proposal to regulate mobile petting zoos in b.c. cites 'distress' for animals
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mike hopcraft and daughter raina with a piebald ball python in langley.
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the owner of an exotic animal rescue organization in langley says toughening provincial regulations over mobile petting zoos could be disastrous for the creatures he houses, and for him.
“we will have to shut down,” said mike hopcraft, who depends on income from public presentations to feed and house more than 200 exotic animals that have been left in his care at wild education reptile rescue in langley.
a resolution before the union of b.c. municipalities convention this week proposed to “regulate mobile live animal programs to address animal welfare concerns and public health and safety risks.”
the resolution said animals that are transported to be “displayed to, handled by or offered for sale to the public can create distress for animals and introduce risks of zoonotic disease transmission and injury for people and other animals” and that undomesticated wild and exotic animals “suffer physically and psychologically when kept, bred, displayed and sold in captivity.”
the resolution did not pass, but it wasn’t rejected out of hand. instead, the convention left it with the group’s executive for further consideration.
“it seems cruel to take these animals from event to event, from party to party,” said port moody coun. kyla knowles, who was behind the resolution.
port moody coun. kyla knowles with her cat frank at her home in port moody on sept. 22.
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knowles said the issue came to the city’s attention through public complaints about an operator who regularly made presentations at the city’s golden spike days.
“this particular operator had exotic lizards, turtles and snakes. people and kids would line up and take their turns holding them, posing with them. it just seemed cruel to watch these animals being handed from one child to another,” said knowles after observing the operator at an event.
“the resolution is about oversight and regulation. the problem is that there are independent, private, for-profit operators in this space, and we have no idea how they are being operated,” said knowles.
in february, port moody voted to ban mobile petting zoos altogether, citing similar concerns.
in a submission in support of the ubcm resolution, the vancouver humane society cited a number of animal welfare concerns associated with mobile live petting zoos including public handling of animals and the disruption of normal behaviour, leading to chronic stress and compromised health.
“we don’t know how many of these groups there are, that’s part of the problem,” said emily pickett, campaign director of the society. “there are currently no minimum standards for how the animals are being kept and treated.”
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pickett also said there are public health risks associated with the spread of zoonotic disease — the spread of infectious diseases carried by animals to humans.
hopcraft said there is a need for organizations like his, and that the animals in his care, in a 4,000-square-foot enclosure in langley, aren’t mistreated.
hopcraft said he doesn’t import exotic animals, and that all are rescues, dropped off when their owners can no longer care for them. without the opportunity to run his mobile petting zoo and book showings, he won’t have the income to feed and house them.
“i took in nine new animals last weekend,” said hopcraft, who added that he has tried to combat misinformation about what his group does but wasn’t allowed to make a presentation to port moody city council.
“we are the rescue, we are where they go when people can’t care for them anymore,” said hopcraft.
mike hopcraft and daughter raina feeding bananas to sulcata tortoises at their enclosure in langley.
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hopcraft said that the hands-on presentations he does are important for educational purposes, and that schools love his presentations.
the humane society questions the educational value of such presentations.
“there are ways to educate and inform the public without transporting them and putting them on display through non-invasive tours and sanctuaries,” said pickett.
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