Nearly 90 animals, including snakes, seized from Edmonton home

The city says it has seized nearly 90 animals in distress from an Edmonton home, including 83 snakes.

Nearly 90 animals have been seized from a home in Edmonton, the city says.

Eighty-three snakes, one leopard gecko, one tarantula and two cats were collected in the seizure.

The city says 80 per cent of the snakes were determined to be emaciated and in poor health, with the majority requiring medical treatment.

They were also dehydrated and a few were found to have respiratory and bacterial diseases.

“The conditions of the animals were deeply concerning,” Sgt. Emma Fillion of the Animal Protection Act Unit said in a news release.

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“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.”

“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,” Jonghwan Rhee of ACCC said.

“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.”

The city says most animals brought to ACCC are connected with animal rescue organizations to help them find homes after they have recovered.

A portion of pet licensing fee revenue is used to subsidize the cost of rescuing and treating neglected and abandoned animals.

The city says there has been a rise in complaints concerning abandoned and neglected animals in recent years.

Last year, officials investigated 1,920 complaints and conducted more than 2,500 follow-up investigations.

To report an animal in distress, contact 311 and an ACCC peace officer will investigate.