Ball Python Ban

[alkibp]

What horrible news! Chula Vista, California to ban any python species that gets over 3.5 feet in length! That means Ball Pythons will be banned!

Will this awful disease continue to spread throughout the country? We aren't doing enough to combat this plague of unnecessary infringement on our rights to own these harmless reptiles.

Sending emails, signing petitions and contacting Congressmen doesn't seem to be slowing this ignorance one bit. It only appears to advance from city to city, from county to county, and from state to state.

I'm feeling very helpless right now. Someday there will people at my door taking my small collection of reptiles away.

[alkibp]

Here is the link, if you haven't seen it already.
http://www.kingsnake.com/blog/archiv...-tomorrow.html

[evan385]

What horrible news! Chula Vista, California to ban any python species that gets over 3.5 feet in length! That means Ball Pythons will be banned!

Will this awful disease continue to spread throughout the country? We aren't doing enough to combat this plague of unnecessary infringement on our rights to own these harmless reptiles.

Sending emails, signing petitions and contacting Congressmen doesn't seem to be slowing this ignorance one bit. It only appears to advance from city to city, from county to county, and from state to state.

I'm feeling very helpless right now. Someday there will people at my door taking my small collection of reptiles away.

This is no longer America when the government can throw our rights out the window like this. This is a twisted perverse version that this great country has become. A country that the government controls. The constitution is now merely something to bend, twist and amend to whomever it suits.

[Slim]

Sending emails, signing petitions and contacting Congressmen doesn't seem to be slowing this ignorance one bit. It only appears to advance from city to city, from county to county, and from state to state.

While we should continue to keep this issue at the forefront and fight the good fight, to be completely honest, the only way we will really be able to win the battle at this point will be to fight it in courts when one of us gets arrested for violating one of these breed bans. Once the first bad reptile law falls, the rest will follow on precedence.

Of course, a court battle will take time, money, and resources most of us do not have. At some point, a fund raising effort may be in order.

[satomi325]

Honestly, California is the worst state when it comes to animal regulation.
We have the most restrictions based on really idiotic and/or outdated reasoning.

I've been involved with animal legalization for the past 2-3 years. Hundreds of people have sent letters and gone to Department or Fish and Game meetings to resolve some of them. Nothing has worked. And these were for the 'cute fuzzy' critters that are legal in all other states. I can only imagine it's much worse for our serpent friends.

At this point, the best method to fight is to educate those who are ignorant.

[JohnNJ]

I read the ordinance for Chula Vista and I have to believe that it's being driven by its close proximity to Tijuana Mexico. They must have have had real issues with animals at one time that drove them to create such an onerous set of regulations.

The section that mentions pythons and boas also says "This section does not apply to birds, small rodents or small nonpoisonous reptiles commonly used for educational or experimental purposes or for pets." That should be the focus of the change - ALL pets are exempt.

There's a section in the ordinance that says reptiles are banned from public places. Who would even think of putting that in if it wasn't a problem at one time.

BTW, did I mention that California sucks worse than NJ.

[SpartaDog]

The section that mentions pythons and boas also says "This section does not apply to birds, small rodents or small nonpoisonous reptiles commonly used for educational or experimental purposes or for pets." That should be the focus of the change - ALL pets are exempt.

There's a section in the ordinance that says reptiles are banned from public places. Who would even think of putting that in if it wasn't a problem at one time.

So, does that mean that breeding animals in some larger collections are NOT exempt? And other than breeding, educational, experimental, and companionship purposes, why else would someone have a snake? I mean they could be selling them on the black market is a possibility, but that's already illegal, so is this really going to help?

And does the "educational purpose" apply to public places too? Like live animal shows and whatnot?

[snake lab]

California is so screwed up anyways. It doesn't surprise me that this is proposed. So did it pass? Or did it get tabled?

[alkibp]

...One great victory for the Reptile Community! The ban will not be implemented.

Congratulations to Loren Leigh and everyone else who made their voices heard at the Chula Vista City Council!

Here's a perfect example of how working together in our local communities can make a big difference.

Keep it up!

http://www.kingsnake.com/blog/archiv...gulations.html

[Maixx]

Talk about stupid regulations in CA, they manage, tag, and limit the hunting of feral hogs... They're a true invasive species! Then legislate against snakes..

Really?

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/pig/

In 1957,wild pigs were designated a game mammal by the State Legislature. The Fish and Game Commission soon established hunting seasons, bag and possession limits, method of take and the conditions for using dogs. In 1992 Fish and Game Code Sections 4650 through 4657 were added that required hunters to possess wild pig license tags while hunting pigs.