Ball Python Breeding Banned

http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/216855/


DAILY HERALD (Provo, Utah) 05 April 07 P.G. bans ball python breeding (Laura Giles)
Pleasant Grove said no to ball pythons on Tuesday.
At a quarter to midnight, council members voted 4-1 not to allow the serpents to breed in home-based businesses in Pleasant Grove. The ordinance would have allowed animal husbandry of unique and exotic animals in a single-family residential area.
Residents James and Pamela Cantrell, who requested the ordinance so they could raise the reptiles in their home, have been working with the city for five months.
"The only reason I think is compelling to go against this is the property values," said Councilman Bruce Call, after resident Herb Carlson expressed concern that property values would fall if the snakes were allowed.
The matter had been put on hold while city staff attempted to include a classification of exotic, non-dangerous animals and strict guidelines for use in a home-based business. The classification was to have included non-poisonous snakes, amphibians and turtles.
Resident Melanie Aird spoke against allowing the snakes, saying she was concerned about salmonella, odors, how waste is disposed of and waste water drainage.
"Cats carry 17 diseases that can be transmitted to humans; reptiles carry one," said Pamela Cantrell in response.
"It's just not a residential issue. This should be in a farm area," Aird said. "These are families with children."
Carl Clark, whose son lives in the neighborhood of the proposed business, raised the issue of accountability.
"I've raised a lot of animals in my life. No matter how hard you try, they escape. Who will be responsible?" he said.
Clark's wife, Leonette, said residents in the area were angry the city was considering allowing the snakes.
"They're going to be selling their places," she said.
The Cantrells assured the council that issues of odor, excrement and safety would be dealt with according to the strict standards outlined in the proposed ordinance. The standards came from the National Reptile Improvement Plan. They said the only way for snakes to get out would be for someone to open the drawer they were in.
The Cantrells' business was to have 50 breeder snakes, each housed in individual bins in one room of their home.
"I don't think this is the kind of business for a home," said Councilman Mark Atwood, noting that though ball pythons are not dangerous, people do mistakenly believe that they are.
"We don't know what we'll do now," said James Cantrell after the decision. The couple indicated that they will either end their business or move to an agricultural area.

Free Country... ahahahahahaha, ya right...

wow... i'm speechless.

That's nuts. It's because people are afraid of snakes. Plain and simple. That really ticks me off.
GRRR!!! I can't even make coherent sense of my anger about this issue!!!
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Hey Aleesha, were you aware that they are trying to pass similar legislation in your province? It seems it started out in Vancouver, and now they are recommending the rest of the province get on board. Perhaps theres something you could do to help with this? It would be a shame if this bill were to pass :( Here is an article, I'll let you know what else I can find out ;) EDIT: Since this article was published, the ban did in fact pass in Vancouver prohibiting most exotics and now they are trying to do the same provincewide

Quote:

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VANCOUVER - City staff are recommending the city ban the keeping and sale of lions, tigers, wild dogs, crocodiles and some lizards and snakes for reasons of safety and animal welfare.

And in an effort to get similar bylaws enacted throughout B.C., the report, written by the office of the chief licence inspector, suggests Mayor Sam Sullivan send a letter to the Union of B.C. Municipalities urging the adoption of a provincewide list of banned exotic animals.

If council approves the recommendation Feb. 1, Vancouver will join Langley, Richmond, Surrey, Abbotsford, New Westminster, the City and District of North Vancouver and 12 communities outside the Lower Mainland in what has become a growing campaign by local jurisdictions to curb the trade in exotic pets.

"Vancouver has an opportunity to get on board, so let's get to it," said Coun. Kim Capri who, with help from the Vancouver Humane Society, asked staff to prepare the report last year.

Capri said she was "thrilled" with the outcome, except she thinks the list of restricted species also should include amphibians.

"My guess is when this comes to committee, we will likely hear from animal lovers who say there are other things we could be adding on," she said.

Capri said an "overwhelming majority" of the public support the initiative, and "the only people who are opposed are people who profit from the sale of [exotics]."

The report, issued last week, says only three independent pet stores sell exotic animals in the city, but notes they are also available through private sale, and that many national and regional pet store chains "promote the keeping of exotic/wild animals as pets."

Last June, a 1.5-metre crocodile fell out of a third-storey apartment on West Fourth Avenue. The report said that incident "reaffirmed the need to take a closer look at the issue."

Vancouver Humane Society representative Peter Fricker said: "It's clear the city has recognized that exotic animals suffer in captivity and that they pose a threat to public health and safety.

"We think the proposed list of banned animals could be longer [it should include primates, iguanas, monitor lizards and wolf-dog hybrids, he said] but this is a great step forward for animal welfare in Vancouver."

Cam McOuat, a co-owner of Aquariums West pet store on Burrard, said while he supports a ban on the sale of large and dangerous animals, such as pythons and crocodiles, the new law will do nothing to prevent the underground sale of exotic animals and is another example of the city interfering in something that doesn't need addressing.

"A lot of these things are rhetoric," he said, "and when the rubber meets the road, you'll find there ain't too much rubber on the road."

He also said it won't affect his ability to sell such reptiles and amphibians as geckos, skinks, frogs, anoles and chameleons.

Paul Springate, curator of the Rainforest Reptile Refuge in Surrey, said 99 per cent of the more than 300 animals at the refuge -- which include large and dangerous snakes and lizards -- are discarded pets.

The bylaw also would ban the use of wild and/or exotic animals in public performances, events and exhibitions. The city has prohibited the use of such animals in circuses since 1992, but there are no restrictions on using them in other kinds of performances.

Bylaw to Ban Some Animals From Vancouver

If enacted, a proposed bylaw would prohibit the keeping of the following animals within city limits:

- Snakes: green anaconda, yellow anaconda, reticulated python, African rock python, Burmese python, Indian python, amethyst python

- Hyenas

- Crocodilians, including alligators and crocodiles

- All venomous reptiles

- Canids such as wolves, jackals, coyotes and foxes

- Felids such as lions and tigers

- Bears

It also would prohibit the following species from being sold:

- Canids

- Cetaceans, including whales, dolphins, porpoises

- Crocodilians

- Edentates, including anteaters, sloths, armadillos

- Elephants

- Felids, including lions and tigers

- Green iguanas

- Hyenas

- Insectivores, except African pygmy hedgehogs

- Marsupials, except sugar gliders

- Mutelids (skunks, weasels, otters), except domesticated ferrets

- Non-human primates

- Pinnipeds (seals, walruses)

- Raccoons

- Birds of prey

- Ostriches

- Rodents, except domestic hamsters, guinea pigs, chinchillas, rats and mice

- Pythons and anacondas

- Turtles and turtle eggs

- Ungulates, except goats, sheep, pigs, cattle, horses, mules, donkeys, llamas and alpacas

- Bears

- Venomous spiders and insects

- Venomous reptiles

- Mongooses, civets, genets

Source: City of Vancouver

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Before I went ahead and posted this I tried to find out some more for you, and this is what I found.

Keep in mind this is just in Vancouver as of now but could go provincewide... You can keep BPs, but not sell any. The giants are banned period, both the keeping and sales. But the ban on sales applies to all Pythons even Balls, Childrens etc... Here comes the worst part IMO A person must not keep in any area temporarily or permanently, at any one time ,more than 6 reptiles (including snakes of any kind) :(

wow..this is nuts..they should get a snake of there own and see how nice they are..i mean they chill inside a tank, they should spend more time worrying about drunking crackheads running the streets with guns and put them in a tank you know?

Sounds like the beginning of the end

who are these "council members", and how do they feel they have the right to say no to this? If it's a home based business, then there should be no say so on what goes on behind closed doors...right?

People really need to be educated about animals they don't know anything about. The problem is, if they are banning them from public performance and exhibition, as listed, will kids ever get to touch and hold reptiles in schools and realize that they aren't as dangerous as some people would have them believe? This is insane.

This is outragous. Maybe some of the more knowledgable keepers should start making short educational video clips for youtube about how safe ball pythons are, with some good facts about keeping and breeding them. Especially people with important suffix' after their names. Could be a good start. Or maybe places like NERD setting up educational destinations for field trips so kids, parents and teachers can learn just how good of a pet or biology class (or any class) mascot a ball python makes. The arguments of these people don't make any sense whatsoever, and it's clear they just have fear born of ignorance.

To quote Michael Jackson on South Park
*in a soft, high pitched voice* "That's ignorant. You're ignorant. That's ignorant. Don't be ignorant"