In the Canadian province of Alberta, it’s illegal to own a pet rat.”, Alberta, Canada, is famously one of the few places in the world that is completely rat-free. This is due to a strict and effective rat control program that began in the 1950s. The province’s Rat Control Act prohibits the possession, import, and release of rats. The program includes border patrols to prevent rats from entering from neighboring provinces, and the government employs rat control officers who are tasked with keeping the province rat-free. To maintain their status, Alberta has made it illegal to have a pet rat, with exceptions for zoos and universities for study purposes. This may sound extreme, but it highlights the unusual lengths the province has gone to sustain a rat-free environment.
