Post by Patrick Kubeja on Jan 22, 2005 14:29:54 GMT -5
01/19/05
Bay St. Louis Leaders Put Finishing Touches On New Exotic Pet Policy
Dogs and cats are fine, even fish and birds, but leaders in Bay St. Louis are ready to close the cage on exotic pets.
Some people began pushing for a city pet policy after a 17-foot python escaped from its owner's apartment last fall. The city is now close to adopting a new exotic pet ordinance.
Few people on Union Street knew about "Baby" until the Burmese python disappeared in September. Julie Lawhead lives right across the street. The news didn't thrill her.
"When I found out the snake was loose, all three of my children were playing in my backyard. A lot of people were freaked out. I mean, a 17-foot, 110 pound snake is just a legitimate concern, period."
Lawhead and others wanted to know why the city didn't have an exotic pet policy. City council members and Mayor Eddie Favre have spent a few months researching the rules in other cities and animal organizations. What they came up with basically bans any new exotic animals in city limits.
"And that deals with everything from lions and tigers, bears, wolves, and includes reptiles like crocodiles and snakes," Bay St. Louis Mayor Eddie Favre said.
Favre said people who already own exotic pets could keep them, but they would have to get a permit from the city.
"They can keep the animal as long as they follow the conditions in the ordinance - the permitting process, the reporting process, the safe housing of the animal and that sort of thing."
Favre says exotic pet owners must also have a plan in place to recapture an animal that gets way.
Julie Lawhead says the pet policy is on the right track, but it could do more.
"It didn't include one of my main contentions which was the fact that I wasn't notified for almost three days that the snake was even out. I'm probably going to have words with them about trying to put something about public notification in it. "
Lawhead and her neighbors will get that chance at an upcoming public hearing. It's scheduled for February 15th at 5:30pm at the City Hall Annex building on Court Street.
by Al Showers
www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=2831729
Bay St. Louis Leaders Put Finishing Touches On New Exotic Pet Policy
Dogs and cats are fine, even fish and birds, but leaders in Bay St. Louis are ready to close the cage on exotic pets.
Some people began pushing for a city pet policy after a 17-foot python escaped from its owner's apartment last fall. The city is now close to adopting a new exotic pet ordinance.
Few people on Union Street knew about "Baby" until the Burmese python disappeared in September. Julie Lawhead lives right across the street. The news didn't thrill her.
"When I found out the snake was loose, all three of my children were playing in my backyard. A lot of people were freaked out. I mean, a 17-foot, 110 pound snake is just a legitimate concern, period."
Lawhead and others wanted to know why the city didn't have an exotic pet policy. City council members and Mayor Eddie Favre have spent a few months researching the rules in other cities and animal organizations. What they came up with basically bans any new exotic animals in city limits.
"And that deals with everything from lions and tigers, bears, wolves, and includes reptiles like crocodiles and snakes," Bay St. Louis Mayor Eddie Favre said.
Favre said people who already own exotic pets could keep them, but they would have to get a permit from the city.
"They can keep the animal as long as they follow the conditions in the ordinance - the permitting process, the reporting process, the safe housing of the animal and that sort of thing."
Favre says exotic pet owners must also have a plan in place to recapture an animal that gets way.
Julie Lawhead says the pet policy is on the right track, but it could do more.
"It didn't include one of my main contentions which was the fact that I wasn't notified for almost three days that the snake was even out. I'm probably going to have words with them about trying to put something about public notification in it. "
Lawhead and her neighbors will get that chance at an upcoming public hearing. It's scheduled for February 15th at 5:30pm at the City Hall Annex building on Court Street.
by Al Showers
www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=2831729
