Reptile & Amphibian Forums

KHOU TV Houston Texas Top Story

Could not paste the link, so here it is ---

http://www.khou.com/topstories/khou080303_jj_reptilesseized.1c6a732d.html

These animals all appeared to be in reasonably good condition. Didn't appear to be neglected or abused in any way.

Things can only get worse when the completely clueless take charge.

What could posssibly give them the right?

jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

I live by Houston, and within the city limits you are not aloud to have more then 2 snakes without letting the city know, and nothing over 8ft without getting permission. but in Pasadena i don't believe there is any laws about them, and my GUESS on what happened is they had someone that didn't like them keep complaining because that's how this state seems to work, they get tired of getting complaints so they get rid of the problem, happened to a dog in a suburbs north of Houston too, but after it was ordered to be put down they fought it through the courts and got it overturned through a different judge
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0.1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
1.0.0 Yellow Anaconda
1.1.0 Suriname Red Tail Boa
1.1.0 Guyana Red Tail Boa
1.0.0 Coral Sunglow Boa
0.1.0 Coral Albino Boa
0.1.0 Arabesque Het Albino Boa
0.1.0 DH Sunglow Boa
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0.1.0 Burmese Python (Rescue)
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0.1.0 Avicularia Versicolor
1.0.0 Cat

The article suggests to me that the owner voluntarily relinguished the reptiles. Perhaps he felt that he could not care for them because of the large number of animals. It did not mention anything about seizing them because they were illegal or dangerous. I think we need more information before lynching the SPCA for taking responsibility for these animals.

I quote -- "The agency seized more than 100 snakes, turtles and lizards." "They were taken from a Pasadena home."
The operative words are -- "SEIZED" and "TAKEN".
It doesn't mention anything about donating or offering for adoption, that I can see.
I would think the owner would have many other options available, where he could recoup at least part of his investment, had it been a voluntary move.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

Their count also stopped just over 50. It doesn't appear that they were "seized" but maybe given up. I have a friend that receives most of the herps from the Houston SPCA. I'll see what she has to say about this. At least it wasn't HSUS that got them.
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Tim Cole
www.Designeratrox.com/
www.AustinReptileService.net
www.AustinReptileExpo.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<
Conservation through Education

I know in Pasadena you are allowed to have some livestock type animals(chickens, goats etc.)

"Officials say some of the animals were living in pens with dead ones. The house was filled wall-to-wall with the creatures, and there were too many for the owner to keep up with. "
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=5996698
SPCA seized wall-to-wall lizards, snakes and fish

I don't know who you are, but I sure do like what you post.
That article adds more light to this story. I'm still not sold that a good thing has been done, though. Who's to say they'll be better off. I wasn't sold on that. Thats for sure.
I've seen much worse in some Typhoid Mary herp shops I've been in.
Those turtles did seem to be outdoor turtles. Could be that's what they were referring to. Entirely possible in the winter.
I pretty much ignore my outdoor turtles in the winter. Some do occasionally succumb, as in the wild.
Like I said -- Keep up the good work.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer