Help/advice/thoughts? (LONG POST w/PICS)

Sorry to hear about the snake.

This might be off topic but I would be careful about letting children into your home without their parents knowing. I have had neighborhood kids want to see my collection and really want to watch feedings. I tell them they most certainly can as long as they bring their parents. As long as their parents know where their children are and feel comfortable with their kids being in my home then I'm totally fine with it. Once their parents get to know me and they are okay with the kids coming over by themselves I readily welcome it.

As a parent, if my kid came home and told me he was in a house with a stranger for any reason I would be extremely upset regardless of the "stranger's" intentions. My kid shouldn't be talking to strangers. In this day and age you just never know who is out there.

I'm not saying you are one of the bad ones, just saying until a parent meets you how do they know?

@xFenrir, don't be too hard on yourself! Things like contacting parents didn't come automatically to me until after I had a child of my own, and you were extremely concerned and upset about what you (correctly) thought might be a dying animal. If you don't think the BP is in any imminent danger, then I wouldn't go out of my way to track down the family, but just be ready to take the opportunity to reach out if it occurs. Oh, and neighborhood kids almost always know who lives where, so if you have have a chance to talk to one without being stalky, be sure to take it!

Lots of (((hugs))) to you for trying to make the world a better place for kids and animals!