Yesterday in Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire, a large 18ft python escaped from a terraced house and crawled through an open window into one of the bedrooms of a neighbouring house. 
Neighbours were utterly shocked to see it and hid their own pet dogs and cats. 
Police refused to interfere and investigate as it’s ‘not a policing matter’. 
RSPCA commented that there were more than 1200 reports of escaping snakes in UK last year, particularly in summer months when they’re most active. 
Owner of this particular python simply took it back to his house from a conservatory of one of his neighbours. 
One of his neighbours used to keep pythons in her house and she commented that it was a ‘massive’ and very dangerous snake as they can ‘turn nasty’ when they’re hungry. They bit her and can attack animals or even people, especially babies. One charity said that snake owners shouldn’t attempt to feed such a large snake without at least one other person present. 

What if there was a baby or a child in that bedroom? Such a massive reptile could have easily suffocated a baby or a child, and even some vulnerable adult, let alone cats and dogs. 

What verdict should there be in such case - a tragic accident? Criminal damage? Death by negligence? 

Why are people allowed to keep such life-threatening animals in their homes in the midst of residential areas? Why don’t they keep them constantly locked and under observation? 
Why should neighbours live in fear for their lives and lives of their children and harmless pets? 
What’s the purpose of keeping such a huge reptile in a house? 

I DON’T want to find such a ‘pet’ in my house or that my neighbours should find one. Do YOU? 
Britain is not Australia or India where it’s part of life. In UK dangerous species should be under control. 

I think something should be done. I suggest there should be a new national UK law concerning large and/or dangerous animals and their owners:

• ALL owners of large (larger than 3ft or poisonous) snakes and equally dangerous reptiles must be known and registered with: local COUNCIL, police and RSPCA
• They should be legally recognised as ‘potentially dangerous to humans and other animals’
• Owners of such reptiles must be officially APPROVED ie to be mentally fit and physically able to contain such an animal within the boundaries of their abode. They absolutely must have EXPERTISE in keeping such an animal and be fully aware of potential consequences of their escaping. They must undertake certain training and sign agreements about their proper treatment. Owners with previous incidents of abuse caused by (or to) their pet animals (even dogs) or cases of escape CANNOT have such animals. 
• Extremely large species like the one I described must be FORBIDDEN from keeping by residents or even from bringing them to the UK. They may be acceptable in zoos but not in houses. 
• Some types of houses must be excluded from the list of property where such a reptile can be kept as a pet: a flat in a block of flats; a terraced or semi-detached house; basically any where there are neighbours behind the wall. 
• Neighbours with babies and children or fragile adults like elderly or invalids (also with animals eg farmers) should have right to OBJECT and disallow their neighbours in radius of 50 yd from keeping large snakes 
• Police MUST interfere and it MUST be a police matter. Negligent owners should be prosecuted. Potentially there should be a specially trained officers who could contain or even neutralise (kill) a reptile if it caused or could cause harm to others lives, health and property (pets). Yes police should have right to kill a reptile if they believe it’s necessary. 
• Escaped species must be CONFISCATED at once 
• Owners must REPORT escape of their reptile instantly 
• There should be minimal fine of £1,000 (and up to £10,000) for allowing or not preventing a large reptile from escaping 
• By law there must be certain EQUIPMENT installed in every property which has such a dangerous reptile: a camera that could immediately notify owners of an escape; an unbreakable and unremovable LOCK and an emergency button. 
• By law, reptiles must be constantly LOCKED, particularly when owners are not on the premises 
• Reptiles much be CHIPPED and their exact position must be transferred to owner’s devises by GPS all the time 
• Some people must be BANNED from keeping such animals by a court ruling 

 Thank you.