Farewell Fido

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Recommended: Risks of owning an exotic pet

As of 2007, over 35 million households owned either dogs and/or cats (U.S.). However, there are some people who find owning such animals mundane and often opt for an exotic pet, which can be easily purchased via the internet. Most animals not native to an area are considered exotic. In the United States popular forms of exotic pets include big cats, primates, and different reptiles. Although these animals are adorable when young, they often require special care that is both expensive and time-consuming. As exotic animals mature they pose a variety of health and safety issues for society, from attacks and diseases to the destruction of an area’s natural ecosystem. Most exotic owners eventually tire of their pet, at which time the animal is surrendered to a rescue organization, released into the wild, or left alone in a pen until it meets its untimely death. Solutions to the problem are complex, however, education and stricter legislation could save many exotic animals from a life of captivity and people from suffering the brutal attacks these animals can inflict.

It is difficult to estimate how many exotic animal attacks occur in the United States every year because people do not always report the attacks. However, there have been many attacks too severe to be ignored, such as the attack on Roy Horn, famous for his Siegfried and Roy Las Vegas Casino act. Horn was attacked by a tiger, in front of 1,500 tourists, in 2003 leaving him seriously injured. Wounds suffered in the attack included bites to the arm and neck, as well as severe blood loss; Horn also suffered a stroke as a result of the attack (MSNBC). He had raised the seven year old tiger from the time he was a cub and performed with him for over six years. Immediately ...

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Center for Disease Control. Wild Primate Populations in Emerging Infectious Disease. , Web. 5 Apr 2011. .

"Invasion of the Giant Pythons." PBS: PBS, Web. 02 March 2011. .

"Killer Pets." Good Morning America. ABC, 08/21/2010. Web. 13 Feb. 2011.

Mott, Matthew. "Perils of Keeping Monkeys as Pets." National Geographic

Stephenson, Zachary. Telephone Interview by McCormick, Bev. 13 Feb 2011.

"U.S. Ownership and Market Statistics." American Veterinarian Medical Association May 2007: n. pag. Web. 02 March 2011. .

Virginia Department of Health. Non-human Primates. 2010. Web. 13 Feb 2011.

"Why Did The Tiger Attack Roy Horn." The Today Show. MSNBC, 10 Oct 2004. Television. 13 Feb 2011. .

"Wild Animal Sanctuary." wildanimalsanctuary.com, nd. Web. 13 Feb 2011

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