Dog bit wild garter

[dieselbaby]

Even today looking at her tank just leaves an empty sad feeling, knowing it could have been my fault that she went downhill so fast, encouraging the climbing and such on the logs i put in. Hind sight is 20/20 though and i just wanted her to be as happy in her tank as i could make her, short of being in the wild.

I do plan to stay on the forum, and we do plan to get another garter, when i dont know as not many keep them as pets around here and with it turning colder im sure most of the local snakes are headed for hibernation. I will keep my eye out for a friend though. I did have one who enjoyed hiding under the pallets in my grain shed, of course that may have been Sally.

Thank you all again for all your help and encouraging words, and i hope someday i can be as helpful to someone else.

[ConcinusMan]

Even today looking at her tank just leaves an empty sad feeling, knowing it could have been my fault that she went downhill so fast

Why do you say that? was it you who bit the snake? If not then there's no way this was your fault.

[snakehill]

Aren't there any Canadian members that can send a garter to dieselbaby?

[dieselbaby]

No, i didnt bite the snake but it was my dog who did. I would be responsible if she bit a person so why shouldnt i be responsible for her biting this poor snake.. Anyhow, when any of our animals dies i take it pretty hard.

I have been looking for a canadian breeder, no luck as of yet, but will keep looking.

LOL you might laugh at this i know i did afterwards, but i was even trying to make up a little splint out of 3 tongue depressers, and vetwrap. How it was going to stay on i dont know, but i was going to try as long as she had a quality of life.

[dieselbaby]

Not to mention the one vet i found that would even talk to me about snakes, grrrrr im putting in a report tomorrow(cant today as its labor day) ask me why on earth i would try and save a garter snake anyway, and that I should put the snake down, even before i sent pics or anything, and was very rude about the whole thing. Even told me i could be charged for having the snake in my possession since its a wild animal.. well i dont know about that and plan on looking into legalities this afternoon but if i werent so upset about the snake last night i would have let that vet have it(verbally)

[ConcinusMan]

I hear you but technically he's right. Where you are, and even where I am, vets are not to treat wildlife, and citizens are not to do it, or possess them either. Only trained wildlife rehabilitation are supposed to do it. They don't care about snakes though, and would have euthanized it without even trying.

You're basically on your own. Obviously I don't think they're going to come busting down your door with a warrant over it though.

[dieselbaby]

YAY, i was on the border services page for importing reptiles including snakes and found this...

This information is current as of 2011-09-05.

Please be advised that amphibians and reptiles (excluding turtles and tortoises) are no longer regulated under the Health of Animals Regulations (other than Part XII that regulates the transport of all animals). As a result, no Canadian Food Inspection Agency import permit is required, nor a health certificate and no inspection will normally be done at the border. Imports are permitted from any country, for any use, to any destination in Canada.

I am going to call them tomorrow and make sure this is the case. If it is, would anyone on this forum be willing to sell us a female, or baby female?

The best thing since the border can hold up mail for ever, is we would ask that it be shipped to Ryden's border store in grand portage minnesota(they do this all the time) and we would drive across the border and pick the snake up the day its due to arrive, we only like 45 mins from the u.s border.

[ConcinusMan]

You know, I read the same thing. But people keep telling me that is not the case. It was my understanding too, that we folks here in the U.S. could ship garters to Canada without all the red tape. Nothing more required other than international shipping rates.

But I keep hearing otherwise.

[dieselbaby]

Well i will call our office here and if need be i will get something in writing from them. If its law they have no choice at the border to allow them entry. I will do more checking. It may be certain kinds of snakes ie: eastern ribbon snake is a protected species in Ontario.

[dieselbaby]

no one should ship all the way to Canada that poor snake could be held up in customs for a week. UPS can get stuff across pretty quick but i dont know if they handle reptiles or not for cross border stuff, and wouldnt want to chance it. Fastest and easiest way would be to do overnight to the border store in minnesota, then we pick it up there, but i want some clarifications from the border services people, one of which is a nearby neighbor of mine, tried to call him but he isnt home today. Also, i may have to get some kind of permit or permission from our provinsial wildlife people, what they have on their website is very vague and unclear. Of course i want all my ducks in a row before i were to purchase a snake.

I import baby chicks every year from iowa, and all my horses were from minnesota, so i have some import experience, just not with snakes. Our chicks we always pick up at the border store.

I know it would be simpler to just buy from a canadian breeder but i cant seem to find any for garters. milk, corn and pythons sure, but we dont want any of those.