Pleasant Grove shuts a door on snakes, frogs, turtles

PLEASANT GROVE — The Pleasant Grove City Council has rejected a request to allow breeding of nonpoisonous reptiles, amphibians and turtles in the city — including ball pythons, of course.

The decision was made at Tuesday's council meeting after residents brought up health and home value concerns in response to James and Pam Cantrell's application to sell ball pythons on the Internet from their home at 1143 E. 740 South.

"This is wrong in a residential area where you have children," said Lonnette Clark, who has six grandchildren living near the Cantrell residence. "They need to go out to the desert."

An OK to the proposed amendment to city rules would have enabled exotic pet breeders of nondangerous reptiles, amphibians or turtles to apply for conditional-use permits to raise and sell the animals from their homes.

Residents were concerned about a salmonella seeping into groundwater, waste disposal, odors and the possible decrease of home values in the area surrounding the home-based business. They also voiced concern about neighbors having a large number of rodents — what ball pythons are usually fed.

"These are homes," said Pleasant Grove resident Melanie Aird. "I've been working in mortgages for 14 years. I help people buy homes for families. I don't help people buy facilities to raise reptiles."

Council members agreed with residents that a ball python breeding business might not be the best fit in a residential area, especially when people jump to conclusions.

"I know they're not dangerous, but people think they are," said Councilman Mark Atwood.

The issue was postponed after the March 20 meeting during which the council decided the wording of the proposed amendment was too broad.

The updated amendment would have required the owners of the snake-breeding business to verify their accreditation from the National Reptile Improvement Plan as well as veterinarian approval of the facility and care of animals each year prior to receiving a business license, among other detailed requirements that would prevent the spread of salmonella.

Most residents were concerned about the spread of salmonella, despite the fact that the majority of cases are caused by food, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Reptiles such as snakes and turtles are "especially likely" to pass the bacteria to people. People should wash their hands after handling the animals.