Twiggy the popular water-skiing squirrel, will have to refrain from performing in Toronto for the foreseeable future due to animal protection bylaws.
Twiggy performed at the International Boat Show, which was held at the Enercare Centre the week of Jan. 17, but it looks like that may have been its last performance in the city.
A provision outlined in the city’s animal protection bylaws states that keeping an Eastern grey squirrel in “captivity” is prohibited in Toronto.
Although Mayor John Tory said he does see the humour in the controversy over the water-skiing squirrel, he understands these bylaws serve a purpose.
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“If it gave people a smile on a Friday morning to even think about the whole notion of a squirrel water-skiing — it did for me. I’ve never seen it and I haven’t seen the video,” said Tory.
“But at the same time — as I say, I’d like to see it just to see if it was actually true — I understand why the law was passed and I understand why that means we have to let people know that is the law.”
However, Toronto is not the only city in Canada dealing with controversy surrounding the water-skiing rodent.
Twiggy is currently performing at the Vancouver Boat Show, which started this past Wednesday and runs until Feb. 9.
Although Eastern Grey Squirrels are “non-native rodents” to B.C. there are bylaws in Vancouver that prohibit businesses from using rodents in “competitions, exhibitions, performance or events,” said a spokesperson from the City of Vancouver.
They said they are currently investigating the situation.
https://twitter.com/bradrossTO/status/1225819741157285894?s=20
A spokesperson for the City of Toronto said Toronto Animal Services have spoken with the organizers of the boat show regarding these bylaws.
The organizers said they will be in compliance with the bylaws in the future.
-With files from Matthew Bingley
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