Hots topic.. but for general discussion

[boidlover]

Hello everyone.. yes I know it's my first post on here, I've been reading the site for months and I needed everyone's opinion on something that I have had on my mind for the past few months..

I see some of you have kids and keep hots..

well about 6mths back friends of mine had one of their hots escape, they have two small kids btwn 1yr and 7 yrs. [yes I know.. hots with young kids bugs me too]

They didn't seem to care that a hot was loose in the house with them and their kids.. they are out in booney-ville and the closest hospital with antivemon is over 2 hours drive away, and they don't keep any at home.. something stupid about "if we are meant to die we will"

Now I was concerned about their kids and if the snake got loose my OWN kids and the other neighborhood kids getting killed. so I called social services on them and they had their kids taken away with orders that they would NOT have them back until the hots were gone..

Do you think I was right in calling social services?

[KrokadilyanGuy3]

How was the hots housed? Explain it all..

[ThEmAdHaTtEr]

Well, Im only 14 but heres my two cents. It was right in my opinion, having a loose hot in the house with children is like putting a loaded pistol in the crib. You know kids, they like to mess around. Think about if the two were playing hide and seek and one went to hide and stepped on the snake..The snake could strike and the kids could die. You may have saved those kids lives by calling. Do the people know that it was you that called? What are they doing with the hots? What kind of snake was it? Good luck.

[Samba]

I think calling social services was the best thing to do for the children involved, but I doubt the snakes will fair well (unless they are of educational value, or a rare species, etc.) they will probably be confiscated and put down (you didn't mention wether or not the owners had the required permits, etc. for the hots; and what species they kept). I think people such as the ones you describe would be better off sticking to cats and dogs (IF they are even fit to care for mammals). The children are safer now, but this experience may leave them with a bad taste in their mouths regarding reptiles in the future. Every responsible reptile owner strives to educate and endear reptiles to other people, and it seems like these owners didn't give much thought to their children, their pets, and other people, let alone themselves. I would have done the same thing. Give us an update soon!

[unknownclown]

I dont know anything about hots but I do know i would never keep them with my daughter around. Now Im not saying that anyone else with kids shouldnt, I am just a paranoid mom. I can just picture my daughter sneeking in the tank getting bit then being afraid to tell me cause she may get into trouble for getting into things shes not supposed to be and dieing before I figure out what had happened. And they had a 1 year old? Heck that baby cant tell them whats wrong by the time they'd figure out that it doesnt need a bottle or a diaper change its too late. See paranoid mom
I dont know how anyone could just let one wander around after escaping with out a care in the world for themselves or their kids. Id be freaking out and tearing the house apart I sure as heck wouldnt sleep there without recovering it first! Heck if I had to Id call in exterminators hell my childs life is worth a hell of alot more than any snakes.
Nah you were in the right. That hot was putting the kids there in danger and the parents should have known that and dealt with it responsibly by finding the snake or housing the kids somewhere else until it was safe. That sort of irresponsibility ticks me off kids shouldnt have to be afraid to reach under the couch for a toy they've lost or be escoreted from room to room because something may bite them. Heck I have enough problems with "monsters" I think that would put my kid thru the roof.

[marisa]

I think you calling was correct IF they housed the snakes in the home, and the loose snake now has the "run of the house" so to speak.

I can't imagine someone not caring....but anyways if the snake was housed in another building, outside, or sealed room (which doubtful) then I might have held off on calling.

I am sure its best for the children but sad they have been taken away. Maybe those people will learn some resposibility though.

Marisa

[Alicewave]

I think you did the right thing with respect to the kids and the reptiles. If the people are so careless as to not take more proper measures to protect their children, chances are they are not taking good care of the herps either. Please update soon.

[aqua_demon]

I agree but i dont, a hott is no worse then keeping a a constictor with little kids a 8ft snake could easily kill and eat a 1 yr old or a 7yr old or hurt them just has badd or a dogg for that matter so go call CPS on every single dog owner with young kids maybe they had a reason for not being afraid you didt know all the deatils i would have done the same thing but that doest make it right a car can kill little kids easier and faster then a hott. Think about it

[aqua_demon]

And all of you critisize them saying their badd parents or bad herp owners you have no right to call them this you no nothing about them we've all had escaped snakes dont blame or critisize them for a mistake we've all made or eventually will that doest make them badd anything, but keeping no antivenom is stupid it shouldt be the hospitals responsibility but that doest make them altogether horrible herp keepers just inexpericened and it deffinetly doest make them badd parents so dont call them that that horrible a way to strong even ask unknown how she would feel if called a horrible pet owner for accidently having a herp escape. And you think you saved the kids life well maybe not and think of what that whole family is going through now that they have been ripped apart youve put a scar on those kids that will never heal i think you didt think of the full impact your little phone call could have haved just my two cents but like i said in your posision i think i would have called to i would have been to scared for the children but that doest make it right.

[beth wallbank]

Aqua demon........no disrespect, but are you nuts? This is a venomous that is out in a house where carefree children reside. I do not see how you compare a hot bite with no antivenom to a car victim or a boa being loose. This is like having a loaded pistol lying on the ground and a child grabbing it.
I think that any responsible hot owner would ensure no escaping, and do so not in the house where their children reside.
I have absolutely no respect for herpers that are totally careless, and would put their kids, or anyone for that fact, in jeopardy for a hot.
There are many responsible hot keepers out there, and many do it with absolute respect for the animals, with caution and proper handling. It is the carefree herpers that screw things up for those who have worked so hard to get where they have in regards to community respect.

[dm101081]

Where are you located? Is there any local species of wild hots?

[unknownclown]

I would think that a loose hot is worse than constrictor but like I said Im a paranoid mom. Heck now that I think of it if they had a free roaming burmese with the kids in the house Id be tempted to make the phone call as well. Ive heard quite a few times how people lose their snakes and then find them curled up in bed sleeping with the owners. Now with the snakes I have now would that scare me? no I only have 2 BPs and a 3 foot columbian. I would consider myself lucky to find them in my bed and put them back in their enclosures and go back to sleep. Now with a hot Id probably soil the sheets and start praying. If it were my kid Id never be able let myself live it down.

By the way comparing it to a dog is crazy and if a dog with that sorta potential to kill is roaming around the house once again the parents need their head checked and the kids should be taken somewhere safe.

Most court systems want the kids with the parents they know shuffling kids here and there isnt good for them. Like Boidlover said....

so I called social services on them and they had their kids taken away with orders that they would NOT have them back until the hots were gone..

So there shouldnt be a problem. Basically they just need to get their priorities in order.

[Mardy]

As this happened 6mths ago I guess you are felling a bit guilty, by bringing this issue up now.
I do not want to judge this issue as you have given far to little details to do so fairly.

Boidlover also said the kids could not come back while snakes were there. Is this all snakes, just the hots?? If these were legal hots why should they have to get rid of the snakes? What will this possibly do to the laws? Hots not being allowed where there are kids,minors??

Always many sides to any issue, and all the facts are needed before judgement.

Mardy

[aqua_demon]

I disagree once again that i have read and heard of dogs killing kids much worse and more painful then the bite of a hott snake and a car reck plz that ten hundred more times as keeping a hott herp and what make them irrensponsible because they lossed a snake plzz

[marisa]

I have never heard of a dog killing a child in a more painful way tha a bite from a fatally venemous snake. You aren't making sense.

"Dogs kill too so lets not care if a hot snake is loose around a one year old!" Yeah right...o.k....

Marisa