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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

FYI: In a nutshill: A little warmth, please, for cold-blooded critters

By: Tombits...

Posted: 10/31/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

"I don't like spiders and snakes and that ain't what it takes to love me," are the words from Jim Stafford's song of some years ago. It is a sentiment held by many people, and understandably so. Most of us don't like spiders and snakes.

Oddly, though, a few of us do, and it occasionally creates conflict between those who would constrict boas and other snakes from living in civilized surroundings, such as the Rural Municipality of Stuartburn, and the asp kissers, such as the ancient Cleopatra, and modern snake huggers, such as Hanna and Dustin Bergstrom, who recently moved to Vita, bringing with them a menagerie of snakes that most of the RM's population appear not to like.

The RM is seeking to ban the reptiles by passing a bylaw prohibiting residents from owning dangerous snakes. The Bergstroms are upset. "This isn't right," said Mr. Bergstrom. "If I have to get rid of my snakes I'll move away," which would be just fine with the 300 people who signed a petition suggesting that the couple do one or the other.

But this isn't about liking spiders and snakes or not liking them. It's about the right of people to keep pets. We don't -- most of us -- have a problem with people keeping dogs or cats or canaries. More exotic pets, such as snakes, spiders, lions, leopards and alligators, however, do raise some legitimate concerns and certainly need tight licensing and close regulation. The fact of matter is, though, that far more people are savaged by dogs, scratched by cats and indignified by incontinent canaries in a month than are injured by exotic pets in a decade. The RM of Stuartburn should try to warm up to our cold-blooded brethren.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 31, 2009 H2

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