Exotic Animals as Pets

Exotic Animals as Pets Danger, danger! Animals are cute, but not all are domesticated to own as pets. Dogs are a man’s best friend, people suggest cats are an old lonely lady’s answer to everything, and everyone has a dream to own a tiger or lion. However, people should not be allowed to own exotic animals as pets. Owning exotic animals can cause an endangerment to the animal, an endangerment to the owner, and an endangerment to the community. Many people love and own cats and dogs, but many years ago people started taking a big interest in owning exotic animals. People also began to trade the animals as pets. Inside the Exotic Pet Trade states, “The practice of importing and exporting wild animals as pets has been happening for decades, and often, entertainment fads determine which wild animals are the pets de jour” (“Inside” 1). Throughout the pet trade many types of exotic animals became popular. Exotic turtles, one of the many exotic animals, grew great popularity in the 1980s because of the popular television show “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle” (“Inside” 1). Although, they are very harmful. The Humane Society of the United States says all reptiles and amphibians carry salmonella and more than 74,000 cases of it are poisonous (“Inside” 1). Regardless of the diseases the animals carry, the pet trade business has became very successful. The HSUS states the exotic pet trade is a multi- billion dollar industry but it became a huge money investment, it is second to drugs and weapons on the black market. (“Inside” 1). Pet trade has been around for years but owning an exotic animal as a pet is not a great choice. Having a domesticated pet can be fun and having an exotic animal as a pet can be twice as fun but it has possible trouble and difficult responsibilities that comes with it. Owning an exotic animal may sound fun at first, but most owners do not think of the needs of the animal or realize the huge responsibility they are involving themselves into. In these

Cited: “Dangers of Keeping Exotic Pets.” Born Free USA. 2012. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. “Exotic Animals.” ASPCA. 2012. Web. 05 Oct. 2012. Gambardello, Joseph A. and Faye Flam. “People Keeping Wild Animals as Pets Dangerous Illegal.” Philadelphia Inquirer. 06 Oct. 2003: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 09 Oct. 2012. Hoare, Ben and Tom Jackson. Endangered Animals. New York: DK Publishing, 2012. Print. “Inside the Exotic Pet Trade.” Animal Planet. 2012. Web. 03 Nov. 2012. Lallanilla, Marc. “A Brief Chat about Exotic Pets.” About.com. 2012. Web. 22 Oct. 2012.