Ok so now I'm worried about the Lacey Act what do I do. I'm so worried what if the cone after Gerbils next, I can live with out my baby. 😢 and there are so mine other things I wanted to own so day...I'm really scared
if it makes you feel any better, I'm scared, too. We're all scared. I just- I wanna hold everybody's hand and hug everybody's animals and just promise that it'll all be ok, but as the act stands now, well, it won't. This is a law that is literally forcing some people to make the choice between abandoning their pet or becoming a felon- if they have to move, odds are good their precious animals will be euthanized. It's hard to rehome big snakes. This legislation is scary shit because nothing about it is based in fact. None of those species could be a problem in ANY US state except for Florida (and maybe Hawaii?) but they're getting treated like federal menaces. The lawmakers looked at the facts and actively chose to ignore them because "oooooooo snakes are scary and no normal person would ever keep a snake, amirite?" and as a result people with retics have a terrible choice looming. And who's to say they'll stop there? I'm super worried because what if the Burmese pythons in the Everglades thing is what they're using as a precedent, my baby might be on the block next. Tegus are invasive in Florida, after all, and Kaiju's living proof that they're actively breeding there. I'm not sure I can stay in Illinois forever, and honestly I would take the risk and find some way to move her because there's no way in hell I'd ever give her up. Even mammals aren't safe- European rabbits of all things are on the Lacey Act. This is a move backed by organizations that don't believe that anything other than a cat or a dog or maybe a fish can be a pet... and by organizations like PETA that would rather kill animals than let them live happily with humans.
I wish I had something better to say. I wish I had something reassuring. But this is a huge blow to everybody who's ever loved an exotic animal, and it's scary as hell.
In the meantime, some things you can do:
• If you have spare cash, donate to USARK's legal defense fund. Even if you're not a reptile person, USARK is probably the loudest voice against the Lacey Act.
• Write to or call or e-mail the FWS (contact page here) and let them know how disappointed you are about the Lacey Act. Ask them about their justification and the reasoning behind their decision. I'm not sure how effective this will be, though, as it's just an internet contact form, so if you want to contact someone directly, you can...
• Write directly to the FWS Director, Dan Ashe. Or you can call him- his work telephone from the FWS website is 202-208-4717. His e-mail is [email protected]. If you want to write a letter, his work address is: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 1849 C. Street, NW, ROOM 3331 Washington, DC 20240.
Other people/offices you could contact include the Science Advisor to the Director, the Branch of Policies and Regulations, the Branch of Policy... there's a big list of addresses and contact information here. If they know how dissatisfied people are and there's enough outcry, maybe something might change. Unfortunately, we didn't elect the people in the Fish and Wildlife Service, so technically they don't have to answer to their constituency. Still, some communication couldn't hurt.
• If that's a little intimidating, try your local office. You can find that here.
• You could also write a well-researched opinion piece and submit it to your local paper. Blog about it, but don't just keep it on tumblr. Tumblr can be an echo chamber. Post about it on other places- facebook, twitter, wherever. Be loud. But be right- make sure that your writing contains facts and not just strong emotions!
• Familiarize yourself with the Lacey Act and the reasons the newly-added injurious species were added despite what the scientific facts have to say. Even if you're not a reptile person, being able to argue your point to others is important for the defense of exotic pets as a whole.
• Be a responsible exotic pet owner. The HSUS is gonna lord this over as being good for the animals because they don't think that any exotic animals should be kept as pets. It's true that many exotics are kept irresponsibly, but it's also true that many of these animals can be kept happy and healthy with proper husbandry. By being a responsible owner and knowing how to properly care for your species, you provide a counterexample to their terrible reasoning.
