Outdoor News Daily

If you have an exotic pet you can’t care for anymore, please don’t just open the front door and set it free. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) offers a solution for you.

In an effort to keep unwanted exotic pets out of Florida’s native ecosystems, the FWC and Miami MetroZoo will host the third Nonnative Pet Amnesty Day Feb. 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the zoo. It’s free and open to the public. You can surrender nonnative animals to the FWC free of charge with no questions asked and no penalties incurred. Staff will accept exotic reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish, mammals and invertebrates, but not domestic pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, etc.).

“Our main purpose is to give pet owners an alternative to releasing nonnative animals into the wild,” said Jenny Tinnell, FWC biologist. “It’s illegal to release a nonnative animal into the wild in Florida, and it could be detrimental for the animal and the environment.”

People can surrender exotic pets they can no longer care for, free of charge, with no questions asked, at this one-day-only event.

“A licensed veterinarian will examine all surrendered pets, and if the pets appear healthy, we will try to place them with willing, qualified adopters,” Tinnell said.

Pet Amnesty Day is also a family event featuring live animals on display, live animal shows and fun activities. Experts will be on hand to talk about proper care of exotic pets, so people who are thinking about purchasing one can learn from credible sources before they buy. The event provides the opportunity for people not only to see exotic animals, but to get up close and even touch them.

Nonnative pet amnesty events help increase awareness of nonnative species prob­lems. People have observed more than 400 nonnative species in Florida, and more than 130 have reproducing populations.

For more information on nonnative species in Florida, visit MyFWC.com/Nonnatives.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.