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Well, the first ever Daytona venomous show has
come and gone. Following the internet posts, I would say that the reviews
have been mixed. A lot of people seemed put off by a number of things
that I will attempt to address here.
1. It was, without a doubt, the very best venomous
show that Florida has ever had. Yeah, yeah, I know it was the only one.
Think about that for a minute! When the detractors are complaining and
saying that it sucked, I would like to know what other Florida show they
can compare it with.
2. Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers
were there in numbers, enforcing regulations which, by any stretch of
the imagination, are not new. Their interpretations may have been different
than some people's but the regulations themselves were not new. The Florida
F&WCC homepage has contact numbers and e-mail addresses in the event
that you have any questions at all regarding their regulations. Take advantage
of that availability and ask the questions BEFORE you are facing that
officer trying to get your new animals out the door of the show.
3. There weren't very many vendors. True. But in
defense of that, it WAS the first show and the venue was more restrictive
than any of the other venomous shows on the East Coast. There were no
venomoids allowed. Wild caught animals were discouraged and all of the
animals had to at least appear to be healthy. Think back to some of the
recent imports and fresh venomoid surgeries that have been evident at
other shows. This was a step up towards providing quality animals. As
a result, some of the best animals I have ever seen were at this show.
4. People complained about the requirement to have
a Florida permit to take custody of their new purchases. Shipping containers
and arrangements were available at the show. Is that the same as ordering
the animal online? I don't think so. At the show, you got to see the animal
you purchased and verify it was healthy before it went into the shipping
container. If you didn't want to pay for shipping, out-of-state people
can apply for Florida venomous permits. They are $100 each and require
all of the documentation that a Florida resident is required to provide.
It was just a matter of planning.
5. People that did take custody of their animals
were inspected by F&WCC officers for proper transportation compliance.
This was probably the single-most contested area of the show and where
most of the tickets were written. There were some interpretational difficulties
with the Florida regulation requirements. I will be quoting all of the
applicable regulations at the end of this article so that there shouldn't
be any question in anyone's mind for the next show.
6. No-one under 18 was supposed to allowed into
the show. I am sure that one or two 16 year olds, perhaps with premature
facial hair, made it in but this was enforced as strictly as possible.
I thought it was an EXCELLENT idea. There were no kids running from table
to table grabbing everything within reach on the tables. Maybe your children
are well behaved in public but everyone else's certainly aren't.
7. Hank Molt promised a venomous show. He delivered.
8. Hank Molt promised quality animals. He delivered.
9. Hank Molt promised no venomoids. He delivered.
10. Venom 1 was on-site for the show. Not needed
but there. Al Cruz and Ernie Jillson were awesome company and I, for one,
was glad they were there.
11. I watched Hank run himself and his staff ragged
trying to help everyone in every way. I am sure that some people weren't
happy with the way things went. I can say that I have never seen a promoter
personally work so hard to make sure everything went smoothly.
Is there room for improvement? Sure! But give credit where credit is due.
Hank Molt promoted a venomous show in Florida and pulled it off. His staff,
which included Randal Berry, Bobby Neal, Anja Buffalo, Jennie Smith, Steve
Cartee, and several other hard-working folks worked long hard hours to
make the show work for us. Not without a hitch, true, but they certainly
opened the door. Does this mean that there will be a bunch of new venomous
shows cropping up in Florida? I sincerely doubt it, considering all of
the logistical problems that were caused by this one. Did it go well enough
to warrant another show next year? Well, the answer to that would rest
with Hank Molt and Wayne Hill. They were the two people facing most of
the headaches. But from where I stand, I think they did a wonderful job
and I hope that the Daytona Venomous Show is here to stay. Get your permit
now! Study those regs and ask your questions now! Next year should be
awesome!
The applicable Florida
Statutes:
372.86 Possessing, exhibiting poisonous or venomous
reptile; license required. - - No person, firm, or corporation shall keep,
possess, or exhibit any poisonous or venomous reptile without first having
obtained a special permit or license therefor from the Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission as herein provided.
372.87 License fee; renewal, revocation. - - The
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is hereby authorized and empowered
to issue a license or permit for the keeping, possessing, or exhibiting
of poisonous or venomous reptiles, upon payment of an annual fee of $5
[raised to $100 as of 01 July 2003 - KHB] and upon assurance that all
of the provisions of ss. 372.86 - 372.91 and such other reasonable rules
and regulations as said commission may prescribe will be fully complied
with in all respects. Such permit may be revoked by the Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission upon violation of any of the provisions of ss.
372.86 - 372.91 or upon violation of any of the rules and regulations
prescribed by said commission relating to the keeping, possessing, and
exhibiting of any poisonous and venomous reptiles. Such permits or licenses
shall be for an annual period to be prescribed by the said commission
and shall be renewable from year to year upon the payment of said $5 fee
[raised to $100 as of 01 July 2003 - KHB] and shall be subject to the
same conditions, limitations, and restrictions as herein set forth.
372.88 Bond required, amount. - - No person, party,
firm, or corporation shall exhibit to the public either with or without
charge, or admission fee any poisonous or venomous reptile without having
first posted a good and sufficient bond in writing in the penal sum of
$1,000 payable to the Governor of the state, and the Governor's successors
in office, conditioned that such exhibitor will indemnify and save harmless
all persons from injury or damage from such poisonous or venomous reptiles
so exhibited and shall fully comply with all laws of the state and all
rules and regulations of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
governing the keeping, possessing, or exhibiting of poisonous or venomous
reptiles; provided, however, that the aggregate liability of the surety
for all such injuries or damages shall, in no event, exceed the penal
sum of said bond. The surety for said bond must be a surety company authorized
to do business under the laws of the state or in lieu of such a surety,
cash in the sum of $1,000 may be posted with the said commission to ensure
compliance with the conditions of said bond.
372.89 Safe housing required. - - All persons,
firms, or corporations licensed under this law to keep, possess, or exhibit
poisonous or venomous reptiles shall provide safe, secure, and proper
housing for said reptiles in cases, cages, pits, or enclosures. It shall
be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation, whether licensed hereunder
or not, to keep, possess, or exhibit any poisonous or venomous reptiles
in any manner not approved as safe, secure, and proper by the Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission.
372.90 Transportation.- - Poisonous or venomous
reptiles may be transported only in the following fashion: The reptile,
or reptiles shall be placed in a stout closely woven cloth sack, tied
or otherwise secured. This sack shall then be placed in a box. The box
shall be of strong material in solid sheets, except for small air holes,
which holes shall be screened. Boxes containing poisonous or venomous
snakes or other reptiles shall be prominently labeled "Danger - -
Poisonous Snakes" or "Danger - - Poisonous Reptiles."
372.91 Who may open cages, pits, or other containers
housing poisonous or venomous reptiles. - - No person except the licensee
or her or his authorized employee shall open any cage, pit, or other container
which contains poisonous or venomous reptiles.
372.92 Rules and regulations. - - The Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission may prescribe such other rules and regulations
as it may deem necessary to prevent the escape of poisonous and venomous
reptiles, either in connection of construction of such cages or otherwise
to carry out the intent of ss. 372.86 - 372.91.
*Please note that the wording of these statutes
allows the F&WCC to determine what constitutes safe caging. Everyone
should ensure that they are within the intent of these regulations by
submitting photographs/drawings/plans of their caging to the F&WCC
for approval BEFORE coming to the show. A request for written approval
of transportation caging may seem like overkill but that written approval
could go a long way toward eliminating some of the problems vendors faced
at the show. KHB
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