Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Let me know what you think. I am not a writer, but I tried.

My name is Matthew Zippe. I have lived in northern Illinois for over 28 years (my whole life). My father is a retired agriculture, science, and history high school teacher. My sister is a science teacher. They both use a lot of the animals that are going to be banned in the HR669 bill to educate, inspire, motivate, and cheer up the children they educate every year. I myself own and care for 9 (soon to be 15) ball pythons, 5 (soon to be 11-17) rats, 3 (soon to be 5) crested geckos, 3 leopard geckos, 1 tokay gecko, 1 cockatiel, 1 harlequin macaw, 1 figure eight puffer fish, 1 beta, and 4 cats. I LOVE them ALL, and give good care for them. It is a full time job to care for this many animals, but I am a responsible pet owner, who knows how to foster out unwanted animals. I think it is a very sad thing that people let some animals go, but there is a better way to control the people who don’t love animals. So many good people are more than happy to report ANYONE who mistreats their animals, and this includes letting them go in the wild. I wouldn’t wait a single heartbeat to report ANYONE (including family) that is mistreating an animal. If this ban is allowed to pass, I cannot say for sure that I would have the love in my heart anymore to care about what other people do as far as mistreated animals. I am sure I will have malice in my heart towards dogs and cats, because I won’t be able to keep my reptiles, fish, and birds anymore. This will NOT help the economy in any way. MANY jobs will be lost, and many companies put out of business. Petco, Petland, Petsmart, Tropical fish stores, reptile stores, reptile breeders, fish breeders, bird breeders; They ALL have employees that will be out of work! My son and/or daughter will not get to enjoy all if the BEAUTIFUL different colors that the harmless ball python has to offer.
I am willing to bet that you wanted an animal when you were a child that is on the bill. When you were a child, I bet you never thought that one day you would have the power to take away so much joy in the world. Most of these animals in one way or another helped a child get through his/her parents divorce. I know my exotic fish did (believe it or not). I used to talk to them, and I would pull up a chair in my room and I would cry, and it would help me cope with the stress of being a young boy who was abused by his father and his mother was too weak to stop him. This is not a sob story, but instead a story that shows that these animals go deep into the fabric that makes a family what it is today. People find peace with their animals……PEACE! Think about that! What does every beauty pageant end with? Some woman wanting a whole bunch of stuff to better the world, and then ends with, “I wish for peace on earth.” There will never be peace on earth, and you know that, but it is about the few moments in ones life that is peaceful, and it usually entails some kind of animal. If this passes, you will not be able to buy your daughter/son a guinea pig! A GUINEA PIG!... I implore you to think about the devastation this bill will cause children….., adults, …the economy, …yourself, …and most importantly the millions of people who find happiness in their loving pets. Thank you for your time.

Matthew Zippe
M&M Reptiles

I like it. It is moving without being too pushy. Thank you for sharing.
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1.0 normal ball python
0.1 greyband hybrid kingsnake
0.2 crazy cats
1.0 husband

Maybe posting some of our letters here will help others to either get motivated, or to take pieces out of some of these to write their own letters - SOON! Here's mine - anyone else?

Kathleen Love
P. O. Box 516
Alva, Florida 33920
April 14, 2009

_____________________
_____________________
Washington, DC 20515

Dear________:

Please oppose HR669.

This bill addresses regional problems best left to individual states and territories. Due to the varied climate and geographical regions of the U.S. and its territories, few, if any, invasive species are likely to become established in a large portion of the country. Each state has its own wildlife and natural resource agencies which can decide the best way to deal with any perceived problems in that state.

This bill, if passed, will cause severe economic hardship and loss of lots of jobs at a time when exactly the opposite results are needed. Considering that there is little or no funding to clear all of the species of wildlife normally traded in the pet industry, it will, with the stroke of a pen, wipe out the aquarium industry, reptile industry, and bird and small animal industries. That would be bad enough if it was just the breeders and importers and all of their employees. We, along with many of our friends and competitors would be bankrupted overnight. And many hobby breeders would release their pets / breeders rather than euthanize them, once they could no longer afford to keep them because of a breeding ban. In addition to those obvious results, all of the cage, feed, and supply manufacturers and the shops which sell their products, and all of the employees who work for them would no longer have jobs or businesses. All publishers of related magazines, books, website owners and webmasters, and organizers of various expos, and all of their employees, would join the bankruptcy proceedings as well. Exotic veterinarians and their employees would lose most of their business. The consequences would be far reaching, and unemployment lines will suddenly become much longer! Even many species in agriculture will be prohibited, causing more bankruptcies and unemployment. In addition to the loss of jobs and businesses, consider that some breeders currently EXPORT U.S. produced livestock, including species which will be prohibited. Banning breeding for export will not help our trade deficit! Many of the species in question have been successfully produced and traded in this country for many years, or even decades, without any adverse environmental impact.

Such sweeping legislation with very limited benefits to limited regions while causing economic hardship and loss of freedoms for the whole U.S. is totally irresponsible behavior, and shows a lack of knowledge and research about the subject. Please kill this bill and allow the states to regulate according to their own needs, such as Florida has already addressed with the new legislation regarding pythons and other reptiles of concern. That is the only responsible course of action that will result in the best outcome for the environment at the least cost to the U.S. economy, and to the freedom of each citizen to pursue his or her own vision of happiness.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Love

>>Let me know what you think. I am not a writer, but I tried.
>>
>> My name is Matthew Zippe. I have lived in northern Illinois for over 28 years (my whole life). My father is a retired agriculture, science, and history high school teacher. My sister is a science teacher. They both use a lot of the animals that are going to be banned in the HR669 bill to educate, inspire, motivate, and cheer up the children they educate every year. I myself own and care for 9 (soon to be 15) ball pythons, 5 (soon to be 11-17) rats, 3 (soon to be 5) crested geckos, 3 leopard geckos, 1 tokay gecko, 1 cockatiel, 1 harlequin macaw, 1 figure eight puffer fish, 1 beta, and 4 cats. I LOVE them ALL, and give good care for them. It is a full time job to care for this many animals, but I am a responsible pet owner, who knows how to foster out unwanted animals. I think it is a very sad thing that people let some animals go, but there is a better way to control the people who don’t love animals. So many good people are more than happy to report ANYONE who mistreats their animals, and this includes letting them go in the wild. I wouldn’t wait a single heartbeat to report ANYONE (including family) that is mistreating an animal. If this ban is allowed to pass, I cannot say for sure that I would have the love in my heart anymore to care about what other people do as far as mistreated animals. I am sure I will have malice in my heart towards dogs and cats, because I won’t be able to keep my reptiles, fish, and birds anymore. This will NOT help the economy in any way. MANY jobs will be lost, and many companies put out of business. Petco, Petland, Petsmart, Tropical fish stores, reptile stores, reptile breeders, fish breeders, bird breeders; They ALL have employees that will be out of work! My son and/or daughter will not get to enjoy all if the BEAUTIFUL different colors that the harmless ball python has to offer.
>> I am willing to bet that you wanted an animal when you were a child that is on the bill. When you were a child, I bet you never thought that one day you would have the power to take away so much joy in the world. Most of these animals in one way or another helped a child get through his/her parents divorce. I know my exotic fish did (believe it or not). I used to talk to them, and I would pull up a chair in my room and I would cry, and it would help me cope with the stress of being a young boy who was abused by his father and his mother was too weak to stop him. This is not a sob story, but instead a story that shows that these animals go deep into the fabric that makes a family what it is today. People find peace with their animals……PEACE! Think about that! What does every beauty pageant end with? Some woman wanting a whole bunch of stuff to better the world, and then ends with, “I wish for peace on earth.” There will never be peace on earth, and you know that, but it is about the few moments in ones life that is peaceful, and it usually entails some kind of animal. If this passes, you will not be able to buy your daughter/son a guinea pig! A GUINEA PIG!... I implore you to think about the devastation this bill will cause children….., adults, …the economy, …yourself, …and most importantly the millions of people who find happiness in their loving pets. Thank you for your time.
>>
>>Matthew Zippe
>>M&M Reptiles
>>
>>
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Thanks,

Frank Roberts

To : (commitee member name)

I oppose HR669.

I have been keeping Reptiles and Amphibians as a hobby for over 30 years and in that time have never contracted Salmonella and or any other ailment due to keeping these animals nor would I liberate them into the wild.

Please oppose HR669. It is a fundamentally flawed Bill written by a radical environmentalist group that seeks to end the ownership and trade of all non-native animals. There is not a shred of scientific evidence to justify the destruction of a Reptile Industry that leads the world in producing and exporting high quality captive bred reptiles. With the stroke of a pen thousands of small American family businesses would be bankrupted overnight. With no quantifiable benefits, what could be the justification to destroy a viable sector of the American economy in a time of hardship?

What will the additional drain on taxpayer dollars be to grow USFWS at unprecedented levels in order to destroy American small business? These are not the "Too big to fail" corporate titans, but small family businesses with their entire net worth wrapped up in their Reptile breeding projects and ancillary supporting businesses. A 3 billion dollar a year industry would be wiped out by HR669. Thousands of American families would suffer losing everything.

• Trade in Reptiles and ancillary businesses is estimated to be a 3 billion dollar a year industry.
• More than 9 million Reptiles are exported from the US annually.
• More than 11 million Reptiles are kept as pets in the US. That means 1 in 25 households have 1 or more Reptiles.
• The US accounts for 82% of the worldwide trade in Reptiles.
• At least 500,000 Americans would be negatively impacted by HR669. Thousands of small family businesses would be destroyed.
• There are approximately 4 million boas & pythons, as well as more than 7 million geckos, lizards turtles & other Reptiles in captivity in the US today.
• The United States Association of Reptile Keepers Opposes HR669.

Please oppose HR669! The costs to American Families

I also don't like the idea of having my hobby literally banned (even if unintentional) due to the aberrant behavior of some people liberating them into the wild. Concrete science can and has proved in recent studies that Python species can not establish themselves in almost all 50 states with the exception of South Florida which is a Tropical Zone in the USA, this ecosystem does not exist ANYWHERE else in the USA.

During times of economic troubles it is nice to share a hobby with others that has the potential to bring in some needed extra income. I know MANY people that rely solely on this type of income as a business and not just a hobby. It would be a shame to inadvertently doom their livelihoods with laws that are not based on accurate scientific studies. Also the use bias based on outright misunderstanding of the creatures is unfortunately still prevalent in this world. It should be noted that permit and mandatory microchips programs which both protect the environment against liberation (due to accountability) and also generate a profit for the state. NJ has had a successful permit program for OVER 30 years.
Thank you for your time and Please consider the facts and not fiction when determining what laws should be passed in regards to the economy, environment, or human or animal species health.

This Bill is not based in science, but in the ideology of powerful special interest groups. There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that banning the import, sale and trade of any of these animals will have any positive effect on the economy, environment, or human or animal species health.

In fact, if passed it would destroy many families and businesses. It would have a decidedly negative impact on an already ailing economy by destroying a vital and growing industry at a time when our country is in need of jobs and growth. The USFWS has just made changes to the CITES export permit process which would allow quality captive bred animals to be more easily exported to international customers. Passing HR669 would negate all the work USFWS has done for over a year. This Bill is a disaster to American small business and families in a time of economic hardship.

Please do not pass HR669.

Thank you !

Sincerely,

Frank Roberts

New Jersey
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Thanks,

Frank Roberts

you need to break it into paragraphs. most people would not read that entire thing in a giant block like that

Thats funny you said that because I did go back through it, and changed a couple of things, and I broke it down into about 4 paragraphs. Good call though. I sent them individually to each person on Wednesday night.