Tarantulas a health code violation in Manhattan

[Buspirone]

They tried to do this in my town a couple years ago....The main purpose was to make the owning of Pit Bulls illegal but they also threw in most exotics and alot of regulations having to do with property lines and distances between them and the housing/pens/runs for the permitted pets. Basically IF the proposal had passed almost no one in my town would be able to own any pet except a cat. The proposal didn't pass but in the weeks prior to the vote alot of the council members kids were assaulted by schoolmates and their cars were vandalized in protest of the proposed ordinance(s). Sometimes its fun to live in a small town.

 

[caligulathegod]

They probably pointed out the tarantula as being a health code violation because they aren't considered "exotic" (as opposed to marmosets and monkeys) and the ordinance forbids it.

 

[Lasiodora]

I hear you code, but you would think that people with your interests would understand what it would feel like if they're rights to keep exotics was taken. What they need to do is stop wasting resources on confiscating animals that are being kept properly and that are kept healthy. They need to put an emphasis on the people who abandon the animals and keep them improperly.
Mike

 

[Code Monkey]

Originally posted by Lasiodora
What they need to do is stop wasting resources on confiscating animals that are being kept properly and that are kept healthy. They need to put an emphasis on the people who abandon the animals and keep them improperly.

Governments almost never do this unless they see some societal value and/or votes in not taking the easy way out in a flat ban. Look at the way they approach drugs, is every person who uses a substance other than alcohol a thieving addict? Same idea here, they don't care about the responsible users, they'll come down like a ton of bricks on everyone just to stop the handful of problem keepers and be able to keep the uninvolved masses content that they're "doing something". From their simplistic mindset, this is more efficient.

 

[Lasiodora]

Yeah code, I know. It's very from frustrating though. Other states don't have exotic bans and they seem to be doing okay. You're right though, if its not the easy route they won't do it.
Mike

 

[Ultimate Instar]

BTW, how is California Fish & Wildlife trying to "rehabilitate" ferrets? Does anyone even know the original wild stock that they came from? Or if they're actually a hybrid of some sort?

Karen N.

 

[Code Monkey]

Originally posted by Ultimate Instar
BTW, how is California Fish & Wildlife trying to "rehabilitate" ferrets? Does anyone even know the original wild stock that they came from? Or if they're actually a hybrid of some sort?

Ferrets are considered to be one of the first intentionally domesticated animals, going back perhaps as far as 3000 years. There is confusion as to where they originated because it's believed they were domesticated in Egypt, but the only wild animal that resembles them is found in the UK (the polecat).

That's all pretty academic, though, they have almost no survival instincts. Whereas dogs, cats, pigs, cattle, etc. will actually revert to a feral form and lifestyle, ferrets just die when you put them outdoors. Their estimated survival is all of about 2-3 days unless found or very lucky because most lack the sense about where to find water and while they will kill small rodents, they have to actually be taught *at length* that they can eat them; as far the average ferret is concerned, food comes in the form of kibble.

I don't think the California program ever went beyond the experimental stage, but it was something they were doing a few years ago in their attempts to prove that they really were wild animals. It was just a short mention in one of the ferret magazines I read so I'm afraid I don't have any more information than that.