Bought a new ball python, he came with a contract agreement, need advice.

[Greenling]

Hi all.

recently I have added another new snake to my collection.

he is a 7 year old super pastel orange ghost. He is big and friendly.

he is a rescue snake that was seized by the local humane society and was being held by a local pet shop.

I had an interview filled out the paper work then stuffed him in a pillow case and drove home.

today I got a phone call and was informed that I filled out the wrong form. No big deal.
so the new agreement says I cannot breed the snake or else my animal can be seized. I didn't get him to breed him but that being said he is a gorgeous well tempered snake and I would like to in a few years pair him up with my one female. (She's atleast 2 years from being mature enough.)

what at should I do? Should I honor this? I am very conflicted

[OhhWatALoser]

Did you actually sign the form that says you won't? because it sounds like you signed the wrong form.

[distaff]

In my opinion, which is rather harsh, the agreement has already been finalized. They let you go home with the snake based on the original agreement. Personally, I don't think you have to honor the one they didn't originally ask you to sign.

I REALLY dislike those humane society type contracts. I've passed on nice dogs and one cat because of them; in my experience, there is a lot more BS in those than just the breeding part, so, if you agree to sign another, be prepared for the possibility (probability) of other restrictions as well. They usually want you to surrender the animal back to them rather than re-home it based on your own judgement, etc. I saw one contract, you couldn't even move out of state with the animal!

Control freaks.

[Greenling]

No I never signed the agreement. They phoned me today notifying me I didn't sign the right form.
far as I am concerned I am far from the average snake keeper. I have my snakes in a proper environment. They all eat even the ones that wouldn't they all shed perfect.

i am not some guy who has them on display in a giant lit up aquarium who has his drinking buddies come over to see how bad ass he is because he has pet snake.

[distaff]

Ok, just to clarify:

They tell you after the fact, that you signed the "wrong" form.
Did THEY sign this form too?


Did you read the form, and, if so did it seem reasonable to you? (That is, you signed a form about adoption/purchase of an animal, the appropriate form to sign under the circumstances. You weren't signing a building lease.)

Was there any verbal agreement you gave to them about not breeding?

Here is my opinion from what I understand at this point:

They are being manipulative. Bait and switch - intentional, or not, on their part...doesn't matter.
Sounds like THEY signed the wrong contract. Though cookies for them.
You are fully within your rights to be firm about what YOU agreed to - there is NOTHING else to honor!

[Aercadia]

If they didn't look over the documents they gave you to sign at the time of adoption, that's on them - you're under no obligation to sign anything else now that you're already the owner of the animal. They have no legal foot to stand on - that doesn't mean they can't make life difficult if they want to, but if it went to court, their complaint would be thrown out because THEY neglected to give you the documents they wanted you to sign, and your signature is already on something else. I hope you have a copy of whatever you DID sign for your records!

[Greenling]

Yeah basically what you said.

however I reviewed the contract and it was for the wrong species of animal. No verbal agreement at all.

[distaff]

Even with the species specified in the contract being wrong, I don't see it as a relevant issue.

There should be absolutely nothing to be conflicted about.

This is no different than if they called you up later and said that they had undercharged you, and you needed to go back and pay more. You don't call someone back after a sale demanding more money, and you don't call someone back after a sale demanding additional concessions to an agreement!

The only reason this is in any way messy is because they are deciding to make it socially akward (spell??). It is expected that you will extend the curtesy of returning their phone call (you don't have to), and in standing your ground, you may feel yourself to be in the uncomfortable position of being "difficult" with the "nice" volunteers who only want to help animals... (They are counting on this, by the way.)

Gaah!!!
Animal rights types are some of the most full of themselves, dingbatty, irrational people on the planet. Many of them work for places like the Humane Society. You have unfortunately got yourself entangled with them. (I am phrasing carefully, and could say a LOT more, but don't want to trip the language censor.) Just say NO, and allow no more discussion on the subject of your snake. Hopefully, they will leave it at that. As far as I can see, they have zero standing in this.

[T_Sauer]

Yeah basically what you said.

however I reviewed the contract and it was for the wrong species of animal. No verbal agreement at all.

That's on them .... I would politely tell them to "go fly a kite" they dropped the "ball" so to speak. Technically if you signed the paper they provided you and you now have possession of the snake, and the paper work calls it a different species ..... I would think that it is almost as if it never happened because the paperwork is talking about whatever species they put on the paper and the snake in question in a ball python .... therefore .. possession is 9/10 of the law

[OhhWatALoser]

Just block their number, move on with your life with a new friend