RICHMOND REVIEW (British Columbia) 22 May 03 Bylaw to limit reptiles as pets (Daniel Pi)

Turtles don’t have much to look forward to this Monday when Richmond city council decides the fate of pet store reptiles.

The proposed amendment to the city’s pet bylaw would allow pet stores to sell reptiles, but there would be an extensive list of exceptions.

These include: snakes that grow to more than two metres long; all venomous animals, including spiders, even if the venom glands have been removed; and all aquatic turtles such as the red-eared slider.

Although an outright ban was proposed by staff in April, council opted then for an alternative approach that focuses on education and limited regulation.

This plan was approved in principle at Tuesday’s general purposes committee.

“It’s an education approach as opposed to a prohibition approach,” said city solicitor Rebecca Bittel at the general purposes meeting on Tuesday.

The bylaw would require pet store operators to provide information on the proper care and feeding of the animal purchased, and information on salmonella —which is common among reptiles—and preventative measures. Information signs must also be posted by cages in stores for easy viewing, and pet stores can only sell reptiles born in captivity.

Coun. Bill McNulty said the new bylaw is a “just and fair way to look at the issue.”

But Coun. Sue Halsey-Brandt thinks more has to be done.

“If as a council we want to support the bylaw, we have to see beyond the bylaw and look where the animals will end up,” she said, hinting at a possible fee on the sale of reptiles to help fund shelters that take in the animals.

But Coun. Harold Steves opposes more regulation.

“We spend too much time on reptiles and lizards and not enough on cats and dogs.”

Representatives from Super Pet—the new store that caused the city to revisit its vague pet store bylaw—were happy that the city moved away from the outright ban.

“Animal and pets are not just dogs and cats anymore,” said Carolyn Waye, the store’s reptile supervisor. “With allergy concerns with dogs, people are embracing (reptiles).”

Peter Ficker from the Vancouver Humane Society was disappointed the city isn’t going ahead with the original plan of a total ban on reptile sales. He added that the live animals used for feed are often starved before being given to the reptiles. Instructions for feedings sometimes include sprinkling calcium on the animal to make it healthier for the pet.

“Do we really want to teach children to sprinkle calcium on mice before feeding them to an iguana?”
Bylaw to limit reptiles as pets

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