A shop owner has been left devastated after thieves stole his ‘very friendly’ pet snake.
Grant Redpath, who runs Tranent Pet Supplies, in Edinburgh, kept his reptile in the shop but, while he was out of the back of the building grooming dogs, the corn snake – called Snake – was snatched from his tank.
“I just want my little fella back with me so I know he is okay,” he told the Edinburgh Evening News. “He’s not poisonous at all and very friendly…
“I remember that day seeing three hooded guys walking away from the shop, but didn’t think anything of it. But then when I went to check on Snake he was gone.
“The glass was closed, the vents were sealed, he couldn’t have gotten out, it’s impossible. Someone took him.”
Grant said if someone saw his pet for sale and bought him, he would pay the cost of Snake plus a £100 reward to have him back.
Commenters have since taken to social media to shame the thieves.
One person posted: “This is so sad that people can steal from these guys, as they work very hard. It’s despicable that people think it’s ok to help themselves to people’s pets.”
Others have described the theft as ‘cruel’ and ‘tragic’.