You’re delusional and angry because of the lies you’ve been told. Leave the social commentary to those of us that can think clearly.
Please don’t kick me.
So no tolerance for a mistake which is inevitable in any agency of that size?
6 nuclear cruise missiles flown across country in launch position.
Hopefully, that puts it in perspective.
He probably expects the government to step in and deal with his livestock in a disaster, rather than have an emergency plan in place ahead of time. Damned Commie.
So…he’s an exhibitor of animals and has to, therefore, comply with, apparently, this regulation. Which I’m sure you’d like to blame on Obama, but which was actually instituted as a result of Katrina and was first proposed in October of 2008. And this regulation isn’t picking on magicians in particular, but rather “research facilities and dealers, exhibitors, intermediate handlers, and carriers”.
I’m a bit surprised that there isn’t an exemption for exhibitors with, say, a single rabbit, but then again, it may not be such a totally bad idea for an act like Sigfried and Roy to have a disaster plan in place.
Bottom line: If you use a rabbit in your act, it’s subject to the Animal Welfare Act. If an animal is subject to the AWA, you now are required to develop a contingency plan for emergencies and have it available in case you get inspected. This is apparently serious government overreach, because I can see why a responsible pet owner would be outraged at being told that they should spend a few minutes thinking about what to do with their pet in an emergency.
I fail to see the stupidity in requiring an entrepreneur whose business relies on the exploitation of a living animal, to have plans in place to ensure the safety of said animal.
(a) Place rabbit in hat.
(b) Place hat on head.
© Run.
Every entity that “exhibits” mammals falls under regulation by the USDA, whether it be a zoo with hundreds of them or a squirrel used for classroom education or – apparently – a magician using a live mammal in his act. And all exhibitors, as a condition of their USDA license, are being required to formulate a disaster plan. This is a direct result of so many who had never given a thought to what they might do, until the day after being hit by a hurricane or other natural disaster.
For a major exhibitor, the plan should detail a pre-disaster timeline, personnel assignments and responsibilities, equipment available for capture, confinement and transport, food availability and refrigeration contingencies, and much more. For a guy with a single bunny, the “plan” could be as simple as “I’m gonna grab his cage and my suitcase and drive to another state”.
ETA: ninja’d by **Finagle **-- I type too slow.
Did you, by chance, notice the strategically placed word “reportedly”?
And “…Now the … illusionist is saying the trick’s allegedly on him…”
Did you notice the complete absence of any evidence? What do you think, he offered the evidence but The Blaze withheld it out of deference to Obama?
And The Blaze? Seriously? Shouldn’t you wait until its corroborated by a more reliable source, like World Net Daily or the Bat Boy Review?
So, this only applies to mammals? Maybe pulling an iguana out of a hat is going to become more popular among magicians now?
You’re not actually suggesting that the OP provide corroboration? He couldn’t even be bothered to say something about this, aside from “this speaks for itself.” It’s the laziest sort of posting. (And yes, I reported it for that reason.)
The Blaze is reporting on an email from the magician to a blogger, Mr. Skeptic. What more could you ask for?
The regulations for animal safety apply to any business that uses animals in its business. And a magician using a rabbit in his act does qualify.
Yes, it’s probably the extreme edge of the regulation but the law itself isn’t nonsensical and it’s the government’s job to enforce laws. This particular law was enacted in 1966 so it seems a little pointless to be getting worked up over it now.
Ah, if you do some Googling, there’s a whole history of hysterical overreaction to the discovery that yes, if you’re a magician and have a rabbit in your act, you’re subject to the AWA. Because the Government is Big and Evil and Inefficient.
Is it a waste of a USDA inspector’s time to be tracking down kiddy magicians? Probably yes. Is it any more of a bureaucratic imposition than requiring me to get a registration for my 8 foot inflatable Zodiac if I want to put a motor on it? No.
Apparently section F deals with “general standards for warmblooded animals not otherwise specified”. So iguanas may be OK, but sadly velociraptors may be right out.
USDA under the AWA has recently (2002, if I recall correctly) been given authority over birds and mice and rats, after a long campaign by animal rights activists. New regulations are being developed. However, since “migratory birds” and their possession has long been the province of US Fish & Wildlife Service under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, jurisdictional disagreements have slowed the rules development process. Activists continue their efforts to put reptiles and in fact all animals under the AWA.
The accidental disembowelment insurance alone makes most magicians shy away from velociraptors.
So Clothahump, how much does Glen pay you for directing traffic to “The Blaze” with your generically labeled link?
I have a disaster plan for all my household pets. I do this because I care about their welfare. I can however understand why some folks would need to be forced to think about the welfate of the animals in their possession.
You’re mad woman! Mad I tell you!