Thanks,
Sam
Hi, does anybody know where I can buy a Pygmy Hedgehog in Switzerland? Preferably the french speaking part, near Lausanne.
Is that Atelerix albiventris ( Weissbauchigel in German)?
If so, I believe they are protected. But that's only what I found googling around - for concrete information, ask the BVet.
Assuming their website is up to date, Tierhilfe Ostschweiz are looking for a home for a male:
http://www.tierhilfe-ostschweiz.ch/i...not/index.html
But a permit is required to keep this little guy, and you would have to pass muster with the Veterinäramt before taking him on.
In any event, the contact given on the Tierhilfe Ostschweiz site would probably be a good place to inquire about regulations.
In case anyone else thought this was a trick question, check out these litlle buggers. Cute as a button.
But I fear the demand might encourage some irresponsible breeding methods. I`d be surprised if you found any in Switzerland. They only recently made it to England.
Snap. We`re like a coupla busses....
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh too cute!
No chance of me ever having one. My dog will have it for lunch in a second.
They became popular in England roughly a year and a half ago. I was on a waiting list to get one then, but moved to Switzerland and had to remove myself from the list. They aren't as popular here as they are in the UK, but there are some small select breeders, and exhibits throughout switzerland where you can buy them directly off the breeder. This is the information I got from my boyfriend's dad's work colleague who spoke to a breeder a few hours ago. Just need to find out where and when the exhibits take place so I can go along. They are incredibly cute animals!
Thank you for the link but I don't speak a word of German!
Please be careful, and do a lot of research, ask questions, and investigate breeders, and pet store as to where their pets come from, how they are handled, and the like. I would hate for these cute little guys to become the next "pocket pet" fad, that are grossly overbred, and then treated like inanimate objects while being shipped around the globe. Check out PETA.com for lists of breeders NOT to buy from! Not sure they have an international list, but I hope so! Just keep yourself informed! Adopt if possible, and always always make sure you have the room, time and resources for a pet of any kind, and be sure to know where they are coming from!
The little hedgehog in the link has been rescued from a market, where a lady reported the stall holders to the police as these animals are protected here and you can`t have one without having a license. Now the animal shelter is looking for someone with the appropriate license, to adopt him.
we have a resident hedgehog in our backyard.. but he is so not for sale.
Again, just googling around, cause you've piqued my curiosity...
Here's a Swiss breeder:
http://homepage.hispeed.ch/Weissbauchigel/index.htm
(Yes, I know it is in German, sorry, couldn't find anything in French - try running it through a translator.)
As of Sept 08 a permit is required to keep a pygmy hedgehog, so the first thing you need to do is to contact the Veterinäramt of your canton to inquire about what you need to do to be granted one. A breeder cannot sell you an African pygmy hedgehog if you do not have that permit. Nor can a shelter allow you to adopt one without the permit in hand.
Pay special attention to the terrarium requirements: minimum 2 square meters for one hedgehog, another 1 square meter for each additional animal.
---
But do try to contact the Tierhilfe Ostschweiz - I'd always rather seen a homeless critter find a good home, especially when there is the issue of fashion pets/protected species. Write in English or French and see what happens. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Wish the states had more regulations such as this. Then maybe we wouldn't have all the problems I stated in my post before! Oh no! I am finally Swiss, I have found an appreciation for their strict law and the little old ladies that help enforce them!
And one more contact:
See:
http://www.stacheltiere.ch/kinderstu...ets/index.html
This is a Swiss breeder who, according to the website, has no plans for litters in the near future because with the law requiring permits there have been many Pygmy Hedgehogs given up by their owners. S/he may know of hedgehogs in need of homes. And s/he invites those interested to contact him/her anyway for advise or to be put on a waiting list.
(Kudos to this breeder for taking a responsible, ethical approach... probably a good contact for you.)
German again I'm afraid, but contact him/her in whichever language you feel comfortable, and see what happens.
Sorry, but you did not quite get it right (and I must add that the text is written not too well but rather confusing):
1. They have some "Weissbauchigel" there and are looking for a new home. Like most exotic animals, you need a license for them, so somebody "official" will come to your place and have a look if you can provide a decent home for them. I think this is a very good thing although it is probably connected to some outrageous price...
2. The market part was on some domestic hedgehogs, the bigger brown ones. They are protected wild animals and you are not allowed to collect them and have them as a pet. According to the article, they are used by some ruthless people to train fighting dogs. I have no idea how and I honestly do not want to imagine it. They wrote it there to make people aware of the issue and ask them to call the polce whenever you see wild hedgehogs on a market.
Cheers, especially the bit about them coming around to check out your place.
"Sie sollten dazu "verwendet" werden "entsprechende" Hunde scharf zu machen!"... totally confused me, to be honest I didn`t understand how the little guy could make dogs horny.