We are less than a month from the November elections, and the outcome of these elections could have a dramatic impact on our rights to keep our magnificent pets. The current Congress has made several attempts to destroy our hobby. While last spring seems long ago, last spring was when we fought the battle over HR 669 that would have banned all non-native species as pets. While the reptile community contributed most of the letters that stopped this effort, we were helped by many other groups. As written, this bill would have banned all kinds of pets. More recently, we've been fighting S 373 and the companion HR 2811. Originally, these bills applied to all pythons. They've now been modified to include four species of big pythons, four species of anaconda, and all boa constrictors. The current Congress may be the most herp-unfriendly Congress ever elected.

Beyond the federal level, we are fighting bans at many state levels. My state of Louisiana passed a ban this spring. Maybe the most egregious attack on our hobby comes in Ohio where Governor Ted Strickland signed an executive order forbidding the trade or breeding of exotic animals. Under this order, people may not buy or sell any exotic animal. They may not breed the animals that they already have. They can keep their current pets until those pets die, and then they must stop keeping exotic pets.

If we want to save our hobby and our right to keep these animals, we need to do everything possible to make Ted Strickland pay dearly for his choice to side with HSUS over the citizens of Ohio who keep exotic pets. If he wins re-election after signing this order, politicians will learn that they can get away with attacking our hobby.

I urge all Ohio residents to get in touch with the candidates in your governor's race. If you were planning to support John Kasich anyway, please contact his campaign and say that you would like to support him but are concerned about this issue. If you cannot bring yourself to vote for a Republican, please look for third-party candidates who come closer to your views. Please contact them about this issue and find a candidate who will stand with us. Please send the Strickland campaign an e-mail stating politely but firmly that you cannot support him because of his decision to attack our pets.

Now is the time to start hurting those politicians who have tried to hurt our hobby.

Tags: Ohio Exotic Ban

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