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Turtles may be crawling back to pet store
May 17, 2007 -
Baby turtles as pets may be ready for a comeback. The Food and Drug Administration banned virtually all sales of tiny turtles in 1975 after the animals were linked to salmonella infections in children. But a bill passed by the Senate last week includes an amendment that would lift that ban.
Ruth Hanessian, owner of the Animal Exchange in Rockville, Md., doesn't sell turtles in her pet shop. But if the ban on baby turtles is lifted, Hanessian says she knows they would sell. "Give me some baby turtles, and I'm back in it in a heartbeat," she says. "I will do it the first day that it's legal."
The U.S. Congress is considering a bill that would ease a 32-year-old ban on the sale of baby turtles as pets.
The Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of small turtles because they commonly carried salmonella bacteria. Louisiana turtle farmers told The Washington Post scientific advances in turtle care have reduced the likelihood of salmonella.
Last week, the Senate unanimously accepted an amendment to a drug regulation bill that would require states to regulate the care and breeding of turtles. It would also require turtle retailers to disclose salmonella information.
"The science and technology have caught up with the problem," Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., told the Post. "I believe the safeguards are in place."
The House has not considered the amendment, but the Post reported animal rights groups are expected to work against it.
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