45 reptiles rescued from a house in Cobden
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COBDENThe OSPCA rescued more than 45 exotic reptiles from a home in Cobden Tuesday after they were deemed to be inadequately cared for and living in poor conditions.
The vast array of reptiles ranged from bearded dragons, snakes, lizards and a 5-foot American Alligator.
The SPCA was tipped off after getting a call from a resident concerned about the animals’ welfare, and executed a search warrant.
Officers went to investigate the conditions that the reptiles were living in and found them unfit.
While 45 animals were removed from the residence, the SPCA did leave some of the animals there. However, the owner was given compliance orders to ensure that those animals receive the care they need, and the SPCA will continue to monitor the situation.
“(The reptile removal) was under a veterinarian certificate,” said Alison Cross, the director of marketing and communications for the Ontario SPCA.
“That means that the veterinarian was there looking at the animals, and recommended that the animals were removed.”
Because the SPCA’s investigation is currently ongoing, Cross was unable to discuss any of the specifics of the current removal in order to maintain the integrity of the investigation.
— Christina Van Starkenburg is a Daily Observer multimedia journalist.