Hypancistrus
Strolling the yard
Do you all remember the fight this past summer regarding HR 669, the bill that would have put all species on the no-import list and no-interstate trade list unless they were PROVEN safe for the environment?
The pet community beat that bill.
In July, another bill was proposed to the Senate. It is going under the name S373 and was proposed by Senator Nelson of Florida. At first it was a bill to ban Burmese and Reticulated pythons. As a responsible snake keeper, I disagreed with it and thought it the equivalent of a band aid on a gaping head wound. But I could understand where they were coming from and why average non-snake keeping folks saw it as not a bad thing.
Recently, the HSUS and several politicians have added onto this bill. It now includes all 40 species of pythons (including ball pythons, 4' average length, and Children's pythons, 3' average length) along with several species of boa. All of these would be BANNED, 100% forever, if this bill passes as written.
Even if you do NOT keep snakes, please realize that if HSUS gets a bill like this passed, it is only a matter of time before they turn their money, momentum and eyes on other sections of the exotic pet industry, such as bird keeping. You know for a fact that HSUS is gunning for the entire non-traditional pet industry. It's a very slippery slope we are standing on.
Furthermore, it is important for the pet-keeping community as a whole to stand up for our rights in the face of a great many humanist groups that want to do away with our rights to keep animal companions that make us happy.
Please consider calling your senator or sending a letter asking them to reconsider the S373 python ban. It will have a tremendous and reaching impact on thousands of American families if passed as it is written. Try to put yourself in the shoes of a snake owner, even if you don't keep them yourself. Would you want the government to tell you that your pet isn't good enough and is now illegal? Would you want to surrender your innocent pet to be euthanized simply because some of his cousins have caused issues in a very limited section of the country??
Think about it. Here is the info.
I will close this with a link to some pics of my pet pythons and boas interacting with and educating the general public.
Community Outreach
If this bill passes as written, my outreach program will cease to exist for the most part. My most impressive and best loved animal ambassadors are for the most part pythons. Please help us defeat this bill!
Thank you!!!
The pet community beat that bill.
In July, another bill was proposed to the Senate. It is going under the name S373 and was proposed by Senator Nelson of Florida. At first it was a bill to ban Burmese and Reticulated pythons. As a responsible snake keeper, I disagreed with it and thought it the equivalent of a band aid on a gaping head wound. But I could understand where they were coming from and why average non-snake keeping folks saw it as not a bad thing.
Recently, the HSUS and several politicians have added onto this bill. It now includes all 40 species of pythons (including ball pythons, 4' average length, and Children's pythons, 3' average length) along with several species of boa. All of these would be BANNED, 100% forever, if this bill passes as written.
Even if you do NOT keep snakes, please realize that if HSUS gets a bill like this passed, it is only a matter of time before they turn their money, momentum and eyes on other sections of the exotic pet industry, such as bird keeping. You know for a fact that HSUS is gunning for the entire non-traditional pet industry. It's a very slippery slope we are standing on.
Furthermore, it is important for the pet-keeping community as a whole to stand up for our rights in the face of a great many humanist groups that want to do away with our rights to keep animal companions that make us happy.
Please consider calling your senator or sending a letter asking them to reconsider the S373 python ban. It will have a tremendous and reaching impact on thousands of American families if passed as it is written. Try to put yourself in the shoes of a snake owner, even if you don't keep them yourself. Would you want the government to tell you that your pet isn't good enough and is now illegal? Would you want to surrender your innocent pet to be euthanized simply because some of his cousins have caused issues in a very limited section of the country??
Think about it. Here is the info.
If you'd like more info on S373 as a whole, you can google it, or visit the United States Association of Reptile Keepers (USARK) website. I'd encourage everyone to do some research prior to contacting their rep, but any help, even so small a thing as an email, will be appreciated by those of us fighting for the lives of our pets.Sample:
My name is _____. I oppose S373. Although I support and appreciate efforts to preserve the Everglades, there is NO evidence to show this bill will have any conservation effect on the Everglades. This bill will hurt American families in our state. It would Ban the captive bred trade in 40 species of pythons and destroy thousands of jobs in our state and across the country. Scientists have questioned the USGS report being used to justify this extreme proposal. Science should trump political expediency. Please oppose S373.
Contact: Full Senate EPW Committee
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), (Sponsor S373)
Phone: 202-224-5274
Fax: 202-228-2183
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), (Chair EPW)
Phone: 202-224-3553
Fax: 202-224-0454
Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), (Ranking Member EPW)
Phone: 202-224-4721
Fax: 202-228-0380
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), (Chair Water & Wildlife)
Phone: 202-224-4524
Fax: 202-224-1651
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), (Ranking Member Water & Wildlife)
Phone: 202-224-6142
Fax: 202-228-1375
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Phone: 202-224-4944
Fax: 202-228-3398
Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY)
Phone: 202-224-6441
Fax: 202-224-1724
Sen. Max Baucus [D-MT]
Phone: 202-224-2651
Fax: 202-224-9412
Sen. Christopher (Kit) Bond [R-MO]
Phone: 202-224-5721
Sen. Thomas Carper [D-DE]
Phone: 202-224-2441
Fax: 202-228-2190
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand [D-NY]
Phone: 202-224-4451
Fax: 202-228-0282
Sen. Amy Klobuchar [D-MN]
Phone: 202-224-3244
fax: 202-228-2186
Sen. Frank Lautenberg [D-NJ]
Phone: 202-224-3224
Fax: 202-228-4054
Sen. Jeff Merkley [D-OR]
Phone: 202-224-3753
Fax: 202-228-3997
Sen. Bernard (Bernie) Sanders [I-VT]
Phone: 202-224-5141
Fax: 202-228-0776
Sen. Arlen Specter [D-PA]
Phone: 202-224-4254
Fax: 202-228-1229
Sen. Tom Udall [D-NM]
Phone: 202-224-6621
Sen. David Vitter [R-LA]
Phone: 202-224-4623
Fax: 202-228-5061
Sen. George Voinovich [R-OH]
Phone: 202-224-3353
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse [D-RI]
Phone: 202-224-2921
Fax: 202-228-6362
I will close this with a link to some pics of my pet pythons and boas interacting with and educating the general public.
Community Outreach
If this bill passes as written, my outreach program will cease to exist for the most part. My most impressive and best loved animal ambassadors are for the most part pythons. Please help us defeat this bill!
Thank you!!!
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