Unfair bias due to visiting a sick reptile breeder

[Montessa Python]

I answered an ad that some one had in WI selling a mojave baby ball python.
We started exchanging emails and I mentioned wanting to breed my female bal python. He brought up a possible breeding loan.
ANd then he asked me about a former breeder in my area, Jen Harrison, who had that horrible problem with an unknown virus.
I had met her before she got the snake in, and had been in her home ONCE, again before the snake came in the mail.
She sexed one snake for me, and that snake now lives with some nice people in IL. and they have gotten other snakes in since that time and never had a problem.

SO now he wants to back out of the deal (nothing in writing yet), because I went to her house once. And says I should tell people I associated with her so they know I was at her house.. once.
Here are portions of the emails.

Carol,
If you don't find a male to breed this year maybe you'd consider a breeding loan? Do you know what your female weighs in grams? Do you have a picture of her?

Can I ask where you met Jen at?

She advertised on the Craigslist about probing/sexing snakes. She then had us come to her house and she probed my snakes.

Unfortunately since you had your snakes at her house I'm going to have to pass on the breeding loan. I just can't take a chance being the virus was so devastating and still hasn't been identified. To be honest you need to let everyone that you deal with know you had your snakes at her house. I do this for a living and couldn't afford a loss like she incurred. Please do the responsible thing and let people know of your dealings with her. If they find out from another source they may treat you the same way they treated her, most of which was unfair and uncalled for. I hope you understand my situation.

So now because I went to her house ONCE, I am now piriah too?
I know he is sympathetic, but really???

[wolfy-hound]

He has the right to refuse to deal with you for no reason at all. So he is erring on the side of caution, which I do not blame him for.

Maybe he IS overreacting some, but it's his collection at stake, so it's his call to make.
Just my opinion.

[SPJ]

It's a shame but since no one knows what the virus is or how it is really transmitted, this person is not willing to take a chance that there is a chance (it may be a small chance) that the snakes you brought to Jen's house could have carried it back to your collection.
Personally, I would not do a breeding loan either.
Until this thing is identified, any snake in contact with the collection that was infected is suspect.

[LadyOhh]

He has the right to refuse to deal with you for no reason at all. So he is erring on the side of caution, which I do not blame him for.

Maybe he IS overreacting some, but it's his collection at stake, so it's his call to make.
Just my opinion.

I agree...

You may or may not be happy with it, but the fact is that the info is out there, and that this person is very much looking out for his number one.

You cannot fault someone for that.

[SPJ]

Maybe he IS overreacting some, but it's his collection at stake, so it's his call to make.
Just my opinion.

Your opinion is on the money IMO.
It is his call whether or not he wants to do a breeding loan.

[lillyorchid]

He has the right to refuse to deal with you for no reason at all. So he is erring on the side of caution, which I do not blame him for.

Maybe he IS overreacting some, but it's his collection at stake, so it's his call to make.
Just my opinion.

I could have not said it any better!

[dsirkle]

The bottom line is that while Jen Harrison's story is a very tragic one indeed, there are threads on other sites calling for placing all snakes that she has owned or has ever been in any contact with in a freezer to eradicate the unknown disease that contaminated her collection. I can't imagine that any breeder anywhere will risk any connection to her name whatsoever. That is as plain and straight forward as you can say it.

[Reediculous]

He has the right to refuse to deal with you for no reason at all. So he is erring on the side of caution, which I do not blame him for.

Maybe he IS overreacting some, but it's his collection at stake, so it's his call to make.
Just my opinion.

nailed it!

[blackcrystal22]

I honestly wouldn't be able to know what to do in this situation. Even though you were only there ONCE, and you were there BEFORE it happened.. your chances are extremely low of ever having any type of contact with the disease..
But no one can be sure that the chances are 0, which is why it probably will stick around until the disease is identified.

Does anyone have Jens story about this or a news article or something? I know very little about the situation.

[Tosha_Mc]

Unfortunately -- I have to agree with the rest -- it's his prerogative to change his mind and look out for himself and his collection. If you were there before she even got the sick snake - if indeed that snake was the carrier then you can feel secure in the knowledge you have a clean collection - but that doesn't mean others will or should.


As it were -- I almost bought a snake from the breeder that dropped off the rack that she couldn't pick up at the show because her daughter was sick -- until I realized that he was there at the time the animals were getting sick. Unfair perhaps - but I'm not taking chances.

Good luck!