Exotic Pet Owner and her Bobcat

Although exotic pets have many critics there are also those who will fight to defend the practice of keeping an exotic animal. Proponents of the industry tend to be owners or individuals involved in selling the animals. The exotic pet trade itself is a multi-billion dollar industry, second only to drugs and weapons on the black market. The major argument is that some people say it is their right as a person to be able to keep an exotic pet. Thus there have been vigorous public debates over the rights of citizens to be able to keep exotic animals as their pets.

The opinion of many exotic pet owners is that they should be allowed own the animals they want to own, and that laws prohibiting them from doing so are unjust. They feel bans of exotics as well as extreme regulations are unfair. One blog by an exotic pet owner stated “Banning “Exotic” Pets Is Senseless”. This blog goes on to say that regulation may be necessary for more dangerous species and that owning a domestic animal can be just as challenging as owning a domestic (depending on the species).

Tropical Pet Fish

In 2007 a Kamloops iguana owner speaking about a ban on exotics stated “I don’t think it’s fair as an exotic pet owner.” He went on to make the important point: “They have to define what is exotic, are tropical fish exotic because they live in the tropics?” This is a very good point and demonstrates a need for more fluidity in regulations in differing locations and levels of government.

Burmese python

In 1995 Burmese python owner Marc Anthony had to go to city council (in Windsor Ontario) to ask to keep his pets after his nigbour filed a complaint. He made the statement: “I’m being punished. Meanwhile there are dozens of people out there who have these pets and aren’t maybe taking good care of them.” This brings up the point that there are many exotic pet owners that go completely unknown. Most of the time people are unaware of exotic pets being kept as Canada is a very large country and it is easy to keep animals undetected when outside of the city.

In Canada there is an organization meant to support owners of exotics as well as fight for the legal rights to continue owning these animals: the Canadian Exotic Animal Owner’s Association. However there is little information on this organization and what sources are available still list Norman Buwalda as a member of the board of directors even though he has been dead since 2010. Thus it is difficult to tell weather or not this organization is still active.

For the most part exotic pet owners love their animals, although there are expectations as with regular pet owners too. Some owners dedicate their lives to their animal(s) which is often necessary in order to be able to afford to keep them. Exotic pets are costly to keep, especially the larger ones. For these owners legislation banning them from keeping their exotic companions is unjust and against their rights as people.