Faced with death sentence, Canadian rat is 'deported'

Matilda is a pet rat, and Alberta is a proud rat-free province, the only one in Canada. Recently, she moved to Calgary from Vancouver with her family, only to discover she was to be given a death sentence.

The family did not know that Alberta law does not allow for rats to be kept even as indoor pets. Instead of paying a $5,000 fine, they decided to give up the pet so it could be put down.

She was to be euthanized, but a rescue group came forward to fly her back to British Columbia, and save her life. Matilda flew out of Calgary on Friday.

"We had the ability to transport it at no cost to the taxpayer. It's a humane choice," said Bill Bruce, who is the director of Calgary's animal bylaw services.

***

For a minute there I thought they were talking about Mr. Harper