Originally Posted by hellosugaree
How many expos have people selling giant constrictors over 12 feet? In such cases, it such a bad thing that they or their potential buyer have to fill out a little extra paperwork and show that they are fit to keep an animal of that size? I love snakes as much as the next guy, but quite frankly not everyone is fit to keep a gigantic or poisonous snake or alligator, etc. These aren't small house kittens... Some of the application requirements are pretty reasonable, like requiring you to name a vet who will treat the snake if it has problems. What do you do when your snake gets sick and nobody wants to deal with a 21 foot, 50lb snake? A lot of people don't think about these things before they get these snakes. If this deters even 5% of the normal load of unfit retards that buy or sell these snakes without being fully prepared then it's not such a bad thing. Serious breeders and keepers will fill out a little extra paperwork...
Speaking of expos and shows, some reptile shows are pretty disgusting anyway and many (not all) people are only out to make a buck and don't give half a **** about what happens to the animal after they get paid for it. I've seen someone gladly sell a snake to someone who requested asked for the cheapest snake they had and was carrying it's future home: A tiny cracked tank with a piece of astroturf and a very old, used heat rock. The seller happily produced a $5 snake, no questions asked, no suggestions made. I'm also sure plenty of retics and anacondas have been bought from people who sold them to customers one could easily figure out were not fit if they bothered to have a five minute conversation with them. There are plenty of responsible breeders and keepers out there, but this "the very few bad keepers ruin it for everybody" business that everyone keeps regurgitating is probably a bit understated. Irresponsible keeping of snakes and other reptiles in the industry is much more common than most people are willing to admit. They are reptiles, but they are also living animals. They deserve respect and proper care. They can feel pain, stress, and can definitely suffer and often do. This happens with any type of animal kept as pets, but I think it is more commonly something that the reptile community tends to look past. The laws may not change anything on their own, but my hope is that they will have the following impact: Rather than bitching about how the "minority" ruins it for everyone and fighting for complete lack of regulation of any aspect of the community whatsoever, maybe people the community as a whole will start taking action within their own group so to speak. When are the keepers, breeders, and people who host shows going to start taking some responsibility for what goes on inside? If we raise our standards and hold people accountable who don't follow acceptable practices, maybe things will turn around and we don't have to worry about someone else taking away privileges from us. Law enforcement doesn't have the resources to enforce these laws anyway, and even if they did, it probably won't make much of a dent. Why not take the stance that the laws are designed with a good purpose in mind, and try to fulfill that purpose on our own. The only way things can be improved are from the inside out. If we improve things ourselves from the inside, people will stop trying to fix them from the outside. If everyone has the "it's not me so it's not my business and not my responsibility" attitude every time they see something wrong, then your friends in the government are going to make it their responsibility. Too many people are comfortable with observing something from a breeder or vendor that they know is wrong, yet 5 minutes later buying a snake from them because they have the one the person wants or the best deal... Even a keeper only ever purchases one reptile in their life and does nothing else in the community has the power to make things better or worse.
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