Reptile enthusiast looks to open exotic pet store in Timmins

Robert Boucher says his dream of opening an exotic pet store has taken him on a wild journey.

It started with picking up a pet reptile during the pandemic. And then two more -- and then diving into the business side, once he noticed that demand and prices were soaring.

"Bearded dragons used to be $80, now they're almost $300,” said Boucher, who calls himself ‘Reptile Rob.’

“Not many people are breeding them and they weren't expecting a huge influx of people stuck at home, going, 'Gee, I wish I had a little buddy to pet.' Someone that doesn’t need 24/7 attention.”

On a mission to open his own store, Boucher said he found resistance from commercial landlords. He said they consider pet stores to be high-maintenance and risky.

Out of other options, Boucher purchased a residential studio that used to be a commercial space in hopes of rezoning it to open a retail store.

He filled it with the contents of a closed-down pet store that he purchased last year.

Rescuing rejected reptiles

That’s when Boucher’s journey got bizarre.

He said the defunct store had several animals that were malnourished, injured and seemingly abandoned.

“The condition of the store was very questionable, the condition of the reptiles was questionable,” Boucher said.

“I just didn’t know how bad some of them were when we got them.”

Spending weeks helping them recover, he said many of the animals were able to regain much of their health and be sold through his website.

One lizard had metabolic bone disease, he said, due to its subpar living conditions. Its legs are deformed and may never fully recover, he said.

"He’s honestly the sweetest lizard you could ever imagine,” Boucher said.

“It was just surprising that someone left him to get that bad."

Robert Boucher says his dream of opening an exotic pet store has taken him on a wild journey. It started with picking up a pet reptile during the pandemic. And then two more -- and then diving into the business side, once he noticed that demand and prices were soaring. (Sergio Arangio/CTV News)

Animal welfare concerns

These scenarios are part of what prompts backlash from animal activists.

World Animal Protection Canada’s position is that people shouldn't own any exotic pets, including reptiles.

Even where it's legal to own them, which depends on the municipality, the organization told CTV that people typically don't put in the money and research necessary to properly care for them.

"We’ve seen, no matter how hard people try, that they aren't able to meet the needs of these animals,” said the group’s wildlife campaign manager, Michele Hamers.

“Reptiles haven't evolved to live in captivity … we often don't understand exactly what their needs are."

Hamers said this often leads to premature death, diseases the animals wouldn't otherwise get in the wild -- or even abandonment. That could mean surrendering exotic animals to shelters or rescue centres that are not equipped to handle them or releasing them into the local environment, which they’re not built for.

As well, Hamers said pet stores often don't take proper care of them, either. Many don’t have the equipment and supplies to simulate a natural environment for them, she said.

Robert Boucher says his dream of opening an exotic pet store has taken him on a wild journey. It started with picking up a pet reptile during the pandemic. And then two more -- and then diving into the business side, once he noticed that demand and prices were soaring. (Sergio Arangio/CTV News)

Promising a healthy environment

Boucher said he's also been troubled by how other pet stores handle reptiles, amphibians and fish.

His goal is to give the animals he sells everything they need to live well and make sure their future owners are prepared for the responsibility.

"They need UVC (light), they need heat lamps, they need fixed temperatures … it's not something you can just pass up on,” Boucher said.

That’s why he makes sure his animals have ample space -- and even lets the larger ones roam around.

He has been posting videos as Reptile Rob on YouTube, showing off his animals' antics and his journey to open his own store.

It would be the next step in a lifelong hobby, he said, stemming from his childhood.

"I’ve always been into reptiles, spiders, snakes. I never had a fear of pretty much anything and it drove my mother insane,” Boucher said with a chuckle.

“She would come in the house and there was a giant spider in my aquarium and she's like, 'I've never seen anything like that!'

“And then two days later, she’s like, ‘where is it?’ I’m like, ‘oh, I guess it’s gone.’ Yeah, that’s the life she had to live.”