Snakes, lizards, tarantulas expected to be controversial topic at Sept. 17 pet bylaw meeting



Aug 29, 2009 - 04:30 AM



By Jillian Follert

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OSHAWA -- Pet store owners and exotic animal enthusiasts who are pushing for changes to the City's pet bylaw finally have a date to mark on their calendars.



A public meeting to gather feedback on proposed changes to the bylaw is slated for Thursday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. The location has yet to be confirmed.



Oshawa's Responsible Pet Owners Bylaw was created in 1996 and is about to undergo its first major review.



City staff are proposing a name change -- to the Animal Control Bylaw -- and a list of new powers and regulations. The part that is likely to be the most contentious is the list of prohibited pets.



Some local pet store owners say the existing bylaw bans pets that should be allowed and allows pets that should be banned.



Debbie and Doug Grills own the D and D Exotics pet store in south Oshawa, and would like to see non-venomous snakes such as boas and pythons permitted as long as they're under three metres when fully grown. They also think the City should give the green light to emperor scorpions and "new world" tarantulas -- those from Central, South or North America -- because the small amount of venom they produce is used for digestion, not harming prey or people.



On the flip side, the Grills say the rules on some pets should be stricter. As it stands now, any lizard is OK in Oshawa, as long is it's not a gila monster or beaded lizard, which are venomous.



The Grills think lizards should be limited to those that are two metres or less when fully grown, to weed out species like water monitor lizards.



"Ajax and Port Perry recently changed their pet bylaws, and it's confusing for people," Ms. Grills said. "We need uniform rules for all of Durham Region. We don't want the City to allow anything that's going to pose a threat to people, we just want to have what other municipalities can have."â?¨ Councillor Brian Nicholson chairs council's finance and administration committee, which is overseeing the process. He said any time animal issues are on the table, it's controversial.



"People have strong opinions on both sides," he said. "It comes down to what is appropriate in an urban setting. For example, a six-foot long monitor lizard or a tarantula might not be a good idea. It's not about how you handle these animals, it's now your neighbors will react if they escape."â?¨ During the bylaw review process, Oshawa council will also be dealing with the issue of feral cat colonies. That issue will likely be the subject of a separate public meeting some time this fall.

http://newsdurhamregion.com/news/article/134414

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