OKAY, let's make a few clarifications here...more

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Posted by Amy on June 28, 2001 at 16:45:51:

In Reply to: let's not let this be an example of people from Kansas in general... posted by Amy on June 13, 2001 at 16:06:33:

WOW! I had NO IDEA my little post cause so much controversy! All I have to say is that one, I will not take sides on the issue of the herp-laws having to do with the folloeing posts, but what I WAS saying was that knowing iguanas were legal, the owner should have taken great pains to keep the iguana from escaping, much like I have tried to keep reptile-prohibiting landlords from knowing I have an iguana. As simple as that. AND I thought taking down the iguana with a basketball was VERY INHUMANE and should NOT have warranted praise from the community. iZ's Mom said it right and I agree with her fully (you rock, iZ's Mom!! :) ) I think the whole thing was blown out of proportion, however, and what I said about "people in Kansas" does not apply to those on this forum. Would M Chambers have thrown a basketball at a tree'd iguana? I think not. therefore, no offense should have been taken, but obviously it was twisted out of context (WAY out of context) and I just thought I should clarify. Take care all.

Amy Jungclaus, formerly of Leawood, KS, senior at Kansas State University, ManhattAn, KS (note the spelling)

: That story infuriates me! It's one thing to try to bring an iguana down with a ladder, but with a basketball...I'm pi**ed! I even live in Kansas (Manhattan, not Wichita) and of course they're not native to Kansas, but there's no reason for cruelty. Plus, the owner needed to either obtain a license to own it or move away from Wichita (which I'm told is not the most hospitable town, anyway) and KEEP TRACK OF THEIR PETS!!

:
: : Teen rescues neighborhood from iguana
: : A quick basketball shot into a tree knocked the lizard loose.
: :
: : By Carlos Rodriguez And Roy Wenzl
: : The Wichita Eagle

: : This is a story that's mostly about a lizard but a little about basketball.

: : Ready?

: : For the past five days, from Friday until Tuesday, there was a loose iguana running around a north Wichita neighborhood.

: : Neighborhood residents such as Endelia Rocha and Rosa Garcia watched it run around, eat grass, climb trees. They were a little creeped out.

: : It's not that they dislike iguanas. It's just that they know enough about them to know that they can spread salmonella, that they sometimes bite, and that a neighborhood full of curious kids wasn't the best place to have an iguana running around in trees, especially when it looked maybe 3 feet long.

: : "What if it comes down and bites one of them?" Garcia asked.

: : Rocha and Garcia knew they needed to call Animal Control, but they don't speak English.

: : So they talked to Jean Long, an English-speaking neighbor.

: : "We've always had lots of cats, opossums or occasional skunks. Now we have iguanas," Long said.

: : Long called Animal Control on Monday.

: : Nothing happened. Animal Control officials said that at times when Animal Control is short-staffed, as on Monday, a loose iguana is what they call "low priority" compared with stray dogs.

: : They made it out to the 2500 block of Rosenthal Avenue on Tuesday, though, and made an effort to capture the lizard.

: : In other words, they looked up in the tree where the lizard lay sunning on a limb, and they realized they didn't have a ladder to bring it down.

: : They left, to get a ladder.

: : At this point, neighborhood residents took matters into their own hands. They gathered basketballs, volleyballs and soccer balls.

: : They started tossing them into the tree.

: : They missed the lizard. And then Kristian Fernandez decided to get some altitude.

: : Kristian , a 16-year-old junior at North High School, climbed onto the roof of his house and crept near the tree.

: : He threw a basketball.

: : Whop.

: : Down came Mr. Iguana.

: : Down jumped Fernandez.

: : Ten minutes of frantic running around later, Kristian captured Mr. Iguana, bagging him in a pillowcase from his own bed.

: : Someone called Animal Control.

: : They came back and took the iguana from Kristian. An Animal Control officer carefully checked over Kristian's hands and arms, looking for wounds; he found none.

: : Kristian, thinking this was a good bit of work, asked the Animal Control people: "Do I get anything?" Meaning, he said, a reward.

: : The Animal Control officer replied: "Hold on." He went to his truck.

: : He came back. "Hold out your hands," he said. Kristian held out his hands.

: : The officer squeezed a quantity of lotion into Kristian's hands.

: : Kristian looked disappointed.

: : But he can take solace in one thing.

: : At the age of only 16, he has done something with a basketball that not even Michael Jordan has ever done.

: : He whopped the iguana.

: : Iguanas are not indigenous to Kansas. Ownership of iguanas as pets is prohibited within city limits and can result in a fine up to $500.

: : Animal Control will detain the animal for three days. If arrangements to remove this iguana from city limits aren't made by its rightful owner, the animal will be donated to a veterinary clinic outside the city.

: : Animal Control can be reached at 268-8473.

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: : WOW! I had NO IDEA my little post cause so much controversy! All I have to say is that one, I will not take sides on the issue of the herp-laws having to do with the folloeing posts, but what I WAS saying was that knowing iguanas were legal, the owner should have taken great pains to keep the iguana from escaping, much like I have tried to keep reptile-prohibiting landlords from knowing I have an iguana. As simple as that. AND I thought taking down the iguana with a basketball was VERY INHUMANE and should NOT have warranted praise from the community. iZ's Mom said it right and I agree with her fully (you rock, iZ's Mom!! :) ) I think the whole thing was blown out of proportion, however, and what I said about "people in Kansas" does not apply to those on this forum. Would M Chambers have thrown a basketball at a tree'd iguana? I think not. therefore, no offense should have been taken, but obviously it was twisted out of context (WAY out of context) and I just thought I should clarify. Take care all. : Amy Jungclaus, formerly of Leawood, KS, senior at Kansas State University, ManhattAn, KS (note the spelling) : : : That story infuriates me! It's one thing to try to bring an iguana down with a ladder, but with a basketball...I'm pi**ed! I even live in Kansas (Manhattan, not Wichita) and of course they're not native to Kansas, but there's no reason for cruelty. Plus, the owner needed to either obtain a license to own it or move away from Wichita (which I'm told is not the most hospitable town, anyway) and KEEP TRACK OF THEIR PETS!! : : : : : Teen rescues neighborhood from iguana : : : A quick basketball shot into a tree knocked the lizard loose. : : : : : : By Carlos Rodriguez And Roy Wenzl : : : The Wichita Eagle : : : This is a story that's mostly about a lizard but a little about basketball. : : : Ready? : : : For the past five days, from Friday until Tuesday, there was a loose iguana running around a north Wichita neighborhood. : : : Neighborhood residents such as Endelia Rocha and Rosa Garcia watched it run around, eat grass, climb trees. They were a little creeped out. : : : It's not that they dislike iguanas. It's just that they know enough about them to know that they can spread salmonella, that they sometimes bite, and that a neighborhood full of curious kids wasn't the best place to have an iguana running around in trees, especially when it looked maybe 3 feet long. : : : "What if it comes down and bites one of them?" Garcia asked. : : : Rocha and Garcia knew they needed to call Animal Control, but they don't speak English. : : : So they talked to Jean Long, an English-speaking neighbor. : : : "We've always had lots of cats, opossums or occasional skunks. Now we have iguanas," Long said. : : : Long called Animal Control on Monday. : : : Nothing happened. Animal Control officials said that at times when Animal Control is short-staffed, as on Monday, a loose iguana is what they call "low priority" compared with stray dogs. : : : They made it out to the 2500 block of Rosenthal Avenue on Tuesday, though, and made an effort to capture the lizard. : : : In other words, they looked up in the tree where the lizard lay sunning on a limb, and they realized they didn't have a ladder to bring it down. : : : They left, to get a ladder. : : : At this point, neighborhood residents took matters into their own hands. They gathered basketballs, volleyballs and soccer balls. : : : They started tossing them into the tree. : : : They missed the lizard. And then Kristian Fernandez decided to get some altitude. : : : Kristian , a 16-year-old junior at North High School, climbed onto the roof of his house and crept near the tree. : : : He threw a basketball. : : : Whop. : : : Down came Mr. Iguana. : : : Down jumped Fernandez. : : : Ten minutes of frantic running around later, Kristian captured Mr. Iguana, bagging him in a pillowcase from his own bed. : : : Someone called Animal Control. : : : They came back and took the iguana from Kristian. An Animal Control officer carefully checked over Kristian's hands and arms, looking for wounds; he found none. : : : Kristian, thinking this was a good bit of work, asked the Animal Control people: "Do I get anything?" Meaning, he said, a reward. : : : The Animal Control officer replied: "Hold on." He went to his truck. : : : He came back. "Hold out your hands," he said. Kristian held out his hands. : : : The officer squeezed a quantity of lotion into Kristian's hands. : : : Kristian looked disappointed. : : : But he can take solace in one thing. : : : At the age of only 16, he has done something with a basketball that not even Michael Jordan has ever done. : : : He whopped the iguana. : : : Iguanas are not indigenous to Kansas. Ownership of iguanas as pets is prohibited within city limits and can result in a fine up to $500. : : : Animal Control will detain the animal for three days. If arrangements to remove this iguana from city limits aren't made by its rightful owner, the animal will be donated to a veterinary clinic outside the city. : : : Animal Control can be reached at 268-8473.

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