STAUNTON, Va. (AP) - A pet store in Staunton has stopped offering an invasive turtle species for sale following a state investigation.
No charges were filed.
Pets-N-Pals co-owner Stephanie Foschini tells The News Leader (https://bit.ly/1jurUea) that she made a mistake by offering red-eared sliders for sale. She says she confused federal law with state law.
Virginia considers the red-eared slider as an invasive species.
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries began investigating after it was informed in March that the store was selling the turtles. Conservation police officer C.H. Dobbs says he spoke with the store’s management and the turtles are no longer for sale.
Foschini says it’s legal in Virginia to own red-eared sliders. The store has donated the turtles to a local school.
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Information from: The News Leader, https://www.newsleader.com
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