People who keep large snakes and lizards in Washington State must keep them indoors. (thermoregulation) These animals are quiet and reclusive. Unless your friends or neighbors told you about their pets, you would never know they were even there.

HB1725 almost slipped through unnoticed by the very people it would (theoretically) affect the most. Even if this antediluvian bill did pass the house, I believe it unlikely that people who keep such animals would voluntarily “out” themselves and allow their beloved pets to be summarily executed for no good reason.

However, people who keep such animals might be reluctant to seek veterinary care when needed and might not attempt to further their knowledge of captive husbandry for fear of unjust persecution if their “pursuit of happiness” was discovered.

Not only would animals, (including owner/animals) endure hardships, but science, education and the free exchange of vital husbandry data would suffer a blow.
Also, all the schools, churches, scout troops, science centers, community centers and other civic organizations who currently benefit from educational reptile programs could go wanting.

To see a list of up coming Seattle area reptile outreach programs click here

Much of today's “cutting edge” information regarding the husbandry and breeding of reptiles comes not from doctorates or zoologists but from keepers of private collections.

Until just a few days ago I didn't know that keeping certain species of boids made me a criminal. There is a law in Seattle banning all snakes over eight feet in length that has been on the books for over a year now. (Municipal Ordinance 119.998)
The irony is that no one seems to have known about it and as far as I know there has never been any enforcement of this ordinance, (as there has yet to be one single problem). *

*Interview by telephone 02/18/01 with
Seattle Animal Control
Manager:
Don Jordan
(206) 386-4286

Through out the entire time that I have kept large snakes, (over 15 years), I have volunteered with many reptile outreach programs, (this last year included), in and around the Pacific Northwest area from Portland to Seattle.

These have ranged from small presentations for individual classrooms up to large Science fairs attended by thousands of people.
My fellow educators are intelligent and informed people with a strong interest in reptiles and amphibians. They are always seeking to expand their knowledge regarding herps and freely share what they know with others. Yet none of these folks or the thousands of people who attended these events knew of this law. If anyone did they did not bring it to my attention. Those attending these events included lawyers, law enforcement officials, fish and game agents, etc. During the Reptile And Amphibian Fair at the Pacific Science Center (in Seattle) last October I appeared in a television show that was broadcast live on a popular station (KCPQ channel 13) from the PSC. I appeared with Olga a rather large (about 15’) Burmese python.

Click here to view some pictures from this event.  Note; this link is graphic intensive, please be patient.

Did any viewers contact the television station, the PSC or me, to inform us of this law? No they did not! Did anyone even know about Municipal Ordinance 119.998?

HB1725 will only adversely affect people (if they even know about it) who are trying their best to keep their pets in a responsible manner. Responsible owners seek out advice and help from herpetological societies and other experts.  They  make their interests well known in white pages, newsletters, and on the Internet, in countless news groups, discussion groups, list servers and web pages. Those very few irresponsible owners (who sometimes give the rest of us a bad name) do not participate in these forums and are not likely to be targeted by HB1725.

I wrote this a quite a while back, today this statement is returning to haunt me:

I am sure you know that reptiles and amphibians face a great deal of prejudice and are much maligned in the minds of the general public. This has caused numerous cities, county, and state laws to be enacted against them. For the most part these laws are based on fear, fear that is fed by ignorance. Every child and parent that you enlighten through education is a potential advocate for the animal that you have taught him or her about. Education is the only means I am aware of to clear away the misconceptions and myths that bedevil our favorite animals. When "they" come knocking on your door, demanding the surrender of your beloved "pets", for misinformed reasons, it will be too late to ask, "Why don't they know better?" They don't know better because you found it too much of an inconvenience to teach them.

Thank you for reading my opinions.

Mark Silver