Achi news desk-
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among the exotic pets kept in private homes in Canada, posing risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say as they push for stronger and consistent regulation throughout the country.
“There’s a misconception that wild animals can be domesticated as pets,” said Kelly Butler, wildlife campaign manager with Humane Society International Canada in Montreal, in a video interview with CTVNews.ca. “It is very cruel to the animal. It is dangerous to the owner. … So this leads to dangers for animals and the people, because the keeping of exotic pets is inconsistently regulated and largely unmonitored across the country.”
Advocates define exotic pets as animals living in captivity outside their countries of origin.
Butler says her organization works with many partner shelters that see exotic species of all sizes surrendered to their facilities or rehomed in sanctuaries. “Ultimately, they have complex biological needs, which make them incredibly difficult to keep as pets.”
CTVNews.ca spoke with Butler and other advocates about the types of exotic animals people keep as pets, and concerns about the safety of the animals and people.
A male tiger walks inside his enclosure at the Toronto Zoo on March 17, 2022. (Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press)
Popular exotic pets
Anna-Lee Fitzsimmons, director of public relations with the Calgary Humane Society, says the shelter has taken in an increasing number of exotic species over the past four years. In her city, she has seen exotic pets including sugar gliders, bearded dragons, piranhas, Chinese water dragons, waterfowl, turtles, iguanas, parrots and many pot-bellied pigs.
The pet trade is one of the main reasons people import hundreds of thousands of wild animals into Canada every year, says Michèle Hamers, wildlife campaign manager for World Animal Protection in Toronto. “We know we have some big breeders who breed these animals who export them. We have wholesalers. So it’s a huge, huge growing industry and it’s completely unregulated .”
Canadians own all kinds of exotic pets, Butler said, including large venomous snakes, lizards, alligators, crocodiles, tigers, lions, scorpions and tarantulas. Venomous snakes and feral cats are among the animals that cause the greatest concern, namely for safety, he said.
Most provinces have banned private ownership of large animals such as lions and tigers, but not Manitoba and Ontario, Hamers said.
However, Hamers said she has seen people move from owning large exotic animals to smaller ones such as servals or African wild cats, which have become a problem in British Columbia, New Brunswick and Quebec.
Butler calls for a better framework that uses a “positive list” of exotic pets that people can keep because of the large number of species and hybrids that exist. “The current way is that anything that is not specifically prohibited is de facto legal, which is why we have so many different species that are unsuitable for captivity being kept as exotic pets across Canada.”
Instead of banning exotic animals, potential owners should meet criteria in order to keep a particular animal as a pet, Hamers proposes.
Bearded dragon lizards are shown at the SPCA in Largo, Fla., on January 7, 2013. (Jim Damaske / The Tampa Bay Times)
‘A patchwork of regulations’
Due to a lack of regulation, it is difficult to estimate the number of exotic pets in Canada, Butler said.
Regulations vary from state to state and from municipality to municipality.
“You have municipalities that have bans on some exotic animals and some that don’t,” Toronto Zoo CEO Dolf DeJong said in a video interview with CTVNews.ca. “So that means smaller municipalities are often put in an extremely challenging position to tackle significant issues without the tools, resources or experience to deal with it.”
Butler said this patchwork of regulations, and the lack of a federal standard, effectively creates “legal loopholes where people can have almost any wild animal except for a few that are specifically prohibited as an exotic pet.”
Federally, Bill S-15 seeks to prohibit the new ownership of elephants and great apes, including chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans, in Canada, except in cases related to conservation, animal welfare and scientific research. The measure noted concerns that these animals could suffer health and behavioral problems from living in “unsuitable conditions.”
The government also announced in a November 2023 news release that it will “engage with states, territories and stakeholders to discuss the potential value of a national approach to protecting animal welfare and public safety for captive wildlife.”
Along with other animal protection organizations, Humane Society International Canada is advocating for the addition of non-native big cats, such as lions and tigers, to the legislation to prohibit private ownership of these species, Butler said. “We also recommend that this legislation should include a framework to add other species in the future, which would also help further reduce the number of exotic pets suffering in captivity in Canada.”
A young red Amazon parrot gathers in an enclosure in Loxahatchee, Fla., on May 19, 2023. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo)
Fewer protections: advocate
Because of their more complex needs, at least compared to cats and dogs, exotic animals are not suitable as pets and it can be difficult to tell if they are being neglected, Butler said.
“All these exotic animals are more likely to suffer from poor welfare,” he said. “And they usually have fewer protections than cats and dogs because their negligence may not necessarily be covered by provincial laws that protect pets.”
Hamers said most states have created regulations to determine what animals can or cannot be kept as pets. He said his organization is pushing for Ontario to require roadside zoos to be licensed, and he said they lack the expertise and conditions to properly care for the animals.
The internet has also allowed the industry to grow, she said, adding that she had noticed many exotic animals for sale on the Kijiji classifieds site.
“It’s so easy to acquire an animal,” he explained in a video interview with CTVNews.ca. “And there is very little scrutiny at the borders to stop potentially illegal animals from coming in. So it’s a mess (and) it needs to be tackled.”
When asked about concerns that Ontario does not have strong legislation regarding exotic pets, Brent Ross, a spokesman for the Ontario Attorney General’s Office, said municipalities are responsible for the bylaws related to the ownership of exotic animals in their jurisdictions.
“Ontario is a leader in animal protection with the strongest penalties and the first enforcement system of its kind in the entire country,” Ross wrote in an email to CTVNews.ca. “The PAWS Act outlines standards of care that help ensure the province’s animals are protected and treated humanely.”
Another concern in Canada is what Butler calls the illegal wildlife trade involving alleged breeders and smugglers.
Since 1975, Canada has followed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an agreement between countries to protect animals and plants using a permit system, Environment and Climate Change Canada spokesman Brandon Clim said in a email to CTVNews.ca . Through its own legislation following the convention, Canada prohibited the import and export of protected animals and plants, except where permitted by licence.
“The Government of Canada is committed to protecting public health and the health of our pets and animals by preventing the introduction of serious diseases into Canada,” a Canadian Food Inspection Agency spokesperson said in an email to CTVNews.ca, noting that have import requirements for certain animals based on federal regulations.
Tonya Martin, vice-president of advocacy and regulatory affairs at the Ottawa-based trade association Pets Canada, said the country’s pet businesses are doing “responsible pet ownership” — including sourcing reputable breeders and educating pet owners about their needs. pets – a priority. . Pet shops follow national laws and international agreements that regulate the import and export of these exotic species, also known as specialty pets, he added.
About 90 percent of specialty pets originate from captive breeding programs designed to ensure they are “well cared for from birth,” Martin said in an email to CTVNews.ca. “This ensures not only the welfare of the animals, who can live in environments that mimic their natural habitats and allow for natural behaviour, but also the safety and readiness of the owners.”
Sugar gliders are among the most popular exotic pets in Canada. (Indra Purwibowo / Pexels.com)
Advice for owners of exotic pets
Fitzsimmons encourages those considering owning an exotic pet to first check with their local humane society to see if one is available for adoption. Those looking to buy an exotic pet should do so through a reputable breeder who works with expert veterinarians, he said. Also ask for references from other customers and visit the breeding facility to check if the animals are kept in humane settings.
“Before they bring an exotic pet into their home, they need to ask themselves, will this animal thrive in my care? And am I prepared to keep this animal in captivity and re- create and simulate the environment … it needs to thrive?” she said. “And it depends on practicing empathy. How does this animal feel living in captivity?”
