VIDEOS - The unloved creatures’ friend

Patrick Fallon was always fascinated with exotic creatures like snakes, reptiles and spiders. Today, he owns about 20, and has a business to entertain and educate people about his pets. During the pandemic, people lining up outside stores everywhere on the South Shore might have seen him showing off his boa constrictor, Cooper, in parking lots. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7ut5kt Mr. Fallon was the kind of kid who would catch frogs and snakes for fun and to learn about them. "My parents didn’t always approve. I would catch ants in my driveway and feed them to spiders", he remembers. The Chateauguay resident, who is now 33 years old, worked in pet shops and at Parc Safari as a teenager to fullfill his passion. Not long after, he started collecting the animals he always loved. "The first one I owned was a scorpion or a gecko", says Mr. Fallon. He taught himself about all kinds of creatures. For example, when he was young, he would raise the tadpoles he caught and raise them until they were frogs. "I caught a snake that gave birth to 37 babies once", he shares. At this point, Mr. Fallon’s mother pushed him to share his fascination and knowledge with the public. He started doing it professionnally 12 years ago when he created the Pat’s pet shows.

"I want to teach people to love and respect animals without a voice. The creepy and scary ones as much as the cute and cuddly ones." -Patrick Fallon

His shows lasting about an hour are also meant to help his audience conquer their fears. Mr. Fallon remembers a woman who was terrified of one of his spiders, a Rose Tarantula, which is known for it’s calm nature. "When she took it, she was shaking, turning red and almost crying! She ended up finding it not too bad and now, whenever I see her around the city, she wants to touch the spider", he says proudly. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7ut5ol Sometimes, Mr. Fallon feeds his snakes on his lawn and invites people over to watch. He also posts videos on his Facebook page and rescues wild animals including skunks, turtles, racoons, and squirrels. He spends all his nights feeding and taking care of his pets in his 4 ½ apartment, which took him about two years to find because no landlords would rent to him. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7ut5r7 Famous animals Other than birthday parties and shows in schools, Mr Fallon participates in events such as the Montreal Comiccon every year and parades. "My snakes also appeared in music videos and photoshoots", he tells. He found it tough to find opportunities for his animals to be featured at first, but now there is a demand for it. For example, someone did a Harry Potter concept for a photoshoot and one of his snake was the famous reptile of Slytherin. Pandemic Even if he dreams of living from his passion, Mr. Fallon has to work a second job in a pizzeria, especially to feed his animals. He was happy to have this alternative this year, since the COVID-19 stopped him from booking shows. Regardless, he decided to keep being seen while entertaining people waiting in line at grocery stores, among others. "I just decided to pull up in a parking lot with music playing in my van and I started doing five minute shows. People would cheer me up and take pictures", says Mr. Fallon, happy he could made the situation fun for them. Part of Pat’s pet show’s collection -Six snakes -Four tarantulas -Hermit crabs -Frogs -Hedgehogs -Chinchillas -Lezards -Turtles https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7ut5pv