Frequently Asked Questions
Do you do birthday parties during your off season?
Yes. We do birthday parties and events year round. Events held in the winter months need to be indoors for the health and safety of our animals.
Do you accept donations?
Definitely. It doesn’t have to be monetary either. Many people bring cages, food, wood, wire, old children’s play structures, cat trees, to name a few.
Do we need vaccine passports?
No. Most of our animals are housed outdoors and we do tours by appointment so you will be with your social circle.
Are we allowed to touch animals?
Most of our animals are friendly enough to be petted, yes, as long as one of our staff is there to allow you access.
Do you sell any animals?
Sometimes there are animals for sale or rehome. Most commonly there are rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, fancy rats, fancy mice.
Occasionally there are chickens, ducks, geese, goats, various reptiles, Patagonian cavies, ferrets and others.
Will you take my /cat/rabbit/lizard/parrot?
We do take in animals that are no longer wanted or cannot be cared for by their owners. Contact us to inquire if you have an animal you would like to re-home. Even if we can’t accommodate you we probably have connections that can.
Does it bite?
If it has TEETH it can bite.
Holding your hand out for a pet dog to sniff before petting it doesn’t really work for exotic animals. Again we cannot stress enough, please wait for a staff member to be with you to say how, when and where to pet.
Can I bring my dog with me to visit?
No.
As much as we love animals there are many reasons why your animal should not come to visit with you.
- It upsets the animals that already live here. They are used to our dogs, they are not used to yours.
- Risk of disease. Your pet may have something that could cause our exotic animals to become sick.
- Your pet, no matter how well behaved, has probably never met half of what we have here. It may become scared or aggressive with all the new sights and smells.
And before you ask, no, you can’t just leave him/her in the car. It’s too hot even with cracked windows unless you leave the vehicle running with AC on.
*** Service dogs are of course welcome. If they are still in training we will direct you to animals that are more easy going and not as nervous so your trainee doesn’t get over stimulated.
Is it okay to take pictures?
Yes of course. If you get some really good ones please, share them with us. We may ask your permission to use them on future calendars or posters!
Does [insert government official here] know that you have these animals?
Everyone who needs to know, knows. We are inspected twice a year by the Provincial Animal Welfare Service P.A.W.S. and we work constantly to upgrade and improve on our animals enclosures as new rules and regs come into being.
As of January 1, 2020, the Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) Act replaced the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) Act.
Is that snake poisonous?
If we are holding it or it is on display in a wire cage it most definitely is NOT venomous.
The words poisonous and venomous are often confused.
Venom is injected. Scorpions, bees, spiders, snakes, etc.
Poison is ingested. Mushrooms, frog skin, toad skin, arsenic, etc.
There is one poisonous snake. The keelback snake eats toads and frogs and exudes poison from it’s skin. It also has a venomous bite.