Question:
CALGARY (CP) - The discovery of three dozen rats in a Calgary neighbourhood last month has led to Albertans tattling on neighbours who are harbouring the rodents.
Residents and animal control officers trapped and killed a nest of 37 Norway rats in mid-September that threatened Alberta's fabled rat-free status. But John Bourne, an Alberta Agriculture vertebrate pest specialist, said publicity has actually helped the province's Rat Patrol.
"People are turning in those who are illegally keeping animals," he said Tuesday. "I don't want to call them criminals, but those people are violating provincial statutes and it's incumbent on anybody to do that (inform) whether it's your neighbour or not."
He said his department has received anonymous tips from the public about five cases where people were keeping rats illegally throughout the province.
In one instance, an individual in Edmonton was keeping rats as pets while the other cases are still under investigation, Bourne said.
"We knew there are people who are keeping illegal animals," he said.
"There's always an element in society that feels it's in their best interest to violate provincial laws and the laws of the country to satisfy their own personal agendas so it doesn't come as a surprise."
Keeping rats in Alberta can result in a fine of up to $5,000 or 60 days in jail.
On a more positive note, Bourne said for the first time since 1951, no rats were found in the 24-kilometre wide rat control zone running along the Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary.
© The Canadian Press, 2004
http://www.mytelus.com/news/article....icleID=1736147


Answer:
How terrible. Why the prejudice against rats? How many people on here are cringing every time there's a knock at the door? It is not illegal to keep ANYTHING in Alabama- unless it is on the endangered list. Some cities make their own restrictions, but if an owner wants to fight it, they will usually win. I remember a news item a few months back- a family in Homewood- a suburb of Birmingham- fought and won the right to keep their pet lynx. They walk it on a leash like a dog.


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yikes? I didnt know rats were illegal in alberta? but now that i think about it, didnt we talk about this not to long ago!!


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Yes, they are illegal in Alberta, it may have been discussed here before. I believe them being illegal has something to do with grains growing there. I read it somewhere years ago


Answer:
Yeah it was discussed here recently. I think firefox2 is right about it having something to do with crops. I remember looking it up online after it was discussed here, and I'm pretty sure it was because rats were destroying crops, so now they're banned.


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Oh god. You know, I can understand how Alberta wants to eradicate the rat population to protect their grain and crops, but...that nest of rats they found, do you know how they killed them? They beat them to death. Yes, they took shovels and brooms and bashed them to a pulp. Aren't they the brave hunters, now, saving civilization from the big, beastly destructive fancy rats!?
There are several articles about it:
http://ircspy.com/comments.asp?mode=view&id=1802
http://fumbling.com/blog/sept04.html
Here's a snippet:
He hit one with a broom. Another neighbour smacked some with a shovel. Then a group of residents got together and killed 24 in all.
In the first link, people are recognizing that the rats they beat to death were not wild, but rather domesticated rats that had been let outside.
I don't care if it's a PET or a PEST -- no animal deserves to be beaten to death!!
They don't seem to realize that pet rats cannot live outside. They couldn't survive an Albertan winter. Their numbers could not multiply because they would all die
So here's a load of so-called civilized men, beating poor defenceless animals to death with brooms, shovels...anything they can get their hands on. But then, these men have been fed a load of ****e by the government for so many years...rats eat babies...rats carry the plague...rats will rip out your throat....oh god, I lose patience with it all
What Alberta needs is a group of people to stand up and say 'you will NOT beat these poor animals to death, whether they're pets or pests!!!!' Either that, or take the shovels and brooms to the stupid humans doing the beating
OMG!!!! LOOK!!!!! TWO RATS!!!!!! GET THE SHOVEL!!!!! I'm surprised Avril and Iona didn't go for my throat as I took this photo...


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That's horrible!


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EEEEEIIIIIIIGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! OMG, IT'S ANOTHER RAT!!!!!!
LOOK AT THE DEADLY GLOWING EYES!!!!! OH, WILL SOMEONE SAVE ME!!!! PLEASE!!! SAVE ME FROM THE MERCILESS CUTENESS!!!!!!!!
...okay, I'll shut up now...


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You're still my hero, Banshee.