Your urgent help is needed!

[cenobite74]

Neal,

I agree totally. My pets are my pets and I love them unconditionally. And I'm not giving them up to anyone.

[Wh00h0069]

No. I think you're confused with the bill that was passed in Connecticut.

This bill has a grandfather clause but unfortunately we will not be able to buy or breed the rodents required to feed our snakes. So they would eventually wither away and die of starvation.

What I was referring to is this, “All such prohibited mammals, birds, fish (including mollusks and crustacea), amphibians, and reptiles, and the eggs or offspring therefrom, shall be promptly exported or destroyed at the expense of the importer or consignee.” Which is from this is from this website: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/ht...2----000-.html . The code above was linked from the HR669 website section 5 – a – 2: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill...?bill=h111-669 .

[cenobite74]

I mean when a congressional staffer says "peoples "pets" will be included on the approved list" and say my "pet" is a retic, and that species happens to be one of the animals being targeted, then its apparent that they are trying to do all they can just to get us to shut up.

[cenobite74]

(2) As used in this subsection, the term “wild” relates to any creatures that, whether or not raised in captivity, normally are found in a wild state; and the terms “wildlife” and “wildlife resources” include those resources that comprise wild mammals, wild birds, fish (including mollusks and crustacea), and all other classes of wild creatures whatsoever, and all types of aquatic and land vegetation upon which such wildlife resources are dependent.

Uh....wouldn't this apply to every pet in the world basically?

[Spaniard]

What I was referring to is this, “All such prohibited mammals, birds, fish (including mollusks and crustacea), amphibians, and reptiles, and the eggs or offspring therefrom, shall be promptly exported or destroyed at the expense of the importer or consignee.” Which is from this is from this website: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/ht...2----000-.html . The code above was linked from the HR669 website section 5 – a – 2: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill...?bill=h111-669 .

I believe that has to do more with the importation of "unapproved" animals after the bill is passed. Not necessarily the way they are going to handle those that are already in the country. That was the understanding I had gotten from all the text I've read thus far, but I could be wrong.

Section 3 (f) of bill HR 669

(f) Animals Owned Lawfully Prior to Prohibition of Importation- This Act and regulations issued under this Act shall not interfere with the ability of any person to possess an individual animal of any species if such individual animal was legally owned by the person before the risk assessment is begun pursuant to subsection (e)(3), even if such species is later prohibited from being imported under the regulations issued under this Act.

[Wh00h0069]

I believe that has to do more with the importation of "unapproved" animals after the bill is passed. Not necessarily the way they are going to handle those that are already in the country. That was the understanding I had gotten from all the text I've read thus far, but I could be wrong.

Alright thanks. I hope your are right. I would hate for them to first take my animals, and then have me pay for them to destroy them.

[Freakie_frog]

I have a lunch date Monday with Greg Harper who is my Rep.. I plan to spend the weekend prepping for our talk. I really hope to get a for sure supporter.

[Freakie_frog]

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future securit

[ballpythonluvr]

I have sent out more letters and emails. I have made several phone calls to my local representatives. I have also contacted my local pet stores about this bill and I actually got a respsonse from one of them. They are totally against this bill and couldn't agree more with the devastation that it could produce if passed. They are helping to fight agaisnt this bill. I have emailed Petsmart and Petco. I have not heard from them yet reagarding this bill but I sure do hope they join the fight against it.

[GregBennett]

I don't mean to pee on you guy's parade but emails just don't make the impact that letters do.

I have a lawyer friend that's also a business partner of mine and he tells me that emails really are not as good as sending a hard copy letter.

Think about this for a minute. If you received thousands of emails everyday would you really read all of them everyday? I think not. You might make an effort for sometime but after a while you'd probably just glance over them then delete them.

I AM NOT saying emails are useless. They are easy enough to do so why not do it, but I just hate to see people send an email and that's all.

Now the above could be said about letters. But think about this: If someone handed you all kinds of letters about the same thing you would not read them all but just think about the impact in your mind it would make. You'd be like holy crap that's a lot of letters.

PEOPLE NEEDED TO SEND LETTERS.

I'd also like to bring up something else. In case no one else has thought about it. We may win this battle but then they'll just come back with another bill and pin point us (reptile people) next. When they do that, we'll lose all the large corporate support like PetSmart and PETCO that we have now. They will not put there necks out for a very small portion of their business. I'd be surprised if reptiles made up 2%-5% of PetSmarts and PETCO's annual business. And for all we know the reptile portion of their business may be more effort to support than the rest. Would you put out a huge effort to save a small percent of your business? Some may but a majority would just move on and focus on the other larger portion of their revenue.

JUST THINK ABOUT IT.

I'm not saying people aren't doing their part. I'm just trying to motivate those people that think just sending emails will stop this from happening.