Timmins news: Reptile enthusiast looks to open exotic pet store in Timmins

Robert Boucher claims his aspiration of opening an exotic pet keep has taken him on a wild journey.

It begun with buying up a pet reptile during the pandemic. And then two far more — and then diving into the company facet, as soon as he found that desire and costs have been soaring.

“Bearded dragons utilised to be $80, now they are just about $300,” said Boucher, who calls himself ‘Reptile Rob.’

“Not several individuals are breeding them and they weren’t anticipating a huge inflow of people trapped at house, heading, ‘Gee, I would like I had a little buddy to pet.’ Somebody that does not want 24/7 focus.”

On a mission to open his have keep, Boucher mentioned he discovered resistance from industrial landlords. He explained they consider pet outlets to be significant-routine maintenance and risky.

Out of other solutions, Boucher procured a household studio that utilized to be a industrial place in hopes of rezoning it to open up a retail store.

He filled it with the contents of a shut-down pet retailer that he obtained previous year.

Rescuing rejected reptiles

That is when Boucher’s journey obtained bizarre.

He mentioned the defunct store experienced a number of animals that ended up malnourished, wounded and seemingly deserted.

“The issue of the retail outlet was incredibly questionable, the ailment of the reptiles was questionable,” Boucher stated.

“I just didn’t know how negative some of them have been when we acquired them.”

Spending weeks supporting them get well, he mentioned a lot of of the animals had been equipped to regain significantly of their health and fitness and be bought through his site.

A person lizard had metabolic bone disease, he mentioned, because of to its subpar living circumstances. Its legs are deformed and might never ever fully get well, he reported.

“He’s truthfully the sweetest lizard you could ever picture,” Boucher mentioned.

“It was just stunning that someone left him to get that undesirable.”

Robert Boucher says his dream of opening an unique pet retailer has taken him on a wild journey. It started out with selecting up a pet reptile in the course of the pandemic. And then two additional — and then diving into the business aspect, as soon as he noticed that need and price ranges have been soaring. (Sergio Arangio/CTV News)

Animal welfare problems

These situations are component of what prompts backlash from animal activists.

World Animal Protection Canada’s place is that individuals shouldn’t personal any unique pets, which includes reptiles.

Even the place it is authorized to individual them, which depends on the municipality, the firm instructed CTV that men and women normally you should not put in the dollars and exploration needed to properly care for them.

“We have found, no make a difference how really hard people today check out, that they usually are not equipped to fulfill the desires of these animals,” reported the group’s wildlife campaign manager, Michele Hamers.

“Reptiles have not progressed to stay in captivity … we usually never understand specifically what their wants are.”

Hamers stated this usually prospects to premature loss of life, disorders the animals would not if not get in the wild — or even abandonment. That could indicate surrendering unique animals to shelters or rescue centres that are not geared up to manage them or releasing them into the nearby atmosphere, which they’re not developed for.

As well, Hamers said pet stores generally never just take proper treatment of them, either. Lots of really don’t have the equipment and supplies to simulate a purely natural natural environment for them, she stated.

Robert Boucher suggests his aspiration of opening an exotic pet retail store has taken him on a wild journey. It started with selecting up a pet reptile throughout the pandemic. And then two much more — and then diving into the business side, the moment he observed that desire and costs had been soaring. (Sergio Arangio/CTV Information)

Promising a nutritious natural environment

Boucher said he’s also been troubled by how other pet retailers cope with reptiles, amphibians and fish.

His target is to give the animals he sells all the things they want to dwell very well and make certain their long term homeowners are organized for the responsibility.

“They will need UVC (gentle), they have to have heat lamps, they require preset temperatures … it really is not one thing you can just move up on,” Boucher mentioned.

Which is why he helps make certain his animals have ample place — and even allows the more substantial ones roam around.

He has been putting up videos as Reptile Rob on YouTube, displaying off his animals’ antics and his journey to open up his possess retailer.

It would be the following move in a lifelong interest, he claimed, stemming from his childhood.

“I’ve constantly been into reptiles, spiders, snakes. I by no means had a worry of rather substantially something and it drove my mother insane,” Boucher said with a chuckle.

“She would come in the property and there was a huge spider in my aquarium and she’s like, ‘I’ve by no means witnessed everything like that!’

“And then two times later on, she’s like, ‘where is it?’ I’m like, ‘oh, I guess it is long gone.’ Yeah, that is the daily life she had to reside.”