Exotic Pet Ownership Should Be Banned in the United States

“Those who wish to pet and baby wild animals "love" them. But those who respect their natures and wish to let them live normal lives, love them more,” (Teale). This quote shows that people who keep wild animals as pets do not realize that the native environment provides the wild animals with the necessities they cannot receive as a pet. Permits should not be given to people to own wild and exotic animals as pets because it is inhumane and dangerous.

Owning an exotic pet can go wrong in a lot of ways and it can seriously harm the animal you are keeping, other animals, and people; including the animal's owner. If someone would want to try to keep one of these animals they would have to put a lot of work, time, and money into it because you have to keep the animal healthy, happy, safe, and you also have to make sure you are keeping everyone else safe including yourself. Still, you could be putting yourself, the animal, and others in danger.

People should not be allowed to keep exotic animals as pets. In the next few paragraphs, I will explain why I feel this is true.

While domesticated pets like dogs and cats make good pets many people want to own exotic animals that belong in the wild. These animals range from tigers to pythons, but should not be owned as they need special care most people cannot provide. Not only this, but exotic animals release is harmful for everyone, the exotic animal, humans, and native animals. Lastly, many exotic animals carry diseases that are harmless to them, but fatal to humans. Exotic “pets” are harmful for everyone, not just the pet. This is why people should not be able to own exotic pets.

Every child has asked their parents for a pet animal. The thing is though, is what type of animal they asked for. Such as a dog or cat and even the occasional hippopotamus for Christmas, right? Lots of people buy exotic animals not knowing how much work it really takes to take care of them. For example, many people have bought pythons and when they get to a size where they can’t keep care of them they let them go into the wild. Exotic animals are very costly and time consuming, they grow up and get bigger and all in all they are very dangerous.

Humans have caused another extinction, one that could possibly take us down in the process, species are exponentially going extinct because of habitat loss, species exportation, and invasive species bullying native species. On the other hand, scientists are trying to safe guard native species, keep animals in captivity whether it be for the animals well-being or for research, and widespread invasion. In this essay I will be comparing and contrasting “What Everglades Pythons and Other Invasive Species are Trying to Tell Us,” by Julia Whitty and “The Sixth Extinction,” by Jeff Corwin.

The article claims that some sort of registry needs to be established. For instance, an abuser could ignore their restrictions after jail time, go to another state, and easily obtain more animals, since shelters have no notice of their past abuse. Also, abusing animals can be linked to many other crimes, such as crimes involving violence, drugs, and property, domestic violence, sex offenses, or even murder. For example, they discussed how after an investigation, serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer, was found guilty of abusing animals, which led up to his vicious acts against humans.

Based on the success of the drastic changes the state of Ohio has made in the exotic animal ownership regulations, their platform for change is one to model. Ohio was once a state with no restrictions on exotic animal ownership prior to the 2011 incidence of Terry Thompson, who set free his exotic animal farm of fifty plus animals before committing suicide. This incident pushed the already in question exotic pet ownership regulations into national limelight. Our task force has researched the current restrictions and the process of implementing them along with the undesirable potential side effects of these new laws. With this information, we were prepared to present a solid foundation for the state of Missouri to create a new movement in the exotic pet

Invasive species are annihilating the population of native species. One example of an invasive species is the python. These creatures are invading Florida and decreasing the population of other species; they may reach New York in 2100. Pythons are extremely elusive, so it’s hard to catch them. Another example of an invasive species are the starling birds; these birds can roost in hordes up to 1 million. Starling birds are lethal because of their droppings which cause diseases. Additionally,

Exotic animals belong in the wild because the reason they are exotic is because they cannot be tamed like any other pet, and if they can’t be tamed, they can become a harm to the owner and to others that the animal feel threatened by. Injury and possibly death is likely to happen under such circumstances of the animals being neglected. Another reason why I believe that exotic animals do not belong under human captivity as pets is because it is harmful to the pets and the nature of them. Some animals need their families to survive and they also need to learn to hunt in order for them to survive. Once an exotic animal becomes the pet of someone, it becomes dependent which is unhealthy for the animal, especially if they are brought under captivity at such an early age. Owning exotic animals as keeping them as pets should be illegal is what I believe is right.

The United States has many laws against owning exotic animals, yet people do it anyway. It’s said to be a multi-billion dollar industry second in line to the distribution of drugs and weapons on the black market. The amount of money in the United States alone made is fifteen billion dollars. With the help of the internet and trade magazines it makes it easier for breeders and dealers to get business. Millions of animals are forced into exotic animal trades because of the government and their laws against it. People wouldn’t act so poorly to the animals if the government allowed some exotic animals to be attained.

Many people are attracted to keeping wild animals as pets. They believe the wild animals to be interesting and exciting. At a young age, the animals may seem easier to tame, but the older these animals get, the more aggressive they tend to become. Many problems can develop from keeping a wild animal as a pet. Wild animals have specific needs that have to be met, in order for them to prosper. “Only the most exceptional zoos and wildlife centers provide a living area that somewhat resembles the natural habitat of these animals, but it is virtually impossible to provide sufficient space for larger species”(CFHS). In captivity animals do not lose their wild instincts. They can be extremely unpredictable, and if provoked they can cause severe harm to people. Some wild animals, such as reptiles and hedgehogs can actually carry bacteria called salmonella, which is very easily transmitted to humans. Exotic animals can be very social, and need to have a companion of the same species living with them. If the animal is kept isolated from its kind, then it can suffer psychologically (CFHS). Many wild animals that are kept as pets often get abandoned because the owner was not able to meet of its needs. Others try to

Planet Earth is the one and only home for humans, and it’s their natural duty to protect it and all of its inhabitants. For many people, the fate of animals is of little importance, especially when there are so many of their own species suffering throughout the world. However, only when one has respect for nature can he or she come to appreciate for his or herself. In the past few decades, some animals have progressively come closer and closer to extinction. When compared to demographics 30 years ago, less than 5% of tiger and rhino populations remain in the wild (Congressional). The main culprits for this abominable crime against nature are avaricious poachers who seek personal gain and profit. Poaching is the illegal killing of

Exotic animals should be banned from being purchased, hunted, and or traded from their natural habitat. People can look at an exotic animal for a couple minutes, but captivity affects their whole life. Exotic animals caged in non-natural habitats can experience many physical, and mental issues.

"Jenny wants a puppy, but her parents are reluctant to take the plunge. They remind her of the responsibilities that go along with pet ownership, responsibilities that she will have to follow no matter what; it'll grow up from the cute puppy it is now to a gnarly old dog. Jenny says she doesn’t mind and soon Fido is welcomed into the family fold. In no time at all the parents love Fido just as much as Jenny does, and Fido loves them all back. But what if Jenny tried to persuade her parents to buy her a fuzzy lion cub she saw advertised, or a baby chimpanzee? If they had any sense, Jenny's parents would tell her "No way" and stick to their guns." While the idea of owning an exotic animal as a pet can at first seem exciting and daring, it is important to stop and consider the many disadvantages that can come about while owning an exotic animal as a pet. The two articles provided convey why private citizens should not be allowed to keep dangerous (exotic) animals as pets, owning an exotic animal as a pet can put the owner and those around them in danger, there are many responsibilities that come with owning an exotic animal as a pet that allot of people don’t think about before buying one, and privately owning an exotic animal puts the animal's health and wellbeing at risk. If someone were to plan on buying an exotic animal as a pet they should consider the following.