Rex the Corn Snake

I usually stay away from political stuff, as I see both sides of most arguements. In this argument I understand the concern about safety, but we need to not overreact to tragedy.

In October of 2011, Terry Thompson, a clearly unbalanced individual, released 18 Bengal Tigers, 17 Lions and other large animals from the "Animal Preserve" he ran with his wife in Zanesville Ohio.

The animals were legally owned, and in an effort to prevent future tragedies, Ohio lawmakers are putting together a wide reaching ban on "exotic" animal ownership. And I am good with there being no pet lions or tigers in my neighborhood.

So what does this mean to me?

We have a corn snake, Rex, who has been part of our family for over a year. He is one of the "exotic" animals that would be included in the ban.

My cousin, John, breeds and sells snakes, as a large portion of his income. He will be put out of business. All snake breeders in Ohio will be out of business.

Did I mention that none of the dozens of animals released in Zanesville were reptiles? And what do these lawmakers expect us to do with the animals we own?

So I want to help stop the passage of the law as it is now written. The folks need to rethink the phrasing of the bill.

Help me save Rex.

How can we make that happen? please see the information below:

Boots on the Ground Ohio/ SB310 Opponents Hearing

A proponents hearing was held yesterday in Columbus, Ohio in the Senate Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources Committee regarding SB 310. This bill if passed as written would be a de-facto ban on many reptiles as well as many other animals in Ohio. USARK opposes a ban on ANY reptiles. There is no argument that can logically support that reptiles pose any significant public safety risk to the citizens of Ohio or anywhere else. Turn out for the proponents meeting was anemic. One HSUS representative and one ASPCA representative testified; along with reps from several Zoo’s.

The time to act is NOW! We must get “Boots on the Ground”! Call in sick to work if you have to! We must generate Calls! We must generate Emails! DO IT NOW!!!
It is imperative that opponents of SB 310 attend the opponents hearing next week in large numbers. The hearing is tentatively set for Tuesday March 27 at 2pm in the Senate Building. The date could change. We will update on Friday. USARK is helping to facilitate a groundswell grass roots “Boots on the Ground” campaign to get as many Ohio stakeholders to attend the hearing as possible. Please email ohioarlupdate@gmail.com for instructions on where to meet for briefing prior to hearing. Andrew Wyatt of USARK will testify. “NO SB310” pins will be distributed to all who attend. This is very important that the Reptile Nation attend this Hearing in Force.

Meanwhile, in the lead up to the Hearing, we need to generate an avalanche of Phone Calls and Emails. Below are the tools and the contacts you will need to make your voice heard.

Call In Campaign:

Senator Cliff Hite (Chairman)- Phone: (614) 466-8150
Senator Tim Schaffer (Vice Chair)- Phone: (614) 466-5838
Senator Lou Gentile- Phone: (614) 466-6508
Senator Troy Balderson (Sponsor)- Phone: (614) 466-8076
Senator Dave Burke- Phone: (614) 466-8049
Senator Capri Cafaro- Phone: (614) 466-7182
Senator Gayle Manning- Phone: (614) 644-7613
Senator Bob Peterson- Phone: (614) 466-8156
Senator Joe Schiavoni- Phone: (614) 466-8285

Sample script: (Make it your own and tell your story. Keep it brief and polite)
My name is_________. I am an Ohio resident and I would like to respectfully register my opposition to SB 310. I have grave concerns for the negative and unnecessary impact of SB 310. I work with reptiles that pose zero public safety risk and a minimal occupational risk in the state of Ohio; especially when taken in the context of traditional livestock and pets. On average there is less than one death per year in the US because of a captive reptile, compared to 25-30 deaths related to dogs, and dozens more due to horses and cattle. It is simply impossible to make a logical argument that ANY reptile poses a serious public safety risk in our state. Reptiles were not even involved in the situation in Zanesville.

SB 310 is over reaching and prohibitive, and will have a negative impact on me and my family. The trade in high quality captive reptiles in the state of Ohio is approximately $30 million per year. There are tens of thousands of people and hundreds of thousands of animals involved. More than 90% of the impact of SB 310 is to the reptile industry; and again, reptiles were not involved with Zanesville and pose virtually zero public safety risk.

Please remove ALL reptiles from SB 310. NO on SB 310.

Thank you.

Email Campaign:
Click here to send email to Senate Committee: http://usark.org/campaign.php?id=37