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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

>>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?”

It's obvious that the humane society there doesn't know much about reptiles - feeding a mouse to an iguana ! Heck no, that's not what we want to teach children!

Seriously, who starves their feeders? I've never heard anybody say that feeders should be starved! Usually, it's the exact opposite - feeder mice should be fed well, and insects, etc., should be gutloaded before feeding them off to make them healthier. Vitamins are sprinkled on insects because insects lack some nutrients, not because they are being starved.

Does Mr. Peter Ficker take any vitamins? Why should he, if he's not being starved?
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-audri
Webpage/Pics

Yup, influencial people contributing to influencial laws again.
Would you like to make that comment again Peter boy?
Vancouver's Humane Society should pull out the Help Wanted sign again
I applaud Richmond's attempts at curtailing the petstore/education problem.
Great job! Higher risk pets can still be obtained using other sources, however
they won't be available to the majority of uneducated impulse buyers.

I think we need this Peter boy's e-mail so he can be told a thing or two about opening his mouth about things he clearly knows nothing about.
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Israel

I totally disagree with this bylaw.Anybody that knows anything about herps will not starve a feeder animal/insect prior to feeding them off.That would be the same as starving our cattle and chickens prior to their slaughter!What gain would be accomplished out of that??Outlawing herps is just silly!The ignorance of those that have not been educated on herps should not be a viable reason to ban those of us who greatly appreciate and love herps from owning them.Education is the key goal to knowledge,so why not teach our youth instead of letting them believe that "if you dont like it,BAN it"!!Crazy nonsense is all this is. Sonny Aumada

This is so totally stupid. If we ban herps from our pet stores we teach the children nothing at all. I remember going to the pet store as a kid and watching the lizards and snakes for as long as I could, they amazed me. I think had it not been for those visits I would not have the great love for them that I have now. (my parents dont like them, so they wouldnt have introduced me to them) Next thing you know they will be banning the sale of them online. THey should be focusing more on cats and dogs. You don't see bans on the sale of puppies and kittens, and the cost of caring for these unwanted animals would surely add up to more than that of most reptiles. You dont normally see your neighbors ball python running the neighborhood when he decides it isnt a fun pet anymore.