Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Anyone have any ideas on how I can start convincing my college to allow more that just non carnivorous fish? I need to go to the school with a lot of information, but of course it is hard to find. I have been caught to many times with my snakes and lizards on campus. Any response with links or help would be amazing as soon as you can.

>>Anyone have any ideas on how I can start convincing my college to allow more that just non carnivorous fish? I need to go to the school with a lot of information, but of course it is hard to find. I have been caught to many times with my snakes and lizards on campus. Any response with links or help would be amazing as soon as you can.

You are not going to convince them. The schools make their own rules as is their right and students are expected to respect them. Approved animals on campus vary from school to school, but over all most tend to outlaw any animal other than fish. If you want to take the risk of getting caught in a dormroom with an animal that is not on your school's approved list, then it's safe to expect them to ask you to find housing elsewhere off campus or get rid of the animal. If you simply cannot agree with or live with a schools' stated rules and don't want to give up your animals then it may be to your benefit to look for a place to live off campus.
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PHWyvern

Well I have the residents life director supporting me, and the animal situation isn't that bad...I have just been caught to many times, thing might start to get bad. I was just looking for information. I go to a school with only 500 kids, so it isn't hard to make your word known.

>>Well I have the residents life director supporting me, and the animal situation isn't that bad...I have just been caught to many times, thing might start to get bad. I was just looking for information. I go to a school with only 500 kids, so it isn't hard to make your word known.

Write up a reasonable sounding petition outlining both pros and recognized cons and once you have something solid down, get the majority of the student body to sign it. Present that to the school's board of directors that make up the campus rules. That might help or it might backfire by drawing more attention to you in particular and the animals you keep meaning they may still make you get rid of the animals and/or move off campus.
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PHWyvern

I agree that moving off campus is probably the end result whether you try to convince them or not. Either way, a proposed set of guidelines would have to ensure no risk to students (easy to prove) and no risk of escape ( very hard to prove, and keep in mind that the school doesn't want to spend time to educate themselves and have someone check on someones cage situation). A comprimise might be a ban on snakes. This acknowledges their concern for escapees, addresses it, and considers more "appropriate" pets such as leopard geckos and box turtles. Just an idea anyways. You have to make the school think that they are the ones winning.