Any Way to Bring a Tegu to Florida?

[jtc3400]

Ok, here is the background: I have had my pet Tegu since 2017. He is my sole pet, I love him and will not give him up. I have lived previously states that allow Tegus. I have been unemployed for a good while now and I NEED to get a job, savings are starting to run out. I have a job offer in Floria that is paying well. The problem is I have my Tegu, and they are banned there... I am kind of between a rock and a hard place. I need the job but I absolutely refuse to get rid of my Tegu, to me he is my baby. I have a 100% clean record, even my driving record is clear. I obey the law, but this law is absolutely idiotic, punishing good pet owners because of people who released them.

There is no "legal" way that I can see to proceed. I would be up to pay a fee and get him chipped, but from what I see, they won't do that after like summer of 2021, which to me is insanity. Isn't the whole purpose of the chip so that IF he got away (he won't) he could just be located? What is someone in my position meant to do? Is there any legal way to bring him in? Maybe register him as a support animal? It blows my mind that Florida wouldn't want a tax paying army veteran with ZERO criminal history because I own the wrong type of lizard. The insane thing is he is FROM Florida, born in Florida, that's how I got him.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Again, getting rid of him is not on the table, and I need this job, so kind of at a loss here.

 

[Josh]

i'd just take him with you. drive in. don't tell anyone you have him.

 

[jtc3400]

i'd just take him with you. drive in. don't tell anyone you have him.

The issue is, I have to get an apartment, job is in an urban area. Sure, I can just put him in a bag and walk in with him, but how do I ever get him sun or time outside? even if 99 people are nice, it just takes 1/100 to be like "oh tegus are illegal I'm reporting you" right? I am going to see if I can get him to be a support animal, only idea I have. I am usually against people doing that to bring a dog into pet free housing but the whole state being no tegus is just ridiculous. Not going to be punished because someone else let tegus free.

 

[Josh]

That might work. Get a doctor's note
An apartment would be very hard. I was thinking of a house

 

[ToadHallBetty]

If I wanted to keep a Tegu in an apartment, I would get one with a terrace and make sure it was up high enough no one could see over the rails, mayby the 10th floor, and put in privacy screening.
I wouldn't take a tegu to Florida because if you get caught they will kill your tegu, probably not in a humane way.(Did you see what they did to those poor snakes, and the iguanas they piled in a hot truck all taped down?)
If I were going to keep a tegu in a place like Florida, I would tell everyone that I rehomed him, I wouldn't be posting anywhere what i was planning, I wouldn't tell anyone that I had a tegu, and i would locate a reptile vet in the closest legal state. I would have really cryptic caging , tegu hole (like a priests hole and I would never say a word about owning a tegu to anyone.
Good luck......