Where is the "Reptile Nation"?

[Skiploder]

I did send a message to one of your congresswomen when USArk first posted about this issue - I hoped then that it did some good, and still hope it was heard. (I'm still getting her updates on local CA politics periodically, even though I'm in CT!)

It sounds to me as though the cat/dog/bird exemption is based on those shows being competitive, judged events, such as an AKC club show, where some sales may take place on the side. To date, I've yet to see a herp show posted that was run as a judged competition - reptile expos are nearly pure sales / swap meets, (some include seminars, but the local one here sure doesn't) where the only judging result is whose pockets have the most dollars in 'em at the end of the day, and who goes home with the emptiest displays. The exemption you posted wouldn't apply to reptile expos as they're currently run, the way I read it.

Still - I do hope that your Governator realizes that the State of California has much bigger fish to fry, and promptly vetoes anything that would keep dollars out of his state, or keep dollars within his state from changing hands. (After all, those times when dollars change hands are his best opportunities to skim some off the top . . . )

~Bruce

The fact is that an animal rights group, with a savvy team of lawyers could argue that Reptile Shows, since they aren't judged events, won't get granted exemption under AB 1122.

A little hint here - forget about the animal rights activists for a second, there are people in this hobby who do not like reptile shows because they feel that the transportation to and displaying of these animals is stressful.

You don't even want to know what the HSUS fanbois think..............

So I would expect that reptile expos, bazaars, etc. will be firmly in the cross hairs if this passes.

The danger in this legislation is the way it's written. The majority of the exemptions are for livestock sales, shelters and animal judging events.

So the Bill outlines what is banned and what is allowed but there is a whole big grey area in between. That grey area is what will then be contested and refined if this thing passes.