COLUMBUS TELEGRAPH (Nebraska) 27 July 06 Special pets require special permits (Katie Ryan)
Columbus: When Earl Peters adopted his red tail boa, Zoe, two or three years ago, some of his neighbors expressed concern.
The neighbors feared that if the snake got out, it could harm the children.
Peters' 6-year-old daughters, Shelby and Rachel, however, don't seem frightened. They are allowed to hold Zoe as long as their dad supervises, Peters said. Zoe has bitten Peters once, but the girls have never had a problem, he said. Red tail boas are constrictor snakes, so their bites aren't venomous, Peters said.
Peters is one of six Columbus residents who currently have valid exotic animal permits. Exotic animals such as red tail boas, sugar gliders, tarantulas and alligators are not allowed as pets within Columbus city limits without an exotic animal permit, said Donna Winig, animal control officer.
The City of Columbus Animal-Control and Animal Shelter currently is housing an alligator that is about 18 inches long and a year old as well as a tarantula, Winig said. The animals were seized because the owner had not obtained a permit. Winig declined to release the owner's name. The owners may be applying for permits for the “pets,” she said.
To get a permit approved, an owner must notify all neighbors within a 300-foot radius of the residence.
The City of Columbus Animal-Control and Animal Shelter also must be notified. A control officer conducts an inspection of the residence as well as the owner's knowledge of the species and the type of containment in which the animal will live.
The permit then goes before the city council and based on the recommendation of the inspection, the council approves or denies the permit. The permit is public record, therefore the owner has to pay for the record to be run in the newspaper. Those fees vary from about $10-$40 according to current exotic animal permit records. The owner also has to pay a $20 administration fee, Winig said.
Peters said he thought an alligator would be cause for concern because he considers them an unpredictable animal.
Deb Jansen agrees. She owns two sugar gliders, squirrel-like animals that can fly. Her animals aren't dangerous she said, but an alligator could be. A tarantula wouldn't bother her, she said.
In its more routine operations, the Columbus Animal-Control and Animal Shelter also houses domestic animals, which are available for adoption. Currently the shelter houses nine dogs and 11 cats that range in age and species, Winig said. Dogs cost $25 and cats $15. The shelter currently doesn't have any rabbits, guinea pigs or birds, but houses them when needed.
Special pets require special permits