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Should the government restrict exotic pet ownership?
Results so far:
| Yes | 63% | 401 votes | Total: 637 votes | |
| No | 37% | 236 votes |
Yes
by Perry McCarney
Created on: June 30, 2009 Last Updated: August 08, 2011
There are many reasons why the ownership of exotic pets should be restricted and few, if any, why private ownership should be allowed without restriction. Unfortunately, expecting self-centered people to self regulate in a manner that would provide exotic animals with an appropriate level of welfare would be foolish, it is well beyond the ethical capability of far too many of them. Of necessity, that leaves regulation in the hands of government, whether local or national. Our societies no longer have alternative options, such as an aristocracy or a single national church, to establish cultural or moral "regulations" to inhibit cruelty or incompetence on the part of people wanting to own exotic pets they know too little about.
On the other side of the coin, few exotic pets are domesticated; they can become a danger to the general public as well as their owners if not properly cared for and managed. While many species offered by profit-motivated companies are gregarious or social species, this does not mean that they will be docile throughout their lifespans. The young of such species can be very compliant, submitting to the dominance of their human owners throughout their childhood and early adolescence as a natural component of their social behaviors. But when they reach the equivalent to their "teenage years" that submission quickly disappears.
This is the age when social species start striving for placement in their social groups. They act out against the dominance of those in their social group who they have previously submitted to. This can be very dangerous to their human "pack mates" when they are physically powerful. Large cats, wolves and chimpanzees, for example, are easily capable of physically overpowering an adult human male, let alone a child. While our domestic dog breeds have been bred for thousands of years to be subordinate to humans, nature has bred wild animals to strive for dominance.
Exotic pets typically have exotic needs and diets. While some owners may strive to learn and provide for these, far too many fail to do so. It is a sad fact of life that many owners of our standard domestic pets, our cats and dogs, fail to be aware of or meet their needs, even though those requirements are fairly well understood and recognized.
Dogs and cats frequently arrive at animal welfare shelters with appalling injuries and/or dietary insufficiencies. I have volunteered in the dog ward of an SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) veterinary hospital and succored dogs that have literally been skin and bones or covered in mange or have multiple traumatic physical injuries.
It is possible that civilian ownership of pets of some species considered endangered could be beneficial to the continuance of that species. That such an approach would develop an evaluation that might save them from extinction. Continuing a species in captivity even as it dies out in the wild. While this would clearly be valuable, should it be unregulated?
Exotic species, especially those that are endangered, may benefit from private ownership, providing them with a continuance they might not otherwise have. But such ownership needs to be regulated and monitored, so the animals in question receive appropriate care; meeting their physical, medical , psychological and sociological needs. Such animals should be valued as family members and not just as potential financial incomes by their owners.
When such animals are also members of a threatened species their reproduction needs to be structured appropriately. Mating between pairs needs to be arranged and recorded to maximize genetic diversity. When numbers are small the potential for inbreeding is increased; effective monitoring and recording of sexual interactions is essential in supporting the continuance of the species.
Restricting the ownership of exotic pets is not about constraining people's liberties. It is more about rejecting the presumption of arrogant individuals that they have some inherent right to dominate, often endangered species, without regard to everyone else living on our planet, both now and in the future!
Learn more about this author, Perry McCarney.
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No
by Bridged Lott
Created on: September 17, 2009 Last Updated: September 18, 2009
I am writing this piece on the "no" side primarily because I am fundamentally opposed to government restricting my rights and choices.
However, as an owner of an exotic pet, I believe that strong and scrupulous controls are essential; not only to restrict ownership, but to ensure ethical breeding practices, control the acquisition of breeding stock from the wild and to protect both the exotic and the public from the idiocy that often surrounds "incidents" and "accidental" release. I believe that the onus and responsibility of control should be firmly placed on the breeders and suppliers of such pets who should be required to exercise the utmost caution when selecting recipients. I firmly believe that prospective owners of exotics should be required to "qualify" for such ownership. They should be given vast quantities of information on what such ownership entails.
It is essential that their backgrounds and lifestyles are carefully examined and a lengthy "cooling off" period be imposed between concept and finality. It is imperative that the prospective exotic owner be made aware of all the responsibilities, problems and dramatic changes that would be required before decisions are made. Simple things like establishing a suitable food source, finding a local veterinarian prepared and qualified to deal with the animal, pet-proofing your home to ensure the animal's safety and security are all aspects that require thorough due diligence before you arrive home with your gorgeous creature.
I believe that owners of exotics should be required to belong to self-regulatory groups related to their particular exotic. These bodies could perform multiple functions including control, support and assistance and would be far more desirable and practically useful than any faceless government entity. Owners should be required to maintain regular contact with these bodies who could also act as "rescue centers" should circumstances change for the owner.
Owning an exotic pet is a privilege beyond riches, to be loved by any animal is a joy, but to be loved by a wild animal is a miracle given only to a hugely blessed few. But, and this is a very big but, it comes at a price larger than most people are willing to pay. Owning an exotic is a lifetime commitment. You cannot pick up and put down the responsibilities as and when it suits you. As with any pet, they totally reliant on you for their needs, but with an exotic you are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and more.
Many people are caught up in the romance of living with a wild animal. Far too often, people have been swept away by the idea, only to end in tragedy. Even regular pets are subject to fads. If you are old enough, you will remember the Dulux paint adverts featuring a beautiful, clean, fluffy Old English Sheepdog. Within months of this advertisement hitting the public, people were beating down the doors of the breeders for a delightful pup. Within 12 months there was a pathetic dearth of unwanted, matted, unloved dogs, resulting in the establishment of many "Old English Sheepdog Rescue Societies". The adverts in no way prepared people for the huge amount of work involved in daily brushing and detangling required to keep their pups in good condition. Never mind the fact that these gorgeous dogs are actually working dogs and need lots of exercise and entertainment!
More so with an exotic. Sharing your life with a wild animal requires a unique lifestyle, time, endless patience, dedication, financial resources and totally tranquil personality to make a success of the venture! I do not want to belabor this point, but it is really important to be aware that sharing your life and home with any exotic animal is an enormous commitment. It is essential to see beyond the beauty and romance of the exquisite creature and to be aware that once selected as "the human", your virtual permanent presence is a non-negotiable requirement!
Most of these exotic beauties become totally bonded to their companion person and any absence is very stressful to them. They are hugely demanding and extremely territorial. The "pet spray sanitizer" bottle becomes a permanent accessory, replacing a purse or cell phone on your hip! For a wild animal, marking their territory is an important daily ritual. Simple tasks will never be simple again once you have an exotic as part of the family. Try getting a plumber to visit once the word goes out that you harbor a wild animal in your home!
Crises take on a whole new meaning. Providing care for a regular pet in a catastrophe like a hurricane is a challenge, but preparing to care for an exotic in such an eventuality requires huge pre-planning, thought, determination and ingenuity!
But having said all that, I would defend my exotic with my life and should the government in my area decide to impose restrictions on my ownership, I would take the extreme measure of uprooting my family and totally changing our lives to move to another country where we were allowed the privilege of sharing our lives with our gorgeous beast.
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