Bill threatens exotic ownership in WV!

[Vegetatoboaotaku]

This is specifically for residents of WV but all others should take heed. This is the heinous sort of bill animal rights people can cook up that can ruin our hobby. As I understand it, there is a similar bill being fought in North Carolina.

SB277 is currently sitting in the Agriculture commitee in the house. It has passed the senate. It essentially creates a board for the regulation of exotics. I won't go into too much detail; you can see the nitty gritty here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WestVirginiaPetLaw/

Please read and understand that this can happen to your state.

To read SB277 go to:
http://f2.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/MLlMQrT...20SB%20277.rtf


Where did this bill come from:
http://www.api4animals.org/523.htm#SB277

The state department of agriculture has used API's proposed regulation as a model for the bill now sitting in the house. What are their justifications? Homeland Security! That's right, your gecko is assisting terrorists!

The API thinks...
"...dangerous wild animals belong in their natural habitat and not in the hands of private individuals as "pets." By their very nature, these animals are potentially dangerous and do not adjust well to a captive environment. Across the country, many incidents have been reported where exotic animals held in private hands have attacked humans and other animals, or have escaped from their enclosure and freely roamed the community."

And all their lobbyist are telling the same to the legislators. We know better. If you live in WV or you just feel like explaining the truth to the senators please write, e-mail, or call.
Contact info for legislators can be found here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WestVirginiaPetLaw/files/

Thanks for reading, and if you can help thanks all the more!

[louise]

i just sent out 108 e-mails for the NC one. it is only time befor it hits MI. that is why i am gonna move to GA soon. i dont think it is fightable. it is just gonna keep going from state to state.

[LdyDrgn]

They are doing this in KY as well.... they haven't put the cabosh on non-venomous snakes as of yet, but it's only a matter of time. I went to the public hearing in Frankfort and there were only 2 people there FOR the law and several people against it including those who keep New World monkeys and big cats. There was also someone there representing the SouthEast Hot Herp Society... My friend Neil sat down and said, "I don't bring documentation, I bring scars. I have been attacked by 'inherently dangerous' animals." At which point he shows the scarring and tells the stories behind them. One caused by a horse, the other by a dog. The looks on their faces were priceless. Then he asked, "What are you going to do? BAN horses in KY for being 'inherently dangerous'? I don't think so. The phrase 'inherently dangerous' is subjective."

I am anxious to hear the ruling on this since many people pushed for a permitting system. Should be sometime this month...

[Vegetatoboaotaku]

What Neil did was awesome! I would have loved to have been there.
What I'm really hoping is that someone at least figures out that this is a huge undertaking and would be really expensive. We're a #$%^&#$%^&#$%^&#$%^& poor state so I don't know where there going to get the money to set this thing up and then to enforce it.
Grrrr!

I wonder if there is any other states where boards like this have been established and how they worked out over time.

Something like this could be lived with, (though it would severely hamper any sort of sales) but the board holds waaay too much power. It would be do easy to have ignorant officials confiscating animals left and right and making impossible regulations for animal care.
*grumble*