Sample Letter to a State or Local Regulatory Agency about Rattlesnake Roundups

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to take effective and immediate action to end rattlesnake roundups in [State or City].

A recent year-long, nationwide investigation into rattlesnake roundups revealed that:

1. Rattlesnake roundups are grossly inhumane. Snakes are driven from resting areas with toxic chemicals including gasoline, are held for weeks or months without food or water in crowded and unsanitary conditions, are roughly handled during roundups (including kicking, stomping, and whipping), are often skinned alive or have their mouths sewn shut, and are killed using methods that are inappropriate for reptiles.
2. Rattlesnake roundups are environmentally destructive. Rattlesnake populations are being harmed by collections for roundups. The toxic chemicals used to collect snakes are destructive to all wildlife that come in contact with them. Burrows used by snakes and other wildlife (including federally protected species) are destroyed during collection, and snakes transported long distances to roundups have been released and have become established in areas where they did not previously exist.
3. Rattlesnake roundups pose a public health hazard. Roundups unnecessarily bring members of the public in close contact with venomous reptiles and encourage reckless behavior around rattlesnakes. Rattlesnake meat sold at roundups is from snakes killed under unsanitary conditions, so it may contain harmful bacteria and parasites as well as residues from the toxic chemicals used during collection. Those same toxic chemicals can also contaminate groundwater used by humans, livestock and wildlife. Finally, communities in which roundups take place must bear the costs of medical treatment for any bites that occur during the roundup, and such bites reduce the local antivenin supply.

Furthermore, there is a demonstrated link between violence and cruelty to animals and violence toward humans. The FBI and other law enforcement agencies, when discussing serious violence to humans, often note that a history of violence to animals is a characteristic in the perpetrator. It is difficult to conceive of such unmitigated and unjustified cruelty as that exhibited in rattlesnake roundups. Moreover, the pervasive involvement of children as spectators or participants in the rattlesnake roundups provides an even greater rationale for serious concern over the effects of these events.

In today's world, there can be no justification for the continuation of these brutal, inhumane, and counter-educational events. I urge you to take immediate and responsible action to eliminate rattlesnake roundups in [State or City].

Sincerely,

[Your Signature]
[Your Name]