Snake Left in Apartment Turns on Water

On the morning of August 6, 2011, in Calgary, AB, basement tenants Christie and Wade Taylor awoke to the sound of running water in the suite above them, a suite they knew was vacant.  They decided to investigate and found a large snake in the bathtub.

Christie said that when Wade opened the shower curtain the "nine-foot snake jumps out at him.", but of course we all know that snakes cannot jump!

It turns out the snake was a very large Boa Constrictor, measuring 2.5 meters long and requiring six people to lift it.  The snake had been left by his owner who was moving out.  Owner Serena Dobmeier says she was on her way back to collect her pet snake when the problem occured.  The problem being that the snake managed to turn on the water in the bathtub.

You can read the full news story here.

photo - not the Boa in the story.

It is not unusual for people to leave unwanted pets behind when they move out.  Although Serena, in the story above, did say she was coming back for the snake, and not abandoning it, other people do leave their pets in this way - never to return.

The tenant assumes the landlord will find the pet and deal with it by taking it to the animal shelter.  Sadly this does not always happen.  Landlords do not always check vacated apartments right after a tenant has left, as such many landlords have found dead, or dying, pets left by their owners.  You may want to note that animal abandonment in this way is a crime in most areas.

Snakes and large lizards are often left simply because the owner has no idea what to do with them, other pets are left because the owner could not find a place that allows pets, or they simply no longer wanted the pet. 

A boa constrictor could certainly live longer in an empty apartment than most other pets, as they do not need to eat as often, however had this snake turned on hot water it could have burned itself very badly.

Learn what to do if you have an Unwanted Pet or Pet you Cannot Take with You

Will I find an Unhatched Chick in the Eggs from the Store?

Have you ever wondered what are the chances of finding an unhatched, but partially formed chick, are in the eggs you buy from the grocery store?  We sometimes hear "stories" of this happening, but does it really occur?

Chances are what some people think is a growing chick is actually the tiny strands that hold the yolk in place in the center of the egg.  These strands are white and break when the egg is cracked.  They snap back next to the yolk and could look like a tiny growing chick.

Blood spots in eggs are also natural and are not a growing chick.

There are actual reasons why the chances of finding a chick in an egg from the grocery store are zero.  In fact the ONLY way this would happen in grocery store eggs is if somebody intentionally took a fertilized egg and stuck it in with the other eggs as a prank.

In the egg industry chicks are sexed at the age of one day, females have their beaks cut, wings cut, get vaccinated, and get sent off to grow up.  Male chicks are mostly put into a meat grinder.  As such there are no males with the hens that will be laying eggs.  Mature hens lay eggs daily even without a male present.  With no rooster around the eggs are not fertile and cannot grow chicks.

Further more the eggs roll away from the hen instantly and are chilled; as such even if a rooster had been with the hen the egg would never be incubated (warmed) enough for a chick to grow inside.  Before they are put into their cartons, they are screened and any egg with an anomaly is removed, so even if there was a chance of an unhatched chick being in an egg, the screening process would have those eggs culled.

On rare occasion when people claim they find an actual chick in the egg it is usually a prank or a major mistake with "farm fresh" eggs; if somebody was very sloppy in collecting the eggs and took one that had been incubated for at least 10 days.

One of my hens.

Read More to Learn Why Chicken Eggs Won't Hatch

Read How Chicken Eggs are Formed - freaky pictures - be warned

Remember, to buy eggs from happy hens, always pick those sold at the farmer's market where the hens are cage free.

What to do When a Child Brings Home an Animal and Asks to Keep it

Many parents are dumbfounded what they should do when their child brings home an animal and wants to keep it.  This could occur with a stray pet, or a wild animal.  There are laws and restrictions about what you can, and cannot, do.  Knowing the right thing is very important.  Not only are you acting in the best interest of the animal, but the law, and the animals real owner too!

At the Animal Cabin we want to make sure everyone knows what is the right thing to do to help the animal as best you can.

Just because your kids have found a pet and want to keep it does not mean they can.  Even if you are okay with them having a pet there may be legal issues.  That pet had an owner, and that owner is legally entitled to get it back.

As such the first thing you should do when your children bring home a pet they have found is to check it for identification, such as a collar and tags.  You could also go back to where they found it and ask around if anyone knows who the pet belongs to.

Next, phone the local animal shelter or whomever deals with lost and found pets in the area.  This could be an SPCA, humane society, animal control, or sometimes the police or local veterinarian's office.  If you are not sure who to call your local police department will tell you.  Have them check their "Lost Pets" reports and be sure to file a "Found Pet" report.  This simple act protects you from potentially being charged with theft, unless it can be proven your children lured the pet from its yard or took it from a secured place.

You can also take the pet to the veterinarian or animal shelter and have them scan it (free) for a microchip.

Technically you have to wait to see if anyone claims the pet before you can consider it legally yours, this can be 2 or 3 weeks in some places.

Obviously if you have no intention of keeping the pet you should take it to the animal shelter so the owner can claim it.  Until it is legally yours you cannot sell it or give it away.

Never keep a pet unless you are fully prepared to care for it.

 

Read More Here so you Know what to do