Stolen pet laws (In Vermont) seem to be lacking?

[talbot]

So here's the situation:

I've had a pet Ball Python for eight years. Due to the fact that you're not supposed to have reptiles around very small children I asked my sister in law to watch him while my fiancee gave birth and during the first couple of months of my child's life.

At the time my sister in law was living with some of her friends. She recently had a falling out with those friends and they kicked her out. The snake's cage is a eight feet long so not something that can simply be carried. She took the stuff she was capable of carrying ans left. She then asked me to go pick up my snake. I went to her ex friend's house and knocked and knocked, with no answer. Ten to fifteen minutes of standing there and the police show up, saying that the people inside called the police on me thinking I was breaking and entering (which, I was not, not at all). I told the police the situation. They told me that the police don't handle such matters, that I have to file with small claims court.. So... I went to small claims court to file charges. At small claims court they told me that there is no way to get any stolen goods back unless any criminal activity such as a B and E occurred (which it had not), that you could only get the monetary value associated with said objects by suing within small claims, and that if the people don't have money you won't even get that.

So now, these people have my snake. I can sue them for money, but all I really want is my snake. They also have no money to pay even if they were found guilty.

So to me it seems like there is a gap in the system here... There's simply no way for me to get MY pet back? That seems like complete and utter bullshit.

[pete]

You live in Vermont for gosh sake.
You cam molest children and only get 90 days in jail.
What did you expect in regards to personal property?