miami herald news story about hr669

[Adam_Wysocki]

''There were some legitimate concerns, no one doubts that,'' said Peter Jenkins, director of international conservation at Defenders of Wildlife. He notes that pet owners were alarmed when some animals -- ferrets, gerbils, guinea pigs and others -- weren't named as species that would be exempt from the bill.

''It needs to be clear that many of these are entirely exempt,'' Jenkins said. ``We're only talking about 10 to 15 species that have been identified, that are risky, that are likely invaders.''

I'll say it ... Peter Jenkins is a liar. On April 23rd, at a lunch meeting immediately after the hearing, Marshall Meyers of PIJAC asked Dr. David Lodge (who testified at the hearing) to name five species currently in the pet trade that would not pass some aspect the "likelihood" test in section 3(b) and be placed on the "unapproved" list (resulting in a ban). Dr. Lodge could not. His blank stare back across the lunch table was a terrifying testament to how serious of a threat HR 669 is to all pet owners in the United States.

It's funny how Peter Jenkins specifically names "ferrets, gerbils, guinea pigs" and then stops ... those are on the very short list of animals being added to the exempt section (Section 14(5)(d)) in the next revision of HR 669. Birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians are in serious trouble. Stay vigilant and be ready ... round two is coming!

-adam