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Animals
Animals
enjoying their native environments, and following their natural instincts. However, domesticated
animals cannot survive "free" in our concrete jungles, so we must take as good care of them as
possible. People with the time, money, love, and patience to make a lifetime commitment to an
animal can make an enormous difference by adopting from shelters or rescuing animals from a
perilous life on the street.
The Dangers of Keeping Exotic "Pets"
Exotic animals -- lions, tigers, wolves, bears, reptiles, non-human primates -- belong in their
natural habitat and not in the hands of private individuals as "pets." By their very nature, these
animals are wild and potentially dangerous and, as such, do not adjust well to a captive
environment.
Because the majority of states do not keep accurate records of exotic animals entering their state, it
is impossible to determine exactly how many exotic animals are privately held as pets. The number
is estimated to be quite high. Certainly 6,000 to 7,000 tigers are held by private individuals.
The American Veterinary Medical Association, the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have all expressed opposition
to the possession of certain exotic animals by individuals.
Exotic animals do not make good companions. They require special care, housing, diet, and
maintenance that the average person cannot provide. When in the hands of private individuals the
animals suffer due to poor care. They also pose safety and health risks to their possessors and any
person coming into contact with them.
Individuals possessing exotic animals often attempt to change the nature of the animal rather than
the nature of the care provided. Such tactics include confinement in small barren enclosures,
chaining, beating "into submission," or even painful mutilations, such as declawing and tooth
removal.
If and when the individual realizes he/she can no longer care for an exotic pet, he/she usually turns
to zoos and other institutions such as sanctuaries to relieve him/her of the responsibility. However,
all the zoos and accredited institutions could not possibly accommodate the number of unwanted
exotic animals. Consequently, the majority of these animals are euthanized, abandoned, or doomed
to live in deplorable conditions.
What to Do:
You can do several things to help stop private possession of exotic animals:
For the animals' sake and for your health and safety, please do not buy exotic animals as "pets."
If you observe an exotic animal being abused, living in deplorable conditions, etc., report it to the
appropriate animal control agency.
Educate others. Write a Letter to the Editor. Share this fact sheet with friends and family.
http://worldanimalfoundation.homestead.com/WAFDangerExoticPets.html