To All NJ chinchilla breeders and owners and rescuers

[Mt. Zion Chins]

this is going to be long. Yesterday I got a phone call from a concerned small chin breeder that she was told by some else that NJ breeders have to have a permit or they risk their animals being taken away from them I just got off the phone with a nice lady from NJ Fish and Game. Yes, we definately need a permit (chinchillas are considered 'exotics') so they need a permit to breed and OWN. Breeders have to apply under 'pet shop' even if the chins are your pets and are at your home. The permit is $100 a year. You will get a free packet with about 50 'permit' application for each chin you sell in state of NJ. If you need more you can just ask for it. The fee for each chin/person who buys a chin from you is $10 if they want to bother to register the chin. For those who do rescue you have to get a separate permit for that animal before you can 'place' it. Every person who has a chinchilla as a pet is suppose to get a permit for that chin. I am going to get my breeders permit and give out the individual permit appl. for each chin I sell in state. As for rescues, I am not going to bother with that - I don't think they will ever find out about that. If I was an owner only, unless I had neighbors who are looking to trouble you for any reason, I wouldn't bother with a permit. Unless you want to be on the extreme 'safe side' If they find you with 'unpermitted' chins they can find you $500
For NJ people to change this law, we would have to lobby with the state government to get chins changed to domestic animals - this would require a lot of people lobby to our govern. to change this

 

[Essentia]

I thought chinchillas were always considered livestock?

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

not in NJ

 

[mishellyshel]

Why is NJ such a PITA!

 

[alli713]

Here's a copy of their regulations
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/permregs.pdf

If you look on page two on the right column, it shows the animals require a permit for possession. In the list of mammals, chinchillas are the 5th down.

But it also lists ferrets, dwarf hamsters, hedgehogs, and sugar gliders. I really wonder how many people who own those in NJ have a permit?

 

[threewingedfury]

Wow, that's crazy. Maybe you should contact the USDA also.

 

[mishellyshel]

so i can have an alpaca or a freaking llama but i need a permit for my chins. unbelievable.
gotta love the garden state.

 

[Essentia]

A dwarf hamster? Yeah, I see someone paying $100 for a permit for that. Wow.

 

[tunes]

Can the state over ride a federal classification? The federal government, i.e., the USDA has stated that chinchilla are an agricultural product. I don't think the state can change that on a whim, can they?

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

No it would be $10 for individual permit - per year. I know that are a LOT of people who don't have a permit for all those animals. I asked the lady why chinchillas were listed as 'exotics' - she said because originially they were not bred in NJ - go figure. They are from another country

 

[Essentia]

No it would be $10 for individual permit - per year. I know that are a LOT of people who don't have a permit for all those animals. I asked the lady why chinchillas were listed as 'exotics' - she said because originially they were not bred in NJ - go figure. They are from another country

Oh, ok. I read that wrong. So it's only $10 for an individual permit. I could see someone paying that for a hamster, though I still think it's stupid.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

yes, I believe state laws can overrid the federal govt. Where can I find that the USDA classifies chinchilla as agricultural products

 

[threewingedfury]

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/downloads/manuals/dealer/exemptions.pdf

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

ok - who do I contact at the USDA about this - I am right now going to call the NJ fish and game and see what they say

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

I just got off the phone with NJ fish and game. The person I talked to asked her supervisor and she said NJ doesn't have to change their classification just because the Federal Govt. does I quess you would have to contact NJ state legislators to try to get a change. Which probably won't happen because after all it brings in money

 

[threewingedfury]

That's pretty much the reason why they made these regulations in the first place.

I find it funny that on the bottom of the page with their laws it says that 'Ferrets must be kept in such a way as to prevent escape or injury to the public'. What do they think ferrets are? Mini Godzillas? I mean really, yes, they're predators, but that's outrageous. Dogs are more vicious than ferrets!

But I know the agony it must cause. $100 isn't too bad for each year. Because I breed sugar gliders, I'm in the process of being USDA certified and my vet charges $600 a year to just walk into my house, then I have to pay over $200 for USDA fees. It's ridiculous because they don't check any of the animals themself, they just check on animal husbandry, quarantine, vaccinations, medications and euthanization. Most USDA people who come out don't even open the cage to look at an animal, they just inspect for rust on cages and then inspect the living space. It's a money racket. There are so many mill breeders that are USDA certified and pretty much could get away with murder. The USDA doesn't really care, they're making their money. That's why NJ probably made this law, to make money.

 

[LemonSqueezi]

As far as I know its been this way for years. We were going to go with the pet dealer permit last year cause its so much easier to get then 501 c3 but we are still trying to work on the 501 anyway.
The regs in NJ make it near impossible to be an exotic rescue unless you become 501c which is extremely hard to do. You can ask for money for a sale with the dealer permit but not ask for donations for charity unless you are 501 c3.
Luckily we have a tax id # now but it feels like forever before we will become 501.
Fish and game are ridiculous with the regs but at the same time good. If you only knew of some of the NY rehabbers... you would be thankful for NJ regs.

 

[Chibigirl]

I was confused about this as well when I first got my chin. The petstore gives you a temporary permit when you buy them and then they tell you that you have to mail in an application and money each year to keep the animal. When I went on the fish and game website I couldn't find the details/paper work for chinchillas strictly as a pet (not a breeder or seller). I really don't understand how something can be considered agricultural product by the feds and then you're told to pay for them as an exotic. Welcome to our state, at least we finally kicked out Corzine :hair:

 

[shouts]

Has this been in place for years? I've never heard of them going after chin owners.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

yes apparently it has been this way for years. The woman from NJ fish and game said she was surprised that I haven't been 'raided' since I told her that I have been breeding for years and did not know about this. She did say something about being about 7 months behind schedule. I don't really think they will go after chin owners just chin breeders unless someone complains - like someone who wants to 'get even with you' I did know that there was a permit involved but I thought it was for only wholesale people and pet stores. I know for a fact, that some pet stores don't even bother with the permit application