The Government of Alberta has deemed Painted Frogs to be a danger to the population. Captive Painted Frogs carry NO toxins to do any harm. Wild frogs ingest a specific mix of wild insects that carry the ability to potentially make them poisonous. In captivity there is no way to easily recreate the blend required to create a dangerous frog.
Fish and Wildlife has released a letter stating that anyone in possession of Painted Frogs has until April 30th 2015 to move their animals out of province, to a permitted facility (such as a Zoo), or risk seizure and potentially fines.
There are a large number of these animals in Alberta, primarily as pets. Animal owners are being stripped of their legally kept pets, and told to send them out of province. This has been done with:
No grandfathering permits to individuals currently in possession of these frogs
No consultation to local breeders
No consultation to pet stores
No notification to the general public (apart from an update to the list of animals not permitted to own in Alberta)
No consultation with biologists or the scientific community
No consultation to the local permitted facilities (Zoos etc) that will be taking in thousands of animals
57% of Canadian households own one or more pets…..this is not just limited to painted frogs. These changes can be made in the same way with ANY critter….will yours be next?
We are calling on the government to reverse the sudden ban on these amazing creatures. We are also trying to ensure transparent decision making for future law changes of this sort, with the government reaching out to local organizations, biologists, hobbyists, and passionate pet owners prior to sudden flawed decisions on banning pets currently in Alberta.
