I received this in my email and am so sad about this.
On April 23rd, Congress will begin hearings on Bill HR669 which would change the concept of pet ownership as we know it. If this bill passes in its current form, all "non-native species" would be banned until the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service specifically approves them.
Consider that hamsters, gerbils, guniea pigs, ferrets, most pet birds, nearly all fish, and most reptiles kept as pets are non-native species! This bill would require each species to be extensively studied for its environmental impact before it would be put on an "Approved List" ~ an expensive, time-consuming requirement that would have be to be done by an agency without the funds or manpower to accomplish it. While pet lovers wait for a species to be placed on the "Approved List", the pet would be banned from importation, sale, transportation and breeding. If you already owned the pet (or two of the same species), you would be violating the law just by traveling to another state with your pets or if your pets had babies!
Scuffy Pet Center is concerned about protecting our environment from invasive species, but we believe this bill goes too far as it is presently written. We believe that responsible pet ownership is key, and that each state should be allowed to determine what is acceptable within its own borders. After all, what might be harmful in Hawaiian waters would not be harmful in the deserts of Arizona or Texas. We believe that current regulations are suitable and should be funded so that they can be enforced.
There is an excellent video that describes HR669 in more details. You can watch it for yourself by going to the following site:
What can you do to voice your concern?
1) Contact members of the subcommittee – both in Washington, DC and in your district offices. Let them know you don’t want them to ban your pets and this bill goes too far. Contact them as often as you'd like beginning April 17th (when they return from recess) and April 23rd (when they will begin hearings on the Bill).
2) Although a letter drafted from scratch is taken most seriously by the representatives, you can show your concern by using a short-cut at the following website:
NO HR 669
3) Alert everyone you know and ask them to stand up and be counted.
We'll keep you posted as we get more information about the status of this Bill.