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Matthew Feltham-Chase
Kelly Turnbough
English 1010
08/02/2015
Regulating Exotic/Dangerous Animals
Regulation of dangerous or exotic animals is a must for the safety of those around them.
There is no strict definition for an exotic animal, but what defines dangerous? How are these
creatures regulated? Should they be more heavily regulated than they already are? These are
questions that need to be answered in todays society, seeing as animals are causing problems for
safety all around the country. There are many points of view on this matter, from animal rights
activists and public safety officials to breeders and pet stores. The biggest concern is the safety of
people around these animals and the consequences of what could happen if they were to escape.
The news reports on the horror stories of exotic animals attacking owners, friends, family, even
neighbors or other pets. This is an important topic to me as I own what could be considered an
exotic animal, snakes.
The first question that needs to be answered is what defines an exotic animal. According
to National Geographic Magazine the term exotic pet has no firm definition; it can refer to any
wildlife kept in human households- or simply to a pet that is more unusual than the standard dog
or cat(Slater, 2). By that definition anyone that has ever owned a beta fish in the United States
has owned an exotic pet, since that species of fish is native to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and
Thailand. Thus also means that every Petco or Petsmart in the country and even some Walmarts

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sell animals that are supposed to be regulated by state laws. However many state laws and
regulations concerning potentially dangerous creatures and their purchase are not being enforced.
A field study was done by The Today Show, where Jeff Rossen purchased a venomous snake at a
reptile show with no questions asked. This is problematic seeing as the government is pushing
for stricter laws concerning animals of the less common nature, even though the current
regulations are not being enforced. The government is trying to punish the whole community for
the unlawful actions of a few. This idea can be seen on many topics throughout history, most
commonly in gun control, but how do you regulate all animals that are dangerous.
To answer that another question must be posed, what makes an animal dangerous? Fangs,
claws, venom, aggressive nature, these are all qualities of common pets all over the country.
Mild venom is a trait of many fish and amphibians, fangs and claws can be seen in cats and dogs,
and an aggressive nature can be seen in all of the above it just varies on the actual animal. In an
article put out by the Humane Society of the United States titled Dangerous Exotic Pets:
Snakes it was stated that since 1990, 12 people have died from constrictor snake-related
incidents(Dangerous Exotic Pets). These are snakes kept as pets that have turned bad, this is
also not accounting for the venomous counterparts. The Washington Post wrote an article
outlining the CDCs database for dangerous animal encounters, it reads that snakes [are
responsible for approximately] 6 deaths per year(Ingraham, 1). This contributes to snakes being
listed as dangerous but in the same article it is stated that cows killed about twenty people a
year(Ingraham, 2), yet cows are not considered dangerous in the eyes of the American people,
they are not taught from birth to fear the seemingly gentle farm creature, yet they are terrified of
slithering serpents that may mean no harm at all. Even so the number one pets in the world, dogs
are revered, even though annually they are the cause of 28 deaths according to the CDC

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(Ingraham, 2). Why is it that dogs are not regulated the same way other dangerous animals are,
seeing as they 28 times more likely to kill you than exotic animals like sharks, bears, and
alligators.
Animal rights activists have always said that wild animals should never be kept as pets
seeing as it is not fair to the animals. Wild creatures do as they please in their home environment,
but in captivity they are limited as to what they can do day to day. Tim Harrison, who has owned
exotic animals for over a decade, explains in his statement to National Geographic it was if
[my] eyes had been blistered shut and were suddenly opened(Slater, 3) after his visit to the
plains of Africa. Even as an owner himself Harrison could see the problems with keeping such
animals for ones self. They are creatures in and of the land, and to give them any less suddenly
seemed wrong(Slater, 3) said Harrison, the article mentions that today Harrison is part of
Outreach for Animals where he rescues exotic animals and moves them to sanctuaries for their
protection, and the safety of the community. There is a very good reason for the concern to the
community, in Zanesville, Ohio a man released 50 wild animals before taking his own life, reads
the article in National Geographic. This would concern the population all over the country,
walking into your back yard and finding an African lion or a black panther would scare any right
minded human being. However would writing stricter laws bring this issue to an end? All over
the world people house and sell animals on the black market, animals that should be impossible
to own in the United States are now readily available to own thanks to this illegal business.
Seeing as it is already against the law what would change if more laws are enacted, nothing
would change, placing bans on wild animal ownership will only increase the population of
illegal exotics out there(Slater, 5) says Zuzana Kukol in her statement to National Geographic.

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Is there a point in trying to regulate animal ownership more than it already is? It seems like a
waste of time, effort, and money, seeing as there are still those that would own them illegally.
If the purchase and distribution of animals is limited how will this affect the economy? If
you cannot sell certain animals where does the pet industry go? What happens to the current
owners of these pets? Current exotic snake breeder David Barker says that if a ban is enacted
ninety percent of his business would be lost under the rule(Korte, 2). David also says that if
states were to pass this law it would make it criminal for families with [exotic pets] to move
across state lines(Korte, 1). That would be outrageous, no one wants to get rid of their family
pet when they move especially if they have created a bond with that animal over the years.
However this still has not answered the question of what happens if you own a banned animal
currently but you dont want to get rid of it. Well there is the obvious option of keeping it
illegally, or trying to obtain a permit for which is costly and in some states very time consuming.
According to the Today Show in order to obtain a permit for venomous creatures one must have
worked with a wildlife biologist or licensed venomous reptile trapper for a minimum of 1,000
hours(Rossen, 2). One must keep in mind that all the information that pet owners have access to
are current rules and regulations. The new laws that the government is trying to pass are fair
game, and are subject to change every day.
Another thing that needs to be considered when deciding of the regulation of animals is
the impact they are going to have on the environment if they escape. An article written by the
ASPCA outlines that most people who buy exotic animals have no idea what theyre getting
into(Exotic Animals as Pets, 1), it goes on to say what can a person do [if they cannot keep the
animals any longer]? Most shelters arent equipped to hand exotic animals. Reputable zoos wont
take them-and the dealer wont take the animal back(Exotic Animals as Pets, 2). What else is

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left for someone that is overwhelmed with their animal but to release it into the wild, where it
should have been left in the first place, but now the animal is no longer in its natural habitat. The
ASPCA also says setting the animal loose is also cruel to the animal since he or she is not
adapted for the habitat also the animal can spread diseases to native species, or could kill
native animals and free-roaming pets(Exotic Animals as Pets, 2). This is a concern for not only
environmentalists but also those that let their dogs out in the back yard without supervision, and
even with supervision there is little change an owner could do anything against the wild creature.
Seeing as I am a stakeholder in this topic I must side with the opinion of those that also
own exotic animals. I would not want the government to ban such creatures, I would never want
to get rid of my pets, and I hold them very dear to my heart. If the government would want
people to get permits for all exotic pets then I think we would see a protest. After working at a
pet store this reinforces my idea of just how many people own exotic pets. I would like to see
the current exotic laws enforced, the only reason being that people need to be held accountable
for their actions and the actions of the animals they have purchased.