Letter to Senators

April 1, 2005

North Carolina General Assembly
Legislative Building
16 West Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27603

Dear Senators,
I am writing to you due to my concerns with Senate Bill #1032. The title of this bill is “Protection of Inherently Dangerous Animals”. The intent of the bill appears to be the protection of the public from dangerous animals as well as protecting for the welfare of the animals themselves. While I would agree that some of the animal species listed would be unsuitable for public ownership, there is a particular species of animal that I believe to be unfairly targeted by a somewhat arbitrary provision in the bill. Under “Definitions”, part c, #2, there is inclusion of the following:

2. Family Boidae – all species whose adult length has the potential to exceed eight feet in length.

Under the strictest interpretation of this provision, the common boa constrictor would be included as an “inherently dangerous animal” and would be subject to this legislation. I have owned boa constrictors since I was seven years old and have maintained at least one pet boa for twenty-eight of my forty-one years. These animals have been in the pet trade since before my parents purchased my first boa in 1971. I currently maintain a collection of fifty-nine boa constrictors. I do keep and breed adult boa constrictors. My largest adult female is 7’ and 16 lbs., however, an exceptionally large specimen could exceed 8’. These animals are typically docile, acclimate well to captivity, and have modest husbandry requirements; in other words, they have qualities that qualify them as superior pets rather than inherently dangerous animals. By the year 2001, I had invested enough time and money into my hobby that I decided to incorporate as a business. In March of 2002, I officially incorporated with the state of North Carolina as All Boas LLC. I have an extensive web site that is viewed by an average about 100 people from all over the world everyday. The web site can be found at allboas.com.

For myself, boa constrictors have provided me with a lifelong fascination and hobby. In my professional life, I have served the state as a classroom teacher for 15 years. I taught chemistry for 7 years at Sanderson High School in Wake County and I am currently completing my 8th year teaching chemistry at Cary Academy. I point this out because my love of boas has definitely found its way into my classroom. I maintain 8 of my animals in my chemistry lab at school. I have a Reptile Club whose members work directly with these boas and have learned to appreciate the qualities that I have long known. The students have helped me assemble and present an exhibit entitled “The Boas of Cary Academy” at the annual Reptile & Amphibian Day at the Museum of Natural Sciences across the street from the General Assembly building. This is the largest event of its kind in the country and serves to educate thousands about the importance of reptiles and the threats they face in their natural habitats. Last year, the one day attendance topped 14,500 people. On a recent Saturday (March 12) we spent all day providing the public with the opportunity to meet, handle, and ask questions about boas. We served people of all ages. You can see some photos here: boa exhibit. I also do school presentations to educate children about snakes. I think it is especially clear in these 54 photographs that boas are not inherently dangerous: boa educational presentation. I would be thrilled to have the opportunity to make a similar presentation to your committee. Any and all questions would be appreciated. I can’t speak for the other animals on your list but I do have the expertise to address whether the boa constrictor belongs on the list. I will end with a quote from my web site:

“Education is the Key - Our hobby is constantly threatened by government regulation & bans, shipping company policies, and the general devaluing of these animals by humans. In my opinion, our only real hope is to change people's minds one at a time. We know how special these animals are but we need to do the work necessary to educate others. It is hard work and takes lots of time but it is very rewarding and we (knowledgeable hobbyists) are the only people who can do it. Despite deeply entrenched cultural and personal biases against them, snakes have long fascinated humans. If you can get someone past their innate (or trained) fear of snakes, we will have one more person in the community who is willing to speak up for the rights of snakes and our rights as hobbyists.”


Sincerely,


W. Gray Rushin
Chemistry Teacher (allatoms.com)
Boa Enthusiast (allboas.com)
Web Site Design & Services (sitecontrol247.com)

Do not hesitate to call or write:
919-302-7319
gray@allboas.com


Form letter response from Senator Garwood:

I appreciate your e-mail. Senate Bill 1032 is still under development. I am working with the appropriate state agencies to ensure it meets the needs of animal owners and protects public safety. The bill currently contains provisions to allow owners of animals regulated by the bill to obtain permits. The final version will also have such language.

Your concerns will be taken into consideration. Thank you for your interest and comments.

Senator John Garwood


My response:

Senator Garwood,
The provision to allow permits offers little comfort because:

1. Our friendly, docile boa constrictors with a long track record of being an excellent pet would be classified under state law as "inherently dangerous" animals.
2. The ban on breeding the animals would extinguish our captive breeding efforts for a species whose habitat (South American rain forest) is disappearing at a phenomenal rate. The success of US captive breeding efforts has severely reduced the number of animals that are captured in the wild and imported for the pet trade.
3. The ban on obtaining additional animals (along with the ban on breeding) would ensure that our own collections would gradually die off.