Reptile & Amphibian Forums

DAILY HERALD (Provo, Utah) 16 September 04 Home business generating concern (Tammy McPherson)
Since Jeremy Stone was five years old, he has been fascinated with snakes.
That fascination has led to the creation of a home-based business breeding snakes worth thousands of dollars. Each year, the herpetoculturist produces up to 300 rare boa constrictors and ball pythons, and he sells the babies over the Internet for $8,000 and more.
Now the Orem resident is making plans to build his dream home in Lindon, along with a new building on the property to house his snakes. But his plans have been put on hold because of recent neighborhood opposition.
"I'm only here because of snakes, because of their fears," Stone said, adding that many of his current neighbors also have fears of snakes. But, he added, there have never been any complaints about his home-based business because the snakes have never gotten out.
The Lindon City Council will be meeting on Tuesday to consider Stone's plans for his future home and business. They have invited a representative from the Department of Wildlife Resources to talk about what type of regulations might be placed on this type of business.
Lindon Mayor Larry Ellertson said the issue is on hold because city leaders are trying to keep peace in the neighborhood, but they also want to allow Stone to have his property rights.
Many in the Lindon neighborhood signed a petition when they found out a "python ranch" would be moving in on their street. But opposition has died down since Stone explained his business at a neighborhood meeting.
Many had pictured snakes hanging from trees in nets, but he said the neighbors will never see the snakes. He wouldn't let them outside because the snakes are valuable and he's afraid of theft. Stone has bought a high-tech, motion sensor security system for the new building which will call his cell phone if anything comes in or out.
Lindon resident Linda McBride said she was against his reptile business at first because she didn't know what the dangers would be and was upset she hadn't heard anything from the city about the potential new home-based business in her neighborhood.
"I'm OK with it now," she said. "I don't like snakes, either."
Lindon's home business ordinance does not require any neighborhood notification for businesses like Stone's. But because of the concern some of the residents had in this instance, the city leaders will be discussing adding notification to the ordinance.
Though many neighbors have said they are OK with the business now, some still have a issues with the business.
In a recent city meeting, Lindon resident Brad Mortensen said he was concerned that the city had no limit to the number of reptiles they allowed in a residential area, yet they had a set number for many other animals, such as turkeys and cats. He said he was also disturbed about the potential of more businesses coming into the area.
"I'm concerned we're taking a commercial business and putting it in a residential area," he said.
Stone said his proposed business does follow Lindon's home-based business regulations and that there are a number of other businesses in homes in that same neighborhood. He said he thinks the limit on the number of animals should focus more on public health and limited space. The city does not have a limit to the number of guinea pigs or fish one can own, he said.
Home business generating concern

I hope Stone is able to get his house and facility built without incident.. I really hate ignorant people.
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Randall L Turner Jr.
www.aircapitalconstrictors.com

The worlds deadliest snakes! Better make sure they dont get you!!... Those people do know they live in rattlesnake country right?
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1.0 Normal Corn Snake
1.0 Ball Python
1.0 BCI
0.1 California King

I posted this on the BP forum, but I'll post it again here.

I'd be much more concerned if somebody was moving in next to me with a couple of Pitbulls or German Shepards.

np

would you be scared to move next to kevin and charlotte?
jb
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Jonathan Brady
"Sarcasm is angers ugly cousin" -Dr. Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson) in "Anger Management".

and her boyfriend have a pit bull....great dog, especially with my young children.
I was agreeing with the idea that a pit or german sheppard, in the WRONG hands, would pose a much greater risk than any of the large constrictors out there.

Philip

whatever... you know where you can shove some sensationalistic media... you'd think that someone who sees first hand the results of media hype of one type wouldn't buy into when it has a different focus.
the difference b/t pits and snakes; you can control the personality of pits far better than you can the personality of snakes. breeding properly and then raising, rewarding, and disciplining are understood by dogs, not by snakes. the dogs should not be punished or outcasted b/c of irresponsible owners.
by the way, if you think you've struck the wrong cord w/ me.. you'd be right

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Jonathan Brady
"Sarcasm is angers ugly cousin" -Dr. Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson) in "Anger Management".

Third Gen ADBA Bulldog breeder here myself,I`ve listened to more of those types and their piss ant rhetoric then I`ll ever care to.
YOU PUNISH " DEEDS" NOT BREEDS !

Stupidity should be Painful,to bad ya cant slap`em ALL !

T/

>>whatever... you know where you can shove some sensationalistic media... you'd think that someone who sees first hand the results of media hype of one type wouldn't buy into when it has a different focus.
>>the difference b/t pits and snakes; you can control the personality of pits far better than you can the personality of snakes. breeding properly and then raising, rewarding, and disciplining are understood by dogs, not by snakes. the dogs should not be punished or outcasted b/c of irresponsible owners.
>>by the way, if you think you've struck the wrong cord w/ me.. you'd be right
>>
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>>Jonathan Brady
>>"Sarcasm is angers ugly cousin" -Dr. Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson) in "Anger Management".
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T/
Snakes Train You To Suit its Needs!

Good Looking Bulldog btw !

T/
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T/
Snakes Train You To Suit its Needs!

That's the whole point JB....A dog can be trained, intentionally or even unintentionally (by means of neglect), to have a dislike towards other people...which can oftentimes be violent. A snake on the other hand...like you said is untrainable, yes you can have some "nasty" tempered snakes at times, but nothing that can compare to a pissed off dog.
I've had dogs all my life, and sincerely enjoyed them, up until recently when I had an incedent with two female malamutes, and the cable guy...lol. It was something I couldn't have with 4 young kids romping around the house 20hrs. a day, the reality was that a dog...just like a boa, has natural instinctive actions that can not be bridled by man, unfortunately an angry 85 lbs. dog in my house can inflict alot more damage than a 7' boa who's in my basement inside a locked cage.
I really wish I could have kept my dogs....maybe in a few more years when everyone is a little bigger...an smarter!

btw...sorry I struck a nerve

Philip

...without striking a nerve with somebody.

I didn't mean I'd actually be opposed to it, I just meant that a pit bull does have more potential to injure someobody than a ball python. I still think that the odds of a person getting seriously injured by their next door neighbors pit bull are more likely than them getting seriously injured by their neighbors boa constrictor. Of course, they'd probably have better odds of winning the lottery or getting struck by lightning than either.

The only point that I was making is that I don't understand why people are so afraid of snakes but not dogs. Seems to me that dogs have more potential to injure people than snakes. Unfortunately, there are poor owners of both and it does happen.
Link

residents of Lindon.....LMAO

Chris O