(Header Photo from Apopo's HeroRats in action)

In Canada, the Gambian pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus) importation is restricted to a point where for the breeders, it's almost impossible to get one. We want it to be legalized for certified breeder (Ouselves-Everdream Mousery/Rattery-included) to be able to get some.

The basis on which this restriction is made goes on 3 points:

-Diseases.
   (To reduce the risks about these, we are ready to get them checked by veterinarian annually since we too are aware that it may cause a threat to national health) and make sure they are not in contact with indigenous life forms outside a controlled environment

-Fauna/Flora Protection
  (Again) They will be keep in a control environment, containing these risks to a minimum. If there was a concern for them being released and breeding in the wild, all official breeders would need license them and sell them neutered, like with ferrets, which as been proven to solve that issue.

-The Social Stigma
  Sadly, this is a major detriment to the cause of most of rodents in general. We are (Everdream Mousery/Rattery) currently working on a sensitization project to show Canadians of all age the beneficial of mouses and rats as pets. This one project, based on 2years+ of observations and on multiple scientifics reasearches about these, showing that most rats are, in fact, cleaner than the domestic cats, as an example.


Now, for the beneficial points:

-Pet.
  Rats of the Gambian type make as good pets as Norwegian/Domestic rats. If they are well educated (under a good breeder, this is almost never a problem). However, since they are much bigger at adult age, they are easier to keep an eye on. Also, being one of the most intelligent mammals on the planet, they are incredibly easy to domesticate and train.

-Zoo-therapy/Animal Helper.
  It is proven that Zoo-therapy is an effective therapy for multiple psychological abnormalities/trauma. These animals being incredibly socials, it will make the approach from the animal easier than most others. Also, they can be trained to help people with mobility restrictions to get certain items and on hundreds of day-to-day other tasks.

-Medical Researches
  The Gambian pouched rat has one of the best smell in the world. Apopo (https://www.apopo.org/en/) proved that they can smell/detect tuberculosis with an incredible accuracy. If they can be trained to detect tuberculosis, how many diseases can they be trained to detect? Just take a moment to imagine how much this would help the medical researches/diagnosis.

-Drug Detection
  If they can find mines (like Apopo are training them to) and even diseases, it will be child's play for them to look for drugs. Using them just like sniffer dogs at the borders to lookout for anything illegal or in the police forces as an K9 alternative. It would be probably cheaper and as much effective, if not better ; a rat requires $7,300 for nine months of training, wheres a dog costs about $25,000 for training.

-Economical
  Yes, there is a economical profit to do. If the Canadians breeders have access now to Gambian Pouched rats, it will promote alternative pets in general to more usual pets like dogs and cats. And trained, it will make a financial benefits to all the upper points, because it would be cheaper than trained dogs. Yes, it will be owned by private entities, but it will still be cheaper. Just look a trained patrol K9 dog. The cost to train them is incredibly high, and we're not even into the cares for them.

Ultimately, there is so much beneficial points to legalize the Gambian rats imports for breeders than we can't name them all, we merely pointed out the obvious points here. And they have such an immense potential on so many fields, how can we let them not be admissible for the common people here in Canada for points that, if they are carefully taken care of, aren't really problems? Do think of this.

Thank you for reading

Everdream Mousery/Rattery
Jessica Morin                                 Founder Owner
Marc-André Renaud-Palardy         Security Councellor

WHAT WE WANT :

- Import of the Gambian Pouched Rats to be authorized with veterinarians paperwork certifying them being free from diseases.

- Breeding Permit being available to own non-neutered individuals for Registered Breeders. ( Subject to fees )

- License forcing breeders to sell the animal neutered to avoid any environmental issues. ( Subject to Fine to pay if not done )