KITCHENER -- Missing pet posters have started going up in the Chandler Drive neighbourhood in Kitchener, but the signs aren't for a cat, dog, or a pet you would expect - they're for a four-foot, six-inch snake.
“It was first reported to us missing on Sunday afternoon on day four,” said Sarah Arndt, a volunteer with Ground Search and Rescue Kitchener Waterloo.
The adult female ball python named Little Lady has now been missing for more than a week.
The good news is the reptile is not venomous and does not pose a threat to the public.
“They're very timid creatures, they will not attack a human being, they're most likely hiding somewhere and very afraid,” said Anya Barradas with the Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo and Stratford Perth.
Still, the idea of a snake slithering through the grass or hiding in a storm drain has some residents rattled.
But one expert said there are many misconceptions about snakes, adding they are legally allowed to be owned as pets.
Little Lady's owner did not want to speak on camera but told CTV News through a spokesperson from Ground Search and Rescue KW that just like any pet they want their snake to come back home.
According to the Humane Society, in order to catch the snake, you have to think like a snake. They suggest looking into tall grass, into piles of wood in your backyard or taking a look inside of storm drains.
If you do spot the snake, they recommend you do not try to handle the snake yourself.
Instead, residents should call the Humane Society, Ground Search and Rescue KW or the non-emergency line for the Waterloo Regional Police.
