In my opinion, keeping venemous reptiles already IS an underground hobby, which is leading the way to legislation. The posters on this forum are generally speaking....the elite, the educated, the informed...and for each of you how many idiots are out there?

I'm not an expert but based upon posts here over the 10 years or so I've read this forum I think the majority of venemous keepers are illegally keeping snakes.

It's the people that have had saw-scaled vipers get loose in apartment buildings or a King Cobra that turned up in a neighbors garage (venemoid), a guy found dead by an airport with a sack containing mambas etc., or the naja naja turning up in the bushes of an apt. building....ALL cases I've read about here and I can cite many more like this off the top of my head.

Throw in the OTHER exotics like tigers, pythons etc. getting out and that hasn't helped either.

I think you need some sort of licensing program like FL has so you can distinguish yourself from the general 19 year old with a monacle cobra in a fishtank in his closet....pre-empt an outright ban by having this type of program.

Good luck to all.

So much for the golden future, I cant even start
Ive had every promise broken, theres anger in my heart
You dont know what its like, you dont have a clue
If you did youd find yourselves doing the same thing too

Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
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One day I'll dance on your grave
Even if you're buried at sea
Till then, till when I exact my revenge
I'll tell them, "You're dead to me"
Megadeth

Hi, wellI think that I am lucky, here in Mexico you can get a licence to keep ratllesnakes, but you can not sell them (if you breed you need a permision)
THANKS