An Ontario PetSmart is being called out by a global charity after what they say was the discovery of unnatural living conditions of a snake along with other reptiles.
World Animal Protection is calling for PetSmart to stop selling reptiles and amphibians altogether, citing the "multi-billion-dollar industry" as "cruel" and a risk to public safety in a statement.
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PetSmart has an opportunity to once again show their customers that they care about all animals.
World Animal Protection
Staff from the charity snapped a photo of a Ball python in an Ontario PetSmart and said the space the reptile inhabits was small and unlike its natural environment.
They further explained that Ball pythons should not be in small spaces as it restricts their mobility "and other natural behaviours."
"As a trusted brand, PetSmart has a duty to stop the sale of these animals and to educate their customers that wild animals don't make good pets," Michèle Hamers, wildlife campaign manager for World Animal Protection, said.
According to the press release, selling wild animals can put our biodiversity and ecosystems at risk. It can also endanger public health since reptiles and amphibians are carriers of salmonella. But in the end, it's the overall suffering of the animals they want to address.
Narcity has reached out to PetSmart for comment and will update this piece when we receive a response.