Rats in Alberta

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RatsForever

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2007
Messages
1,221
Location
New Brunswick
I just came across this article in the local newspaper - I didn't realize they were that serious about having pet rats (but poor little pet rat they did find).

Animal control officials in Calgary looking for rat's nest in rat-free Alberta

CALGARY - Animal control officers in Calgary are hunting for a nest after a rat carcass was found in an alley behind a home last Friday in a neighbourhood on the city's north side.

Bill Bruce, the head of bylaw services, says they believe the black and white rat was somebody's pet and not a wild rat.

Bruce says it appears that the carcass had been there for some time and was covered up by snow during the winter.

He says they just want to make sure it didn't reproduce.

Bruce says owners of such creatures can face stiff fines if they're convicted of provincial charges for keeping rats.

While Alberta has long boasted that the province is free of the rodents, city officials say they receive calls about seven or eight rat sightings each year.
 
They are rabid about it! someone else started a thread about wanting to lobby to change this, and I had posted a link to an article about it. They have a rigorous border patrol, vets are not allowed to treat pet rats, etc.

But degus are OK!
 
It means they use other creatures for live feeding, usually mice. Or they find an underground network of feeder rat breeders. There is some speculation that this rat may be from an underground feeder breeder. That's what the 2004 "infestation" was, a feeder breeder dumped their stock.

That's what Alberta's heavy fines are targetted at. Back when the law was drafted in 1953, very few people kept rats as genuine pets; there was a problem with feeder breeders and people breeding for blood sports. As long as incidents like the 2004 stock dump happen, Alberta will have no incentive to change the laws. However, efforts like Little Mischief's coordination with Calgary Animal Services to relocate pet rats instead of killing them, are a step in the right direction. With the issue fresh in mind again, I've written to the CAS to express support for this more humane approach. While a long way from ideal, it's a babystep towards change.
 
I watched this report on the news yesterday and it absolutely broke my heart. The rat in question found dead was a black bareback. I found it very graphic when the news report showed a dead wild rat in a trap where his head was stuck. Also they even showed a box full a dead rats. I would say there were at least 20 in there, hoodeds and barebacks. UGH! :cry4:
 
Nickelrat said:
I watched this report on the news yesterday and it absolutely broke my heart. The rat in question found dead was a black bareback. I found it very graphic when the news report showed a dead wild rat in a trap where his head was stuck. Also they even showed a box full a dead rats. I would say there were at least 20 in there, hoodeds and barebacks. UGH! :cry4:
Click to expand...

That is horrible!! :cry4:
 
I finally got a good look at that newscast. It wasn't matching up to what I was seeing in print media, so I did some digging around.

It looks like CTV Edmonton did some media scaremongering, adding some stock footage to the main story, to give some added "zOMG RATS!!! :gaah: " to the story (because one lone half-decomposed fella isn't dramatic enough, donchaknow.) I belieeeeeeeve the box of fancies may have been taken from footage of the 2004 "infestation", in which a feeder breeder dumped their stock outside. This is why we can't have nice things :rant:

From what I've seen actually *confirmed*, what was found was ONE long-dead fancy rat, and CAS are *looking* for possible additional rats, but have NOT, as of yet, found any (let alone a boxful.) I'm keeping as close an eye on this story as I can.
 
Meet Alberta Rose

BC166.16152839-1-x.jpg


Alberta Rose was was brought into the province of Alberta illegally (rats are illegal in Alberta as you know) and the owners ended up voluntarily surrendering her to a shelter in Calgary. The shelter has no choice but to euthanize her if we are unable to secure an out of province place for her to go... So Alberta Rose will fly to us courtesy of WestJet on Friday.

She already has a forever home lined up after qt
 
Alberta Rose is beautiful!! I am so glad you guys made it possible for her to escape from behind the Warfarin Curtain.

This stuff makes me ashamed to admit that I am from Alberta. I wouldn't be able to go back there now, except for a visit.
 
It is safe for rats to fly? I just always thought that due to their rather fragile state (drafts etc) that they couldn't fly! Does that mean if someone moves far away they could take the rats with them?
 
Alberta Rose is adorable! Congratulations on another successful rescue. I've written letters to support actions like this, in hopes to encourage it to continue. I've also made offers to help with driving transport if needed. I strongly feel that it's wrong to put animals to death for the 'sin' of being brought into an unwelcoming province. I also feel strongly that this is the beginning of change.
 
Chel said:
It is safe for rats to fly? I just always thought that due to their rather fragile state (drafts etc) that they couldn't fly! Does that mean if someone moves far away they could take the rats with them?
Click to expand...

I don't like to fly them with major airlines however this is a life or death situation. If she doesn't get out, she will be killed it's as simple as that. It's an at least 10 hour drive from Calgary to Vancouver so it's not like people can jsut drop everything and spend two days on the road.

Animal control also needs special permits to a) transport a rat within Alberta and b) transport a rat out of province. I don't know if the province would give that permit to Joe Smith down the road, I think if animal control has a hard time getting that permit then it'll be even harder for a regular private citizen.

Flying certainly is stressful and things can go wrong but so far so good....

We do fly rats regularly within BC with a private, family owned airline. The rats stay in the office until the last minute, fly in cabin and are the first ones out straight back into the office. I don't trust major airlines though and won't do it unless it is a life or death situation ie we get applications from folks in Ontario or California quite often (heck the other day someone from England applied) but we won't fly them (besides the fact that we like to keep our babies nearby in case they need to come back into rescue)
 
I dunno, I'm not even sure if it's real, I dunno where I got it from, but entymology (or entomology) is the study of insects, which makes no sense so it makes me wonder if it's legit.
The attitude is real there tho isn't it?
 
Yep, from past online news articles, that is some of their attitude. I remember reading once the article and government were encouraging the public to go out with shovels and kill them by hitting them.
 

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