MARYLAND COAST DISPATCH (Berlin, Maryland) 21 July 06 Exotic Pet Requests Nothing New To Ocean City (Jacob Cook)
Ocean City: Nearly a decade since town officials allowed a resort hotel to house two reptiles, an iguana enthusiast and her family made the rare request this week and legally welcomed their household pet, which stretches almost five feet long.
Joining a small class of people in the resort, Betty J. Duncan and her family became the third household in nearly 15 years to obtain an undomesticated animal permit. The rare request was made during the Ocean City Mayor and Council meeting Monday night. After hearing the Duncan’s iguana, named “Guanieman,” sleeps on the top bunk of a bunk bed, likes to wash up in the bathtub and never leaves the house, resort officials unanimously approved the family’s request to keep their household pet.
Betty’s husband, Donald, represented the family this week and told resort officials the iguana is well-behaved and tame. The family’s beloved pet eats bananas, lettuce and other fruits and vegetables.
“It doesn’t come out of our house at all. What it does is sleep on a bunk bed,” he said. “It hasn’t bitten anybody. It’s not a meat eater.”
During the meeting, several resort officials chuckled as Duncan described Guanieman, especially when he told them he wanted to bring the five-foot reptile to the meeting, but was informed by animal control that it might not be a good idea.
“I wanted to bring it, but the animal control said you can’t take it out,” he said.
Councilman Joe Mitrecic had some fun with the request, saying, “I don’t have a problem with it. Any iguana that knows how to take a bath is alright with me.”
Unbeknown to many in the area, which included the Duncan family, the resort has a law against having undomesticated animals unless they are approved by city officials.
According to the town’s code, “It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or harbor snakes, alligators, crocodiles or other reptiles, or any animal not considered a domesticated household pet, within the corporate limits of Ocean City without a special permit therefore from the Mayor and City Council of Ocean City, Maryland, and under conditions to be prescribed by Ocean City.”
Betty Duncan on Tuesday said she bought Guanieman nearly a year ago for her 10-year-old daughter. Having the reptile in their 43rd Street residence for almost a year, the town’s animal control department recently informed her that she needed city permission to keep their newest family member. Betty is familiar with iguana behavior, having owned five at one time before moving to the resort.
She said she understands the city’s policy, but felt aggressive dogs and other unruly animals considered “domesticated” and permitted outside caused more of a threat than her docile iguana.
Guanieman lounges around the house and coexists with the Duncans’ household cat. The iguana typically sits close to the window soaking up the sun for hours, but when he’s ready, he will wander down the hallway and into the bathtub for a swim, Betty says. Guanieman is a typical iguana; he thrives on hot temperatures, will grow to be between four to six feet, has long claws and eats mostly plants, fruits and vegetables.
“I don’t believe in caging them up because then they get mean. He’s not violent. He will never hit you or bite you,” she said. “He’s a good boy. He’s as sweet as they can be. He’s just like a cat.”
There have been a number of requests over the years to house an undomesticated animal, especially among local businesses. According to city documents, one of the earliest requests came in 1992 when Seacrets on 49th Street was granted permission to house a rooster and two hens on their property. Other resort businesses that came before the Mayor and Council, include Crocs Sports Bar in the Gold Coast Mall, who received permission for two Caimans in 1994 and Tubby’s on 59th Street. In 1995, town officials reportedly allowed Tubby’s sub shop to house two red tail boas, two green iguanas, a Chinese water dragon, a bearded dragon, two royal pythons, two leopard geckos and two horned frogs. As far as iguanas go, the Quality Inn and Plim Plaza hotels in 1998 were granted their requests to house an iguana at each of their establishments.
Some of the more unique undomesticated animal requests by local residents over the years include, Dr. John Eschenburg, who was granted permission to have a potbelly pig as a household pet in 1998 and John Woodal of St. Louis Avenue in 1993. Town officials reportedly allowed Woodal to have a Columbia red tail boa, an albino sonoran gopher snake and two turtles.
Both local residents and businesses combine for a total 13 undomesticated animal requests over the years, according to city documents.
Exotic Pet Requests Nothing New To Ocean City