Florida's Exotic Pet Amnesty Day: Now Seeking Nonnative Wildlife Adopters

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has being doing these exotic pet amnesty days for a couple of years now. It's a good idea really -- people who have exotic pets and can no longer care for them are invited to surrender their pets to the FWC (no cost, no questions) to prevent the release of exotic pets. This has been a big problem in Florida, where the warm climate means that some former exotic pets are thriving, and are not just a little problem. Case in point: Burmese pythons, which have made themselves quite at home in the Everglades. However, it's not just Burmese pythons that find Florida's climate quite agreeable, and Florida has come up with a well-defined (though somewhat convoluted) set of rules and regulations pertaining to non-native species as pets, which is worth a read if you are a Florida resident interested in exotic pets.

But back to the Exotic Pet Amnesty Day. I've wondered where the pets that are surrendered go, and found this today: The FWC is inviting applications from experienced exotic pet owners to adopt surrendered animals. If interested, you must fill out an application form (one for each group of animals you are interested in adopting: amphibians, birds, fish and invertebrates, mammals, lizards, snakes, or turtles and tortoises). In addition, you must either fill out a detailed husbandry sheet for species that don't require permits, or be in possession of a Class III permit for species which require one ("reptiles of concern", venomous reptiles, etc. as outlined in the Florida Rules and Regulations for Nonnative Species and Wildlife Kept as Personal Pets) -- again, for each group of species. Applications must be in by March 15, 2009. If accepted to be an adopter, you must also be present at the Amnesty event in Miami on March 21, 2009. If you are interested, information on the event and links to all the instructions and forms for applicants can be found on the FWC Nonnative Amnesty Day Events page.

Even if you are just interested in exotic pets (and don't want to surrendering or adopt one), this event looks pretty interesting. It is open to the public, with informational displays, live animals on hand, and experts to answer questions. It is billed as a way to learn about being a responsible nonnative pet owner, which starts with never releasing your exotic pets. I absolutely support the promotion of responsible exotic pet ownership, and I think amnesty days such as this are a great way to help combat the problem of non-native invasive species.