Have an exotic pet? Maybe not for long.

[theletch1]

HR669 is looking to ban "exotic" pets. This would include everything from snakes to guinea pigs depending on how one person in the federal government wanted to look at it. We have a cat, a dog and as of this friday one ball python. I'd rather not loose any of my pets. The cat and dog are safe but our python would surely be on their "dangerous" list.

 

[Jade Tigress]

HR669 is looking to ban "exotic" pets. This would include everything from snakes to guinea pigs depending on how one person in the federal government wanted to look at it. We have a cat, a dog and as of this friday one ball python. I'd rather not loose any of my pets. The cat and dog are safe but our python would surely be on their "dangerous" list.

I heard about this. Even tropical fish are at risk. No more fish tanks folks, unless you want to keep blue gills in them. That includes freshwater fish such as Neon Tetras, etc.

Though I recall reading that exceptions are: that which is harmful to the ecomony, species which have been here for a long time, and those which do not pose a harm to native species. So, hopefully it will rule out many pet store animals. If not, the economy will surely suffer. The pet business is a big one.

I think it's ridiculous. I just cannot think of a guinea pig or parakeet as an exotic pet. Ban exotic pets like the lions, tigers, and chimpanzees some people insist on keeping.

 

[grydth]

In origin: This is how New York got its idiotic martial arts weapons law.... a media frenzy about martial arts madness in the streets, followed by ignorant politicians eager to look as if they are "doing something"...... which always translates into a loss of freedom. We wound up with an insane and useless law.

But in type, this appears like proposed gun laws which the NRA, thankfully, has defeated..... any law which would have an unelected bureaucrat able to define what is included will always lead to the maximum amount of lost freedom. What do they have to lose? You have everything to lose - and you will.

To be sure, there are idiotic and dangerous pet owners: people who get tired of their pythons or snakeheads and dump them into the nearest swamp, regardless of the grave threat to the ecosytems;chimp owner who feeds the primate human drugs then calls a middle aged friend over - instead of animal control - with grievous consequences for that person; wimpy men who think mistreating their dog til its mean makes them a macho man (oddly, this proposed law exempts dogs), and so on...

But new laws should be formulated in a cool atmosphere of thought, study and deliberation - they seldom are. Responsibility should stay with elected officials, as they are responsible to the people.... yet responsibility is avoided like a flesh eating virus. Wrongdoers must be severely punished while the rights and freedoms of common people are zealously protected, and...... no, I have not been taking LSD this evening.

 

[MA-Caver]

I've had a ball python for a few years. Grew to about 4 1/2 feet long... the only "danger" she would've been to a human would've been a small child had she ever gotten near one and manage to wrap her body around it's neck... But since it wouldn't have been likely that would've happened considering my living circumstances at the time... what's the point?

The florida everglades are home to many exotic non-native species (particularly reptiles and birds) from irresponsible or careless owners. Burmese Pythons are common now, that they've been allowed to flourish and breed. The Fish and Game and other Wildlife agencies have their hands full trying to round up these animals and get them out of the glades where they don't belong.
The law makes sense in that regard because there are far too many irresponsible exotic pet owners who either don't realize how big their monitors or pythons or other exotics can get and try to give them to zoo's or let them free or they escape from their usually inadequate cages.

I am not in support of this law I do understand it, because I've managed to keep my exotics well cared for and comfortably (for them) confined. It's when I had to move and couldn't find residences that allowed pets (of any sort) that I had to sadly give them away to someone who would care for them as I had... that in-of-itself isn't easy either.

 

[arnisador]

Eh, I don't know...there has to be a line. People keeping lions happens...I've got concerns about that.

 

[jarrod]

i keep stubbing my toe. i'd like to see door jams banned.

jf

 

[arnisador]

i keep stubbing my toe. i'd like to see door jams banned.

I'm not worried that your pet spitting cobra might kill you. I'm worried it could escape and kill me.

 

[jarrod]

you leave sparky out of this.

jf

 

[girlbug2]

I'd like to see the list of proposed fish bans. As a aquarium owner of several years, it seems weird to me that gouramis and guppies could be banned, but with bureaucrats, anything's possible.

 

[MA-Caver]

I'd like to see the list of proposed fish bans. As a aquarium owner of several years, it seems weird to me that gouramis and guppies could be banned, but with bureaucrats, anything's possible.

Well other than piranhas I don't know any fresh water fish that are dangerous... but salt water fishes like the Lion Fish are gorgeous but poisonous...
But what are we becoming? A SAFE nation? sheesh.
Could be a way to pacify us... having all safe animals all safe mentality. Dangerous animals, dangerous mentality, keeps us on edge.

 

[Jade Tigress]

Eh, I don't know...there has to be a line. People keeping lions happens...I've got concerns about that.

I'm not worried that your pet spitting cobra might kill you. I'm worried it could escape and kill me.

Exactly. The only place animals like that belong other than their natural habitat is the zoo. Remember the common sense thread anyone?

 

[Shuto]

I heard about this. Even tropical fish are at risk. No more fish tanks folks, unless you want to keep blue gills in them. That includes freshwater fish such as Neon Tetras, etc.

FWIW Black Crappies look really good in a fish tank.

 

[Jade Tigress]

FWIW Black Crappies look really good in a fish tank.

Many years ago we had a friend that caught a bass out fishing. He brought it home and put it in a fish tank. Not the prettiest thing, but it was funny and that fish lived for years. We used to love feeding him.

 

[jim777]

One dog, one Oscar, one Pacu, and a few plecostamus cats here. I'd hate to lose the fish, really. We do have the occasional two week visitor in our yard though, I took this pic last week:

Nothing compared to what occasionally walks around in my brother Dave's backyard though!

and

 

[jarrod]

great pics!

jf

 

[arnisador]

Many years ago we had a friend that caught a bass out fishing. He brought it home and put it in a fish tank. Not the prettiest thing, but it was funny and that fish lived for years. We used to love feeding him.

Did he ever feed you?

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Did he ever feed you?

That's good bass!

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/75/75qbassamatic.phtml

 

[arnisador]

Baby pythons escape during flight in Australia

Four baby pythons escaped from a container aboard a passenger plane in Australia, leading to a search that forced the cancellation of two flights, the airline said Thursday.

 

[Jade Tigress]

Did he ever feed you?

hee hee . No, sad ending. We were all out, and the thing jumped or something, knocked the lid off the tank and we found him lying dead on the floor.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Back in my high school days A friend of mines father caught a bass and brought it home and then he thought it would be funny to throw it in the tank with his black piranha that was the same size as the bass (it was a fairly big piranha)

That bass damn near killed that piranha.