18/01/2025
WHY DO SNAKE CATCHERS CHARGE?
I got a call the other day to remove a brown snake from someone’s yard. They told me they had dogs and needed it relocated. “No worries at all, I’ll be just under 20 minutes, and just to let you know, my call out fee is $120”.
They didn’t hesitate to tell me to f**k off.
It’s insane that people expect me to do my job free of charge. Do you also call a locksmith at 3am because you can’t get in your house, and then abuse them for having the audacity to charge for their professional service? How about your mechanic when you get your car fixed? A refrigeration technician when your aircon stops working in the middle of summer?
So why do some people expect us to
- Drop whatever we are in the middle of doing immediately
- use our fuel and put wear on our vehicle to drive to their residence, then to a suitable release site, and then back home
- risk our lives catching what is the second most venomous snake IN THE WORLD
All for free?
It costs me to gain and maintain my licensing, pay for fuel, purchase PPE and equipment, maintain my vehicle (I require a service every 6-7 weeks due to the km I drive), plus whatever else I’m missing.
Additionally, I am a professional service. Just like your mechanic, builder, fridgy etc. This is how I pay my rent and put food on the table for my family. I am available 24/7, I do not have any other source of income. And importantly, charging for my service is how I am able to attend rescues of injured and sick wildlife at no charge.
Please think about all of this before abusing me for needing to cover my costs and have enough left over at the end of the day to provide for my family.
Pictured is a pretty little eastern brown snake (Pseudonaja textilis) I recently removed from a house in Jimboomba. Dangerously venomous.
-Ti
0408491174, 24/7