DWA without a licence

[Josh-sama]

I'm agree with Ssthisto here. Prices in certain areas are way over the top, and in our current financial state they can't be paid for. I mean you could have someone who barely passed their DWA and keeps their animals irresponsibly and have a person without their licence keeping their animals in perfect conditions, with perfect safety precautions.

If someone doesn;t have a licence and has very bad responsibility for their animals, the keepers and the animals safety. Then yes, it's the right thing to report them.

But if someone keeps their animals in brilliant conditions with brilliant safety precautions but does not hold a licence, it wouldn't be right to report them. It'd be the legal thing to do, but not the right thing.

[ian14]

It is, I think, a little ironic that, with the number of recent posts of people asking if large boids should become DWA species, we now have a thread in which the majority of people say they would not report someone illegally keeping DWA!

With the current difficulties caused by the anti brigade, who I am in no doubt regularly visit this site, to be taking a stance of actively ignoring those illegaly keeping DWA species is simply giving them more ammunition!

All along, we have tried to portray ourselves as responsible people ensuring that our animals are kept properly and legally, yet here is a thread with numerous posts stating they would NOT report an illegal collection.

The DWA is NOT there to ensure the welfare of the animal, it is there to protect the public. Whether you agree with the fees charged or not is immaterial.

And as a side note, in this age of "proportinality" before destruction is ordered, all reasonable steps must be taken to rehouse the animal.

[MJ75]

Originally Posted by ian14

It is, I think, a little ironic that, with the number of recent posts of people asking if large boids should become DWA species, we now have a thread in which the majority of people say they would not report someone illegally keeping DWA!

With the current difficulties caused by the anti brigade, who I am in no doubt regularly visit this site, to be taking a stance of actively ignoring those illegaly keeping DWA species is simply giving them more ammunition!

All along, we have tried to portray ourselves as responsible people ensuring that our animals are kept properly and legally, yet here is a thread with numerous posts stating they would NOT report an illegal collection.

The DWA is NOT there to ensure the welfare of the animal, it is there to protect the public. Whether you agree with the fees charged or not is immaterial.

And as a side note, in this age of "proportinality" before destruction is ordered, all reasonable steps must be taken to rehouse the animal.

I agree wholeheartedly. The number of people stating that they wouldn't report anyone shows reptile keepers in a bad light. It's a real shame also that people make reference to the DWA fee being relevant at all. It's totally irrelevant.

If you can't afford to do thingsproperly and legally then tough. Get a better job, save harder, whatever. Or just concede that it's not for you.

[PDR]

I’ve probably got more venomous snakes here than anyone in the UK and I don’t have a DWAL.....because it does not apply to me.

The DWAL is currently under review so hopefully there will soon be a far better system in place. There will then be no excuse for not having the correct licence.
One thing a lot of people here seem to overlook is that this is a PUBLIC forum, anybody can read what you write (they don’t need to register or log in).

[mythicdawn07]

Originally Posted by ian14

It is, I think, a little ironic that, with the number of recent posts of people asking if large boids should become DWA species, we now have a thread in which the majority of people say they would not report someone illegally keeping DWA!

With the current difficulties caused by the anti brigade, who I am in no doubt regularly visit this site, to be taking a stance of actively ignoring those illegaly keeping DWA species is simply giving them more ammunition!

All along, we have tried to portray ourselves as responsible people ensuring that our animals are kept properly and legally, yet here is a thread with numerous posts stating they would NOT report an illegal collection.

The DWA is NOT there to ensure the welfare of the animal, it is there to protect the public. Whether you agree with the fees charged or not is immaterial.

And as a side note, in this age of "proportinality" before destruction is ordered, all reasonable steps must be taken to rehouse the animal.

im sorry but you make no sense what so ever, a piece of paper does not protect the public the keeper does, and i think if a liscense holders pet got out and killed someone that would be worse for the hobby then someone who doesnt own a liscense. mainly because people would be fighting to get the animals banned from everyone instead of fighting to get the guy without a liscence locked up.

like has been stated a HUNDRED times, paper doesnt make anyone a good owner.

[Morgan Freeman]

Originally Posted by mythicdawn07

im sorry but you make no sense what so ever, a piece of paper does not protect the public the keeper does, and i think if a liscense holders pet got out and killed someone that would be worse for the hobby then someone who doesnt own a liscense. mainly because people would be fighting to get the animals banned from everyone instead of fighting to get the guy without a liscence locked up.

like has been stated a HUNDRED times, paper doesnt make anyone a good owner.

In that case there's a problem with the licence, if people without a DWA can be more responsible and better keepers than those with.

[mythicdawn07]

Originally Posted by Morgan Freeman

In that case there's a problem with the licence, if people without a DWA can be more responsible and better keepers than those with.

as far as i know you just need the money + equipment/room. and dont need to prove your knowledge of the animals your going to be keeping.

In my opinion you should have to do a test + have equipment and maybe a 30 pound fee to the council with no recurring yearly fee's afterwards, Maybe a test/inspection every 2-3 years.

plus i think you need to pay for insurance seperately, i dont think the liscence is actually the insurance (Could be wrong)

Right now it just looks like a scheme to take money off people to me.

[Azemiops]

Originally Posted by mythicdawn07

im sorry but you make no sense what so ever, a piece of paper does not protect the public the keeper does, and i think if a liscense holders pet got out and killed someone that would be worse for the hobby then someone who doesnt own a liscense. mainly because people would be fighting to get the animals banned from everyone instead of fighting to get the guy without a liscence locked up.

like has been stated a HUNDRED times, paper doesnt make anyone a good owner.

Of course the piece of paper does not protect the public, in the same way that a certificate of insurance doesnt magically whip out some money in the event of a claim. The 'piece of paper' is infact a certificate for proof of an inspection from the correct licencing body to show that you have met their standards of safety. The fees are paid yearly so that the council can check that you are continuing to uphold these saftey standards. Vets are paid to ensure the animals welfare needs are being met. Otherwise there is nothing to stop a keeper from paying for a one-off licence and then keeping their DWA's all over the house, with no saftey measures in place. This ultimately defeats the object of having the licence in the first place!

[Ssthisto]

Originally Posted by ian14

It is, I think, a little ironic that, with the number of recent posts of people asking if large boids should become DWA species, we now have a thread in which the majority of people say they would not report someone illegally keeping DWA!
...
All along, we have tried to portray ourselves as responsible people ensuring that our animals are kept properly and legally, yet here is a thread with numerous posts stating they would NOT report an illegal collection.

*sigh*

Just because I wouldn't report someone right off the bat without thinking about certain other factors first doesn't mean I wouldn't be doing everything I can to encourage the keeper to GET a licence. As I've said, if the keeper is behaving largely responsibly and their only failing is not having a licence, then I personally feel that I can do more by trying to talk them into getting licenced than I can by reporting them to their council.

And you can bet that if I were invited into someone's home and they had animals in enclosures that were not adequately secured or I was offered the chance to freehandle the animals without any sort of prior experience of having done so (i.e. the keeper is willing to endanger me or anyone else in his/her home) - the sort of people who wouldn't pass the licencing inspection - then yes, under those circumstances I would indeed speak to their local council.

Oh yeah...

I don't think large boids should be on the DWA either.

[FreakOonique]

Originally Posted by mythicdawn07

im sorry but you make no sense what so ever, a piece of paper does not protect the public the keeper does, and i think if a liscense holders pet got out and killed someone that would be worse for the hobby then someone who doesnt own a liscense. mainly because people would be fighting to get the animals banned from everyone instead of fighting to get the guy without a liscence locked up.

like has been stated a HUNDRED times, paper doesnt make anyone a good owner.

You havent a clue, so please refrain from commenting on something that you are not familiar with