Kiski Township explores regulations on exotic pets
Kiski Township’s Dominic Hayward dotes on his pet alligators Diamond, Diva, Gisele, Ruby, Rebel, Chevelle, Speckles, Thor, Loki and Reece.
A lover of alligators since he was a child, Hayward, 24, is as passionate about his gators as anyone with more traditional pets such as a German shepherd or labradoodle.
“They are like dogs and cats to me,” Hayward said. “I love them. I take care of them. They are pretty cool animals to have.”
Not everyone sees it that way.
Residents have called the township with concerns about the prospect of exotic pets getting loose, such as one of Hayward’s alligators or one of the purported 100 venomous snakes at another township location, according to Supervisor Chuck Rodnicki and police Sgt. Thomas Dessell.
“You just want to hope these are responsible people that have them securely locked away so they don’t get loose,” Rodnicki said.
Hayward said he agrees there should be some degree of regulation, as long as it’s not too restrictive for responsible owners of exotic pets.
“If you are somebody who has no experience and doesn’t know what you are doing and you panic, that is not good,” Hayward said, adding pet owners need to be educated on caring for their pets.
Animal authorities have checked on the health of Hayward’s alligators and found no violations, according to Kiski Township police.
Heyward said he knows some people don’t treat their exotic pets well, often because he said they don’t know what they’re doing. He said he bought some of his alligators after seeing photos in a Craigslist ad that appeared to show them looking malnourished.
He is critical of people who buy alligators and then release them into the wild because they can’t properly take care of them.
Hayward doesn’t think his alligators pose a danger to the public. He said he keeps them locked up, and they aren’t interested in people anyway.
The township passed an ordinance earlier this year requiring residents with exotic pets to register the animals with the municipality so emergency responders are aware of the animals in case of an emergency call.
“We’re not saying you’re not allowed to have these pets,” Rodnicki said. “We’re not going to confiscate them.”
Kiski Township hasn’t had any issues with escaped exotic pets, but Rodnicki said he is concerned about someone having a high number of venomous snakes and one getting loose.
There have been cases across the region of alligators, presumed to be pets that grew too large and were released by their owners, turning up in local waterways. Elsewhere, a cobra, presumably also a pet, was found and killed in a suburban Philadelphia garden a few years ago.
Rodnicki said the township’s solicitor is exploring whether authorities can limit the number of exotic pets a resident can own.
Other states such as Ohio and West Virginia have regulations in place. In Ohio, the owner of a venomous snake must pay for a license and have insurance and at least two years of experience caring for that snake species.
In Pennsylvania, there are state regulations on owning native wildlife and nonnative mammals, but there isn’t anything governing the number of animals a person can have or prerequisites for owning a potentially dangerous nonnative reptile such as an alligator or venomous snake.
“If you want to own a king cobra, there is no state law that addresses the ownership of exotic animals,” said Mike Parker, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
However, if a resident wants to own a native venomous snake such as a timber rattlesnake or copperhead, the commission will grant one native venomous snake permit a year to a resident with a fishing license.
State Rep. Abby Major, R-Ford City, is exploring regulatory legislation with colleagues and the Fish and Boat Commission, which oversees the welfare of the state’s native reptiles and amphibians.
Previously proposed legislation nearly a decade ago didn’t receive enough support, she said.
In the absence of state legislation, Major said, “A municipality can ban, limit or require permits – they have full authority.”
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