The owner of a local reptile rehabilitation centre says he has no idea why animal welfare officials would seize dozens of his animals.

SPCA investigators executed a warrant at the facility of The Reptile Guys Rescue and Education Centre in Mission Wednesday, and the owner says 14 reptiles and around 40 rats were removed.

The society says they took animals that were either in critical distress -- or in need of immediate vet care.

Owner Mike Hopcroft disputes the raid. He admits some of the animals were in poor shape, but only because that’s how they came to him – and he is nursing them back to health.

“Sometimes it takes months and months to rehab these animals and they come in and see an animal that's not 100 percent healthy and deem it in distress and take it,” Owner Mike “The Reptile Guy” Hopcroft said.

“We can't catch a break.”

The SPCA would not comment on specifics of the case because the investigation is “ongoing” but provided a statement saying it: “Does not execute warrants without evidence that animals are in distress and without giving individuals an opportunity to first address the concerns."

"Our sole goal in this situation is to ensure that the animals receive the care they need to survive."

Hopcraft says this is the fourth warrant they've been served by the SPCA and he's not sure why it keeps happening.

He believes the agency will be recommending charges of animal cruelty against his animal rescue.

“For them to come in and tell me that I'm not caring for the animals properly, I'm neglecting them, abusing them -- that hurts, it sucks,” he said. “This is my life, my life's work. It's everything I know and everything I do.”

With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Alex Turner