OPINION - Guest column

Rules do not apply to all

Does your pet make you a criminal? Is your pet illegal in Arkansas?

Recently I received an unexpected email from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. This letter was a proposed administrative order for an emergency temporary suspension of importation of certain wildlife types into the state of Arkansas. I had filed a Freedom of Information Act request previously and was scheduled to pick up the documents from the Commission the following morning. This, however, was not a document I had requested, so I was confused.

When I began examining the requested documents, I found my answer. The documents I requested demonstrate a major overhaul to the regulations pertaining to "wildlife." I use quotes because current regulations define wildlife as just about anything that isn't livestock, dog, or cat. If you have a pet gecko, chinchilla, tortoise, or if your child has a favorite classroom pet, your beloved animals fall under very strict regulations.

The Commission passed these regulations around 2000, and many people with these "wildlife" pets were told they did not need permits. Internal communications from the Commission demonstrate a lack of proper education of employees on what these regulations actually mean.

What these regulations mean is that your pets were likely obtained illegally in the eyes of the current Commission administration. The penalty for this is harsher than illegally hunting wildlife from an aircraft. The Commission has written tickets and has been telling small businesses and hobbyists they are violating regulations.

Some citizens have been told the permit is not available to them because the animals they possess were not legally acquired, despite the citizens having previously followed the directions of Commission employees.

Chain pet stores do not have these permits. I filed a Freedom of Information Act request and it came back with exactly zero records. Unlike hobbyists and small businesses, these large corporations have not been receiving tickets despite violations on a much larger scale. I filed a citizen complaint against these corporations to demonstrate the unwillingness of the Commission to equally enforce these broken regulations. Citizens are being treated differently than large corporations.

The Commission, hobbyists, and "wildlife" keepers alike agree the current broken regulations need an overhaul. I have been emailing the Commission, writing letters, meeting with their employees, and spoke at a Commission meeting on this matter. This has been going on for years. The documents I requested include admission of possible legal action against the Commission if changes affecting stakeholders are made.

It was suggested to allow input from those who would be affected. Several of us in the "wildlife" community were told we would be consulted, but unfortunately were not given an invitation for input on this matter during this drafting phase. The documents also show other employees drafting very restrictive rules that would essentially outlaw all "wildlife" except for a very short approved list. Discussion also disturbingly includes attempts to severely limit any changes to this approved list by allowing the Commission to ignore public input.

Do not be confused: This is not about protecting the public or the wildlife in Arkansas. This is about government overreach and an agency that is planning action that will very negatively affect small businesses, responsible hobbyists, pet owners, and educators in Arkansas. The Commission employees need to have a very open, public discussion during the drafting phase to prevent yet another set of blundered regulations.

Robert Neal, a resident of Jonesboro, has been a reptile keeper and educator for over 20 years.

Editorial on 06/24/2018

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