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Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) Jeannette Bastedo and Jason Smith have reported that on October 20, 2108, they responded to a complaint from the Ulster County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) regarding a couple in the town of Saugerties in possession of a snapping turtle.
ECOs Bastedo and Smith responded to the residence and confirmed that the animal was a large snapping turtle. According to the resident, she bought the turtle and did not know it was illegal to possess it without a permit. The turtle was seized and safely transferred to a wildlife rehabilitator. DEC officers charged the woman with illegally possessing the turtle.
Turtles, snakes, lizards, or salamanders native to New York may NOT be harvested, taken or possessed without a permit.
Photo of seized snapping turtle provided by DEC.
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If they had requested a permit prior to buying the snapping turtle, would one have been granted? If so, why could they not apply while in possession rather than have it confiscated? Possibly it wasn’t being kept appropriately or it was willingly relinquished?
Under these circumstances she would probably not get a permit. I don’t think they are so you can have a pet. Its if you need it for some sort of educational purpose probably?
If above photo is the photo of said turtle then thank the powers that be that somebody spoke up. To confine any animal in a wee space just so we can ‘look’ at it for whatever our cheap reasons are….is horrible to say the least. This is such a common occurrence and boy could I share some stories from my experiences alone but I won’t I’ll spare everybody. Thank you ECO’s