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Old October 26th, 2014, 09:23 AM
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Saskatchewan couple fights to keep pet raccoon

Pretty interesting case. The love pet owners have for their pets often defies the types of pets the municipality allows.

Opinions?

http://o.canada.com/news/saskatchewa...ep-pet-raccoon
(Video can be seen from the above link)

Here's the text:

Saskatchewan couple fights to keep pet raccoon

By Andrea Hill, The StarPhoenix

A Saskatoon woman and her pet raccoon have fled the city to escape municipal bylaws that outlaw ownership of the mischievous, bandit-faced animals.

Wendy Hook, who moved to Saskatoon with her husband this spring, said she was trying to be a law-abiding citizen when she went to City Hall last week to get an exotic pet license for her beloved raccoon, Dennis. When she was told it was illegal to keep Dennis in her house, she “panicked” and moved in with friends outside city limits to avoid the possibility of bylaw enforcement officers taking her pet away.

“I’m willing to stay away with Dennis as long as I have to, to hopefully get the city to turn around on this. If they won’t, we really don’t have any other option but to move,” Hook said Thursday from her City Park apartment, where she had brought Dennis for a visit.

Provincial legislation allows Saskatchewan residents to keep raccoons as pets, but raccoon ownership is forbidden within Saskatoon city limits because the ring-tailed mammals are classified as “prohibited” under the municipal animal control bylaw.

Hook said she hopes the city makes an exception for Dennis and is exploring the possibility of getting him involved in an educational program, which she believes could make him eligible for a special permit.

If the city won’t budge, Hook said she and her husband are prepared to abandon city life to remain united with their 30-pound raccoon, who could live for up to 20 years.

“We would do whatever we needed to do to make life easier for Dennis,” she said.

Dennis came into Hook’s life 17 months ago, when she and her husband were living in southeastern Saskatchewan. Her landlord at the time had discovered two baby raccoons on the floor of her barn, and asked Hook if she wanted them.

“Well, of course I did,” Hook recalled.

One of the raccoons died within a few hours, but Dennis “just kept growing and growing and growing,” she said.

It was like having a baby — Dennis needed to be fed with an eye dropper every couple of hours for the first few months, and Hook eventually weaned him onto a baby bottle. As he grew older, she trained him to use a litter box and respond to his name.

“He is like nothing we’ve ever had,” Hook said. “He’s a little bit of canine behaviour, a little bit of feline. He’s just as happy to have a chew toy as he is a feather.”

A self-professed animal lover who’s previously had dogs, cats, gerbils, rats and snakes, Hook said Dennis has been more like a companion than any of her previous pets.

“He will sit on my lap and I will talk to him, and I talk to him a lot. I’ve never had an animal that paid attention. He will make eye contact and he will keep it,” she said. “When either one of us are sick and in bed, he will come and he will just lay with us and cuddle. It’s like he knows when we’re not feeling well or when you’re sad or you’re frustrated. He’ll come and give you a little lick.”

Dennis sleeps on Hook’s bed, eats from her hands and likes pulling items out of her pockets. He eats dry dog food, wears a collar and likes going for walks, though he often shuffles between Hook’s feet. She said Dennis will nip affectionately when he’s hungry or tired, but is never aggressive.

“He’s so not what you would expect,” she said. “Most people imagine a snarling little ball of fur that will wreck your house in a heartbeat, whereas this little guy, the last place that we lived we got 100 per cent of our damage deposit back. He’s awesome.”

Hook said Dennis is fully vaccinated and better behaved than many pets she’s encountered. She also said he’s a big hit with almost everyone who meets him.

“Dennis has stopped traffic. People have literally stopped their cars and taken pictures,” she said with a laugh.

John Moran, manager of the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo, said if bylaw enforcement officers spot an illegal pet or receive complaints about one, the owner could be required to surrender it to an animal control agency. He added that raccoons can transmit diseases and parasites to humans and that, quite frankly, “wild animals don’t make good pets.”

Hook adamantly disagrees.

“The thrill hasn’t worn off for me yet. Every day that we get up, we’re still amazed that we have a raccoon, we have a raccoon for a pet,” she said. “I’ve never had such an affectionate pet before.”

ahill@thestarphoenix.com

Twitter.com/MsAndreaHill
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  #2  
Old October 26th, 2014, 11:41 AM
Barkingdog Barkingdog is offline
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I see no reasons for the city to made any exception for the raccoon. Now if it was a 'service' raccoon and told the woman when the phone ring etc I can see an exception being made. If the city did this for one people they'll have to do for other people. I feel the woman is being very unreasonable and wasting people time. She can just move to where her pet is allowed .
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Old October 26th, 2014, 12:37 PM
lindapalm lindapalm is offline
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I had raccoons when I was younger, they do make the funniest pets. One used to live in a dog house, and often would follow my collie out in the woods. They would spend hours out there, and late afternoon the collie would come back with the raccoon following not far behind. He would also spend hours in our xmas trees out back, and when I would call him he would come. My mother used to get so mad because I would let him in the house, and he would wash his hands in the toilet and leave tracks everywhere. He loved to climb her drapes. When they got old enough to mate I no longer tried to confine them, and they went into the woods to live.
I bet the woman is now sorry she tried to get a license.
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Old October 27th, 2014, 06:55 AM
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marko marko is offline
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Quote:
I see no reasons for the city to made any exception for the raccoon. Now if it was a 'service' raccoon and told the woman when the phone ring etc I can see an exception being made. If the city did this for one people they'll have to do for other people. I feel the woman is being very unreasonable and wasting people time. She can just move to where her pet is allowed .
I dunno BD, human with big heart saves wild racoon and rears it like a normal pet. Pet and human bond deeply. City wants to take away pet. Why is the WOMAN being very unreasonable? Surely you can understand her devotion to her pet. They love each other it seems. She is willing to move if she has to; Personally, she seems like a great pet owner to me and I'd like to give her 3 hi fives right here right now

I do agree that certain animals make bad pets and pose a risk to society - I don't feel this is necessarily the case here and personally I hope the city does make an exception. (So long as the owner is keenly aware of her responsibilities as a pet owner...seems to me like she is.)
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Old October 27th, 2014, 11:02 AM
Barkingdog Barkingdog is offline
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Originally Posted by marko View Post
I dunno BD, human with big heart saves wild racoon and rears it like a normal pet. Pet and human bond deeply. City wants to take away pet. Why is the WOMAN being very unreasonable? Surely you can understand her devotion to her pet. They love each other it seems. She is willing to move if she has to; Personally, she seems like a great pet owner to me and I'd like to give her 3 hi fives right here right now

I do agree that certain animals make bad pets and pose a risk to society - I don't feel this is necessarily the case here and personally I hope the city does make an exception. (So long as the owner is keenly aware of her responsibilities as a pet owner...seems to me like she is.)


"I’m willing to stay away with Dennis as long as I have to, to hopefully get the city to turn around on this. If they won’t, we really don’t have any other option but to move,” Hook said Thursday from her City Park apartment, where she had brought Dennis for a visit."

She want the city to allow her to keep her pet raccoon , and change the law just for her . I personally feel raccoon should not be pets , it's not fair for them . I am sure the city has more importance things to do than deal with an illegal pet. If the city does made an exception for this woman the city will be having more people wanting the same thing. Being a good pet owner has nothing to do with this. That would not hold up in court.
The city can't made an exception for just one person . The woman should try to get a license as a wildlife expert and care for wild animals that are hurt. Then she will be able to have wild animals in her house . I know guy that does this , he is the only person besides the ACO that can care for
injured wildlife . Can you just see how many people that will be crying that they want a pet raccoon too to the city.
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Old October 27th, 2014, 12:29 PM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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It sounds like she had the raccoon before moving to the city. Many of the municipalities around here with animal ordinances (like max number of dogs and/or cats) will make an exception for people moving into their jurisdictions who are out of compliance--so someone with 4 dogs might be allowed to keep them after moving into a municipality that, for instance, has a 2 dog limit. The stipulation is that in future, they are only allowed to keep the number at two after the 'extra' dogs have died. Since Dennis was with her before she moved there, and she was trying to be a good citizen and get him licensed, I hope they make an exception, too.

I do think that people should be more conscientious about checking existing by-laws before they move into an area, though.
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Old October 27th, 2014, 01:10 PM
Barkingdog Barkingdog is offline
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Originally Posted by hazelrunpack View Post
It sounds like she had the raccoon before moving to the city. Many of the municipalities around here with animal ordinances (like max number of dogs and/or cats) will make an exception for people moving into their jurisdictions who are out of compliance--so someone with 4 dogs might be allowed to keep them after moving into a municipality that, for instance, has a 2 dog limit. The stipulation is that in future, they are only allowed to keep the number at two after the 'extra' dogs have died. Since Dennis was with her before she moved there, and she was trying to be a good citizen and get him licensed, I hope they make an exception, too.

I do think that people should be more conscientious about checking existing by-laws before they move into an area, though.
That would not happen in my city , if a pet is illegal no exceptions made and I am find with it. What if that raccoon escape and killed some cat , raccoon do eat cats. I rescues a cat that had it back bitten off by a raccoon . I was able to see the cat bones.
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Old October 27th, 2014, 06:11 PM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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Cats shouldn't be roaming free, either.

Municipalities value new residents enough that they often will make exceptions for newcomers who are in violation of city laws, but who were legal before they moved there. I doubt the raccoon is going to be allowed to roam freely, anyway. He sounds like a house pet.
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