What would you consider "snake abuse" ?

[J.J.]

Ok, Somebody I know, not going to say who, let his snake get infested with mites, then she got EXTREMELY skinny, then she got some kiond of skin infection, AND she had a respritory infection ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!!! Now, i told this person take it to the vet! No, she will be fine! Besides, i dont have the money! he said. I told him 10 times that if you dont take care of it, it is going to die. Nope, she will be ok he said. Well, she was like that for weeks, suffering in a cage that is 5 times too small for her! Well, i saw him on monday and i went to look at his poor snake, she wasnt in the room. I asked where she was and he said she died!! OOOOOOO, Now i was REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY mad at him! Well, i just wanted to know, do you all consider this abuse just like i do? Do you think this man should own any animals at all? I just had to get this out on paper, or somewhere. If you dont want to answer, then dont. But please, realize all animals have feelings, and NEVER let you snake go like this man did! Im sure all of us herp lovers know that snakes have feeling, but some may need a reminder! Never know, but anyways, thanx for looking.

[V.aw]

I consider that animal abuse.

I honestly feel that if you leave an animal in that state with no concern you don't deserve to have the animal.
It's like if your kid falls and breaks his leg, and you refuse to take him to the hospital, thinking it will get better on its own, thats child abuse and neglect.

It all comes down to neglect and imo it's definatly abuse.

[Big Mike]

That is truly sad.

I'm not sure that snakes have feelings and that dieing "hurt her feelings" but as a captive animal they have rights. Those rights include having the bare necessities of life provided for them. The owner was clearly negligent of providing those rights to this animal.

I don't know what you can do about it, now that the snake is dead. You could have reported the abuse to animal control but being a snake, they might not have been much help. There are laws against animal abuse but I don't know how you could prove anything...now that it’s dead. It's hard because you obviously know this person very well but maybe report them to animal control anyway...at least they might get a letter saying that there was a complaint about their care of the animal.

Apparently this person did not take you seriously when you voiced your concern. The best thing to do is to act with maturity and let this person know how you feel.

Anyway, sorry to hear about the snake.

[hip]

That is so sad and it makes me want to puke and cry at the same time that person shoud only be allowed to have a pet rock.




Peace

Hip

[paul_le_snake]

regardless if a snake has feelings, all snakes do feel pain.
if i were to sentence someone for animal abuse i'd do the same to them as they did to a defenselss animal that they had responsibilty over. makes me so mad, if i ever saw someone who was a piece of animal abusing scum, i'd end up in prison after i'd tortured the hell outta them. i got a few ideas, but nows not the time or the place
cheers
paul

[Linds]

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume this is the same person you had posted about earlier neglecting their snake and refusing to take it to the vet. Now if memory serves correctly, this person did have another snake as well? I think it was a ball or a corn? I would definitely report this person, and do everything possible to see that no other animal suffers under his hands. That is without a doubt, total negligence. I agree with hip, this person shouldn't be allowed to own more than a rock, if even that, but at least a rock won't suffer that way..........

[Dom]

Negligence and a total lack for respect for the life of an animal ..

Its unfortunate but i doubt there is any thing mych to do now that the animal has past on but voice your concern to him.

As to wether the animal has feelings .. i would say they do not .. I know as much as i love my snakes, they will never love me back - but that certainly does not allow their withdrawal of their basic needs .. All animals has as much right as any other wether be a primate, a snake or a mosquito .. the question is wether you aknoledge that .. maybe he lacked the care for his snake and probably felt no remorse - thats what really sickens me


You tried your best J.J.

take care
Dom

[J.J.]

I know this is really sick and wrong, and i agree with you all completly! Escpecially the whole pet rock thing, but the still is too hard for him to take care of, he might drop it seeing that he also is not very gentle with any of his animals! so maybe a pile of dirt? Anyways, yes Linds, it is the same person. Gosh i wish i would have just reported him! I feel so bad now! I thought to myself, i should report him, my family told me to and everything! And you know what is weird, i was telling my friends that very day i found out she died, that i was going to report him, thats why i went to his room to see if the snake was in the same condition and she wasnt there.... and the whole story. But when i got home that day was going to seriously report him, but i felt terrible that it had been too late. I mean, we were the best of friends, so it is really hard to do that to somebody, even though i hated him at the time! I know you will probably say but they can keep your identity hidden, but I KNOW he would know it was me! I am the only one who really really cared about the snake and loved her to death! Maybe i can still make him pay for what he did! Uggh! I hate him! And then, he was all like, laughing about it like it was no big deal! not like seriously laughing but chuckling, but most of it was at me, because he thinks that is funny that i argue with him, even if i am deathly serious! Well, i am blabing along here, so i better stop now. I will see what can be done to make him pay, you all have my word!

ps. Thanx Don, I know snakes dont really have feeling feelings, (yes i meant to put 2) but they can suffer by being abused and like you and the others said, all animals have rights! Also, I have tried SOOO hard to talk to this man, but since i am 13 and he is iin his 40's he will never listen to me! He never had, and he never ever EVER will. Everytime i would try to tell him how sick his snake was, he would say " Oh J, She will be fine! I have stuff here i can treat her with!" then when i would really argue with him, he would laugh, and say to the kids standing around us, " Gosh, listen to her! *laugh laugh laugh* he is rediculous, but like i said, i will see what i can do to make him pay! i dont care if he hates me for it, i already hate him, so its not like we are going to be friends anyway! well, babling again. bye all.

[paul_le_snake]

a snake can still fell pain! who cares if it loves u back. my wife doesn't but she can feel pain!

[Seanebones]

I am sure he would listen to animal control when they haul his *** off to court, and hopefully a heavy hit in the wallet, much more than Baytrill and provent a mite would have been, he will think twice before taking another "prisoner". I would love to have five minutes alone with this guy. Bring him to Texas, and leave him with me, and a few of my snakes, the ones big enough to fight back.

[J.J.]

Sounds like you got it ALLLL figured out Seanebones! But, dont expect him to be afraid of the native snakes there, for he too is a native of Texas.

[casacrow]

That is sad....very very sad

[Seanebones]

It not the snakes he should be worried about. I don't feed live.

[J.J.]

Lol, ok. Update everyone! I am going to speak with my schools principal ( he works at my school) and she what she thinks. I dont want him to get fired, but something needs to be done! So I will let you know what she says tomorrow!

[Nanashi04]

Did he keep it at the school? o.o;
That's a terrible thing really - I hate hearing about neglected animals

takes me back to my theory about how so many people need taken out and shot.