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DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE (Rochester, New York) 10 December 04 State law ready to bare sharp teeth at pet owners with exotic beasties (Corydon Ireland)
By Jan. 1, New York state will have the toughest law in the country banning private ownership of venomous reptiles, constricting snakes, crocodiles, big cats and other exotic animals that could pose a danger to their owners.
The ban will exceed laws in 23 other states that require permits, and go well beyond the 26 states that require none.
Monroe County has no parallel law or permit requirement. But in 2000, Rochester passed a ban on most exotic pets, including the odd (hedgehogs, prairie dogs) and the unlikely (elephants, bighorn sheep). City officials were acting on complaints about people attending public festivals with their pet venomous snakes.
Under the new state law, some businesses will take a hit. Regulators, meanwhile, are scrambling to deal with new registration requirements. Experts are divided on the law's value.
The law will be hard to enforce, some experts say, and also will restrict personal liberties. "The conscientious people may be more affected than the ones you want to control," said Tom Hudak, a Rochester wildlife educator who helped shape the final language of the law.
On the other hand, he said, "maybe everybody out there shouldn't get a black mamba," a soon-to-be-banned snake that is fast, agile and packs a fatal bite. On the prohibited list: big monitor lizards, large constricting snakes (still legal in Rochester), big cats, bears and certain primates. The coming ban reflects a general fear that these animals can bite, claw, inject venom or act as vectors for disease.
Enforcement actions by the state Department of Environmental Conservation did not drive the state law. There are only "a few to none" annually in each DEC region, said agency spokeswoman Maureen Wren.
In the Rochester area, DEC Region 8 issued four tickets in 2002 for exotic animal violations, and none since then. (In one of the actions, three timber rattlesnakes were seized in Henrietta after a man was bitten. He had illegally taken them from a den in Steuben County.)
Dr. Beth Jamison, who sees exotic animals in her practice at the Livonia Veterinary Hospital, called the ban list "reasonable."
It protects people, she said, as well as exotic animals with exacting requirements for food and environments controlled for temperature and humidity.
The law "doesn't restrict average people from owning a snake," she said. "They just can't have a cobra or a python."
Current owners of the animals can keep them but have to register them with the DEC within 60 days after Jan. 1.
DEC officials in Albany are working out details, and they plan to enforce the law, said Wren.
Registration will include an agreement not to breed the animals and to provide veterinary care. Two-year permits will cost no more than $80 per animal; exact fees have not been set yet.
"Not everybody should have a 15-foot boa constrictor," agreed Bob Krantz of Buffalo, education director of the Western New York Herpetological Society.
"And you don't want to break into a house and find a gorilla there," he said, referring to a 2003 state law that requires registering dangerous pets to protect such first responders as fire, ambulance and police officials.
But Krantz said the law would be impossible to enforce, would cost taxpayers more money than registration fees bring in, covers too many animals and restricts private owners who "serve nature" by breeding species of animals endangered in the wild.
Worst, "there's going to be an underground" of exotic pets, he said, "and that's a shame."
Krantz, vice president of the society and a Buffalo Zoo docent, said ferrets were banned in New York City in 1999 — but merchants there still sell 10,000 pounds of ferret food a week.
The new law exempts licensed wildlife rehabilitators, veterinarians, exhibitors, zoos, researchers and educators.
Hudak keeps at least 25 venomous reptiles and an assortment of other soon-to-be-banned animals in an East Main Street warehouse.
He specializes in reptiles and trains people who may encounter the dangerous ones: police and conservation officers, as well as soldiers headed overseas.
What will it mean?
The banned creatures are not big sellers, so most retailers won't get hurt, said Sally Reaves, of Wildlife Educational Encounters in Marion, Wayne County. She also owns the Kritter Korner pet store, in Canandaigua, Ontario County.
But money isn't the point, said Angelo DiPasquale, owner of Reptile Showcase in Rochester. DiPasquale called the law "ill-advised" and ignorant of the risk exotic animals actually pose.
Exotics seized by or surrendered to the DEC would be turned over to appropriate zoos, sanctuaries "or shall be humanely euthanized," the law reads.
Giving away such animals as a result of the law would not be easy, said Christopher Fitzgerald, director of animal services for Rochester. The city's Verona Street shelter takes in dogs and cats.
Lollipop Farm will take exotics, but it warns owners that the pets will be euthanized. The Seneca Park Zoo doesn't take animals from private citizens.
What's at stake
Public safety vs. personal freedom. A state law banning private ownership of "exotic" pets such as bears, crocodiles and wolves goes into effect Jan. 1. Government officials say such animals are dangerous to neighbors, first-responders and the pets' owners. Critics say the law will be difficult to enforce and may cost taxpayers more money than registration fees bring in.
Banned pets
Monitors (big lizards), including these five types: water, black throat, white throat, crocodile and Nile.
Venomous reptiles, including all venomous snakes and two lizards with poison bites.
Crocodilians, including crocodiles, caimans, alligators and Indian gharial.
Large constricting snakes.
Primates, such as rhesus monkeys, and prosimians, such as lemurs.
All members of the family Felidae, except domestic and feral cats. This includes lions, tigers and jaguars.
All members of the family Canidae, including wolves. Exceptions: domestic dogs and fennec foxes.
All bears.
On the Web: For a copy of the law, go to: http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A11753&sh=t.
For more information, call the special licenses unit of the DEC's Fish and Wildlife Division at (518) 402-8985.
State law ready to bare sharp teeth at pet owners with exotic beasties

ban while driving??? WHen they start enforcing that one so some babbling driver crawling along on the THRUWAY, doesn't impede traffic, I'll start worrying about the no breeding clause!

Most of these policitians are oblivious to the fact that we a) Already have regs in place to restrict keeping wild animals in captivity AND B)that ECL 11-0515 SPECIFICALLY ALLOWS FOR A PERMIT To breed for SCIENTIFIC, EDUCATIONAL AND EXHIBITION PURPOSES!!!

Politicians in this state don't feel the need to base any regulations on Conrete Data indicating that venomous snakes are a REAL RISK, but the simple perceived fear that the average "Joe Dinnerbucket" has toward snakes OF ANY KIND, was all it took for this ridulous piece of legislation to pass. Well, that and the fact, that you had the legislature in Assembly line mode, stamping every bill as fast as possible so they could break for their summer vacations.

Of course, they won't pass any legislation to protect endangered spcieces habitat or prevent a strip mall from being put up where THREATENED TURTLES ARE NESTING!! YES, sadly thats the conservation attitude of our NYS legislature!

I can't wait to tell every AZA Zoo that has asked for snakes that I can't send them anything because of this bill....Hmmm, wonder where they'll get em?...... cause we all know they're breeding Bothriechis nigroviridis and Bothrops asper like flies!!!

>> "Not everybody should have a 15-foot boa constrictor," agreed Bob Krantz of Buffalo, education director of the Western New York Herpetological Society.

How many Boa constrictor reach 15 feet?
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

I was wondering the same thing.

HOWEVER, you must remember reporters have a way of twisting your words. I've only been quoted a handful of times, and but even then, I've been misquoted most of those times! If the reporter wasn't taking detailed notes during the interview, he might have insterted the words "boa constrictor" himself, because he didn't know any better. Always ask a reporter to shoot you a rough draft of his article before it goes to print, so you can make corrections.

Katrina

I know Bob, and I doubt he said that.