USARK Alert: Arlington County, VA

[Crowfingers]

ACTION ALERT: Arlington County, Virginial
l have only 60 days from the effective date to either register or "dispose of" each animal, and would thereafter be required to obtain annual permit for each animal kept. The addition of future animals would be banned (meaning you could not get a pet hedgehog or corn snake next year).

1. BANNED: Snakes exceeding four (4) feet in length;
2. BANNED: the following list of “wild or exotic animals” would be banned: hedgehog, sugar glider, all non-human primates, raccoon, skunk, wolf and wolf hybrids, coyote, squirrel, fox, leopard, panther, tiger, lion, bear, small wild cats including hybrids (meaning all but domestic cat, Felis catus), all crocodilians
3. BANNED: any other warm-blooded animal, poisonous snake or reptile or tarantula that can normally be found in the wild state (This is the vague language mentioned.)
4. BANNED: breeding of all above species.
5. All movement of registered animals (within and out of County) must be reported to the Animal Control Agency;
6. Deaths/euthanizations of animals must be reported
7. Failure to register may result in "seizure or disposal of the animal at cost to the owner;"
8. First-time penalty is Class 4 misdemeanor and fine up to $250 (per day). Second penalty is Class 3 misdemeanor and fine up to $500 (per day).

Not that I am supporting ALL of this - however wild animals should never be kept as pets. I am a Va native and have snakes and also have raised 100's of wild animals.

Va is having issues with people breeding "designer" foxes and wolf-hybrids that people then dump or can't care for which makes me furious, also people watch the cute raccoons and such on youtube then when they find one as a baby they decide to keep it instead of turning it over to wildlife authorities. Witch in the end leads to the animal imprinting / becoming aggressive then being euthanized. Around the start of fall someone released a fenic fox (neighbor watched them toss it out the back door) because it was "messy". Another 'reptile collector' here had several alligators outside but never heated their pool this winter- animal control was called when they started to rot and someone finally noticed.

The vague language is most likely trying to encompass a broad range of animals that they just don't have time or inclination to list by the species. I also work in the exotic veterinary / wildlife field and the amount of stupid people trying to own these kinds of animals sickens me - especially when I see hedgehogs and sugar gliders crippled to the point of self-mutilation from malnutrition and improper care. I would rather these animals be banned than continue to allow them to be easily available pets.

No one needs these animals as pets, nor should anyone be able to keep them. Those of you on here that are responsible owners - would you rather have to do the responsible thing by law and register your pet / pay a license fee (which will discourage people who "just like big cool snakes / i wanna tiger" or have them available to every person who wants one on a whim and can't /is unwilling to care for it?? As for banning wild animals native to Virginia, that makes sense - especially since they are banning three of the top 6 rabies vectors (fox / skunk / raccoon). It is hard enough to get the public to turn over wild animals that they have "rescued" without them thinking it is ok for them to be pets, at least this way there is a law to quote.

*end rant* (could keep going, but then I'd just make more people mad)