Ball Pythons Dumped to Freeze and Die Deserve Swift Justice

Target: Doug Downey, Attorney General of Ontario, Canada

Goal: Secure the strongest possible animal-cruelty charges and a lifetime animal-ownership ban for whoever abandoned and killed multiple ball pythons.

Hundreds of social-media users were horrified when hikers discovered at least three dead ball pythons near a popular Northern Ontario trail. These snakes, native to the warm climates of West and Central Africa, stood no chance against the region’s cold temperatures. Experts note that exposing these cold-blooded animals to even mild Canadian weather can cause a slow, agonizing death from hypothermia and organ failure.

Witnesses have decried the dumping as an act of blatant cruelty. Local reptile specialists emphasized that if the snakes were alive when discarded, the individuals responsible would have known they were condemning the pets to suffer and die. The snakes’ proximity to a public path also created a potential health risk for people and wildlife who might encounter distressed or deceased exotic animals.

Abandoning any pet is illegal under Ontario’s Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, yet many offenders face minimal consequences. A decisive, hard-hitting prosecution in this case is essential to show that killing animals by neglect will not be tolerated and to deter future acts of abandonment. Sign below to demand that the responsible parties are brought to trial, face the maximum penalties—including jail time and heavy fines—and are barred from owning animals ever again.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Attorney General Downey,

At least three ball pythons were dumped near a Coniston hiking trail and later found dead, likely from exposure. These snakes, accustomed to tropical heat, would have suffered prolonged terror and pain as their bodies shut down in the Northern Ontario climate. Such an act violates Ontario’s animal-cruelty statutes and demonstrates a disturbing disregard for life.

A strong legal response is vital. Too often, offenders who abandon or neglect exotic pets receive lenient sentences, emboldening future cruelty. We urge your office to pursue the harshest charges available, seek meaningful incarceration, impose substantial fines, and request a permanent prohibition on animal ownership for anyone proven responsible.

By securing maximum penalties, the Crown Attorney’s Office can send a clear message that the justice system will safeguard vulnerable animals and punish those who betray their trust so egregiously.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo credit: Giulia Botan