Proposal Loosened For Boas Planned Ordinance Exempts Some Snakes From ‘Dangerous’ List

Under pressure from snake lovers, Spokane County officials erased snakes that squeeze their prey from the list of animals regulated under a proposed exotic animal ordinance.

But while the regulations would not apply to boas, the list still includes venomous snakes, crocodiles and some other reptiles. Wolves, bears, and cougars and other wild cats also are included under the definition “inherently dangerous.”

County commissioners plan a hearing this fall to discuss the ordinance, which they received Thursday from animal control Director Nancy Sattin.

If passed, the ordinance would require exotic pet owners to carry $50,000 in insurance coverage and meet strict housing and care requirements. Annual licenses would cost $50 for each reptile; $100 for each mammal.

Traveling animal displays and circuses would be exempt from the licensing and housing requirements, but would have to follow regulations for animal care.

Sattin said she made several changes based on comments she received from animal owners. Boas were removed because experts said they pose little threat outside their owners’ homes, she said.

“Those snakes need like 85 degrees to live,” she said. “If they get loose, they’re not going to survive.”

Sattin began drafting the ordinance in November, when a pet cougar escaped in the Spokane Valley. The same cougar was euthanized in April, after it bit a child who stuck his hand in the animal’s pen.

The cougar’s owners since have replaced it with another cougar.

Although it regulates dogs and cats, the county has never placed restrictions on exotic animals. There is no federally approved rabies vaccination for wild species.

The ordinance would not apply in Spokane and other cities and towns in the county.

, DataTimes