Reptile & Amphibian Forums

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

Aug 29, 2009 - 04:30 AM

By Jillian Follert
Comments (1)

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

"It's not about how you handle these animals, it's now your neighbors will react if they escape."

Are those people really THAT dumb?

Here is an updated story on this-

OSHAWA -- John Gagnon got his first pet snake as a gift for his tenth birthday, and hasn't looked back since.

The Oshawa man, now 31, has had dozens of slithery pets over the years, everything from a blood python, to a kingsnake he describes as "incredibly docile."

"I like them because they're interesting pets, they're amazing to watch. When people walk in your house, they're like 'wow!'," he said.

Mr. Gagnon only has one snake right now, a corn snake named Earl. What he'd really like is a boa, but they're prohibited in Oshawa, despite being non-venomous and legal in many other municipalities.

"It doesn't make sense, boas aren't dangerous as long as they're not too big," he said. "It seems like these laws are made by people who don't know anything about exotic animals."

Mr. Gagnon isn't the only one who wants to see the laws in Oshawa changed.

It was standing room only Thursday night as about 70 people packed the Civic Auditorium for a public meeting on proposed changes to Oshawa's pet bylaw.

The Responsible Pet Owners Bylaw was created in 1996 and is now undergoing its first major review.

The most contentious issue is prohibited animals.

The crowd was overwhelmingly opposed to the animals currently prohibited, and those that would be added to the list under the proposed new rules.

Pet store owners and exotic animal enthusiasts argue the existing rules ban perfectly safe animals that make great pets and are allowed in many neighbouring communities, such as Ajax and Port Perry which recently updated their laws.

For example, the City doesn't currently allow non-venomous snakes like boas or pythons, which reptile lovers say are safe as long as they're relatively small -- about three meters or less -- when fully grown.

Spiders of any kind are also prohibited, despite the fact that exotic experts argue "new world" tarantulas -- those from Central, South or North America -- are safe, because the small amount of venom they produce is used for digestion, not harming prey or people.

The proposed new rules take things a step further by including all the animals prohibited in the original version, and adding new ones such as sugar gliders, flying squirrels, ducks, monitor lizards and chinchillas.

Frustrated pet owners who already own these animals say it's unfair that, if the new rules are passed by council, they would have 90 days to get rid of them.

"We've had an Asian water monitor in our store for nine years, since she was a baby ... we love her," said Debbie Grills, who owns the D&D Exotics pet store in Oshawa with her husband Doug. "She's a joy for kids to come in and look at, seniors come in on walking trips to see her, she's not a threat to anyone."

Oshawa resident Aurlee Stiles owned a chinchilla for eight years and says it was one of her favourite pets. She wants to get another one, and is shocked that the furry little creatures are among those the City plans to ban.

"They're as friendly as can be, they're quiet, they're clean, I can't understand what the problem could be," she said.

Also frustrated is Sandra Tukendorf, whose family recently got a python and is hoping to get a second one so they can breed.

"As long as they're cared for properly and handled properly, they're not dangerous," she said. "They're so beautiful to look at, the colours are stunning. They're great pets."

Ms. Grills worries that if the new bylaw gets the green light from council, it won't prevent people form keeping exotic pets in Oshawa -- it will just diminish the care they receive.

"All this will do is drive our industry underground, people won't get their animals the medical care they need because they're worried that if they take them to the vet they'll be taken away from them," she said.

Public comments can still be submitted to the City by e-mailing the City clerk's department at clerks@oshawa.ca
http://www.newsdurhamregion.com/news/article/135830