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Lewi_11

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Hey guys, I'm looking for a bit of advice.
I saw on facebook the other day, that a kid was giving away a bearded dragon 'free to good home'.
He is a big mature male that's 2 years old.
Now, my issue is, I took the animal, but as it turns out, the kid was irresponsible and didn't have a license.
So, am I in anyway in the wrong (even though i have the appropriate license to keep the animal and it will be better of with me anyway because it was jammed into a little 2 foot enclosure).
And how would I record something like this on my electronic keeping record? Because as far as I'm aware, for everything, I have to record the license holder I receive an animal from.
- Lewis.
 
I'd contact the DEWR as you have technically 'illegally' acquired the reptile. S/He needed a licence to sell the animal. You won't be the one getting in trouble but if you do tell that kid is in one hell of a mess :shock:

Sorry, this was probably not helpful :(
 
more likely it's a wild caught bearded dragon, have to contact the right authorities and go from there
 
It's not like I want to get the kid in trouble or anything... it's just that I don't want to get myself into trouble and after all, it wasn't a sale, it was free :|. He said he got it from a breeder... So I assume it's not wild caught. Especially because we don't get Vitticeps around here. But yeah, I'm gonna contact NSW Environment & Heritage I think.
 
Even if s/he didn't sell it, it is still a transaction. You won't get in any trouble and how old is the kid? If he/she is quite young (12 or younger) I doubt he would get in any trouble :p Best of luck!
 
The kid is 16. So he is eligible for a license, but didn't hold one at the time of, like you said, transaction. I guess I'll just have to wait and see the outcome from Environment and Heritage.
Thanks for your help sharky, I appreciate it. :)
 
Even if s/he didn't sell it, it is still a transaction. You won't get in any trouble!
Yes he will. It's part of your licence conditions to see the sellers licence when you buy an animal. There is no real legal way to keep it
 
Ooops, sorry! That completely slipped my mind! Thanks for correcting me Saximus :D

16, I think that kid will be in a bit of trouble :/ At 16 he/she should be more responsible and should know the permit system.
 
Unfortunately there is no other option (unless you keep it illegally) than to come clean with the dept.... basically you just have to throw yourself on your sword, so to speak and see what comes of it...... if it is friendly and obviously not wild caught.... prolly there will be slaps on wrists all around.... maybe a fine....

You could tell the department you 'acted in what you believe was the best interest of the animal' to get it away from the young keeper..... be prepared to surrender the animal to the dept tho, if they deem it to be wild caught..... but offer to keep it if it is obviously tame..... At least you did what you felt in your heart was the right thing.... hopefully the dept will be understanding and you wont have any major dramas
 
Yes he will. It's part of your licence conditions to see the sellers licence when you buy an animal. There is no real legal way to keep it

That said, is there any way I could possibly forfeit the animal to the department? Considering it, as we've established, cannot be kept legally. My intention wasn't necessarily to keep the animal... but to give it a better chance at life.

- - - Updated - - -

Unfortunately there is no other option (unless you keep it illegally) than to come clean with the dept.... basically you just have to throw yourself on your sword, so to speak and see what comes of it...... if it is friendly and obviously not wild caught.... prolly there will be slaps on wrists all around.... maybe a fine....

You could tell the department you 'acted in what you believe was the best interest of the animal' to get it away from the young keeper..... be prepared to surrender the animal to the dept tho, if they deem it to be wild caught..... but offer to keep it if it is obviously tame..... At least you did what you felt in your heart was the right thing.... hopefully the dept will be understanding and you wont have any major dramas

Looks like the route I'll be taking. Kind of starting to wish that maybe I didn't take the animal. I was just trying to offer it a better chance at life, instead of being neglected.
 
Yeah your intentions were noble but bureaucratic stupidity trumps noble intentions unfortunately. See how you go with Ratbag's suggestion. You might get lucky
 
I'm not familiar with the licensing system in NSW. Is it possible the kid acquired the dragon on licence but then just let it lapse? I've heard of that happening a lot. If so, is it possible to get the old licence details?
 
IMO, you did a good thing "for the animal" getting it off a possibly irresponsible owner..... I would do the same thing....

I would suggest you 'hand it in' to the department, but offer to 'adopt it' if it is obviously not a wild caught.... if it is wild, it deserves to be put back in the wild in an appropriate place, as determined by the department....

So, dont get too attached to the little one..... ask the dept where they would like you to drop it off to..... discuss the possibility of you keeping it if it not wild caught..... but if they want it handed in, best to do so.

It cost you nothing, you rescued it from poor conditions.... if it is wild it will do well back in the wild..... and trying to keep a wild one in an enclosure would not be much fun.... just sad all around really.... it would be like if I tried to put boxhead (big wild coastal that hangs around my rat shed) in an enclosure..... I think I would enjoy it less than boxhead would..... it would just be wrong....

Do the right thing.... just my own opinion
 
t.... if it is wild, it deserves to be put back in the wild in an appropriate place, as determined by the department....
that wont/shouldn't happen ratbag as you can never guarantee where the animal came from in the first place and you cant be certain that it doesnt have anything without quarantining it which could/should take atleast a year maybe longer which just isnt in the departments budget nor would they really care that much about putting one animal back into the wild
 
that wont/shouldn't happen ratbag as you can never guarantee where the animal came from in the first place and you cant be certain that it doesnt have anything without quarantining it which could/should take atleast a year maybe longer which just isnt in the departments budget nor would they really care that much about putting one animal back into the wild

I know they dont know exactly where it came from, but the dept will know where would be best for it to go or where it is needed (in the gene pool) most..... hopefully. And it might get the op out of getting a fine .... all just my own opinion
 
It's not like I want to get the kid in trouble or anything... it's just that I don't want to get myself into trouble and after all, it wasn't a sale, it was free :|. He said he got it from a breeder... So I assume it's not wild caught. Especially because we don't get Vitticeps around here. But yeah, I'm gonna contact NSW Environment & Heritage I think.

Let us know how it goes :) I would like to know what the dept of NSW Environment do in this situation
 
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