Reptile & Amphibian Forums

In Ohio at the All Ohio Reptile Show in Columbus Ohio this past Saturday, a few volunteers that are members of USARK got a table and had a few hundred letters prepared (at their own expense, talk about putting their money where their mouth is) which were all ready addressed to the 2 senators from Ohio, to be signed by the Ohio residence who attended the swap that day. They collected close to 200 sets of letters along with pages of people signing up for both the USARK Free newsletter to keep everyone on top of what is going on in Washington, as well as, collecting a pile of applications for new membership in USARK (that they arranged with USARK prior to the show). If this took place at every show that takes place in this country, we might actually turn into an organization that can control our own destiny.

As for the letters we can do our selves, people are simply cutting and copying the letter from the email campaign and making several copies themselves and getting both family and friends involved in the letter campaign to show the support against S373, the Python Ban which by the way, can wipe out the Boa constrictor trade in this country.

Remember how our letter writing campaign effected HR669 and none of those people on that committee were state senators. How will our state senators act when deluged with hundreds, if not thousands of letters against this junk bill S373 when faced with actual voters in their own state against the bill? We won't know unless we stand up and make our voices heard.
This by no means is to over shadow the instructions USARK has all ready asked us to do, this is just an additional form of attack which has all ready once saved our industry and there is no reason why we can not bring it back again and remember, think outside of your circle and think who else would support our cause and who would also send letters or at least give you the authorization to send letters in their behalf.

NUMBERS, NUMBERS, NUMBERS, this is the name of the game in politics, they will not be able to simply brush us off when confronted with piles and piles of letters against a bill they may vote on that can effect their future political career.

I hate to tell you all, this is our own fault.

Common large constrictors have no business being bred and offered for general retail to the public.

The pet hobby is to blame for this more than anyone. It is completely irresponsible and needless to breed big constrictors. There is no need to breed common Burms, Retics, Rocks, Anacondas, or even Red Tails. 99% of these animals go to people who have no idea what they are in for. It takes a lot of know how and even more space and money to keep a large constrictor. The average snake buyer has NO IDEA what they are getting into when they but these cute little babies. Properly cared for, a Retic or Burm will be 6 feet after 2 years and too big and dangerous for the average person. In my area Zoo's and animal rescues are overwhelmed with the number of large snakes people are trying to unload. They wont even take them anymore. I can get half a dozen free large constrictors tomorrow if I wanted to. Until the pet trade and breeders stop the irresponsible breeding and sales practices of these animals, nothing will change. For christs sake, the Petco near me sells baby red tails and Albino Burms, I guarantee the type of buyer that would buy a snake at Petco has no idea what they are in for.

Breeders CAN NOT keep breeding these animals and selling them to just anyone, its IRRESPONSIBLE!!!!

99% yep, your creditable ended there. No one cares what you think. Your shallow and weak, and in the constant persuite of conflict. Maybe you would be happy in Cuba, where everyone is safe and behaves. Get lost. joe6pax

Go ahead, stick your head in the sand and pretend you are helping things. You aren't, in fact you are painfully ignorant.

We need to fix this and better the reputation of the reptile hobby, then politicians wouldn't have to try and legislate us.