Time to wake up!

[Beardedragon]

We need to act now! Not when they are coming for our ball pythons. You think we are safe but remember a ball python is just as much of a snake to them as a reticulated python or anaconda is a snake... all they see is uneducated close minded fear.

They start with the easy targets, which they have succeeded. Boas hardly got the slip as they didn't have enough power to fight something so powerful already in the pet trade, but they still tried.

Imagine in 5 years when another law with different wording comes around, what is left to ban that is spread evenly through the states and "envasive"?( because we all know now Burmese pythons and ball pythons can breed and evade Alaska according to their logic)
Boas, and then Ball pythons. Keep in mind most boas are not that much larger than a ball python, size is not an issue here.

Imagine the effects this alone will already have to your favorite reptile shows, you may see a few less tables as all the large python breeders will not have been able to come from out of state, and bring anything else they normally would have to offer. It's sad enough the only snakes we may see and purchase are only ball pythons as the years go by and large local breeders start to disappear over time.

I'm asking every reptile keeper, to support USARK and someone came up with the great idea of setting up direct withdrawal to take out only a few dolars each month. It's easy to do and you do not even have to devote a ton a money to help as $5 a month adds up!

We as ball python keeps have a huge responsibility as numbers talk
and who had a bigger community than we do? It's time to speak up! The war is not over, help usark not only keep future bans from happening as well as working on getting the current ones off the list on a national level!

[anicatgirl]

https://www.change.org/p/laceys-law-...e-constrictors

https://www.change.org/p/u-s-house-o...-the-lacey-act

These petitions. Sign em. Maybe it will help maybe it won't but it won't hurt anything to try.

[ajmreptiles]

unfortunately it has already signed into law so petitions aren't going to do that much as of right now. USARK has a lawsuit sitting limbo that they are amending to include the new additions to overturn the constrictor rule all together as it was bad science from the USGS that led to it

[Beardedragon]

Signing poorly written petitions will get us no where, it never has and there is probably around 6 more petitions to sign other than just the two you posted, most of them bashing cat and dog owners. We need to be more proactive than that..It's worthless to have 100000 signatures divided up into 6 different petitions. Donating to usarks legal team will be the only way to help, and bring all reptile keepers to help the same cause!

[ballpythonluvr]

I am so going to become a bronze member of USARK next month. I totally support them and everything they do to help fight the bans.

[Gio]

Signing poorly written petitions will get us no where, it never has and there is probably around 6 more petitions to sign other than just the two you posted, most of them bashing cat and dog owners. We need to be more proactive than that..It's worthless to have 100000 signatures divided up into 6 different petitions. Donating to usarks legal team will be the only way to help, and bring all reptile keepers to help the same cause!

This is true,

And our reactions, points and counter points should be professional, educated and well thought out without too much emotion. There is real science behind our cause. WE should be the ones who are able to debunk what "they" are saying. Swearing and ranting and responding with unbridled emotion will only make us look like the "stereotypes" they want us to look like.

A lot of the momentum from this action is built on hype from lobby groups that have a lot of money to spend, A LOT! Enough to get the ear of politicians. The general public may not be interested in, or even know about what snakes/reptiles are being banned, but they can catch something on TV and quickly decide "That's the truth" and take a side.

Some members in our community are true, scientific experts in the biology of snakes and other reptiles. (Herpetologists) and many others are extremely well versed in the captive nature of these animals and have been working with and breeding them for decades, making them experts in their own right.

Hopefully we can "WOW" a few people with educated comments and do our best to overturn then latest ban, but just like the lobby groups and their supporters, we need to fund our group, USARK, with enough money to battle back.

My hope is USARK can present some well spoken, credible/knowledgable and reasonable people to represent the hobby for the rebuttal.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

https://www.change.org/p/laceys-law-...e-constrictors

https://www.change.org/p/u-s-house-o...-the-lacey-act

These petitions. Sign em. Maybe it will help maybe it won't but it won't hurt anything to try.

I have been posting about those petitions for several days and will continue to do so every time someone will post about them, not because I want to pick on people or do not understand that those are well meant but because people need to promote USARK instead of those petitions.

We have seen it before (well I have) when the industry suffers a blow (Like with the constrictor rules) they start creating petitions and there are several issues.

• 1# A little too late
• 2# Some of those petitions are poorly written by people who do not really comprehend what is going on
• 3# While I understand the frustration, insults that are sometime posted will not get anyone anywhere and will only make us ALL look bad.
• 4# Even in the event that one of those multiple petition reaches 100000 signatures let’s face it NO president will reverse the constrictor rule, you’d be lucky if he even reads the petition.
• 5# Some people who sign will feel like they have done their part when in reality it does not accomplish anything, standing behind USARK does.

So again

If everyone signing petition would actually join USARK and tell others to join USARK it would accomplish a lot more.

Again 3 important links

http://usark.org/membership-signup/ USARK Membership

http://usark.org/reptile-defense-fund-2/ Reptile Defense Fund

http://usark.org/product/donation-5-increments/ USARK Donations

JOIN USARK, make donations, remember that if you think that you cannot afford it you can make custom donations which can also be recurring (works with any budget) , and PROMOTE USARK.