Latest news with #animalWelfare
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
1.5-metre-long boa constrictor found on the loose in provincial park near Comox, B.C.
Conservation officers successfully wrangled a 1.5-metre-long boa constrictor near Comox on Vancouver Island on Thursday. Officers were alerted to a "potential large snake on the loose" in Miracle Beach Provincial Park, about 150 kilometres northwest of Vancouver, according to a Facebook post from the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (COS). Some trails were temporarily closed, and park visitors were turned away at trail entrances, while officers searched for the snake. Conservation officers are investigating the circumstances of the loose snake. The COS said it does not believe the incident is linked to a boa constrictor that was recently captured in Tofino, B.C. Because of the boa constrictor's length, it is considered to be a "restricted reptile," which means that it cannot be released under any circumstances under the Controlled Alien Species regulation, according to the COS. The boa constrictor is now in the care of the Comox Valley SPCA. Sara Dubois, senior director for animal welfare science at the B.C. SPCA, said the snake appears to be healthy. But cold-blooded reptiles, like boa constrictors raised in captivity, can't survive for long outside in B.C.'s cool climate, which is very unlike their native South America. "They shouldn't be living in the wild of Canada, that's for sure," Dubois said. She said a boa constrictor (which is constrictive but not venomous) could prey on small animals if left in the wild, but it could also fail at hunting due to being raised in captivity. Dubois noted there is a four-day legal impound period that gives the owner an opportunity to find their lost pet, if the animal escaped by accident, before the snake can be put up for adoption. If it's found that the snake was intentionally abandoned, Dubois said, a series of investigations would occur. Dubois noted it's illegal to dump animals, and abandonment falls under animal cruelty legislation. Because the snake is less than three metres long, it doesn't require a permit to own under the Controlled Alien Species Regulation, according to Dubois. But she said the SPCA asks very detailed questions of potential exotic pet adopters. They usually already have an appropriate setup, including veterinary care, and extensive knowledge of these species. "Very few people have the expertise to properly care for them," Dubois said. The SPCA discourages people from buying exotic pets, particularly from pet stores. "Sometimes it seems like it's going to be an easy pet, but these exotic animals have really specialized needs," she said. "They're not an animal you should have as a pet."
CBC
10 hours ago
- General
- CBC
1.5-metre-long boa constrictor found on the loose in provincial park near Comox, B.C.
Conservation officers successfully wrangled a 1.5-metre-long boa constrictor near Comox on Vancouver Island on Thursday. Officers were alerted to a "potential large snake on the loose" in Miracle Beach Provincial Park, about 150 kilometres northwest of Vancouver, according to a Facebook post from the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (COS). Some trails were temporarily closed, and park visitors were turned away at trail entrances, while officers searched for the snake. Conservation officers are investigating the circumstances of the loose snake. The COS said it does not believe the incident is linked to a boa constrictor that was recently captured in Tofino, B.C. Because of the boa constrictor's length, it is considered to be a "restricted reptile," which means that it cannot be released under any circumstances under the Controlled Alien Species regulation, according to the COS. The boa constrictor is now in the care of the Comox Valley SPCA. SPCA discourages buying exotic pets Sara Dubois, senior director for animal welfare science at the B.C. SPCA, said the snake appears to be healthy. But cold-blooded reptiles, like boa constrictors raised in captivity, can't survive for long outside in B.C.'s cool climate, which is very unlike their native South America. "They shouldn't be living in the wild of Canada, that's for sure," Dubois said. She said a boa constrictor (which is constrictive but not venomous) could prey on small animals if left in the wild, but it could also fail at hunting due to being raised in captivity. Dubois noted there is a four-day legal impound period that gives the owner an opportunity to find their lost pet, if the animal escaped by accident, before the snake can be put up for adoption. If it's found that the snake was intentionally abandoned, Dubois said, a series of investigations would occur. Dubois noted it's illegal to dump animals, and abandonment falls under animal cruelty legislation. Because the snake is less than three metres long, it doesn't require a permit to own under the Controlled Alien Species Regulation, according to Dubois. But she said the SPCA asks very detailed questions of potential exotic pet adopters. They usually already have an appropriate setup, including veterinary care, and extensive knowledge of these species. "Very few people have the expertise to properly care for them," Dubois said. The SPCA discourages people from buying exotic pets, particularly from pet stores. "Sometimes it seems like it's going to be an easy pet, but these exotic animals have really specialized needs," she said.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Lansing man begs for help to save his cat, stuck in tree for four days
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — A Lansing man is begging for help to save his cat Mama, who has been stuck in a tree near his Howe Street home for four days. The owner of Mama, Mark Hiar, says his neighbor's dog attacked a woman walking nearby, and while the dog was loose, it chased the cat up a large tree near his home. He says the fire department and Animal Control won't help, and tree service companies are asking him for more than $350 to rescue the cat. Now retired, Hiar says he can not afford the price to save Mama and is worried things may not end well. 'She's probably starving hungry. I sprayed her with the hose a few times so that she'd have some water, but she don't have any food, so. And apparently, cats don't last very long,' Hair said. 'So if nothing can be done, then I guess I'll just have to wait. I'll get up one morning, and she won't be out in the branch. She'll be down here.' Hiar is leaning on help from neighbors during this difficult time, and he is still seeking services to rescue Mama from the tree before time runs out. 6 News has already received a large influx of calls and emails from the community about gathering help for Hiar. If you would like to help rescue Mama, contact 6 News at newstips@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Calamity Jane's Wildlife Rescue in Amboy facing closure after 29 years
Jun. 27—AMBOY — A longtime Amboy wildlife rescuer is fighting to save her home, her animals and the animal rescue she built over almost three decades. Jane Hochstatter has dedicated her life to saving orphaned and injured wildlife in northwest Illinois. But now, the founder of Calamity Jane's Wildlife Rescue is facing homelessness and the closure of the rescue that she has poured her heart and soul into. ExpandAutoplay Image 1 of 16 Jane Hochstatter rescues and raises the raccoons until they are fit to return to the wild. Here she gets affection Thursday, June 26, 2025, from one of her friends. (Alex T. Paschal) Although Calamity Jane's is not a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Hochstatter said it is considered a private rescue licensed by the state. "Interaction with the wildlife is only allowed at my facility," Hochstatter said. "They cannot be out in public for teaching or anything outside my rescue." Hochstatter currently rents a 120-year-old farmhouse in Amboy, where she cares for 45 raccoons, along with her own rescued dogs and cats — several of them disabled. With the property sold in March, Hochstatter must vacate by Sept. 30, leaving her without a place to live or to continue her work. "My raccoons have to be with me until late August, mid-September," Hochstatter said. "I'll try to get them all released back into the timber by Sept. 15, and I have to move out by Sept. 30." Despite the news, Hochstatter expressed gratitude for the support that she has had until now. "As upset as I am to lose my home, I'm very grateful for my landlord allowing me to continue my rescue for the past 10 years here, saving countless lives," Hochstatter said. But without a permanent solution, her work may end for good. "I've got a couple things in the works that I'm going to try to do to help myself, because I live on a fixed income," Hochstatter said. "I do not have the money for a down payment to buy another place to live, and so I'm raising money to get enough for a down payment so I can purchase a small farmhouse." Hochstatter is hoping to raise $25,000 to $30,000 to put in an offer on a modest home — ideally something with about 3 acres and outbuildings for the animals. "The house doesn't need to be big," Hochstatter said. "But I need room for the animals." Hochstatter must now begin the process of packing and preparing to move — while managing congestive heart failure and severe spinal issues. She already has had to turn away more than 60 orphaned animals this year. "I just can't take them because I have to pack up my entire life and start moving," Hochstatter said. If Hochstatter cannot secure a new home, the wildlife currently in her care still will be released into timberland that she has access to — but her personal rescues are another story. "The raccoons will all be released, but my dogs and my cats — pretty much are all rescues, and some of the cats are disabled," Hochstatter said. "That's why I want to purchase a home. I don't want to rent. I'm a grandmother of 12 and a great-grandmother of two, and I really don't want to live under somebody else's roof and have this ever happen again." Hochstatter started Calamity Jane's Wildlife Rescue after a chance encounter 30 years ago, when she rescued two baby raccoons while working on a roofing job. "They were my first two babies, George and Charlie. They started it all," Hochstatter said. Since then, Hochstatter has run the rescue on her own, caring for hundreds of animals a year — from raccoons and squirrels to opossums. She often administers medical care herself using skills learned from fellow rehabbers and an extensive national network. "I am the only rehabber until you get to Rockford," Hochstatter said. "So it's pretty much Princeton to the entire northwest Illinois. Pretty much the area I cover, and it's just too much." Although Hochstatter was diagnosed with congestive heart failure two years ago and told to retire, she refuses to stop. She also has set up a GoFundMe page. "I'm heartbroken and afraid I'll be homeless with my rescues," Hochstatter wrote in a recent message. "I love what I do so much and want to continue my work with these tiny orphaned souls."
CBC
a day ago
- Business
- CBC
Abandoned pets are overwhelming this Montreal shelter — and moving day will make things worse
While the Montreal SPCA says most pet surrenders are due to financial stresses, another factor is no-pet clauses in rental housing, which force many people to make difficult decisions when moving.
