Maryland Residents- City seeks ban on "exotics"

[Hypancistrus]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/lo...,0,1576606.story?coll=bal-local-baltimorecity

Baltimore City is seeking to ban so-called exotic pets including:
-Snakes longer than 5 foot
-Iguanas, unless they are between 30" and 5 foot in length
-ALL scorpions and tarantulas
-Coops of more than 50 pigeons
-Caimans and 5 foot plus lizards
-Roosters
-Ducks

Permits ($80) would be required for:
-beehive (1)
-pigeons (50)
-Vietnamese Potbelly Pig

The Health Department is allowing public comments on the proposed regulations for 30 days, through March 2.

The regulations would also require a one-time $80 permit fee for chickens, pigeons and Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs.

Farrow said the smaller ones would be banned because often people buy iguanas unaware of how large they'll become. If they buy an adult iguana, they might have a clearer understanding of how big they can grow, she said.

Also, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, iguanas shed salmonella bacteria in their feces. Baby iguanas are more likely to crawl over people, creating a greater likelihood that they will be exposed to salmonella, Farrow said.

Comments on the rules can be sent to: Assistant Commissioner Olivia Farrow at Environmental Health, 210 Guilford Ave., second floor, Baltimore 21202, or by e-mail to olivia.farrow@baltimorecity.gov.

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO AS MANY FORUMS AS YOU CAN!

 

[Casey Norris]

Wow, if we start banning everything related to something that people might not know or completely understand, and then add anything that has a chance to make you sick, there wouldn't be much to do in life.

And do they really expect people to just get rid of pets once they get larger than some arbitratry lenght. Thats not going to happen. Sorry, we realise you really like your pet but he is now one inch longer than the banned lenght, he has to go.

 

[cburkhart78]

Does that really say roosters?As in does "it" with a chicken.How are they gonna eat eggs?

Doesn't someone on here keep caimans?

 

[davo]

roosters? are hens allowed? 5ft snake. dunno what i'd keep. childrens python maybe.

 

[Pagan]

I really don'y get the iguana thing, considering that they easily get over 5' if cared for properly. All this does is punish the responsible keepers.

 

[lovespunaround]

I don't live in Baltimore, but I just wrote a long email to them...

 

[Hypancistrus]

To anyone who has wrote an email. Please continue to spread the word so that the number of voices heard in support of reptiles as pets is louder than the predjudice of the health department. I emailed and recieved a reply that said thank you for your comment, all will be considered. Our only hope is just to keep inundating them with emails. I am going to mail a letter too.

Thanks again to everyone who has helped!