Ashley Beasley’s pet turtle, Fred, inspired her five years ago. Her friend gave it to her because she didn’t know how to take care of it.
Beasley, a 29-year-old UF wildlife ecology and conservation senior, wanted a system where owners could surrender their unwanted, exotic animals to adopters rather than release them back into the wild, which is a common practice.
She wanted a system similar to the way she adopted Fred.
With the help of her professor, Steve Johnson, she brought Exotic Pet Amnesty Day to UF.
The day, sponsored by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, allows students or residents to give away their unwanted animals with no need to show permits or answer questions.
At the end of the day, adopters could take home these animals.
On Tuesday, three turtles, two snakes, a lizard and a prairie dog were surrendered. All animals were adopted and six people went home petless.
The pets were surrendered on the Reitz Union Colonnade and at the Straughn Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Professional Development Center, off Southwest 16th Avenue.
“[Owners] don’t do enough research ahead of time. They buy an animal that’s cute … and they don’t realize that these animals over time are going to grow much larger,” said Johnson, an associate professor in the wildlife ecology and conservation department.
Johnson said he hopes to make the amnesty day an annual event.
Sean McKnight, 19, a UF wildlife ecology and conservation freshman, holds his 16-year-old blue tongued skink, Jett, during the UF Exotic Pet Amnesty Day on the Reitz Union Colonnade on Tuesday.
