Turning in to a witch hunt

[T&KBrouse]

So heres a link to an article. Theres a couple videos on the page itself that were interesting. (Bobby Rex is now my hero)
I realize the article is a couple months old now, but we have been seeing an influx of reports about regular people having their animals confiscated and fined heavily (and now I know why).

This has pretty much got my blood boiling and I'm ready to pack up and leave this flacid wang of a state.

What are your views?

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/state/Snakes_in_your_neighborhood_072009

 

[T&KBrouse]

So I'm bumping up the post because I'd really like others opinions.

I guess it just bothers me that government agencies are feeding the public with the idea they can tattle on their neighbors if they think they have something that could be dangerous. Most of my neighbors wouldn't know a burm from a red tail. And according to neighborhood gossip, I have an 18 foot albino spitting cobra and a komodo dragon running loose in my house. Now, I don't talk to anyone in my neighborhood and if it keeps some of these little vagrants from breaking in to my house or my vehicles, hey, no problem. But whats to say one of these do-gooders aren't going to call and report I have this non-existant cobra and komodo, and they show up on my doorstep? Since they're a government agency, do they need to provide a search warrant? (Yes, I'm a conspiracy nut, I know)
I legally own all the animals I have and I don't have anything to hide, but still, it makes me really uncomfortable to even think they could show up and demand to inspect my collection on mere hearsay, you know?
There was a man in Largo, I think, that was on the news yesterday that had two large burms confiscated and he got fined. The snakes were older (he obviously got them way before the registry laws took affect) and they were in excellent condition. Did they ever think that maybe, just maybe, this is a normal guy trying to make ends meet and he just hasn't had the $200 to register them for a year, much less the $200 more to microchip them? Would the state rather the animals not be fed or have vet care to make sure they were registered and chipped?
I realize something needed to be done and I can respect that laws were put in place to ensure the safety of the community, the eco systerm and the animals themselves, but it is so expensive now, its turning decent people in to criminals

 

[whkrazyk]

It almost feels like we are being treated like sex offenders. I have no problem letting anyone know what I have, or getting permits, But to be FORCED to make my collection public is another story. Are they going to send out notifications to all of my neighbors everytime I move now? This is getting ridiculous.

 

[T&KBrouse]

Wow.... That was something I never took in to account. Good point, Kyle.

 

[Palor]

What about making all people with a dog register? 1st responders are always being attacked by angry or scared canines.

This idea is pure BS. Let us hope it does not come to pass. People who own a snake or 2 are not criminals...Yet.

 

[whkrazyk]

There are more accounts of dog attcks per year than snakes, and I find it funny how in the years past you barely ever heard of reptiles in the news, and now all of a sudden there is some 20ft. python on every other backyard. It seems too suspicious to me.

 

[T&KBrouse]

It does seem very suspicious. If this has been such a problem for all these years, why now is there so much media coving all these feral pythons in peoples backyards now?

Like I said, I'm a conspiracy nut so I have my own theories, but do you all believe this may be staged sightings to encourage an all-out ban?

 

[whkrazyk]

I was dicussing that with my grandfather last week while we were on our mcdonald breakfast get-to-gether. There has bee more media on snakes in the last 6 months then there has since my grandpa got into reptiles

 

[T&KBrouse]

And it happened AGAIN!!!

400 pound snake siezed

This is un-freakin'-real....

 

[727geckokid]

I just watched the video and K, i am with you. My heart started pounding and My Blood is deff Boiling. I have Firearms in my house and they are FAR more Dangerous than my reptile Collection.. Why is it even being brought up that My pythons would have to be registered and My neighbors Notified but I can have loaded weapons capable of taken someone out in one shot and no one has to know??? :main_huh: This makes no Sense to me..

So its ok for someone to walk down the street with a loaded hangun Just because they have their permit and no one has to know about it but I can have all my paperwork on my Snakes and my Neighbors have the RIGHT? to know?? BS pure BS...

If i was in the Position to get up and Leave the state K i would be right there with you... Probably up north... Somewhere with a Basement for my reptile room.

 

[T&KBrouse]

We've been talking with a few friends and have decided to move to Tijuana and open a Tequila Bar. :cowboy:
You're welcome to come along, Benn! C'mon!!

Did you watch the news this morning? Get this.
Unbelievable....
This just in from Fox 13 News:
An 11 foot female Red Tail Boa was captured off Derby Lane in Tampa. According to the trapper, he had been tracking this girl for 8 months.

Now... Boas are not on the ROC list. This girl was MASSIVE. And in the wake of the snake hysteria, how long will it be, now that people have seen how big a boa can get, that they'll be added to the ROC list?

And isn't that just an amazing coincidence that a big boa is found the day after another python is confiscated? (please make sure to read this with as much sarcasm as possible)

I'm calling The Chewbacca Defense. It just doesn't make any sense!
This is BS! You can't tell me these aren't staged sightings to get the public riled up!