Reptile & Amphibian Forums

From the PetHobbyist.com site news blog:

Update: Status of HR 669 still unclear, unconfirmed

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

Cheers mate!
I´m in Norway where this is every day life for us.
Reptiles have been "on the brink of being legalised" since 1994 and now really, at least 10 but maybe even more reptile and amphibian species will be allowed to keep as companion animals.
The norwegian herpetological association is a big fan of the positive list that will permit that certain species of hreptiles are legalised. The food safety authority, a mammoth government body in Norway, is in charge of developing our animal welfare legislation.
What does reptile keeping have to do with a "food safety authority" you may ask, but the answer is simple. Reptiles are potential carriers of salmonella I say! Birds can carry pathogens too!
So.. the food safety authority has been pressured by the rebel reptile community for some time, at least since it was formed, and even before that to some small degree..
But nothing has happened so far.. *knocks on wood*
The positive list still hasn´t been produced in it´s final form although our government(senate?) descided in 2002 that a positive list should be formed.
So at least since 2002 reptiles in norway have been very on the brink of being legalised..
If our positive list gets finished, maybe 5% of the diversity of reptiles and amphibians kept in norway will be legalised, but opponents argue that 80% of all the animals kept would be legalised, since most people keep the same species.
There is a very split view regarding the positive list in the reptile community.
Most people are pro positive list, since it will mean legalising some species sometime soon.
Some reptile owners are not convinced but it is very unpopular to speak out because that is considered as "ruining it for the others who maybe do have a species which will be legalised".

Some respected supporters of the positive list and fellow reptile keepers noted that it will be alot easier to keep other illlegal reptile species, when some species are legalised, so it is really a step in the right direction for us.

In comparing a positive list and a total ban against reptiles I regard the total ban as the lesser of the two evils.
In my oppinion it is alot easier to form a strong argument against a total ban than, to argue agaainst an almost-ban which has some small piece of validity to it.

In Norway we have a golden rule for people who are going up in the mountain (and there are alot of mountains in norway), it is never to late to turn.
So, in the end, if all goes wrong there may be great value in influencing the bill the other way around, to strengthen the scope and bring more good people into the fight against the tyranixal même of animal philosophy.

regards
obeligz

After all, it is a Global issue.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

Thanks friend, it´s much more inspiring to post when input is appreciated. If I´m writing to much slap me and I´ll shut up. ^_^

Back home the food safety authority is often ignoring my input but they reply swiftly and kindly to fellow reptile owners who support our positive list.
In order to have a positive channel of communication with the authority regarding our positive list it helps not to have the wrong oppinion, or to support the positive list.
Some times I get the impression that I´m treated with "uvelvilje", something inbetween impatience and disrespect.

do you get that some times in your state?
Broken link of comunication?
A stick in the spokes of development of good legislation which gives consideration to humans, animals and the environment, that is the broken link in the chain of duties the government has, to make sound judgement with scientific basis on behalf of the responsible reptile keeper.

oby

I'got'ya buddy,Some of us here dont want to compromise.I has not crazy about the Fl.Python list of regulated animals and I'm a tortoise keeper!Its just a foot in the door.But it looked safe.A few months later Senitor NELSON "D" Fl.gets some face time on T.V.at a Python capture in the Everglades and states"I will see that there is Law against intra State transport under the Lacy Act." "Before one God forbid one eats a "Endangered" Key Dear.(Tom Crutchfield posted the best explanation why this will never happen)So, what good was the compremise on the five. Vic Morgan

The seemingly, at first glance, as a god idea, HR669 has been burning through the minds of the people in society.
You have extinguished a great fire this time. you have reason to be proud and the responsible animal owners of the world have a rearon to be proud of you.
..But, we are still surrounded by forests which may soon catch fire and you know what they say.. An nounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure in the good fight against our local AR activists. ^_^
What I would like to know is how to best front local AR organisations (not fighting them through the bans they propose).
I figure if we keep them busy by confronting them directly, then they will have less time to wrech havoc in our legislation.
Any thoughts?
In Norway we have tried to confront our AR activists in the media to some small degree but without much success.
Is there a way for the normal joe to make a difference in direct confrontation with AR websites/organisations?

regards
oby