FWC offers amnesty to exotic pet owners even if the pets are illegal

Tallahassee, Fla. — Aiming to stop the release of exotic pets into the wild, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced a program that allows Floridians with exotic animals, both legal and illegal, amnesty if they turn their pet over to officials.

FWC has set up  an Exotic Species hotline at 888-Ive-Got-1 (888-483-4681) where  residents will  be connected with organizations who can properly care for animals that have become too tough or expensive to take care of.
The goal is to try to keep non-native species from invading Florida's ecosystem.

For example,  Burmese pythons, have become well-established in certain portions of the state and have few to no natural predators.

In addition to the hotline, FWC also hosts several pet amnesty events throughout the state.

FWC is also looking for volunteers who are capable of accepting exotic pets into their care.

You must complete an application to be considered for the program.