N.B. pet store faces tight timeline to rehome animals following eviction notice

For six years, Harper’s Exotic Animals and Pet Supply has been among the most unique shops on Milltown Boulevard in St. Stephen, N.B.

Earlier this month, owner Doug Harper was served an eviction notice after negotiations over a new lease agreement fell through. By the end of January, the popular pet store will close its doors for good, leaving a number of scaly and furry friends inside the shop with an uncertain future.

“I’ve got the responsibility in the next two weeks to try and find appropriate locations for 150 animals,” Harper says. “We’ve already had the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) reach out asking if we can take more animals, and I’ve had to inform them that unfortunately we can’t take anymore.”

The animals under Harper’s care are all rescues, ranging from snakes and birds to ferrets and chinchillas. Because of their rescue status, Harper worries finding these creatures new homes could prove to be difficult.

“We have some that have been abused that have temperamental problems because of the troubled time they have been through,” Harper notes. “We have ones that have medical issues that have high vet bills because of they way they were treated that I can’t just throw into a family’s hand.”

Rebeka Breder is an animal law lawyer based in Vancouver. She fears the worst for these creatures if new homes can’t be found.

“Animals in Canada and in the majority of the world are considered technically property,” Breder says. “So if homes can’t be found for these animals then the current owner of these animals has the right to euthanize them.”

Harper’s Exotic Animals & Pet Supply in St. Stephen, N.B., is pictured on Dec. 18, 2023.

That would be a worst and last case scenario for Harper, who will exhaust all his options before going down that route.

“It will mentally destroy me if it came down to that,” Harper says. “But the sad thing is I have to put my family and my kids and my personal animals first. They are all my personal animals, but family and kids come first.”

Harper is accepting donations at his store in the final weeks to help care for the animals. He hopes to raise enough to be able to build space in his home, but says the cost would likely be upwards of $15,000.

“Hopefully we start a GoFundMe but I don’t know what we are going to do,” Harper admits. “We need to try and get as much of these animals into my home as possible and then try, over the next couple of months, to find appropriate homes for them.”

Harper expects his store’s closure to leave a ripple effect on the border town. The storefront has helped numerous students over the years and regularly gives back by donating to charities. No matter what happens, Harper is thankful to the community who helped him achieve his lifelong goal.

“This was my dream to open and, when I did, the community really backed us and kept us here,” Harper says. “It’s been a wonderful journey and we want to thank everyone who got us here and anybody who is going to help us get these animals to where they need to go.”

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