Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well, I just read on what I consider to be a fairly reliable site (the website for the White Plains reptile expo) that the governer of New York just signed a bill that would restrict ownership of Burmese pythons in the state of New York. I currently live and attend college in New Hampshire and own a Burm, and have been hoping for some time now to finish up college at Cornell university in New York. Of course, I have been planning to take my Burm with me (since up until now, she would have been legal to own there). Unfortunately, now I am unsure what to do.

Does anyone on this site know of any long term "exotic pet sitting" services of some sort that are designed for situations like this? Or of any sort of loopholes in things like this that might let me take her (like, for example, that I'm planning to be in their pre-vet program -- I'd need her for ... research purposes?)

. . . Sorry for the long, pointless rant, I won't feel bad if no one replies . . . I'm just extremely frustrated, as I bought by Burm intending to give her the best care that I can for her whole life, but now with more and more states making restrictive laws, it's getting harder to find a good school in a state that will let me own her.

.. Ahh, I guess I could check out Dartmouth's prevet program.

Again, sorry for the rant; I'm just pretty upset by this.
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Kitt

Are you going to live in a dorm or off campus somewhere? If in a dorm then you will need some alternate plans but if you are going to live in a private place then screw the laws and keep your burm on the "DL". No stroling down the block with her or anything anymore just enjoy her in the confines of your home. If they outlaw them in NJ they will be sending a task force to my house to confiscate my guy cause I aint parting with him!
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1.0 Ball Python
1.0 Burmese Python

Bring them on. I'm not afraid fight the opressors for my family or animals, to the last straw.

As for the topic originator, I think you should look for a place off dorm or for a institution in a different place.

Bring them on. I'm not afraid fight the opressors for my family or animals, to the last straw.

Ok calm down vigilante. lol jk. I hear u on that tho. My concern is friends or people that come over and see I have one of these "restricted" animals just casually telling people that their friend owns a "huge snake" and word getting around and somehow being reported. I'm wondering if they give you a warning first and follow up or just automatically confiscate the animals on the spot.

I'm basically going about a "screw the law" philosophy on this law...

I own a Queensland Carpet, Green Burm, and a Black Throat Monitor... 3 species banned! Right now, they are saying the permit fee will be $80 per animal, BUT THAT IS ONLY IF THEY ACTUALLY GRANT YOU THE PERMIT...

It sounds like the Humane Society and various ASPCA's across the state are advocting a visit to the home of the owner to inspect the living conditions for all animals that a permit would be required. IF THEY DECIDE YOU CAN NOT PROVIDE or that you are providing what they consider "bad" care, your permit will not be granted and you will be given something like 30 days to surrender the animal...

Right now at the pet store I work at, me and the owner are trying to figure out what to do. We make a GREAT DEAL of money on reptiles and other exotics. This seemes to us to be the start of bad stuff... What will they do next?

But as for new legislative bills, we (Boss and myself) would like to see a bill passed that would make it illegal to sell live feeders in the state...

This bill can still be amended... I can understand Burms, sometimes certain people should JUST NOT own a large constrictor, but why ban Queens Carpets? Why BT's and WT's? It's all BS... F'ing BS!!!

I wouldnt get rid of my snakes becasue of a stupid law made by ignorant people....

I'm not totally against all regulations on the ownership of large "dangerous" animals. I do not think they should be outlawed but regulated. There should be strick requirements for a keeper of your larger animals not just herps. Maybe a class you have to take and an interview and inspection of your accomodations for the animal.

Something does have to be done about 14 year olds going down to the local pet store with $50 and coming back with a burm or retic.
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1.0 Ball Python
1.0 Burmese Python

There is no way they can check everyone with a large animal...and who gets to decide what large is.
I have an aussie that is about 50 pounds...some people thing she is big.....i think great danes are big....there is a huge difference between the two

Jason

It's tough . . . I think one of the biggest problems though is the principal of it, the hypocrisy. Lots of people are bitten by dogs each year, but no one ever thinks of outlawing dogs. Horses, too -- wow! Talk about a dangerous animal for someone who doesn't know what they're doing. Unfortunately, because of the fear factor most people have for snakes, big snakes are the ones getting banned -- even though the fatalities and injuries incurred by them probably number far less than those incurred by dogs and horses (..and donkeys . . . I seem to remember hearing some REALLY nasty statistic about donkey kicks).

In addition, I think we're clearly seeing the current "ban everything" mentality of many citizens and officials alike in action. If something seems weird or out of place, and even REMOTELY dangerous, people immediately outlaw it instead of making an attempt to understand it. Horses and dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years -- though they are dangerous animals, their presence is so commonplace that their continued legality will be universally accepted no matter how many people are injured by them each year. However, if one stupid jackoff does one stupid thing with his Burm or retic or 'conda and gets hurt it will instantly make headlines. As soon as many people read about it in the paper, their immediate reaction is, "Why is that still legal?"

It's an awful fact, but it seems to be the trend nowadays . . . My only hope is that, with the growing number of people coming to realize the joys of our hobby, we will soon have a unified voice that can educate both the government and the public -- before PETA and other scary watchdog groups MISeducate them to their own adjenda.

OK, I'm done.
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Kitt

.

o
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Kitt

Lots of people are bitten by dogs each year, but no one ever thinks of outlawing dogs.

Not trying to start anything here, but they do ban some breeds of dogs in certan places. Bully breeds (pit bulls, bulldogs ect.), german shepherds, rotties, dobies. They all get a bad rep like burms and retics.
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Anna

1.0.0 Ball Python {Shane}
1.0.0 Afican Bullfrog {Bungy}
2.2.8 Crested Geckos {Mel, Harley, Sally, Momma, unnamed}
0.0.1 Giant Black African Millipede {Milly}
2.0.0 Parakeets {Storm, Cloud}
4.0.0 Button Quails {Bob, unnamed}
1.0.0 Short Tail Possum {Eddie}
2.0.0 Pet Rats {Carlos the hairless, Ibin the dumbo}
2.1.0 Dogs Lab/Pionter mix,Basset Hound,German Shepherd {Vegas,Shortie,Nevada}
2.1.0 Kitties {Kenny, Sebation, Phoebe}
1.1.0 Ferrets {Weasle, Girlie}
1.0.0 Betta {George}
1.0.0 Boyfriend {Brian}
1 fish tanks with lots of fish
2 Crested Gecko eggs layed 7/24
And the bugs

Thats it for now.....

I do know the breed specific legislation thing; I thought about mentioning it, but figured I'd leave it out just for simplicity's sake. You're right -- pit bulls and a few other breeds take as much flak and big snakes do.
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Kitt

really, the bad rep dogs are in the exact same boat as the bad rep reptiles. Every reptile can bite, and every dog can bite, but you HEAR about the bites from the big mean looking ones in both fields. a tempermental chihuahua biting a neighbor doesnt make the top news, and neither does a baby iguana clawing someones hand. but a rottie looks at someones kid, it gets sprayed with the hose and animal control is called (instead of just coming over and KNOCKING on your door "oh hey, your dog is begging for the food im grilling" oh nooo, that would be neighborly...) and if someone with a little dog sees a burmese that could easily swallow it, "omg it will eat my puppy and my kids"

almost every bad rep pet is irrational media hype, even the good docile pets bite sometimes, no one bans hamsters, but plenty of kids have had a pretty nasty bite from one. People keep birds that can do more damage in a single bite than many snakes! i remember my fiance's dads umbrella cockatoo... that thing was VICIOUS! I dont understand how the same people who keep animals just as capable of taking off a limb (like dogs and large birds) can go crazy about people keeping reptiles that can do the same. They are so afraid of say, our snake eating their dog, and dont even think that maybe we are jsut as afraid of our snakes being chopped by their shovels, and would be just as devastated as they would be at our loss.

but yeah, a simple solution to people buying reptiles they cant care for, would be a rather simple "contract" "i whoever hereby certify that i know that my whatever can get however large and will eat whatever." requiring a person to be 18 or have the parents sign the same sheet. no elongated mumbo jumbo, just two to three simple lines, to guarentee it will be read. you should need to be 18 or emancipated or something for ANY living thing you buy, since unless you are emancipated, its going into your parents house and they have hte right to say what can and cannot be there. (i admit it, i even told my parents that that iguana would stay all cute and tiny. but it grew on them, haha, pun intended)
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1.3 Dogs (max, tasha, kaya, screw)
1.0 Ghost Corn (Ghost Faced Killa)
1.0 Ball python
0.0.1 Boa Constrictor (Achilles)
0.0.2 Red Eared Sliders
0.0.4 insane tarantellas
2.1 ferrets (Otis, Milo, Monty)
1.0 Cat (Kitten)
0.0.1 Emperor Scorpion
0.0.1 Melleri Cham (Sir Arthur Chamleon Doyle)
0.0.1 Chinese Water Dragon
And an ever-changing fishie tank...

I agree, as much for the animal's sake as anything else. I'm sick of watching kids walk out of a pet store with a baby green ig, monitor or tegu being given no hint by the employee what the cute little bugger is going to become. I bought my ig knowing perfectly well how big he'll get, but that's not always the way it is. (Sorry about the off-topic, but it applies just as much to the larger snakes)
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0.1.0 Ball Python - Shaman
1.0.0 Green Iguana - Ike
0.0.2 Green Treefrog - Bert, Ernie
2.2.0 Cats - Pumpkin, Furball, Pixie, Stitch
1.0.0 Cockatiel - Ozzy
0.1.0 Budgie - Tweetie
0.1.0 Betta - Isis
1.0.1 Mice - Zeus, Orion

No way I'm living in a dorm, ever, no how! So there's no problem there.

I think that probably she will come with me to New York -- quietly. I got home and talked it over with my boyfriend, with whom I live and who helps me take care of her (and will probably be helping a lot more once she gets a bit bigger, lol). We realized that one of our friends who kept Burms kept them in Maine, which restricts basically EVERY boid there is. In addition, it occured to me that I'm planning to start a study which will involve captive Burms some time in the near future, and I'll probably still be doing that study when I move to NY. So, there you go (I need her for my study, of course!)

As for getting a permit -- I didn't know that that was an option, and I'll definitely look into that. Why risk it if you CAN do something legally (unless it's for the principal of the matter . . . We'll see.)

Thanks again,
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Kitt