87 animals rescued from Edmonton home, with majority in poor health

Edmonton’s animal protection services say they recently rescued 87 animals from a home.

On Aug. 20, the City of Edmonton’s Animal Protection Act Unit executed a search warrant at a home in Edmonton where they seized 83 snakes, one leopard gecko, one tarantula and two cats.

It is believed that over 80 per cent of the snakes were emaciated and in poor health. Most of them required medical treatment after being seized.

Additionally, a lot of the snakes were dehydrated and a few had respiratory and bacterial diseases.

“The conditions of the animals were deeply concerning,” said Emma Fillion, a sargeant with the Animal Protection Act Unit. “Our teams at the Animal Care and Control Centre (ACCC) are working tirelessly to provide the animals with the care they need, including food, housing and medical treatment.”

Each animal was examined by the ACCC’s medical team before being provided appropriate housing, food and medication.

“While we understand more people have been adopting reptiles as pets, we want to remind owners that exotic pets require specialized care, depending on the species and breed,” said JongHwan Rhee, a superintendent with Animal Control and Animal Protection Peace Officers.

“It is imperative to provide adequately sized housing with ongoing monitoring of temperature, UV requirements and humidity. For exotic pets, understanding their unique diet, specialized veterinary care, and vitamin and mineral supplementation requirements is vital for their welfare.”

An investigation is ongoing, which will determine if charges will be laid under the Animal Protection Act.