The National Python & Boa Ban Action Center

Take ACTION NOW to help protect responsible pet owners

The United States Congress is working to pass S.373 & H.R.2811 (know as The National Python & Boa Ban) which would prevent tens of thousands of responsible Americans from being able to get a job in a new state, relocate to help an ill or elderly family member, return to their home state after serving our country in the armed forces, or evacuate across state lines in the event of a natural disaster like hurricane Katrina. Please take the time to follow the steps below and TAKE ACTION on behalf of hard working, responsible pet owners that need your help. The more steps that you can take, the better. Today, the fight is for people who choose to keep pythons and boa constrictors as a beloved pet. Tomorrow, they will be standing side by side with you if similar laws threaten the responsible owner ship of other types of pets. Together, we can all make a difference. Follow the steps below one at a time and help responsible pet owners have a loud, clear, unified voice. Tomorrow, come back to the Python & Boa Ban Action Center for round two.

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." - Anna Sewell, author of Black Beauty

The first step is to spread the word. The more people that know about what is going on, the louder our voice. Please take the time to copy the text from the link below and paste it into an email. Then, blast that email out to every single person in your address book. We need the entire country to be aware of the assault being waged against responsible pet owners, and a chain letter style email campaign is the start. You can also post the text into a Craigslist Ad, Message Board, Facebook Page, or anywhere else online that you can reach a lot of people.

The second step is to email your Representatives in Congress. Your two Senators and district Representative are duty bound to listen and consider the views of their constituents. Collectively, we have the power to not only educate them about the negative effects of this legislation, but to even change their minds if they've already made a decision. While email is not as effective as other means of contacting Congress, it's an important part of getting the word out. You can email once, or twice, or several times a day. The link below will take you to a form that makes sending a pre-written email to Congress easy. If you'd like, you'll also have the opportunity to customize the email to add your own personal feelings and concern s. B y sending your emails, you'll receive a FREE membership to the National Pet Association automatically!

The third step takes a little more effort, but it's very important and even more effective than sending emails. A phone call to your Representatives in Congress is an effective method for sharing your views with your elected officials. The link below will connect you with your two state Senators one at a time, so you'll want to do this step twice and make sure you speak with both office. There is a script that you can read, or you can say what you feel personally about the ban. Make sure that you ask them to pass your strong opposition on to the Senator, ask them if the Senator has a position on S. 373 and what that position is, and ask them which member of the Senators staff is handling this issue. That information can be sent back to NatPET through the link at the bottom of the page so that we can effectively work on our total strategy to fight the ban. Be polite, be respectful, and don't argue. Arguments based around the science or the fears of these animals are not likely to be effective, so make sure you keep your discussion to the negative impacts this ban will have on you personally by either not allowing you to move to a new state in the future or your discomfort with the idea that responsible pet owners won't be able to enjoy the same freedoms as other Americans if this passes.

The fourth step goes even further with an in person meeting with your two Senators staffs. There is no doubt that in person meetings fro m the people they represent have the most influence on our elected officials. This is the best way to make a difference. Your two Senators each have several offices in your home state. One or more of these offices should be in a reasonable driving distance from your home. Use the link below to find your Senators local offices and call the numbers for the offices closest to your home. Tell them you'd like to make an appointment to come in and share your views on S. 373 (The National Python & Boa Ban). If you can't get through on the phone, drop in and make an appointment in person. Again, be polite and respectful. Arguing about the science or the false information spread about these animals will not be as effective as sharing your own personal feelings about how you will be negatively effected and how other responsible pet owners will suffer. As with phone calls, make sure to ask; if the Senator has a position on the bill and why that position was chosen, who specifically is handling this issue in Washington D.C., how long until the Senator will personally hear your views on the bill, and when a good time to follow up on the issue would be. The link below has several different talking points that will be helpful for your meetings. One is a general set of points good for speaking with anyone, the second is a set of talking points specifically targeting Democratic Senators, and the third is a set of talking points targeting Republican Senators.

In the fifth and final step, we ask that you share any information that you learned from your emails, phone calls, or meetings. Even the smallest piece of information could be a critical step in adjusting our strategy for defeating this ban. Using the form below, let us know how many people from your email address book might have taken action to help stop the ban. Emails to Congress usually are responded to with a form letter that may or may not have an opinion on the bill, but the tone of that response is important. The results of conversations during phone calls and meetings that reveal a Senators position, the name of a legislative staff member handling the issue, or reasons why a particular senator is either for or against the ban will be important tools in developing our strategy. Your help is how we will defeat this ban!

If you've been through all the steps and you still have more fight left in you, there's a lot more that you can do to help. Below are links to banners that you can use to spread the word, calls to action from other organizations fighting the python & boa ban, and online communities that are organizing and taking their own action. Check out all the links and support the fight. Anything that you can do is greatly appreciated by all.