Law against live feeding? V 1.0

[faroutinmt]

This is version 1 of the debate "Law against live feeding??". This is not a place to insult, mock, degrade or put down members for their views. Engage the debate in the spirit in which it is meant to be debated.

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Most folks who keep Australian reptiles are aware that the feeding of live prey to captive reptiles in Australia is illegal. I was just wondering if such a law might be useful here in the US.

Would such a law prove useful for protecting herps and discouraging keepers from putting their pets in potentially dangerous situations? Would it be useful for increasing the businesses of full time prey breeders? Would it be useful for encouraging and promoting reptile keeping in general as a humane hobby? (There are organizations which seek to promote it as inhumane)

Any thoughts?

[mpgt]

It wouldn't bother me to see such a law here, but I doubt they would be able to effectively enforce it.

[faroutinmt]

Well, I don't know that they really enforce it over there. But, it does seem to discourage many from doing it and promoting it. I was just wondering if, perhaps, simply passing the law might be a deterrent...at least in some measure.

[RioBravoReptiles]

... as was just mentioned.. such a ban may curtail many of the yahoos and idiots from tearing down our hobby through their home movies of their 'dumb-and-dumberer', 'watch-this' stunts.
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Ultimately, however, the concept that such a law would be needed is in itself an attack on the hobby and industry. It would focus more unfair scrutiny on the details of the husbandry of reptiles.. by people who have little or no context or experience to make proper judgements.
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Wanna stop the live-feeding yee-haw cowboys? Ignore them and put them down whenever they get in your face. And always educate people about the animals and our interests in them and the truth about the non-problem of captive reptiles... The whole hysteria-mania-pop-star environment would simply go away if everytime somebody jumps on a big snake in Venezuela on TV or hams-up wrassling a 'glades' burm for the kids (of all ages) .. that people would just change the channel or whatever.. No more problems for anybody.
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That's some of my opinion on that.

[HARTSOCK]

How about the 6' Russian Rat Snake I owned he would not eat anything else but live? 8 months fighting with him, every trick in the book, he ended up so skinny that it was heartbreaking to walk into my bedroom and see him on the shelves with the other snakes. But I stuck to my guns, did everything everyone on here said.

It got to the place where he was so larthergic that an otherwise active snake could be poked and part way lifted up before he responded to you being in the cage. I know without a doubt that had I not went with live, he would have died. I am not a promoter of live feeding, actually quite the opposite, but there are times when it is necessary.

I don't need a law telling me that I should let a reptile in my care starve to death.

[RioBravoReptiles]

Originally Posted by HARTSOCK

How about the 6' Russian Rat Snake I owned he would not eat anything else but live? 8 months fighting with him, every trick in the book, he ended up so skinny that it was heartbreaking to walk into my bedroom and see him on the shelves with the other snakes. But I stuck to my guns, did everything everyone on here said.
It got to the place where he was so larthergic that an otherwise active snake could be poked and part way lifted up before he responded to you being in the cage. I know without a doubt that had I not went with live, he would have died. I am not a promoter of live feeding, actually quite the opposite, but there are times when it is necessary.
I don't need a law telling me that I should let a reptile in my care starve to death.

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Sure, you do what you have to do, and it's none of anybody's business. You feeding live to a snake that would otherwise starve is one thing.. people who promote live feeding, even as a sport! .. and more stupid stuff are all-together a different species.
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Be safe.

[faroutinmt]

Originally Posted by RioBravoReptiles

... as was just mentioned.. such a ban may curtail many of the yahoos and idiots from tearing down our hobby through their home movies of their 'dumb-and-dumberer', 'watch-this' stunts.
.
Ultimately, however, the concept that such a law would be needed is in itself an attack on the hobby and industry. It would focus more unfair scrutiny on the details of the husbandry of reptiles.. by people who have little or no context or experience to make proper judgements.
.
Wanna stop the live-feeding yee-haw cowboys? Ignore them and put them down whenever they get in your face. And always educate people about the animals and our interests in them and the truth about the non-problem of captive reptiles... The whole hysteria-mania-pop-star environment would simply go away if everytime somebody jumps on a big snake in Venezuela on TV or hams-up wrassling a 'glades' burm for the kids (of all ages) .. that people would just change the channel or whatever.. No more problems for anybody.
.
That's some of my opinion on that.

Well, I guess I was thinking more of what it might do to promote a positive image of the majority of reptile keepers as being humane folks who care about their animals. And, that it might help the frozen feeders businesses too.

The decline of the superstar live feeding showmen would just be a nice side effect.