The gov't wants to take your pets!
The following is a list of organizations that are blindly supporting HR 669 and other legislation that will effectively destroy the pet trade in this country. HR 669 would make any non native (to the USA) species illegal to sell, breed, trade, cross state lines, etc.... That means that if this law passes and you have to move out of state you can't take your childs hamster with you, nor your tropical fish. This doesn't just effect the people that want to keep monkeys and large snakes!!! It will effect everyone in this country that wants to keep pets.
If this legislation passes it will destroy thousands of small business's in this country overnight. Company's like Petco, Petsmart, and Petland will be wiped out almost immediately. While normally I am not a big fan of giant chain stores I also don't think that all of their employee's deserve to loose their jobs because of this bill. All of your local mom and pop pet stores will be gone as well. Now think of all the jobs that will be lost in the manufacturing sector, all the goodies you see in these stores come from somewhere, and are made by people. Then the trickle down effect will be felt by authors, magazines, veterinarians, etc....
HR 669 or other similar legislation will also put a huge financial burden on hobby level folks. I will use myself as an example. I raise snakes and lizards, not a lot in the grand scheme, but some. I use the money that I make for things like vacations, home repairs, tools (soon it will be school clothes, diapers, etc..). If this bill passes not only do I loose that income, but now I will still have to feed and care for all of these animals for the rest of their lives all out of my own pocket. I will not turn them over to any gov't agency because I'm sure their answer will be to euthanize them directly, so my only answer is to keep them. There are tens of thousands if not more across the country just like me, some bigger, some smaller just in the reptile world alone.
Another way to look at this - if your child has 2 hamsters and they have babies, you will be breaking the law. Those animals can be confiscated and you can be fined!
HR 669 is written in such a way to ensure that by the time USFW is able to get around to making its list of "Approved" animals that the pet trade will be gone. This way the supporters of the bill and the legislators can put all the blame back on USFW. They don't want to have to stand up and accept the blame of taking peoples pets, they just don't want you to have pets anymore.
The propaganda flyer that is being distributed by NECIS is based on bad science (if you can even call it that) and is riddled with inaccuracies and outright lies. They want people to believe that once global warming takes effect that we will all be overrun by giant snakes and lizards, scary fish and monkeys. So they want to take our pets based on a theory that is based on a theory. The pet trade has been very active for over 30 years in this country. In that time the only place that has experienced any long term problem with invasive species (of the reptilian kind) is south Florida and Hawaii, and they are currently working with reptile groups down there to try and fix the problem. Guam also have problems and they are working to correct them as well. So why should folks in Ohio loose their animals to a Federal Law when they will never see any effect by these invasive species? The problems in Hawaii and Florida are the results of a few irresponsible owners, not the majority of reptile keepers. Why should all keepers be punished because of a few ignorant people and their actions?
So the list below are all organizations that I will never support, and will tell everyone I know not to support. I truly believe some of these groups don't really know what they are supporting, others are so bent on taking away your pets they can taste it. Write them letters, call them, stop sending them money, etc... Just let them know that you will not allow them to take your pets, ever!
Go to http://www.stop669.org/ to let the government know you do not support this legislation!
Humane Society of America (different from your local Humane Society, please support them!)
PETA
NECIS Members
Center for International Environmental Law
Defenders of Wildlife
Ecological Society of America
Environmental Law Institute
Great Lakes United
Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
National Association of Exotic Pest Plant Councils
National Audubon Society
National Wildlife Federation
National Wildlife Refuge Association
Natural Areas Association
Natural Resources Defense Council
The Nature Conservancy
Union of Concerned Scientists
If this legislation passes it will destroy thousands of small business's in this country overnight. Company's like Petco, Petsmart, and Petland will be wiped out almost immediately. While normally I am not a big fan of giant chain stores I also don't think that all of their employee's deserve to loose their jobs because of this bill. All of your local mom and pop pet stores will be gone as well. Now think of all the jobs that will be lost in the manufacturing sector, all the goodies you see in these stores come from somewhere, and are made by people. Then the trickle down effect will be felt by authors, magazines, veterinarians, etc....
HR 669 or other similar legislation will also put a huge financial burden on hobby level folks. I will use myself as an example. I raise snakes and lizards, not a lot in the grand scheme, but some. I use the money that I make for things like vacations, home repairs, tools (soon it will be school clothes, diapers, etc..). If this bill passes not only do I loose that income, but now I will still have to feed and care for all of these animals for the rest of their lives all out of my own pocket. I will not turn them over to any gov't agency because I'm sure their answer will be to euthanize them directly, so my only answer is to keep them. There are tens of thousands if not more across the country just like me, some bigger, some smaller just in the reptile world alone.
Another way to look at this - if your child has 2 hamsters and they have babies, you will be breaking the law. Those animals can be confiscated and you can be fined!
HR 669 is written in such a way to ensure that by the time USFW is able to get around to making its list of "Approved" animals that the pet trade will be gone. This way the supporters of the bill and the legislators can put all the blame back on USFW. They don't want to have to stand up and accept the blame of taking peoples pets, they just don't want you to have pets anymore.
The propaganda flyer that is being distributed by NECIS is based on bad science (if you can even call it that) and is riddled with inaccuracies and outright lies. They want people to believe that once global warming takes effect that we will all be overrun by giant snakes and lizards, scary fish and monkeys. So they want to take our pets based on a theory that is based on a theory. The pet trade has been very active for over 30 years in this country. In that time the only place that has experienced any long term problem with invasive species (of the reptilian kind) is south Florida and Hawaii, and they are currently working with reptile groups down there to try and fix the problem. Guam also have problems and they are working to correct them as well. So why should folks in Ohio loose their animals to a Federal Law when they will never see any effect by these invasive species? The problems in Hawaii and Florida are the results of a few irresponsible owners, not the majority of reptile keepers. Why should all keepers be punished because of a few ignorant people and their actions?
So the list below are all organizations that I will never support, and will tell everyone I know not to support. I truly believe some of these groups don't really know what they are supporting, others are so bent on taking away your pets they can taste it. Write them letters, call them, stop sending them money, etc... Just let them know that you will not allow them to take your pets, ever!
Go to http://www.stop669.org/ to let the government know you do not support this legislation!
Humane Society of America (different from your local Humane Society, please support them!)
PETA
NECIS Members
Center for International Environmental Law
Defenders of Wildlife
Ecological Society of America
Environmental Law Institute
Great Lakes United
Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
National Association of Exotic Pest Plant Councils
National Audubon Society
National Wildlife Federation
National Wildlife Refuge Association
Natural Areas Association
Natural Resources Defense Council
The Nature Conservancy
Union of Concerned Scientists
Add a Comment
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Comment by Rose on April 19, 2009 at 6:29pm - I think the only group I really wouldn't support is PETA. There are some really good groups on your list. I would certainly let them know how you feel about this legislation, but I doubt the bill will get very far.
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