Sonic fan gets town's pet hedgehog ban overturned

by Alexander Sliwinski on Jan 5th 2009 10:15AM

An 11-year-old Sonic fan's crusade has overturned a citywide ban on hedgehogs in Lawrence, Kansas. As reported by KTKA, young Judson King wanted one of the super-fast and incredibly agile rodents as a pet, but they were illegal, so he spent three years getting a brief together petitioning city commissioners to overturn the law. The town elders couldn't find a reason behind the blue creatures' banning in the first place, so Master King now has his own pet hedgehog -- Luke.

After doing some research of our own, we've discovered the reason Lawrence banned hedgehogs in the first place. In 1944, a Dr. Eikopf Robotniksky settled in Lawrence, and he just so happened to own a pet echidna. Echidnas and hedgehogs do not get along well, and thus hedgehogs were given the boot. No, really. We're not making this up.

[Via GamePolitics]

Source

Tags: judson-king, kansas, lawrence, sonic, sonic-the-hedgehog

Reader Comments (55)

I heard people kick around hedgehogs where I live.

Disgruntled Sonic fans I guess.

Dr. Eikopf Robotniksky is clearly a Knuckles fan.

I heard they were huge Long John Baldry fans in Lawrence, Kansas. They used to live and die by everything the man said.

But no one will know who Long John Baldry is. That is not a future I can endorse.

the echidna part = too perfect.

Echidnas>HedgeHogs

Although I might be a bit biased, being Australian and all.

But serious like, echidna's are awesome.

I think Dr. Robotniksky is now know as Eggmansky.

He'll always be Robotniksky to me.

And so another furry is born. Thanks a lot, Lawrence.

Boy, I'd hate to find one of those hedgehogs in my shoe one day! Ouch.

What do you feed a hedgehog? Chili dogs?

Dog food supplemented with insects, according to wiki.

So fresh chili dogs right?

Lawrence, Kansas?

I'll bet those winchester boys had something to do with it.

*supernatural high five*

"On the next episode of Supernatural!

*Epic Music*

Dean: Sammy....what in god's name is that?

Sam: I don't know....but it looks like those games I used to play when I was a kid.

*Screech*

Both: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Every Thursday night at 9/8c. Only on The CW."

Good call. I was going to blame the ban on the Yellow-Eyed Demon!

I'm not sure I say it enough around here...

I love you guys. xD

I'm sure Hiro Nakamura had something to do with this story.

Why, was Sonic released on the Gameboy?

If memory serves, hedgehogs are not rodents. They do not have ever-growing teeth that require grinding down.

An a completely different note, why ban hedgehogs of all things? Kudos to the kid.

oh gawd! Did you have to use the realistic sonic picture? it's so grotesque!

3 years???

So he has been Trying to get this ban lifted since he was 8!?!?!?

Jeeeeeeeeeeeeebus.......

Somebody get this kid a fucking Yo-Yo or something........thats all I was doing when I was 8......Playing with Yo-Yos, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.......oh and Hotwheels........

8 Year-olds starting petitions........What The Fuck is the World Coming to!?!?

A more democratic world, where hedgehogs can live free; away from the forces of tyranny and darkness.

away from Tyranny AND Darkness!?!?

Where might that be?? the Middle of the Atlantic Ocean??

I don't understand why you're mocking a kid who's doing the right thing: he politically disagrees with something, therefore he takes action by peacefully starting a petition to support his cause.

He didn't create a riot, he isn't locking himself inside his room for 100 days for protest, he didn't threaten anyone through violence. This kid is a role model of doing what's right.

Get a dog, kid...

Or get the ban on Hedgehogs lifted in your town and have your name mentioned on a videogame blog...

Hedgehogs smell bad anyways.

It's always nice holday when you get a "Christmas With Came True"

uhh... I live in Lawrence, Kansas. My friend owned a hedgehog for a few years that recently died. I believe his name was "Big B". I don't recall it ever being illegal.

Sounds like your friend was involved in some underground business.

Hedgehogs are illegal in lots of municipalities without people knowing about it. I doubt anyone would care other than the kid's mother, though.

I don't know what's more stupid; the law, the kid, or the little backstory these guys came up with.

How would the kid qualify as stupid?

Maybe I spoke without thinking. I take that back. It's actually rather clever of a kid to do all of this, even if it does take three years.

Oh Lawrence, how I love thee, you and your bizarre liberal mindset. :)

Is a liberal mindset bizarre because it's in Kansas, or because it's a liberal mindset? 'Cause if it's the latter, THEM'S FIGHTIN' WORDS!

Actually, it really can be separated out to bizarre mindset and liberal mindset. They don't have to go hand in hand.

And then the kid finds out that a hedgehog is the most boring pet ever. They're nocturnal and you need special gloves just to pick them up. Get a cat.

Have you ever really owned a hedgehog? They are actually diurnal, and will wake up when you do if you play with it when you wake up. And most hedgehogs are perfectly loving, and can easily be handled, they just need constant attention when they're small. Otherwise they do become a tad handshy. However, even handshy hedgehogs can get over their fear if you gently play with them every day.

If you did own one, it sounds like you got a bad one. If I was going to gripe about hedgehogs, after owning three, it would probably be able either the hideous smell, or the tendency to die in winter unless you keep them very warm, as if you let most hibernate, they normally die.

Hedgehogs are fantastic pets as long as you aren't an idiot about how you treat them.

BUT BUT BUT!!!

If he gets a cat it might start on fire in the palms of his hands!!!!

In Soviet Russia, hedgehog unbans you...

The law and the reason it existed is pretty funny, even funnier is the fact laws like that exist all over the world.

In Lawrence they have hedgehogs.

In Ireland we have leprechauns.

I make mine dress in red instead of green, and I've built a little obstacle course for him to jump around in.

The only thing is, he actually thinks the princess is in the next castle. He'll run around the obstacle course all day, thinking the castle is a different castle, and the princess is actually in it.

I haven't the heart to tell him otherwise, and it is quite entertaining.

Wait. So he spends three years doing all this work just so he can have a pet hedgehog?

Kid has way too much time on his hands.

Well he does live in Kansas.

I hope he has a good heater for his new hedgehog this winter. Otherwise he's going to have a very dead piglet.

Right now that hedgehog is asking why the hell someone decided to spray paint him blue.

An 11-year-old Sonic fan? Has there even been a good Sonic game within the last 11 years?

I like the kid getting approaching city government and getting something done, that's the sort of thing that makes a kid see possibilities - next project, city-funded skatepark!

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Sonic fan gets town's pet hedgehog ban overturned

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