Exotic Pet Ownership is a Form of Animal Abuse

Often people buy pets for love and companionship. Dogs and cats are popular pets and provide benefits with pet ownership, but a small population goes much deeper in their pursuit of an animal companion. Ownership of non-native species or exotic animals continues to rise in spite of laws. As recorded in the television show Fatal Attractions, misguided animal lovers buy exotic pets such as tigers, lions, bears, hyenas, and venomous snakes. Sooner or later the animals attack their owners because they are in essence wild creatures and not suited for domesticated lifestyles. In most cases, the exotic pet owner dies or suffers lifelong disabilities. Nevertheless, who is the real victim? Individuals who subject exotic animals to live in cages, houses, and small apartments are actually abusing their pets because they are denying the animals’ freedom, so authorities should enforce exotic pet trade.

Sheila Bryant, author of "Don't Try This at Home: Exotic Native and Nonnative Species in Our Backyard” asserts baby exotic animals are often cute and cuddly, but they will likely outgrow their unnatural homes (276). Bryant notes that exotic animals may include farm animals such as potbelly pigs or goats; however, when animal lovers seek an exotic animal, they tend to go for dangerous animals (275). At the same time, Bryant emphasizes “Owning a large and exotic animal takes lots of forethought and planning” (276). In other words, the exotic pet owner has more responsibility than the average dog owner. After all, dogs are domestic creatures, so while some dogs react and bite, their owners are ultimately responsible for their temperaments due to their training. However, an owner cannot be responsible for an exotic pet’s reaction because he or she never trained the animal. While circus animals, such as elephants and tigers, can be trained to perform tricks, trainers cannot change the animals’ natural instincts. Ultimately, when an exotic animal reacts, it is their natural response system. If they were in their normal environment, one would expect exotic animals to fight for their survival. However, exotic pet owners force their animals to live in unsuitable environments with an exotic pet’s natural instinct.

When individuals buy exotic pets, they treat them as though they were domestic animals and subsequently abuse them because they are trying to erase the animals’ need for freedom and their natural habitat. According to the article “Pet Hate: Exotic Pet-keeping is on the Rise despite Decades of Initiatives Aimed at Reducing the Trade of Rare Animals,” alligators and their owners would casually stroll along the streets in London neighborhoods (Warwick and Arena 14). While this observation took place some time ago, Warwick and Arena reveal “bans of commercial importation and trading have not resolved all problems associated with exotic pet keeping, as many animals continue to experience captivity related stressors, morbidity, and morality” (14). Subsequently, the authors suggest that animal welfare laws mistakenly consider abuse based on dirty cages and evidence of physical violence (Warwick and Arena 14). Moreover, Warwick and Arena reveal exotic animals have excessively high morbidity rates due to disease, so when such animals are ill, it seems that their owners let them suffer before they die or, finally and inappropriately, set their dying animals free (14). It seems that an animal would prefer to die in its natural environment, but exotic pets tend to die in strange territory. It is unapologetic for exotic pet owners to mistakenly believe they are providing the proper care because they are inadvertently abusing their animals.

Incidentally, Camilla Pagani, Francesco Robustelli, and Frank Ascione reveal in their study “Investigating Animal Abuse: Some Theoretical and Methodological Issues” that there are a variety of opinions regarding animal abuse. When the authors gathered qualitative data concerning perceptions regarding animal abuse, they found that many studies used animal abuse as a means to identify “interpersonal violence” (Pagani, Robustelli, and Ascione 260). In other words, animal abuse is a secondary concern and former researchers speculated that the individuals who abused animals were psychologically violent (Pagani, Robustelli, and Ascione 264). Unfortunately, the researchers’ findings imply our society is only concerned with the individual who has the tendency to act violently towards animals instead of the individual’s victims. Indeed, exotic animals are the exotic pet owner’s victims.

The non-profit organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an organization known for advocating for animal rights and their opposition to puppy mills, reminds readers that transferring exotic pets across the border is an insufferable experience for the animal. The animals travel from places such as “Australia, Africa, and the jungles of Brazil” (PETA), so, more often than not, only a small percentage of the animals survive. Ironically, the pets that do survive often end up in unsuitable conditions and are consequently abused due to their unnatural environments (Bryant). While government regulations and laws seem to be the optimal approach, PETA reports that “buying and selling protected wildlife is one of the largest sources of criminal earnings, behind only arms smuggling and drug trafficking” (“Inside The Exotic Animal Trade”). Nevertheless, penalties are rare. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services are responsible for monitoring exotic animal transport, but they lack financial resources (PETA). Subsequently, we need to consider other options.

In sum, government regulations depend on their resources, so educating potential exotic pet owners is the likely next step. Essentially, it seems that border controls do not have the resources to entirely stop exotic pet trading, but online exotic pet vendors should hold some accountability. In addition, potential buyers should participate in educational awareness programs before they are able to purchase an exotic animal. However, buyers should understand that they are abusing any animal that they forced to live outside of its natural environment. Exotic pet owners claim to love their pets because they feel they have a bond, but clearly, that bond is one-sided and self-serving.

Works Cited

Bryant, Sheila. "Don't Try This at Home: Exotic Native and Nonnative Species in Our Backyard." Journal of Agricultural & Food Information 10.3 (2009): 274-80. Print.

Pagani, Camilla, Francesco Robustelli, and Frank R. Ascione. "Investigating Animal Abuse: Some Theoretical and Methodological Issues." Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals 23.3 (2010): 259-76. Print.

PETA. "Inside The Exotic Animal Trade." People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. PETA, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2013. <http://www.peta.org/issues/companion-animal-issues/companion-animals-factsheets/inside-exotic-animal-trade/>.

Sommerfield, Anne. Fatal Attractions. Animal Planet. 2010. Netflix. Web.

Warwick, C., and P. Arena. "Pet Hate: Exotic Pet-keeping Is on the Rise despite Decades of Initiatives Aimed at Reducing the Trade of Rare Animals." Biologist- Institute Of Biology 59.3 (2012): 14-19. Academic Search Complete. Web.