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JOURNAL STAR (Peoria, Illinois) 15 December 04 Reptile owners: Scale back - Pekinites with exotic pets want City Council to shed snake ban (John Sharp)
Pekin: A proposed ban on pet snake ownership has Jason Juchems' skin crawling.
The Bradley University junior owns a California king snake and a female ball python.
In addition, he breeds dart frogs and two types of geckos and sells them to pet dealers around the region.
But if an animal control ordinance is approved by the City Council next month, Juchems might have to give up his exotic pets.
"The issue at hand is dangerous dogs and cats," Juchems said Tuesday, one day after the City Council introduced an ordinance defining what constitutes a "dangerous" or "vicious" dog or cat while banning wild animals like pet snakes from being owned within city limits. "We have not had any issue with (reptiles) or exotic animals in the city of Pekin."
Juchems is not the only snake owner hissing about the proposed ban.
The Central Illinois Herpetological Society, with approximately 100 members throughout the Peoria region, also opposes the city's plan.
"I have heard of nothing about any serious involvement with any of these animals that necessitates developing or amending a law," said Gene Holmes of Peoria, publicity chairman of the society and the owner of 15 pet snakes and other exotic animals. "I don't understand the basis in the decision being made."
The proposed ban on snake ownership and all wild animals in Pekin is part of a sweeping change in the animal control ordinance that follows a rash of dog attacks this year.
Following public outcry, the council reviewed its animal control ordinance and found it lacked teeth in punishing owners of animals that attack.
The new ordinance, introduced at Monday's council meeting, includes, among other things, a controversial three pet per household limit.
City officials assured Pekinites that all items of the ordinance are subject to change.
That includes the reptile ban, Councilman Bill Maddox has said in recent days.
Illinois law already prohibits poisonous and life-threatening reptiles from being owned. The law also prohibits all forms of crocodile and alligator ownership. Violations can result in a misdemeanor conviction and fines.
Exotic cats like lions, cougars, and bobcats also are outlawed by Illinois law, although the federal government offers special permits granting some people permission to own one, according to Carroll Imig, bureau chief of the Bureau of Animal Welfare, a division of the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
Meanwhile, pet snakes like the ball python are not outlawed in Illinois as long as it's no bigger than 6 feet in length.
In Peoria, reptile and exotic animal ownership is regulated similarly as state law. Pet snakes are allowed in Peoria and there is no plans to limit that.
Holmes said he believes that Pekin officials want a reasonable law similar to Peoria's that would limit large pythons and boa constrictors that could threaten human life.
For instance, the Burmese python, which is illegal to own in Illinois, can grow up to 20 feet and weigh 200 pounds and is considered a threat to children.
And while its rare that there are illegal exotic animals owned in the Peoria region, there have been spot reports over the years of alligators or large snakes found in someone's back yard.
But even those remote instances are not enough for Pekin to outright ban them from the homes of responsible owners, Holmes said.
"Obviously, we know people have fears of snakes just as they do of spiders and so on," he said, "but there is no just reason to ban them."
Pekinites with exotic pets want City Council to shed snake ban

Kevin, this original story came out yesterday and had some major factual errors in it. I contacted the Peoria Journal Star reporter and corrected him on what had been printed yesterday. He had talked to the IL Dept. of Ag and somehow things got mixed up with combining the Dangerous Animals Act with the Animal Welfare Act. Unfortunately with the original story, DNR was never contacted. I got him straightened out and today he did an update with the correct info. If you check out the paper's online web page www.pjstar.com, the story should be there.

My understanding is that the city of Pekin is backing off of restricting large snakes now, since there are already regs in place at the state level.

What you posted with my quote is correct. No one is losing their snakes in Illinois if they are over 6' long, unless that local municipality or county they reside in is more restrictive than the state is (and local units of government CAN BE more restrictive than the state, that is their choice).

The Pekin City Council was receptive to the concerns made by herpetoculturists and herpetologists. Our hats should be off to them for listening and acting accordingly!!

Scott Ballard

http://www.ci.pekin.il.us/cityClerk/pdf/packets/Proposed ANIMAL Ordinance.pdf

Here's a copy of the proposed ordinance. Limits 3 adult dogs and/or cats per household - specifically states dogs and cats.

Limits rabbits to 12 per household.

I didn't see anything pertaining to reptiles, other than standard wording about keeping wild animals (reptiles are not mentioned).

There's a section on farm animals, too.

They must not have townhomes in the city, because there's wording about a doghouse or kennel being at least 10 feet from neighboring yards.

Katrina

Kevin,

If you learn anything in this business, learn that you CAN'T trust everything you read in the paper. People usually get misquoted more than they get an exact quote. Reporters are trying to skim in a few hours or days what it's taken us years to learn. They aren't always going to get it right.

Katrina

...and I certainly understand your concern and your point about confusion generated when two different state agencies are interpreting laws differently. That concern is a genuine one, and it probably happens more than it should. Its something we try to stay on top of as best as possible.

I'm just glad we got this media glitch taken care of in a timely fashion.

Scott Ballard