Reptile laws :)

[ChristinaM]

WAHOOOOOOOOOO, I looked into my towns herp bylaws, etc. and guess what. We have none LOL. Kinda cool I thought, considerring a neighbouring city has a law of only 2 reptiles not exceeding 24" :o

what are the bylaws like where you are?

[DragnDrop]

Which one is that 'neighbouring city'?

[ChristinaM]

that would be London :) Don't quote me on that (the actual law ) but several reptile folk have told me that one.

[Big_V]

Yes London is not very friendly to herps. I was gonna go to school at Western but I couldnt bring my snakes so that was a no go. Your lucky you dont have bylaws in your town. Even though I just ignore mine. LOL

[BoAddict]

im told my town doesnt have any by laws which include herps

that i know of

[daver676]

Originally posted by ChristinaM
that would be London :) Don't quote me on that (the actual law ) but several reptile folk have told me that one.

And this is something I find extremely weird. Reptile shops in London DO sell snakes. Burmese, royals, you name it. I'm about an hour west of London and the story is the same, or so I have heard. I'd be damn if I could find any by-laws pertaining to exotics on our municipality's website. Grrrr...... :grumps:

[Dani33]

You can call your township office. They are illegal here as well. They do sell herps in our local pet shops as well. I called the city about it when I first got into herps. The woman I spoke to said that all reptiles are illegal. So I asked why they could be sold and she told me that there was a loop hole. She then proceeded to tell me that keeping them is only a big deal if someone complains and than they have a right to take the animals.

Moral of the story is: don't be a show off and scare the neighbourhood kids with your 16' Retic in the middle of the street ;)

[Invictus]

There are no herp laws that I know of for the City of Calgary, but the provincial laws in Alberta suck. The giant 5 are banned - retics, burms, scrubs, afrocks, and anacondas. Like any other province, indigenous species are banned, and for us that includes such animals as garter snakes, horned lizards, rubber boas, etc.

[Yness]

hey
I tried this earlier and gonna try it again...If you guys can post a link to these laws that would be great!!! that way I can try to amalgamate (whoa big word) them onto one website:)

Thanks

Yness

p.s my previous thread:

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=41772

[Smulkin]

Unregulated with the exception of permit-required for native species.

(US) http://www.api4animals.org/372.htm
http://www.api4animals.org/372g.htm

[Cruciform]

Christina: Yeah, both London and St. Thomas have those completely idiotic by-laws.

Apparently St. Thomas doesn't enforce them, but still, if they feel like it they could really ruin someone's collection.

I emailed the city clerk to ask who we email about animal-control bylaws but they won't respond. So much for keeping in touch with the constituents.

[Yness]

Smulking thanks for that site...do you know if there is one for canada?

[Smulkin]

Not that I have been able to find YET - am trying to do a little prying around though.

[Big_V]

Yeah the fines are extremely high for keeping banned species. I used to work in a petstore in Burlington (the big 'super' one LOL), there are massive fines for keeping and selling this stuff...we got nailed with 5000 bucks once. Its rediculous...I really wonder what type of fine they would give the hobbyist that just has stuff at home ? If anyone knows that type of information it would be appreciated.

[Invictus]

Keep in mind, Fish & Wildlife are much more strict on a pet store *selling* banned species than they are on just the average joe keeping a single specimen for a pet... but yes, if they are having a bad day, they can ruin your collection AND your personal finances.

[MouseKilla]

That's why we should all keep a bucket of rat urine handy to dump on any SOB that wants to confiscate our snakes. Give that glorified dog catcher a splash of that stuff then throw the cages open. There ya go prick, help yourself! lol!

[Toirtis]

Originally posted by Yness
Smulking thanks for that site...do you know if there is one for canada?

Not really....understand that here in Canada (as in the US), there are several levels of laws....municipal, provincial, then federal....in the USA, they have an extra level at county.

Whereabouts in Canada are you located? I may be able to give you a decent break-down of what affects you.

[Bartman]

Im in toronto, what laws are their here?

[Stockwell]

Big V...wasn't that big fine actually for smuggling CITES protected dart frogs?

[ChristinaM]

I found out my laws by going directly to the township office ( I called first ) and got a copy of all by-laws pertaining to animal ownership including reptiles.

It's actually very simple LOL. The illegal things to keep are:
- mink and fox
- more than 2 dogs
- pigeons unless you meet stipulations.

of course, anything endangered, etc.

but I was amazed at how "relaxed" they are.

Bonus for me :D

[K1LOS]

This one covers ontario...

http://www.ontarioherpers.org/laws/

some of these laws just don't make any sense!

Geoff

[Bartman]

Aw, we cant keep crocs in toronto...not that i own one now but i was planning that when i have my own place in 6 or 7 years im getting a croc 100 percent in my basement..when they crocadilians, do caimans count?

[Big_V]

Originally posted by Stockwell
Big V...wasn't that big fine actually for smuggling CITES protected dart frogs?

Yeah they dropped that fine. My ex boss was the one doing that but he did have the paperwork but they didnt believe him. So after that was dropped they tried to fine us for having poisonous animals but was dropped because the frogs arent when captive. So that was dropped but we did get one for selling boids when we werent supposed to. LOL.....oh the trials of that store.

[DragnDrop]

From what I've heard when I lived in Hamilton back in the 80's, all reptiles were banned. Has that been changed recently? Apparently it wasn't illegal to sell them, but you couldn't keep them in the city limits.

A friend in Indiana had her dart frogs confiscated a few years ago. Apparently it's quite legal to sell and own them, but you can't transport them. She was stopped on the way home after buying them at a pet store. What kind of nincompoop would design a law like that????

[Toirtis]

Originally posted by Bartman
Im in toronto, what laws are their here?

349-4 2001 - 12 - 06
§ 349-2. Keeping of certain animals prohibited.
A. No person shall keep, either on a temporary or permanent basis, any prohibited
animal in the City.
B. For the purposes of Subsection A, prohibited animals are those classes of animals
listed in Schedule A at the end of this chapter.
C. Despite Subsection A, any person who, on the date of the passage of this chapter,
was lawfully keeping any animal listed in Schedule A may keep that animal until
the animal has died or has otherwise been disposed of, provided that the owner has
registered the animal with the Medical Officer of Health by September 1, 1999.

§ 349-3. Exceptions.
Section 349-2 does not apply to:
A. The premises of a City animal centre.
B. The premises of an affiliate or branch of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals.
C. The premises of an accredited veterinary hospital under the care of a licensed
veterinarian.
D. The premises of the Toronto Zoo.
E. The premises of facilities accredited by the Canadian Association of Zoos and
Aquariums (CAZA).
F. The areas of the City in which professionally produced films are being made by
film professionals and film production companies, and only temporarily during
filming.
G. The areas of the City in which educational programs are being conducted with
animals, if the animals are owned by institutions accredited by CAZA or the
American Zoo and Aquarium Association and only while the educational programs
are actually being conducted, provided that such programs be limited to a maximum
of three days at any one location.
H. Premises registered as research facilities pursuant to the Animals for Research Act,
R.S.O. 1990, c. A.22.
I. The premises of slaughterhouses licensed pursuant to the Meat Inspection Act,
R.S.O. 1990, c. M.5.
J. The premises of the Toronto Police Department.
K. Domesticated Ungulates of the families Artiodactylus and Perissodactylus,
Anseriformes, Galliformes and Struthioniformes:
(1) On lands owned and operated by the City listed in Schedule B at the end of
this chapter; or
(2) On lands zoned agricultural.
L. The premises of the Toronto Wildlife Centre.
M. Foster programs under the supervision of an affiliate or branch of the Ontario
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, provided that these programs be
limited to the rehabilitation of squirrels.

§ 349-4. Number of animals restricted.
Subject to § 349-17, no person shall keep in any dwelling unit more than six of any
combination of dogs, cats, ferrets and rabbits except that any person who, on the date of
the passage of this chapter, was lawfully keeping more than six of any combination of
dogs, cats, ferrets and rabbits may keep those dogs, cats, ferrets and rabbits until they
have died or are otherwise disposed of.

SCHEDULE A TO CH. 349
PROHIBITED ANIMALS
MAMMALS
Artiodactyla (such as cattle, goats, sheep, pigs)
Canidae (such as coyotes, wolves, foxes, hybrid wolf dogs) except dogs
Chiroptera (bats such as fruit bats, myotis, flying foxes)
Edentates (such as anteaters, sloths, armadillos)
Felidae (such as tigers, leopards, cougars) except cats
Hyaenidae (such as hyaenas)
Lagomorpha (such as hares, pikas) except rabbits
Marsupials (such as kangaroos, opossums, wallabies) except sugar gliders derived from
self-sustaining captive populations
Mustelidae (such as mink, skunks, weasels, otters, badgers) except ferrets
Non-human primates (such as chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, lemurs)
Perissodactyla (such as horses, donkeys, jackasses, mules)
Proboscidae (elephants)
Procyonidae (such as coatimundi, cacomistles)
Rodentia (such as porcupines and prairie dogs) except rodents which do not exceed 1,500
grams and are derived from self-sustaining captive populations
Ursidae (bears)
Viverridae (such as mongooses, civets, genets)
BIRDS
Anseriformes (such as ducks, geese, swans, screamers)
Galliformes (such as pheasants, grouse, guineafowls, turkeys)
Struthioniformes (flightless ratites such as ostriches, rheas, cassowaries, emus, kiwis)
REPTILES
Crocodylia (such as alligators, crocodiles, gavials)
All snakes which reach an adult length larger than 3 metres
All lizards which reach an adult length larger than 2 metres
OTHER
All venomous and poisonous animals

[Mike177]

in my city all my herps are illegal to keep. i dont think i will run into any problems just because i dont walk around my neaborhood with my burm around my neack or anything like that. the only snakes you can keep are native colubrids

[sleddergirl]

Originally posted by DragnDrop
From what I've heard when I lived in Hamilton back in the 80's, all reptiles were banned. Has that been changed recently? Apparently it wasn't illegal to sell them, but you couldn't keep them in the city limits.

A friend in Indiana had her dart frogs confiscated a few years ago. Apparently it's quite legal to sell and own them, but you can't transport them. She was stopped on the way home after buying them at a pet store. What kind of nincompoop would design a law like that????


Hamilton's by-laws state that anything "considered exotic" is illegal................that includes all reptiles, inverts, etc. Someone even felt it necessary to ban the keeping of dolphins............:rolleyes: I don't think I have ever heard of anyone trying to keep a dolphin as a pet................lol

[Cruciform]

sleddergirl: That's incorporated into our town by-laws too. Not only can you not have any snake that grows to be over 2 feet, but if you are passing through you are violating the "animal at large" policy if you are on the road or sidewalk with your pet. If you had to detour through St. Thomas with a BP and got stopped for some reason they could fine you according to the bylaw.

Dumb laws.