State and local laws about keeping finches

nixity · Post by **nixity** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 12:49 am

albert wrote:
Some of my birds are from Peter. He had to stop keeping them since last month because animal control came to his house and made him remove all the birds, everything, he can only keep 10 birds now. That makes me scare to dead if that ever happens to me. So guys be careful if you have people come to your house so often to buy birds, your nelghbor could be a reporter

Again thanks.

I heard of this on an unrelated forum and this just blows my mind. I don't understand how the city has any right to regulate the number of birds someone keeps in their own house that THEY pay the mortgage and taxes on?!?!

How can they tell anyone what they can or can not have in their own home!! That is so ridiculous!

I can understand if you are a renter and someone has an issue with you keeping 100+ birds in their property.

But with a home-owner, I feel like they would have to prove that you are NOT providing suitable conditions for the animals, to where the animals health was compromised.. (God forbid if this was the case, then so be it - things have to be pretty serious for Animal Control to get involved usually)..

Fairuza · Post by **Fairuza** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 12:51 am

Wow! Wish I had known that, I would have bought from him. Wow yes that sucks, it does depend on the city as far as regulations. I have neighbor snitches too-but luckly I'm in between areas and animal control doesn't really come out here. HUM, and my neighbors have avairies too...if I got chickens though I'd probably get some complaints.

Fairuza · Post by **Fairuza** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 12:53 am

Yeah you THINK you're free!

albert · Post by **albert** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:17 am

This really irritates me, but I guess they have the control over it.

I would bet for 100+ birds thriving in the "home" over 10 birds in poor condition...

The other issue they maybe take into consideration is the health and diseases control. General public might be in risk if there is an outbreak of diseases from those bird crowds... just guess.

CandoAviary · Post by **CandoAviary** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:36 am

Most states have laws. Here if you have more than 5 exotic birds then you are required to have a Florida Wildlife liscense. I am not sure if that would apply to 5 little finches but I have a liscense anyway. Quite easy to obtain and cost $ 50.00 per year. I find that it is a good thing as I have been notified by mail when there has been an outbreak of newcastles, and other diseases and forwarning to be cautious in having birds shipped from certain states.
Sometimes within city limits they can be very tough as they have codes like this that even if you poccess a liscense they still will number how many you can keep.
Hopefully your friend can get this straightened out and get his birds back. That would be awful to have the birds uprooted like that.

Meagan83 · Post by **Meagan83** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:13 pm

CandoAviary wrote:Most states have laws. Here if you have more than 5 exotic birds then you are required to have a Florida Wildlife liscense. I am not sure if that would apply to 5 little finches but I have a liscense anyway.

Scary

I wonder how can you find out about these laws?

CandoAviary · Post by **CandoAviary** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:45 pm

Google.. Kentucky exotic animal/bird laws
also Kentucy Fish and game department
also Your cities name animal ordinances and codes
Your counties animal ordinances and codes
I did a quick search for Kentuck...You can't have a quaker parakeet

You can't have a weaver

Read this
http://www.associatedcontent.com/articl ... wning.html

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 2:08 pm

CandoAviary wrote:Google.. Kentucky exotic animal/bird laws
also Kentucy Fish and game department
also Your cities name animal ordinances and codes
Your counties animal ordinances and codes
I did a quick search for Kentuck...You can't have a quaker parakeet You can't have a weaver Read this
http://www.associatedcontent.com/articl ... wning.html

I did this for Georgia..... I was surprised and I always wondered why I never saw any Java finches at the bird marts. I guess this explains it.....

Note: The Georgia Department of Agriculture has determined the Quaker or Monk Parakeet and the Java Rice Bird are prohibited from entry into the State of Georgia due to being capable of breeding in the wild and, if established in the wild, presenting a threat ofbeing detrimental to the agriculture industry of this State

nixity · Post by **nixity** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 3:16 pm

Quakers and Ringnecks among others are also illegal in NJ.
There are vast established wild colonies of Quakers about 15 mins from me in Edgewater (right along the Hudson).

The first time we drove down there we were looking for the Whole Foods and I could hear them before I saw them.
Talk about an impressive sight - they are LOUD, too..
Oddly, the government tried to formulate regulations for population control and the citizens were the ones who fought it. It seems most of the people actually enjoy having them around ;P

Gouldians are considered "exotic non-game," and so you have to have at least a hobby permit in order to keep them, and they require them to be banded in some way, shape or form.

For me, since I sell them, I have to have a "pet shop permit," even though I do not have a pet shop. When I applied for it, I had to provide a list of all of the birds I had at the time along with their band numbers or identification. If I wasn't moving (and thus had to renew), I'd have to send them a follow-up list noting what was bred, purchased, sold, to who, etc etc.
I have a log from them that I have to give each NJ customer (luckily the only NJ people who have bought from me already have goulds!) that acts as a temporary permit.

It's really a pain, actually..

Then there is also a wholesale permit for people who SELL to individuals and pet stores.

CandoAviary · Post by **CandoAviary** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 4:01 pm

Tiffany,
Some times it is better to have a current license even if it is from another state. I don't know about Maryland but many states will issue a sellers liscense with less hassel if you can prove that you are currently doing it in a neighboring state...I guess they assume you know what you are doing.
Of course you will still have to furnish the numbers and types of species you own for you housing permit.
One thing they started here in Florida was that you now have to summit an evacuation plan for your animals if you have a pet shop or zoo/exhibit. Also you must furnish them a map of what and where your birds/aniamls are kept.
After the fiasco in New Orleans with exotic animals everywhere they didn't know where or who these animals belonged to. So I can see where this is benificial to the animals.
I remember back in the Catergory 5 hurricane in Homestead, FL there were flocks of flamingos blown several hundred miles away

They survived and were returned once the area was safe.
So many people just don't understand the animal laws and don't get the required permits. They needlessly put their animals and possibly there livelyhood on the line... when filling out an application and sending in like $50.00 and any state sales tax owed would keep them and you safe.
I also think that if more people followed the laws then we wouldn't be forced into a possible government bill like the proposed Government HR 669 bill that has many of us up in arms.This bill will legislate what animals we can own ...period. Also what we have may be at risk of confinscation. Also what we have will not be allowed to be bred, sold, transported, etc.
Yep, I think the people that do not follow the laws in the long run create tougher laws for us all

CandoAviary · Post by **CandoAviary** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 4:04 pm

Sally or Liz,
Maybe you could split this topic and put it under Finch Chat/general/resources . Many people may benefit from this information that will not see it here.
I think many breeders would get the proper liscense for their states if they knew they needed one and how to obtain one. Thanks

Post by **Sally** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:45 pm

This discussion was started in another thread, and I'm splitting it out and moving it here so that it may get noticed. We are all subject to various rules and laws when it comes to keeping our pets, finches included. It pays to know what we can and can't do, so we don't have someone coming after us! As Candace brought up, one reason we are fighting new legislation is because of people who won't follow the rules that are in place now.

I recently saw a craigslist posting for someone who had a cage for sale. Said he didn't need it anymore, as he no longer had the snake that occupied the cage--he'd released it into the woods!! Aarrgh!!

CandoAviary · Post by **CandoAviary** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 10:10 pm

OMG

They just issued a lottery hunting permit to kill ball pythons, boas, and the sort that had been turned loose by pet owners who no longer wanted them. They got 37 the first day

Thes snakes had been eating other peoples pets. One boa even went through a doggy door and ate a chihuahua.

What are these people thinking?

Animal Quackers · Post by **Animal Quackers** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 11:52 pm

CandoAviary wrote:OMG What are these people thinking?

Sigh...sadly, they aren't!

cindy · Post by **cindy** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 12:21 am

There are bills sitting on the books to be voted on that are passed by, the bills if passsed will dictate how many dogs you can have and breed, how they are to be house and kept. The longer they sit on the books waiting to be passed the likelyhood they will ever go through is nill.

They would be spending millions running around confiscating animals if people do not comply, then what would they do with them. The shelters and rescues would be overrun, animal rights groups would yell and scream if any were destroyed due to the fact they (officials) had no where to put them after they confiscate them.

The only thing I would advise is based on what happened years ago, if you are breeding and selling keep your state license current with Fish and Game. If you advertise in a newspaper you may be opening yourself up for an inspection. Better to be safe than sorry.

The boa constrictors and pythons released into the wild is wrong, anyone owning them should have them chipped, breeders should be required to chip them before selling them. Tighter laws need to be in place for animals that pose a danger if released into the wild and those that violate them should pay the conesquences. We do not need to loose another child or pet due to an owner's lack of good common sense.

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