Leslie
Penny
Two
Sides to Owning Exotic Animals as Pets
The
fallowing scene is graphic and disturbing to even the hardened animal
experts. The day is overcast with
puddles of mud surrounding the area.
Local Zanesville, Oh, authorities stare down at the massacre at their
feet. A look of disdain and of horror etched
on their faces. The authorities feel
grief and shock because they were the ones that had caused the horrific
scene. For reasons only known to
himself, Terry Thomson decided to let everyone of his exotic wild animals loose
then committed suicide. There wasn't
much time to make a decision so for the safety of the public the authorities
decided to shoot all the animals which included Lions, Bears, Monkeys and 18
rare Bengal Tigers. (Praetorius, 2011)
The
point of the story is, should it be ok for people to own exotic animals. On the one hand there are particular
individuals who feel they are capable of the responsibility of caring for these
animals, who feel they have the right, who feel they are the best person for the
job and who don't see anything wrong with owning an exotic animal. On the other hand there are those who have
the best interest of the animals in mind and the best of the public.
According
to (Kukol, 2011),
"Responsible private ownership of exotic animals should be legal if animal
welfare is taken care of." The
article goes on to say that the owner of the above slain exotic animals wasn't
a responsible owner and acted in an insane manner. The author brings up a valid point by stating
that exotic animals are not always kept as pets but for commercial reasons who
are born into captivity. Who are kept
"as a backup in case the animals go extinct." (Kukol, 2011)
The
article states that,
On
average in the United States, only 3.25 people per year are killed by captive
big cats, snakes, elephants and bears.
Most of these fatalities are owners, family members, friends and trainers voluntarily on the property where
the animals were kept. Meanwhile,
traffic accidents kill about 125 people
per day.
After reading this statement one
can see how owning an exotic animal can be put into perspective when being
compared to something as common as traffic accidents. However, from another perspective the opposite
views have logic as well.
Opposing
viewpoints would argue that owning exotic animals as pets such as the ones
spoken about in this essay is not a good thing.
According to the ASPCA, "It may be easy to buy an exotic animal,
but it is not a good idea. ...it is bad
for the animals, bad for us and bad for the environment." (ASPCA, 2012)
The website states it is bad for
animals because they require more supervision and less interaction with people
unlike domesticated animals. ASPCA
points out that the well being of the exotic animal is effected by
"malnutrition, stress, trauma, and behavioral disorders are common in
exotics kept as pets." (ASPCA, 2012)
The
ASPCA states that it is not only the animals that are affected. People are as well. Exotic animals carry diseases such as
Salmonella, Shigella, Herpes B Virus, Chlamydia, Giardia, Hepatitis A, Rabies,
Ringworm, Tuberculosis.... (ASPCA, 2012) Putting the fact they carry illness and
disease aside, their behavior can be fatal to their owners. Owners can be mauled to death while the
animal doesn't think twice of the natural behavior its exhibiting.
In
conclusion, arguing viewpoints can bounce around the why's and why not's all
day in reference to owning an exotic pet.
In the end, only the law and the good sense of owners are ultimately
held responsible for the exotic pets of our world. Until it becomes completely illegal advocates
will continue to fight for the well being of exotic animals. That goes for animal rights activists as well
as exotic animal owners.
Works Cited
ASPCA. (2012). Exotic Animals as Pets.
Retrieved April 29, 2012, from ASPCA:
http://www.aspca.org/adoption/adoption-tips/exotic-animals.aspx
Kukol, Z. (2011,
October 20). Opposing view: Let people own exotic animals. Retrieved
April 29, 2012, from USA TODAY:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/story/2011-10-20/own-exotic-animals-Ohio/50846342/1
Praetorius, D. (2011,
October 20). Exotic Animals Killed: Graphic Photo Emerges of Zanesville,
Ohio Animal Freeing Aftermath. Retrieved April 29, 2012, from The
Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/20/exotic-animals-killed-photo_n_1022388.html
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