Indiana Wild Animal Ban to effect snake owners!!! PLEASE READ!

[Nay Sayer]

As many of you may know, there is a ban about to be passed in Indiana that will prohibit the sales and ownership of listed species and families of animals, AND any other animal deemed unfit by the department. Included in the ban are all species of the family Boidae, which contains Pythons and Boas. These animals are considered dangerous. Any animals given up to authorities, confiscated, etc. by this new law will be DESTROYED. Animal Bans are gaining momentum across our nation. Even if you don't live in Indiana your state could be next.

Please, as snake lovers, as citizens, and as human beings, TAKE ACTION!!! One way you can help is to directly write Indiana Representative Ms. Lawson. If you do not have the time, ability, etc. to compose a proper letter, there will be a sample letter and petition on change.org soon. I'm in collaberation with a friend who is a writer to draw up a dignified letter and petition to represent those of us who want and need it. I will be posting the letter and link to the petition ASAP.

Please keep up with this forum for them, or email me a request for the info at visceralrepulsion@yahoo.com. I will get back to you shortly. I hope I myself, Indiana natives, and our other citizens of the United States can count on you to help. Don't sit back while hundreds of thousands of animals are torn from their homes and vanquished. Don't wait for this ban to effect you personally. BE AN ACTIVIST, NOT A PASCIFIST.

This ban is only the tip of the iceburg. Next the government will be taking our dog ownership rights, or any othe right they can. If we give an inch, they WILL take a mile. There are already strict laws in effect to prohibit, or monitor the ownership of Staffordshire terriers, a.k.a. "pitbulls". These types of laws are about ignorance, fear propaganda, and hate. If our "representatives" did their homework, they wouldn't think a 2ft Sand Boa is "dangerous". They would be more worried about BEES, who kill 533 people annually. They are the top committer of fatal attacks on humans from animals. Next? Dogs, who committ 208 fatal attacks annually. Can you fathom how many fatal attacks are carried out by non-venomous snakes yearly? The astonishing number is .5, or 1/2 a person. It takes on average 2yrs. for one person to be fatally injured by a non-venomous snake. Do your math, and in one year more dogs kill humans than have been killed by non-venomous snakes in the ENTIRE HISTORY of the United States. Though these statistics do change, that number has went UP since the beginning of our nation, our nation in its infancy, and even in its first 200 years. Snakes are the #1 phobia of Americans. Don't support propaganda that says "Burmese Pythons predicted to take over 1/3 of the United States!". Help educate people about snakes, this ban, and our rights as people living in what is supposed to be the most free nation in the world. In reality anyone who is not ignorant knows this hate-crime being lashed out upon snakes is driven by an engine of fear and misguidance by our top "advisors", who are in the pockets of our officials. We as herpers, including your average Joe, know that Pythons and Boas would not survive an upper midwestern climate change like they would encounter if released, posing virtually no threat to the ecosystem, and as statistics show, almost none to humans in general. Even snakes in the everglades are being wiped out during cold-fronts. They are on borrowed time. Like sands in an hourglass, their time is coming to an end. Coming to and end too is your time to act. So please, ACT, stay posted, stay educated, and stay on the outskirts of society, it's the best place to be! Thanks for your time!!!

[wolfy-hound]

It could help speed the process if you found the contact info for the state representative so that folks can get right on letters. I've googled it up for you..

http://www.in.gov/legislative/house_...n_contact.html

Rep. Linda Lawson
Indiana House of Representatives
200 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2786

Call toll-free (from anywhere within Indiana):
1-800-382-9842
or directly at (317)232-9600

Representative Linda Lawson's email address is h1@in.gov.

It would be additionally helpful to have the actual name of the legislation being proposed so that when people write letters they can referance the actual bill. I could not find the information in a quick google search(not verified it was the correct info, that is, I found plenty of links to various legislation or discussions). So if you could post that info, it would help.

[Bradford Cole]

It would be additionally helpful to have the actual name of the legislation being proposed so that when people write letters they can referance the actual bill. I could not find the information in a quick google search(not verified it was the correct info, that is, I found plenty of links to various legislation or discussions). So if you could post that info, it would help.[/QUOTE]

Here is the info:

More details on the bill, including author (Rep. Linda Lawson) whom I believe tried this in 2007-2008:
http://e-lobbyist.com/gaits/IN/HB1288


Linda Lawson's website:
http://www.in.gov/legislative/house_...son_index.html


Members of IN House Natural Resources Committee
http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/b...rces&chamber=H


Bills pending before the Indiana National Resources Committee
http://e-lobbyist.com/gaits/committee/1299

[TessadasExotics]

Dangerous wild animals

Bill IN1288

Citations Affected: IC 14-8-2; IC 14-22-26.

[kitedemon]

As many of you may know, there is a ban about to be passed in Indiana that will prohibit the sales and ownership of listed species and families of animals, AND any other animal deemed unfit by the department. Included in the ban are all species of the family Boidae, which contains Pythons and Boas. These animals are considered dangerous. Any animals given up to authorities, confiscated, etc. by this new law will be DESTROYED. Animal Bans are gaining momentum across our nation. Even if you don't live in Indiana your state could be next.

Not to take away from the serious nature of this action but the family Boidae do not contain pythons. To fight governments you need to have the facts straight.

[kitedemon]

I just looked at the legislation and look who got that wrong... we have one locally that is like that all poisonous animals good thing tarantulas are edible. This might be a method to fight a bill as it is poorly written and not correct and perhaps that passage should be struck.

[Nay Sayer]

Thank you all for your efforts and help to guide people in the right direction. Sorry for any inproper or misguided information I've relayed to you all. Pythons are indeed in the family pythonidae. Sorry about this misprint, I had to copy and paste some of my stuff from a previous post somewhere and I messed it all up there I guess. Woops. This family is however included in the bill IN1288.

If you'd like to read the full bill, here is a link >>>
http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/...N/IN1288.1.pdf

Here is the full fiscal summary>>>
http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/...HB1288.002.pdf

AGAIN, here is a link to write Rep. Ms. Linda Lawson herself, directly.>>>
http://www.in.gov/cgi-bin/legislativ...5.pl?data=h001

Thanks again for the links, info, and help!!! Please pass the word along. Please keep up with the forum, I will have a petition formally written and put on change.org very soon. So everyone can exhale in relief, I'm not writing the petition by myself but with the help of a friend who is a published writer. Haha. Also we're composing a template letter for anyone to sign and use if they feel it represents them well enough. You will also be able to add your input and changes to the letter as you see fit. This guide letter is for people not confident enough in their writing capabilities, not enough time, etc. to use. Again, if you would like to receive the link to the petition and/or the letter personally, email me at visceralrepulsion@yahoo.com with requesting the info you'd like.

[kitedemon]

You did not miss post actually on this link
http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/.../IN1288.1.html

It clearly states
"(J) All species in the family Boidae (anacondas, pythons, boa constrictors)."

which is also clearly NOT correct! You might want to contact USARK and see if pointing out the error and getting that sweeping statement refined to something more manageable and perhaps a grandfather clause or something. Some real strategy needs to be in place.

My experience with going head to head with law makers is you need to be united and clear and concise and absolutely correct in your information it is harder to be discounted then. But unity is the strongest one person sadly has little to no voice but 100 together looks like a lot of votes.

I am not sure how much help I could be as a Canadian but if writing a note will help I will do so.

[kitedemon]

(K) Any other animal classified as a prohibited animal by the department.

This too is a bit problematic again the long sweeping brush strokes. I'd be careful with this one too.

[Nay Sayer]

Oh, good to know. Thought it was me! I've read a lot of it, but it's hard for me to recall some of the info on point. Superb to know that theyre planning to ban animals of incorrect families as is listed in a formal document. And they think they know a thing or two about snakes? Just...WOW. "Sand Boa? What's a sand boa? Is that like one of those big snakes that lives in a desert?" Geesh. Misguided, misinformed, dolts. I agree that vague listing- "(K) Any other animal classified as a prohibited animal by the department." is very problematic.