Charged 'Reptile Guy' denies causing python pain during procedure

Charged 'Reptile Guy' denies any wrongdoing A Mission man charged with animal cruelty says he did nothing wrong when he performed a procedure on a snake without painkillers.

A reptile enthusiast and educator from B.C.'s Fraser Valley is defending himself against allegations that he put a python in distress during a procedure.

Earlier this month, Mike Hopcraft, more commonly known as "The Reptile Guy," was charged with two counts of animal cruelty for allegedly performing a veterinary procedure on a friend's blood python without using sedatives or painkillers.

But Hopcraft was only trying to help the snake, which was suffering from a bowel obstruction, according to the Mission resident's lawyer.

"The python was relieved of a 6-month build up of excrement in its bowel tract (sic), which was surely causing it incredible discomfort," lawyer Jason Tarnow said in a media release.

"Today, the python is alive and well, as confirmed by its happy owners."

Hopcraft is not a licensed veterinarian, but that didn't stop him from taking action in October.

"I do not recommend doing this unless you actually know what you're doing," Hopcraft said in a video of the procedure.

"I have done this many times on snakes."

While handling the snake, he described the procedure as an enema, and said he was using mineral oil and water. The procedure appears to have been done on a coffee table, and Hopcraft did not wear gloves.

He added that he would stop if at any point he felt he was hurting the snake, and that owners should take their pets to a vet if something is wrong.

The SPCA, which investigated the video, said Hopcraft shouldn't have been performing the procedure personally, particularly without any painkillers.

Apart from the cruelty counts, Hopcraft was charged with one count of violating the Veterinarians Act.

According to the SPCA, the way the bowel obstruction procedure was carried out could have killed the snake. Performing the operation without necessary pain control would have caused the reptile suffering and distress, officials said.

But Tarnow claims some vets have told him sedating or giving the snake anesthesia for the procedure could have caused death or injury.

His lawyer noted that the reptile enthusiast has "considerable knowledge and more than 18-years (sic) experience in handling and caring for exotic animals," and that some veterinarians have reached out to express their opinion that the python wasn't harmed.

"Mr. Hopcraft will meet these charges in a court of law and until his trial date he is to be presumed innocent," Tarnow said.

In an interview the day after the statement was issued, Tarnow called the charges "baseless and unfounded," and said the snake was in no discomfort at the time.

"There's a wide range of opinions here. The consensus from the vets who reached out to my office have directly refuted what the SPCA said the proper procedure should have been here," he said.

Tarnow also suggests the person who raised concerns with the SPCA about the video had a previous personal issue with Hopcraft.

The incident wasn't the first time the animal welfare agency and Hopcraft have clashed. In 2015, authorities seized dozens of reptiles that were allegedly in distress from a rescue facility he was operating at the time.

With files from CTV Vancouver's Sheila Scott