PAWS opposes the private possession of exotic (not naturally from our local area) wild animals because of the inherent risks to human health and safety, and the cruelty involved in keeping such animals in unnatural environments. These species include animals such as monkeys and other non-human primates, bears, reptiles, and “pocket-pets” (such as hedgehogs, prairie dogs, and sugargliders), non-domesticated canines (wolf-hybrids) and felines (tigers, leopards, etc.). With the rise in popularity of Internet shopping, many of these animals are easier than ever to obtain. Adding to the issue, local pet stores that sell many of these animals are under no obligation to verify the legality of private ownership with potential buyers.

Effective July 22, 2007 Washington State joined 37 states in our nation to have regulations prohibiting private possession of potentially dangerous, exotic and wild animals. Read more about this victory in History and Victories. Visit the Animal Protection Institute’s website for information on other state laws regarding possession of exotic animals.

Often purchased when they are young and easier to manage, exotic animals may pose a threat to the public as they grow and begin to exert their natural behaviors. Not only do these animals present a risk in transmitting diseases to humans, local wildlife and livestock, there is also a danger that these animals will be released into our communities—during a natural disaster, or intentionally by an owner who finds the animal to be too difficult or expensive to care for.

Exotic wild animals, even those bred in captivity, still possess innate social and physical needs, and mental stimulation that cannot be met in private homes. Many animals naturally live in colonies, yet are kept as single pets. Severe boredom replaces normal behaviors like grooming one another, climbing, foraging for food, mating and rearing young that would occupy their time and attention. This boredom can lead to self-destruction, aggression and illness. Differences in climate can also create stress on animals and diminish the quality of or shorten their lives.

The average person lacks the expertise to provide proper nutrition, medical care, and husbandry. Finding a veterinarian willing to work on these animals may prove difficult. Some animals grow so large that their “owners” find they cannot afford to feed them adequately and the animals suffer hunger and malnutrition. Unnecessary and painful declawing and defanging is often performed in attempts to keep the animals from being able to inflict serious harm. Animals are often housed in environments completely lacking enrichment, such as basements or garages.

When the “owners” tire of the cost and care, or feel they cannot control an animal any longer, finding suitable placement is often difficult. Most zoos are unwilling to take privately owned animals, especially hybrids, and few sanctuaries exist. Animals released into our local habitat may spread diseases to indigenous species or domestic animals. Local animal control agencies routinely euthanize exotic species due to lack of resources or alternatives.

Exotic animals are often acquired while they are easily managed infants and have not yet exerted their natural behaviors of biting, spitting, hissing, and/or attacking. In 1999, PAWS helped find sanctuary for an African Serval after the 40-pound cat bit the Washington family’s young daughter. Across the nation, harrowing stories exist. See a list of them since 1990 on the Animal Protection Institute’s website.

Another threat to human safety is disease transmission. Zoonoses are diseases that can be transmitted between animals and people. They may be bacterial in nature, such as salmonella; fungal, like ringworm; parasitical, like tapeworm; or viral, such as herpes B, a virus usually fatal to humans. It is estimated that up to 90% of macaque monkeys carry the B virus, which may be shed in saliva. "The extremely high prevalence of B-virus along with their behavioral characteristics make the Macaque Species unsuitable as pets," states the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Snakes, one of the most common pet reptiles, have the potential to inflict serious injury through bite or constriction. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children under five years of age and immunocompromised persons avoid contact with reptiles due to salmonella risks.

“Even an animal that is friendly and loving can be very dangerous. In Animal Care’s experience, unsuspecting children and adults have been seriously injured or killed, even when the animals involved were only playing.”

Position Statement on Large Wild & Exotic Cats
Animal Care/APHIS
US Department of Agriculture

“The American Veterinary Medical Association strongly opposes the keeping of wild carnivore species and those reptiles and amphibians that are considered inherently dangerous to humans and believes that all commercial traffic of these animals for such purposes should be prohibited.”

The American Veterinary Medical Association