Petition advice.. Let me know!!

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

This is in response to the horrible petition posted on change.org. Read it through and let me know what you think. Also let me know if you see any typos.. Its completely different from letters I have sent to officials in the past for this. Considering this is a website which will be seen by many activists and regular people, Im trying a different approach to get people to read it and sign...... I am also looking for a picture for this petition page with a family type theme. Maybe you and your child with a snake and some other furry pet. We need to show that we are responsible family oriented people and that these animals are not a threat to us.. ________________________________

~~Please oppose bill S373 and rule change to add 9 constrictors to the Lacy Act. These animals are not at all what they are being made out to be. Most of the animals on this list do not have any wild population in the USA and would be unable to survive. These are not the killers they are being made out to be. Proper control and irradication should be handled in the affected state only. Banning our pets will not help the issue.

If you have a pet of any kind, please read on..

We call apon all animal lovers once again. We are being bombarded with terrible innaccuracies, half truths and flat out lies. We are still fighting these bills. Our voices still need to be heard. We have faught, and are still fighting, for the rights of ALL responsible pet owners. Many thousands of reptile owners spoke out when they tried to ban and take dogs, small mammels, birds and even fish from us. Now we are asking for your help again. We appreciate every voice.

It has come to our attention that horrible petitions are being spread across the web on this very matter. Some stating extremely false and even disgusting things. The information in these petitions has been terribly botched. So called "facts" about tragic incidents involving large snakes has also been twisted into lies. These things are being seen and read by people who may not otherwise know the story and they may believe it. We ask that you do your own research on any topic before making any decisions.

The truth is, there are many thousands of responsible reptile owners across the USA and the entire world. They have intricate knowledge about the care and keeping of their pets. They educate their friends, family and children about the proper care, handling and housing of these animals. They feed and bathe their pets just as you do with your dog or cat. Owners spend hundreds if not thousands on specialized equipment to ensure the proper environment for these pets. They are aware of each personality of each of their animals. Be it snake, lizard, frog, etc.. Each of these animals does have a distinct and unique personality. It takes living and working closely with them to realize this. These amazing animals are not in any way dangerous. Even the very large ones. Many snakes operate on instinct this is true, but they also have an ability that many people are not aware of.. They come to recognize owners, certain scents, even experiences. They have a good memory for such things. Most importantly, they are not evil creatures out to get you.. If these laws pass, we would not be able to cross state lines with our pets. We would not be able to move to better our lives. Our many military officers who have a pet snake on base would not be able to bring that pet home. The many responsible breeders who are working to put a stop to importation and to help restore populations of certain snakes which are extinct in the wild, would not be able to move their animals out of state. This would have a tremendous affect on thousands of families. Yes, most reptile keepers are good people with families, jobs, etc.



The sad truth is the fact that there ARE irresponsible reptile owners out there who make a bad name for the rest of us. Those of us who love these animals are fighting against these irresponsible owners as well. There are also those who harbor a fear of snakes or reptiles in general who are fighting against us. These people are not bad. They are simply uneducated and have never had the opportunity to learn about and interact with any such animal. The reptile nation has come forward stronger in the last 2 years than ever before trying to educate and spread awareness about this. There are people trying to take our beloved pets from us and they don't stop to think about how important to them the dog laying at their feet is.. There is a huge community of reptile lovers out there. Most of which also have other furry pets that are loved just as much. There are numerous websites and forums with thousands of members dedicated to the love and care of their pets. I personally know of quite a few people who have shed tears at the thought of their animals being banned or taken. Also quite a few who have looked in utter disgust at the recent reports and petitions stating horrible lies about the personalities of reptile owners.

Please consider the possibility that there may be many decent people out there who love these animals dearly and live with them as pets. Mothers and fathers. People of every age bracket. From teen to senior. Every race and creed. Every religion. They do not find joy or pleasure in feeding other live animals to their pets. Most instead choose to feed specially prepared and frozen food offered by companies that are very humane with the process they use. These are facts. These are things I have personally learned over the years. Do not let someone who does not know the facts or is simply afraid of the unknown, make up your mind for you.. Please take the time to email, fax or phone your local senator and let them know you are against the banning of reptiles and snakes..

Thank you so much for your time and consideration..

~Monica Burt.

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

Feel free to pick it apart and give me ideas on editing. Im at work so it was rushed. I already see a few things that could be worded better.

[alittleFREE]

Sounds good.

One thing I saw was in the 3rd full paragraph, it says "So called "facts" about tragic incidents involving large snakes has also been twisted into lies".... when I think it should be have.

[Sariel]

looks good, thanks for taking the initiative to make this petition

[Vypyrz]

We call apon all animal lovers once again. We are being bombarded with terrible innaccuracies, half-truths, and flat out lies. We are still fighting these bills. Our voices still need to be heard. We have faught, and are still fighting, for the rights of ALL responsible pet owners. Many thousands of reptile owners spoke out when they tried to ban and take dogs, small mammels, birds, and even fish from us. Now we are asking for your help again. We appreciate every voice.

The only mistakes I found are in paragraph 3 and highlighted...

-upon
-inaccuracies
-fought
-mammals
- add hyphon to "half truths"... half-truths
- add comma after half-truths
- add comma after "birds"