Edmonton's Animal Care and Control Centre hosts menagerie of lost pets

It's not unusual to hear strange animal noises inthe back rooms ofthe Animal Care andControl Centre (ACCC)in Edmonton.

A veritable menagerie of animals has passedthrough the centre over the years.

"Anything from ferrets, to guinea pigs, to birds, parakeets, ducks, goats. We get some random things," said Tanya Laughren, community relations advisor for the centre.

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The centre sees about 7,000 lost animals each year. Although the lion's share are dogs and cats, staff at the centredon't get any ruffled feathers whenuncommon pets come in.

"We've had some pretty fabulous looking roosters that are full vibrant emerald colours. We've had a goat before that went to somebody's barbecue you know as a guest and it escaped out a back fence," said Laughren.

"A lot of people think of us asjust the relocation centre for dogs and cats ... but you never know what we're going to get here."

The centre has also hosted homing pigeons, pigs, snakes, and small turtles.

Most recently, the centre got an overwhelming response to a facebook post asking for help finding the family of an 11-kilogram tortoise named Torty.

Torty apparently escaped her urban backyard about a week ago. A resident found the tortoise walking down the street near the Royal Alexandra Hospital Wednesday afternoonand brought her to ACCC.

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In a Facebook post update, ACCCsaid Torty is now at homethanks to the kindness of the concerned residentwho picked her up.

'Just going on a little stroll'

6 years ago

Duration 1:40

Tortoise discovered wandering the street near the Royal Alexandra Hospital on Wednesday.

Identification can be hard

Laughren said thatanyone wanting to pick up their lost pet must prove ownership.

"We get reptiles, snakes, lizards, all kinds of things that wouldn't necessarily be easy to identify," she said. "We take it very seriously. We don't ever want an animal to go home to the wrong owner. These are family members so lots of cross-checking and cross-referencing."

She also said it can be easier to identify a common domestic animal because they're usuallymicrochipped, but that doesn't always happen with some of the more uncommon pets.

While there are bylaws requiring all dogs and cats over six months to be licensed in the city, Laughren said tortoises and some of the other exotic animals don't need a license.