Guelph’s current Animal Control Bylaw (Schedule "A") enforces a strict, blanket ban on "any and all venomous reptiles." While originally written to protect the public from genuinely dangerous, medically significant exotic animals (like cobras or vipers), this outdated, fear-based language inadvertently outlaws harmless, docile, 2-foot-long hobby pets—most notably the Western Hognose snake.
The current framework has created a massive legal double standard and an unenforceable reality in our city:
The Honeybee Contradiction: Guelph legally permits residents to keep backyard hives containing thousands of stinging, venomous honeybees. Yet, the city outlaws a single, docile, rear-fanged pet snake kept inside a securely locked indoor terrarium—despite both species possessing a chemically comparable, mild venom that results in nothing more than minor localized swelling.
An Unenforceable System: The current law is widely ignored. Responsible reptile keepers across the region own these small hobby animals behind closed doors without incident, while local commercial operations are granted exemptions. A law that is universally bypassed is a failed policy that does not track or protect anyone.
Our Proposed Solution:
We are calling on the Guelph City Council to modernize Schedule "A" by replacing the fear-based blanket ban with a conditional Tracking Permit System for non-medically significant reptiles.
Under a permit system, responsible hobbyists would:
Formally register their low-risk pets with the City or the Guelph Humane Society.
Provide exact addresses, emergency contact data, and photos of secure enclosures to ensure total municipal tracking and oversight.
Pay a modest licensing fee to help fund local animal control services.
Let’s move Guelph away from unscientific, outdated regulations and adopt a modern, data-driven approach to public safety and animal ownership. Sign this petition to tell the City Council it’s time to modernize the bylaw!