PETCO Organizes National Reptile Rally

• And I say you're a bleedin' idiot. The people who have been killed by their snakes were unaware of the proper way to care for them. I'm sure if it was a Rottweiler you would be standing up for it. More people are killed by DOGS every year than most other animals perceived as dangerous. Should we put a ban on dogs for the health and well-being of people? How about instead of placing a ban, we educate the public about proper care, so we don't have any idiots that get themselves hurt.

• This is Daniel from PETCO. I wanted to make it clear that we don't sell or adopt Gorn's at PETCO nor do we plan to. However we are considering offering sassy Gorn blouse/skort combos to go along with our full line of dog apparel.

• Jennifer: Large snakes kill 0.5 people per year (mostly adults, and almost always involving alcohol), compared to about 30 deaths and thousands of injuries attributed to dogs (mostly children). If you are for this idiotic snake ban, then you should be fighting really hard for a dog ban as well. As far as "wreaking havoc" on ecosystems, again, feral dogs and cats are thousands of times more harmful than exotic snakes could ever hope to be. Even if exotic snakes were a major threat, they wouldn't survive anywhere in this country except for southern Florida and Hawaii. Both Florida and Hawaii have banned snakes that could become invasive, so a federal ban is obsurd. Just because you obviously have an irrational fear of snakes doesn't mean that the 3 billion dollar reptile industry should be destroyed and people should lose their beloved pets. Lucy: I agree. PETCO needs to get out of the reptile business all together. They don't know what they are doing, and the animals suffer. Private breeders are the way to go when you want to buy a new reptile pet. The vast majority of breeders are very knowledgable and will only sell to you if you have done your research first.

• Last month a 24-year-old Nebraska man was strangled to death by his pet boa constrictor. Last year, a Florida toddler was strangled to death in her crib by her family�s pet python, and a Las Vegas couple was charged with child abuse after an 18-foot python wrapped herself around their 3-year-old son, almost suffocating him. In 2006, an Ohio man was strangled to death by his pet boa constrictor. The list goes on and on. Dealers market snakes and other reptiles as if they are little more than cool stuffed toys. But reptiles have extremely specialized needs, and most end up ignored and neglected in cramped aquarium tanks or dark basements and garages, or simply disposed of when their care become burdensome. Snakes, iguanas, and other animals who have become �inconvenient� are tossed out like trash; many starve to death or die of exposure or predation. Those who survive may wreak havoc on local ecosystems. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently recommended a ban against the import of nine snake species commonly sold as pets. It�s about time. For the health and well-being of both people and reptiles, authorities must impose a ban without further delay.

• I hope people will see this event for what it is: a shameless attempt by PETCO to sell more reptiles (and all the accessories that go along with them). Reptiles languish in captivity and many of the reptiles and other animals who are sold in pet stores come from hellish mass-breeding facilities where the animals are crammed into filthy, crowded cages and are often denied proper food, ventilation, and veterinary care. Please, don't buy reptiles (or any animal) from pet stores. Adopt from an animal shelter instead.

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