Quote Originally Posted by Annarose15 View Post
Yes, if someone is attempting to buy a full-grown retic from "you" and mentions how neat it will look in their garage in Miami in July, THEN you should refuse the sale. However, it is rarely this cut and dry on whether a person is or will be prepared to take care of an animal properly when it reaches its full potential, whether that be a large cat, giant constrictor, or tse-tse fly. A seller simply doesn't always spend that much time with a potential buyer, especially at a place like an expo.

Rather than blame sellers for not running full background checks and blood tests (hyperbole), we should INSIST that individuals be responsible for their own actions. Perhaps better funding (and pay) for animal control programs would help? I don't know, but it seems like many in this thread are focused on the danger that animals pose to humans (owner or otherwise), rather than the danger we pose to the animals we choose to posess. Licensing and registration all sound peachy for "risky" animals, but who determines what is risky? And what do these lovely programs cost? Too high, and people will choose to break the law; too low, and they don't present the barrier to entry that they are intended for. Short version - keep government legislation out of it and focus on education, education, education. You can't force someone to learn, but if they hear things enough times, more people will learn in spite of themselves.
I agree, it can be hard to determine who is fit for keeping and who isn't even when you meet them in person and have 20-30minutes to talk to them. As a seller though I do spend quite alot of time with people (unless I already know them) screening them before I sell them anything. The "Rather than blame sellers for not running full background checks and blood tests (hyperbole)" is actually a strawman. I do not hold sellers 100% responsible for an animal being mistreated but I do hold sellers (including myself) more accountable then the buyer. I agree though that education can go a long way in prevention of these types of things.