cruel world

When you take your snake into public, your forcing the public to see your snake. It's intrusive, and most likely does more damage than good.

For every person that came up to you to say hi and chat, I'd say easily 10 did not approach and are appalled by you bringing this animal into public and will vote in favor of damaging legislation to our hobby.

For real, be smart and keep our strange or exotic animals at home. The public isn't going to suddenly trust you because your snake hasn't killed you in the few seconds they've seen it, they will cast judgements on the entire industry as crazy snake people that put others in danger by toting around their animals.

People are generally ok seeing them on TV, but heaven forbid if they have to walk by one in a store.

Why does it seem no one understands that concept?

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Originally Posted by dmaricle

so just because i dont own the normal pet it should be banned to stay in a cage.

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Banned in a cage? This isn't a dog we're talking about here, it's a snake. A wild, primitive snake. A species of snake that across the board has been shown to prefer sleeping in a hide rather than taken out, handled and on top of that into less than ideal conditions. It's majorly stressful on the animal, and that affects them, mostly for the worse.

Also, how is your home not a large enough space anyways? Does the animal HAVE to go outside? Does it have to go to a store for stimulation? :rolleyes: That's the worst excuse I have seen besides one other person that lets their BP's sleep with them and never cages them.

To all you people that are telling the OP to keep his pets at home. SHAME ON YOU!!! You are acting no better then the people that insulted him. If he wants to share his passion for reptiles with others and is doing it in an appropriate manner then who are you or anyone else to tell him that he can't or shouldn't do that. It's not like he had them in a eating establishment or even a public park. They were in a PET STORE!! Where people should come expecting to see pets. If you have to hide what you love, then maybe you really don't love it that much.

:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by snakecharmer3638

To all you people that are telling the OP to keep his pets at home. SHAME ON YOU!!! You are acting no better then the people that insulted him. If he wants to share his passion for reptiles with others and is doing it in an appropriate manner then who are you or anyone else to tell him that he can't or shouldn't do that. It's not like he had them in a eating establishment or even a public park. They were in a PET STORE!! Where people should come expecting to see pets. If you have to hide what you love, then maybe you really don't love it that much.

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Shame on me for being smart and trying to avoid having all our rights taken away? By understanding that in general people are VERY afraid of snakes and do not like seeing these animals in public?

You believe I don't love my pets because I'm not taking them out of their specific husbandry and habitat requirements and showing them off to a less than friendly public?

Shame on me for loving my animals so much, I don't want them taken from me because I decided to take a stroll with them in front of those who would see my animal as dangerous and a killing machine?

Right.... I must be off my rocker! :rolleyes:

So you think hiding it is going to make people forget it is there and keep them from taking it away. Maybe the better thing to do is to educate which is what the OP was doing. Again I will say, in an appropriate setting, A PET STORE!! :gj:

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Originally Posted by snakecharmer3638

So you think hiding it is going to make people forget it is there and keep them from taking it away. Maybe the better thing to do is to educate which is what the OP was doing. Again I will say, in an appropriate setting, A PET STORE!! :gj:

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And my point was, I don't think a pet store is an appropriate setting. Neither for the snakes health, or for the reason of forcing other people to see the animal out from behind the glass cage.

I chalk it up to difference of opinions.

There are other more effective ways of educating people. Not shock and awe.

Then I guess we agree to disagree. Which is what makes this such a wonderful place to live. But lets not try to tell someone what they should or shouldn't do. Just because it's not what we agree or disagree with. GOOD DAY;)

Well, I agree that non-dangerous pets should not be hidden for fear of what a few ignorants may think. Education is the key to changing some of these peoples' minds. Although, there are some out there that do have a profound fear of snakes, and we also need to respect that. But, again, if many of these people understood that BPs are not venomous, not aggressive, and usually just roll up into a ball when scared, then perhaps they would react differently (or a few of them anyway).

However, I think it is very dangerous-to the snakes- to be removing them from the safe environment in which they are housed. It is especially dangerous when exposing them to an environment in which other snakes with contagious diseases may be present. There is a show down here at the local museum of science, called Snake Day, and everyone is encouraged to bring their snakes. In fact, they receive free admission for 2 when you bring your snake. At first, I thought it would be really neat. Then I realized that I could be exposing my snake to potentially life-threatening diseases, so I chose no to go.

Anyway, I do absolutely agree that no one should insult anyone else for taking their non-venomous snake to a pet store. That was totally uncalled for, and extremely rude.

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with taking your pet bp on an outing to the pet store with you, provided the weather conditions are suitable for taking your bp outside. Especially if they sell that species at said store. Now, once you open the door and step out of your private life and into the public eye, you should expect to be met with mixed reactions. Everyone does have an opinion, and some individuals seem overly inclined to express EVERY opinion or thought that that passes through their mind. It's just something you have to take as it comes, and let slide off your back. I would say to beware of taking your snake into a pet store, not because of the reactions of people, but due to the possibility of picking up some unexpected hitchhikers.

I don't personally feel that telling people to keep their snakes inside and out of the public eye is going to help beat uneducated legislation however. That's just my opinion though, so take it for what it is...

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Originally Posted by snakecharmer3638

To all you people that are telling the OP to keep his pets at home. SHAME ON YOU!!! You are acting no better then the people that insulted him. If he wants to share his passion for reptiles with others and is doing it in an appropriate manner then who are you or anyone else to tell him that he can't or shouldn't do that. It's not like he had them in a eating establishment or even a public park. They were in a PET STORE!! Where people should come expecting to see pets. If you have to hide what you love, then maybe you really don't love it that much.

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What we are saying is what is best for the pet and the OP. If you want to share your passion for reptiles then do it with people that accept reptiles, for example here on this forum or in person with other reptile lovers. Forcing people to be around animals they hate is not the way to "share your passion" but most likely to get people to want these animals banned because they feel threatened. There is a time and place for everything. I like to listen to loud hardrock music so that does that mean I can go around blaring my music in a music store(since they sell music) because I want to share my passion? No of course not. It is about being considerate of others, not imposing our hobbies on others and causing negative feedback to the reptile community.

What we are saying is being a responsible reptile owner and not a "hey look at me reptile owner". That gives us a bad rap.

In other words share your passion responsibly.

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Originally Posted by West Coast Jungle

What we are saying is what is best for the pet and the OP. If you want to share your passion for reptiles then do it with people that accept reptiles, for example here on this forum or in person with other reptile lovers. Forcing people to be around animals they hate is not the way to "share your passion" but most likely to get people to want these animals banned because they feel threatened. There is a time and place for everything. I like to listen to loud hardrock music so that does that mean I can go around blaring my music in a music store(since they sell music) because I want to share my passion? No of course not. It is about being considerate of others, not imposing our hobbies on others and causing negative feedback to the reptile community.

What we are saying is being a responsible reptile owner and not a "hey look at me reptile owner". That gives us a bad rap.

In other words share your passion responsibly.

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Again, agree to disagree. I just don't feel we as a community should say don't do it because we don't agree with it. He wasn't blaring his snake in the pet store he was sharing it with a select few who wanted to here it and someone didn't like it so they want to try and make him quit listening. Well maybe they should go to the other side of the store where they can't here it.:D