CatX

I'm surprised I haven't seen anything on this topic in this forum. My Facebook has been flooded with this. Please please please take a second to read what this is and do something.

http://usherp.org/2013/07/23/catx-th...e-herp-nation/

http://usark.org/action-alert/usfws-...l-exclusion-2/

This has the potential to effect everyone one of is as reptile keepers. Once this is established it will be insanely hard to keep our hobby legal. Please please please it takes 5 minutes to educate yourself and express your opinion to USFWC.

Oh my. :( my letter's been sent to Fish and Wildlife.

Kinda surprised here hasn't been anything else bout this either...maybe ther is some other aspect we're missing?? I find it hard to believe that nobody else here would have noticed this yet...

it is being rushed through.

I left a comment in the public question/comment section...hope that's good enough??

Just sent an email to the invasive species address in the second link

I sent a public message earlier via the link on the Herp Alliance website...CATX should be scaring us all in this hobby a lot more then it is. The propostion was introduced on the 4th of this month and the deadline is the 31st of this month the FWS is just going to try to push this through before the majority of the keepers even realize it happened. The FWS has failed with all prior legislation because of the slow moving nature of the bills but attaching CATX to another one will ensure a swift motion without major interest. This bill seems almost unconstitutional....We as a people, herpers or not, should not allow the government or any of its` agencies to determine what animal can be owned, there should be guidelines not bans. It is funny how small problems like the South Florida "Python Invasion" can be used so extensively against us as a whole. Hopefully more people will start to care and this will not get passed but this isn't the first and won`t be the last in a fight to end our hobby.

Thank you everyone :) every little bit counts and we have to do something. I'm worried how little I have seen this being talked about. This should be the biggest news right now with everyone trying to avoid this from happening.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by crazypythonlady

It is funny how small problems like the South Florida "Python Invasion" can be used so extensively against us as a whole.

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The little demon inside of me just wants to burn down the Everglades and be like "alright, we're done with this cesspool." No more Everglades, no more feral Burms, no more problems. But, you know, that isn't legal. ( <- Just in case some nut-job does something; I don't want to be a suspect. lol)

On topic, this looks like the bullet aimed at the head of the entire pet industry. Exotic or not, all it takes is some dumb FWS political bigots to end the pet trade. No more ball pythons; no more exotic fish, hell, no more dogs if they wanted it that way! Considering this law would also make listings void of science, they can add animals just basing their facts off of Anaconda or Snakes On A Train. Where's the accuracy here?
This definitely is a draconian law- without considering the economic and social impacts, this is just ignoring the way it effects people, or in other words, ignoring the will of the people.

Are you sure this is in the United States of America, because the last time I checked, this was supposed to be the land of the free.

Something I also read in a document I found via reference links in the same USARK... that was provided by Mr. President himself was this:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by http://usark.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/COMBATING-WILDLIFE-TRAFFICKING.pdf

...developing strategies to reduce illicit trade and reduce consumer demand for trade in protected species...

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What do you think that translates to? Protected species could mean anything. Now, reducing consumer demand... well gee, that sounds like either more regulations or straight up bans!
I'm losing my patriotism by the month... or am I gaining it, since this is deviating from the United States that we all used to know? Either way, I'm losing confidence (well, I already lost it) in our current government.