Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We have an annual Arbor Daze festival coming up where they might be selling baby res. I was one of the many misinformed public they sold to last year. They didn't try to educate me at all, they told me that res only get up to a half dollar size!! Is there anything I can do to prevent them from setting up a booth? Isn't there someone I can contact? Thank you

If you see hatchling turtles being given as carnival prizes, you CAN do something. Get the name of the carnival and the address of its HQ, and then contact your regional FDA office and lodge a consumer complaint. The FDA office can be found in the blue pages (government listings) of the phone book. Since you already know the name of the carnival and where it will be, you could probably call the FDA now.

The sale OR OTHER COMMERCIAL DISTRIBUTION of turtles with a carapace length of less than four (4) inches is in violation of 21 CFR1240.62.

The actual regulation governing the sale and distrobution of turtles less than 4" in length can be found at

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?FR=1240.62

and more information is located at

http://www.fda.gov/ora/compliance_ref/cpg/cpggenl/cpg170-100.html

You can also contact the organizers of the fair and ask them to see that no animals are given away as prizes. Play the FDA reg as a trump card if needed.

Katrina

I don't know if you can do anything to stop them, but you could print out a care sheet and hand them out to people. If someone had handed me a care sheet for RES outside of the beach shop I was in I definately would not have two baby RES right now. But I do, and I like them. I almost cried when I got home and read that they would grow to be the size of a dinner plate. I like to pretend that the people who sell them are just uninformed and not intentionally lying. But they are probably lying.

Thank you both for your input! I will try to contact the FDA and will definently stop by the festival to make sure they are not selling res. Thank you again

This is the city of Euless, TX, correct? It looks like the Euless Parks and Community Services department runs the festival. You can reach them at this number, and let them know that one of their vendors was conducting an illegal activity, and you would like an assurance that they will prevent this from happening this year.

Parks & Community Services
1314 B Royal Ln.
Euless, Texas 76040
817-685-1429

Katrina