Documented Essay

Reding 1
Exotic Animals: Pets or Predators?

How would you feel going to sleep every night next to a Bengal Tiger? Well
surprisingly, some people do! Millions of Americans have exotic animals as pets in their
homes. Exotic pets include reptiles, large felines, bears, elephants, nonhuman primates,
and many others. These unordinary pets bring up a big debate between whether keeping
them as pets is safe or too dangerous. From concerned neighbors to animal rights
activists, everyone seems to be worried about the dangers of having wild animals so
close. Over the past twenty years, exotic pet ownership has increased drastically in the
United States. Since the increase there has been 1,610 incident reports involving exotic
pets as of 2011. Between 5,000 and 7,000 tigers alone exist as pets in the United States.
That is more than exist in the wild! (LiveScience Staff 2011). The trade in exotic animals
is a multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry. Many people are growing more and more
concerned with the danger that these animals bring, yet some think these animals are
great pets and should not be considered a problem. Throughout this essay I will examine
the arguments presented by concerned neighbors, animal activists, and animal lovers
about whether exotic animals should be considered pets or predators.
Although this is a passionate argument, there is more evidence of people wanting
to ban exotic pets than keep them. According to the Born Free USA organization, exotic
pets are becoming a bigger problem each year. Across the country privately owned exotic
animals have escaped from their enclosures and attacked humans and other animals.
Some of these attacks were even fatal. These pets are also a growing concern for United
States citizens because they can transmit deadly diseases including herpes B, monkeypox,
and salmonellosis (Born Free USA 2014).
Reding 2
Danger to humans is not the only concern of the people, according to Born Free
USA, exotic animals take more care than most owners know and understand how to give.
The wellbeing of these animals is at stake. As stated on their website, 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. These unordinary pets are safety and health risks to their
owners and any person coming into contact with them.
Many animal activists are addressing the issue that when the owners do not want
their exotic pets anymore, they do not have a safe place to take them. When the
individual realizes he or she can no longer take care of their pet, they usually turn to zoos
or other institutions for help. But due to the massive number of unwanted exotic pets, the
zoos and institutions could not possibly take in all of them. Because of the lack of room
for these animals, most of them are abandoned, euthanized, or kept in horrible condition.
The health and happiness of exotic pets are a major concern for many of the citizens on
this side of the argument.
Sheila J. Bryant states, Americans taste in pets has become more extreme, to
say the least, in the past half century. Nowadays, it is not uncommon for Bob down the
block to own a couple of big cats or maybe a couple of King Cobras. According to
concerned neighbors it is only common sense that the vast majority of wild animals do
not make good pets, and they are far better off being left in the wild (Exotic Species in
Our Backyard 2009). With the public safety risks, history of attacks, and unsettling
statistics, these concerned citizens pose a good argument against exotic animals as pets.
Reding 3
Although there may be more arguments against wild animals as pets, there are
still plenty of passionate animal lovers fighting for their right to own wild animals. Justin
ONeill wrote an article about a teen with a pet tiger. According to ONeill, this Florida
teen loved her tiger more than anything. The tiger never hurt anyone she said, and he was
nothing but loveable. The teen girl claims it is her right to own this amazing animal,
and there is no reason for it to be taken away. The animal caretakers say that if these
animals are cared for responsibly, they can make wonderful companions. Despite the
responsibility these animals require, many owners are willing to pay a lot of money to
keep them in their possession (Scholastic Scope 2012).
Some owners of exotic animals in Columbus, Ohio say a new Ohio law is
infringing on their constitutional rights, and they asked a federal appeals court to strike it
down (Smyth and Sanner 2013). The private pet owners argue that the law restricting
exotic pet ownership violates the First and Fifth Amendments. They claim it limits their
freedom and takes their property. This is just one of hundreds of examples of pet owners
fighting for their right to own exotic animals as pets. Even though they have a lot of
people to argue with for their right to keep these animals, they are not giving up without a
fight. Another reason some exotic pet owners would rather have their strange wild pet
rather than a dog or cat is because of allergies. Amphibians and reptiles give the owner a
fun companion without all of the sneezing and coughing.
According to Zuzana Kukol, the president and co-founder of Responsible Animal
Ownership, Responsible private ownership of exotic animals should be legal if animal
welfare is taken care of. Kukol brings up the point that most of these wild animals are
born in captivity, and not taken from the wild. Captive breeding eliminates the pressure
Reding 4
on wild populations, and also serves as a backup in case the animals go extinct. She
explains that if we have the freedom to choose what car to buy, where to live, or what pet
to have, why shouldnt we have the same freedom to pick what exotic animal to own
(Opposing View 2011).
If society overreacts and bans exotics because of actions of a few deranged
individuals, then we need to ban kids, as that is the only way to totally stop child abuse,
and we need to ban humans, because that is the only way to stop murder. Silly, isnt it?
Zuzana Kukol
As you can see, whether American citizens want to keep these exotic pets, or ban
them from all homes, they are passionate about what they believe. The animal rights
activists and concerned neighbors think that exotic animals are a threat to the humans
and animals wellbeing. They see tons of health and safety risks that come along with
owning these animals. They argue that exotic pets cause disease and the risk of attack is
just too high. Danger is not the only reason they oppose owning exotic pets though.
Animal rights groups are also worried about the welfare of the pets. If they are not cared
for properly, it is just cruel to keep them.
Animal lovers argue that exotic pets are safe and enjoyable. They claim that with
the proper training and care, exotic animals bring joy and excitement into homes. The
people with this opposing view say it is their right to own these pets, and that no law
should take away that right. Whether you think exotic animals are pets or predators, this
issue is only getting bigger. Through the arguments of concerned neighbors and animal
rights activists, you can see why people are passionate and concerned about United States
Reding 5
citizens keeping exotic animals as pets. So what do you think? Are exotic animals pets or
predators?
Reding 6
Works Cited
ONeill, Justin. Should a Tiger Be Your Pet?. Scholastic Scope 23 April
2012. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.
Keeping exotic pets Veterinary Record (2013):173:558 Academic Search
Premier. Web. 16 Mar. 2014
Bryant J. Sheila. (2009) Dont Try This at Home: Exotic Native and Nonnative
Species in Our Backyard. Journal of Agriculture & Food Information, 10:3, 274-280,
DOI: 10.1080/10496500903025426
Get The Facts:." The Dangers of Keeping Exotic Pets. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar.
2014. <http://www.bornfreeusa.org/facts.php?p=187&more=1>.
Kukol, Zuzana. "Opposing View: Let people own exotic animals."
USATODAY.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.
<http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/opinion/story/2011-10-20/own-exotic-animalsOhio/50846342/1>.
"Get The Facts:." Ten Fast Facts about Exotic Pets. N.p., 2013. Web. 14 Mar.
2014. <http://www.bornfreeusa.org/facts.php?p=439&more=1>.
McLaughlin, Michael. "Exotic Animal Owners In Ohio Fight Bill Restricting Pet
Ownership." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 02 June 2013. Web. 16 Mar.
2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/02/exotic-animal-ownersohio_n_3374565.html>.

Documented Essay

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Documented Essay

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Documented Essay

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Reding 1

Exotic Animals: Pets or Predators?

You might also like