All in all, I feel good about the experience.
We were at first disappointed because Representative Steve Reinhard himself was not available for the meeting.
Grady and I met with his Steve’s legislative aid, who promised to communicate and discuss all the details with Steve. I think we did good.
We met her in Steve’s office … and we sat in front of her in our suits and ties and with a PowerPoint presentation and a nice color-booklet packet for her and Steve with stats, suggestions, contact info etc.
If you read below the letter that I wrote (and included in the packet) you’ll get the gist of our conversation.
Basically, we broke apart the elements of this letter and discussed each.
She was very pleasant to us, listened carefully, asked questions, and seemed glad we met with her and said she needed our advice as this situation progressed. I asked specifically if we could please be notified when changes are made and decisions are being considered and she agreed. We offered to come up again for meetings whenever we are needed.
Bottom line for the time being: The “proposed bill” as currently drafted, will certainly not be the actual bill.
It’s very preliminary, and it seems there’s a good chance they may scrap it and start over. I asked the question, “When you are making decisions as to which animals to consider regulating and how to do it, you will take our suggestions seriously and contact us, correct?” She said something to the effect of “absolutely” and suggested that they want to make this fair.
As you’ll see in the letter, the main points I make for discussion are:
- Number of people (many thousands) that reptile regulations would effect
- Exaggeration that is used when creating “potentially dangerous” categories
- Exaggeration about disease transmission (such as salmonella)
- Why we (GCHS) should be in a position to be heard and be a part of the decision-making process
- How we can help ongoing
Please understand a few things as you read this letter: As it is being presented, venomous and boidae family constrictors that can exceed 8’ are lumped into the (for all practical purposes) “cannot have” category. We express our thoughts that non-ven should not be regulated at all, and suggest permitting only for the “medically significant” venomous species. We hope that we can make this happen, and that all hots and large boids are not banned. We understand, however, that compromise may be necessary as push comes to shove, lest we get stuck with a sweeping law as happened in Dayton after legislators apparently got sick of bickering. You have the commitment of Grady and myself that we’ll continue to work for fairness on this.
Feel free to communicate any conflict that you have with the letter, but understand that we are never going to make everyone 100% happy. I feel that the days of demanding “no regulations on anything” are over and that is an unrealistic goal. Grady and I feel that potentially deadly exotics SHOULD be regulated.
Not banned, but regulated. When something fair is on the books, we will all sleep better and not worry that all of our animals will be banned each time someone is bitten.
Please keep in mind as you respond to this post that it is quite possible that your comments will be read by state officials. We shared the GCHS website address with them. I want them to get to know is as the responsible people that most if us are.
Here is the letter that I submitted:
Dear Mr. Reinhard:
It has come to our attention that legislation is currently under review that would regulate the private keeping of “exotic” animals in the state of Ohio, and that some reptiles would be included. We would like to clearly communicate our position on such regulations in this letter, and offer our services in assisting with the evolution and revisions of the proposed documents. We represent a logical and sensible point of view, resulting from many years of experience working with and around these animals, and from experience with such legislation in other regions within the state of Ohio. We are not opposed to fair and reasonable legislation, and recognize that it may become necessary as issues with very dangerous animals become more frequent.
The Greater Cincinnati Herpetological Society, (GCHS) is a non-profit organization with a 29-year history of commitment to the welfare of reptiles and amphibians through education and conservation. We represent a membership base of over 200 individuals and have educated thousands of adults and children alike through programs at the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History, the Cincinnati Nature Center, and schools and scouting programs throughout the Greater Cincinnati area. In addition, we are proactively involved in conservation efforts to preserve native populations of Ohio’s reptiles and amphibians, as well as those native to other parts of the United States. Throughout the years, we (the GCHS), have worked on regulatory issues at the city level many times, and we keep ourselves well-informed regarding legislation that is in effect in states outside of Ohio.
Why are regulations on these animals often presented for review?
Typically, it starts with instances of injuries or escapes resulting from irresponsible persons keeping these animals. These instances create a public outcry of some sort. In response, well-intended local representatives often create proposals that unknowingly include many very popular and quite harmless reptiles and / or amphibians. Legislators often do not understand the entire issue and the very large number of people and animals that the regulations will affect.
We hope to communicate that although often times it is the irresponsible keepers who make headlines, they are actually a minority. Many thousands, and the data that we have collected suggests that quite possibly HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, of people in the state of Ohio keep and enjoy reptiles in their homes. Most are responsible citizens who properly care for their animals and understand and respect the fact that some people fear them. As with many issues, it’s the “vocal and irresponsible minority” that gets the attention. Because of this, the general public is often not aware that there are many, MANY reptile keepers who are responsible citizens and are productive members of society.
The primary reasons that are cited by individuals who wish to promote regulations regarding captive reptiles are as follows:
1- Some captive reptiles are potentially dangerous to humans. Although it is certainly true that some reptiles, especially those that are dangerously venomous, may potentially pose a threat to humans, the vast majority of species are harmless. Many proposed bills make the issue of determining which species are a threat to humans very complicated, and some make sweeping judgments that lump harmless and very popular captive species into the “potentially dangerous” category. Often this is not intentional, but nonetheless affects thousands of people and their pets. It is not difficult to create family or species-specific categories of reptiles that can be shown through history as potentially dangerous to humans. It is our opinion that only these species should be considered for control through legislation. The categories that we suggest as potentially dangerous to humans are listed clearly in the enclosed packet. Certainly, the reptiles that should be considered most dangerous are those snakes that are considered venomous to a degree of “medical significance”. These snake families and species are clearly listed in the enclosed packet. This listing was created by the Kentucky Reptile Zoo (KRZ), and, after careful review, this list is fully supported by the GCHS. Contrary to the view of KRZ, the GCHS does not feel that regulation or licensing of any non-venomous snakes (such as large constrictors of the family boidae) should be considered necessary. Many thousands of these snakes are being responsibly kept in captivity in Ohio. They are actually some of the most popular snake species being kept.
It is important, however, that should a licensing process be deemed unavoidable and necessary for any non-venomous snakes, that ONLY the specific species that have been known to cause human fatality be regulated. These 5 species are listed in the enclosed packet. As it is currently written, the proposed bill includes many common species that have NEVER been known to seriously injure a human. (such as the boa constrictor and the carpet python).
2- The uninformed belief that most reptiles have such specialized needs that keeping them healthy in captivity is difficult and therefore it should be considered inhumane to keep these animals.
This notion is often promoted by “animal rights” organizations with their personal agendas in mind. The truth is that the vast majority of reptiles being kept in captivity are very easy to keep healthy and live very long lives in captivity. Most “pet” reptiles are now captive born and raised animals. With the proper education, these animals are much simpler to care for effectively than are almost all other common pets (such as dogs, cats, birds, etc). The reptile-keeping public has made great strides over the past 15 to 20 years, and animals that were previously thought to languish as captives are now being kept healthy and in many cases even reproducing in captivity. There is an absolute wealth of information and knowledge available from Herpetology societies as well as through books and many Internet sources. Any person with the desire to keep these animals healthy can quite easily gain the knowledge to do so.
3- The exaggerated claims that reptiles often transmit certain diseases, such as salmonella, to humans.
As a general rule, reptiles do not carry diseases that can be directly transmitted to humans. All animals harbor certain bacteria in their feces, and reptiles are no exception. Some species, such as some turtles and the green iguana, have been known to shed higher levels of salmonella in their excrement than most other animals. Salmonella is considered by the FDA to be a “food-borne illness”. Quite simply, the way it is transmitted to humans from other humans or animals is “fecal-oral”. In other words, if a chef does not wash his hands after using the bathroom or after working with raw meat, and than touches your prepared food, you may get sick as the bacteria level explodes on your meal. In the same way, if someone comes into contact with, for example, iguana feces and does not wash before eating, they may get sick from salmonella. This is something that simple hand washing prevents. Again, a basic education is the preventative maintenance. These animals do not transmit disease from biting or scratching as can be the case with cats and dogs. With this in mind, the federal government has already made it illegal to sell turtles with a shell length of less than 4”. The reasoning behind this was to keep children from putting the turtles in their mouths, and thus risking the fecal-oral transmission of salmonella.
Summary and Suggestions:
Again, we are in agreement that regulations regarding some dangerous reptile species may become necessary. We will support a fair and well-planned permit system for these species. It is our belief that the vast majority of reptiles that are commonly available in the pet trade can be effectively, humanly, and safely housed in captivity. There are many thousands of families in the state of Ohio that enjoy keeping and raising reptiles as a hobby, as a source of leisure, and in some cases, as a business. Many private businesses are dependent on the sale of healthy, captive-bred reptiles and the products used to maintain them such as caging, food, etc. Some private keepers even contribute to species conservation efforts through contributions to science of their intimate knowledge of these species, and through public education. Without question, there are some species that are potentially dangerous to humans. We feel strongly that any legislation that is considered to control and / or license the ownership of reptiles in captivity ONLY effect the species that are carefully determined to be a potential public safety concern. With our 29 years of experience in working with people and their captive reptiles in the state of Ohio, and with our close relationship with professional organizations such as the Kentucky Reptile Zoo, we believe that we have provided an accurate and effective method to categorizing the species that may be considered potentially dangerous.
We offer our ongoing advice and expertise in this matter. We would be most willing assist in training law enforcement agents to identify species, or help create methods for these agents to quickly and accurately identify species through the use of, for example, digital photos. It would be a shame for a law to be passed without taking the time to examine the entire picture. Many thousands of Ohio residents, as well as hundred of thousands of animals, may be affected by such legislation. Please keep us in mind as this process evolves, and do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
The Greater Cincinnati Herpetological Society
Grady Calhoun, President Dean Alessandrini, Vice-President
