Comments in Support of Banning Exotic Pets Ownership in Cottonwood Heights Allowing ownership of exotic pets promotes the exotic pet trade, which results in illness and death to the trafficked species, devastation on wild populations of trafficked species, environmental damage to native species and habits, and health concerns for both people and animals. A. Background Recently, Thomas Cobb, an exotic snake collector, moved out of Cottonwood Heights when neighbors complained that he owned more than twenty-‐five boa constrictors. Homeowners urged for strict limits on the number of exotic pets residents are allowed to own. The best response to these serious concerns would be to make ownership of any exotic pets in Cottonwood Heights illegal. B. Exotic Animals are Wild Animals, not Domestic Pets While the allure of cute exotic pets might entice people into purchasing exotic animals, exotic pets are in fact wild animals and usually become dangerous and unmanageable in an urban or suburban setting. Many exotic animals travel several miles each day in the wild, so a domestic environment is not enough to satisfy the need for space. In addition, many exotic animals have high food requirements. After owners can no longer manage their exotic pet’s need for food and space, the animals usually end up in cages where they are neglected, abused, malnourished, and stressed. These problems can lead to animal attacks. Regardless of whether they are captured from the wild or born in captivity, wild animals are not domestic animals.1 Their behaviors are unpredictable when they are held in a setting that is unfamiliar and unsuitable for their needs.2 Wild animals are not like domestic pets that have been bred to live with humans for thousands of years.3 Exotic pet owners cannot turn their exotic pets into domesticated animals. Wild animals are meant to stay wild animals. Many exotic pets will be declawed, detoothed, or
1 Mohamed, E., “5 Reasons to Join our Efforts to End the Black Market Trade in Exotic Pets.”
Aug. 9, 2013. International Fund for Animal Welfare, available at: http://www.ifaw.org/united-‐states/news/5-‐reasons-‐join-‐our-‐efforts-‐end-‐black-‐market-‐ trade-‐exotic-‐pets. 2 Id. 3 Kennedy, E. “The Dangers of the Exotic Pet Trade: From Tigers to Turtles.” Fall 2004/Winter 2005 Issue. The Wildlife Watch Binocular, available at: http://www.wildwatch.org/Binocular/bino01/pettrade.html. 1
made unable to fly.4 These exotic animals are losing the very characteristics that define them.5 As further evidence to the fact that exotic animals should not be pets, most reptile owners do not even keep their pets for a full year. Many will die from poor care while others may be released outside by their owners or escape from their insecure cages.6 The Western Cape of Africa’s Environment Crime Investigation unit estimates that 90% of all exported reptiles do not even live a full year after exportation. Some exotic pet owners try to dump their unwanted pets at zoos, but this is often not a viable option, so these animals are often either left with their ill-‐equipped owners or killed. C. The Exotic Pet Trade Harms Wild Populations Though some exotic pets are bred in captivity, many are actually removed directly from their native habitats.7 The intense stress of being yanked from their home environment causes many animals in the exotic pet trade to die before they even reach the residence of the intended buyer. Furthermore, baby animals are the most coveted. This results in poachers often killing the mother to get to the baby animals, which causes even further damage to populations of wild animals. Cottonwood Heights could prevent or reduce these practices by regulating exotic pet ownership. Because of the exotic pet trade, animals we think of as iconic for certain areas of the world may no longer exist in upcoming generations. As one, perhaps unconsidered, example, five years after Finding Nemo was released, marine biologists were fighting to get the clown fish on the endangered species list because the wild population drastically dropped as people wanted the fish for pets.8 Continuing the cycle, as an animal becomes rarer, the price for the animal goes up and people seek it even more which then further pushes the species into extinction.9 As animals move through the exotic pet trade, they are transferred from person to person and suffer severe cruelty. For example, Parrots may have their beaks and feet taped shut in order to smuggle them into luggage, stolen eggs are hidden in special vests that allow them to pass undetected through x-‐ray machines, turtles are taped shut inside their 4 Id. 5 Id. 6 Id.
7 “Facts about the Exotic Pet Trade.” Animal Planet, available at:
http://animal.discovery.com/tv-‐shows/fatal-‐attractions/lists/facts-‐exotic-‐pet-‐trade.htm. 8 “Part Two: Media Influence, the Pet Trade and Repercussions.” Animal Pledge, available at: http://www.animalpledge.org/media-‐representation. 9 “Domestic Trade.” Animal Welfare Institute, available at: https://awionline.org/content/domestic-‐trade. 2
shells, and baby snakes have been stuffed inside CD cases. Animals are usually denied medical care, exercise, and socialization. Countless animals also die when they are killed for desirable body parts.10 Even animals who are rescued from the exotic pet trade often die because they are too sick to save. The exotic animal trade is so brutal that a mortality rate of 80 to 90% has been reported. In addition to depleting the population of the animals coveted as exotic pets, there are environmental concerns. Removing animals from their native environment affects the ecosystem as a whole and results in changes to other animal populations living in the same environments. Prey and predator populations go out of balance.11 When owners release their exotic pets, additional problems arise. Many exotic pets are abandoned on roadsides and starve or otherwise find themselves victims of their new environments. The survivors can destroy their new environments by killing species native to the area. For example, Burmese pythons have wrecked havoc in Florida and killed endangered birds and native snakes. D. Exotic Animals Present Health Risks to Humans and Other Animals Many exotic pets bring with them new diseases.12 Some examples are herpes B, salmonella, and rabies.13 Exotic pets can catch rabies from other animals.14 There are currently no rabies vaccines for exotic animals.15 Putting exotic animals in new environments creates a high risk for everyone involved. Ninety percent of all reptiles carry salmonella.16 Because the reptiles do not show symptoms, owners will not be able to tell if their animals carry salmonella. People can catch salmonella by failing to wash their hands properly after handing infected animals or
10 Lallanilla, M. “A Brief Chat about Exotic Pets: The Global Trade in Exotic Pets is a Growing
Problem.” Green Living, available at: http://greenliving.about.com/od/greenshopping/a/Exotic-‐Pets.htm. 11 Kennedy, E. “The Dangers of the Exotic Pet Trade: From Tigers to Turtles.” Fall 2004/Winter 2005 Issue. The Wildlife Watch Binocular, available at: http://www.wildwatch.org/Binocular/bino01/pettrade.html. 12 Id. 13 “Exotic Pets.” Born Free, available at: http://www.bornfreeusa.org/mbw/b1_problem.php. 14 “Exotic Pets.” Born Free, available at: http://www.bornfreeusa.org/mbw/b1_problem.php. 15 Id. 16 Id. 3
objects infected animals touched. The Centers for Disease Control estimates 93,000 cases of Salmonella are caused by reptile exposure each year.17 Snakes can be very dangerous to own as exotic pets. According to the University of Florida, over 7,000 venomous snakebites are reported each year in the United States.18 Both adults and children have been seriously injured from snake attacks. Snakes can attack anyone. Snakes released by owners (or those who escaped from cages) have been found all over the United States where they damage ecosystems, threaten communities, and kill people and other animals. Adults and children alike have also been attacked by other exotic pets, such as tigers and monkeys.19 By allowing residents to own exotic pets in Cottonwood Heights, the city is legally creating a dangerous situation for citizens, visitors, and nearby communities and sending the wrong message to residents interested in exotic pets. E. The Exotic Pet Trade Results in Dangers to Humans and Animals Alike When exotic animals lose their appeal, owners may get rid of them in favor of younger20 or different animals. Exotic animals can move from owner to owner until they die or are killed.21 Exotic animals are often sold at auctions.22 At auctions, sellers do not question whether buyers have the necessary knowledge, skill, or ability to care for the animals they are purchasing. Animals are also sold through magazines and on the internet.23 Federal regulations only require minimum standards for exotic animals bred for sale. Often times, sellers of exotic animals do not warn buyers of the risks involved, difficulties in caring for the animals, or the animal’s needs. F. Exotic Pet Trade Promotes Illegal Trafficking The Pet Trade is a multibillion-‐dollar enterprise making between $10-‐20 billion each year.24 According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the illegal wildlife trade
17 Id. 18 Id.
19 “Exotic Pets.” Born Free, available at:
http://www.bornfreeusa.org/mbw/b1_problem.php. 20 “The Dirty Side of the Exotic Animal Pet Trade.” June 15, 2003. Born Free, available at: http://www.bornfreeusa.org/articles.php?p=180&more=1. 21 Id. 22 Id. 23 Id. 24 “The Dirty Side of the Exotic Animal Pet Trade.” June 15, 2003. Born Free, available at: http://www.bornfreeusa.org/articles.php?p=180&more=1. 4
is second only to drug trafficking.25 In the United States, there are not enough people to inspect shipments to ensure that exotic animals are not being sold and shipped. The exotic pet trade also reduces the social stigma against trafficking these animals and sends the message that it is okay to capture wild animals. Another problem is that it is impossible to tell the difference between an exotic animal illegally obtained from the wild and one legally bred.26 Allowing ownership of any exotic pets helps promotes the illegal wildlife trade because a purchaser will not be able to determine the origins of any exotic animal. The lack of care for the animals can apply to sellers as well as buyers. Pet stores focus more on profit than caring for the animals.27 Pet stores will send back sick and injured animals instead of showing compassion by helping to nurse the animals back to health. By allowing ownership of exotic animals in Cottonwood Heights, the city would be encouraging exotic animal ownership and supporting this brutal criminal enterprise. As mentioned above, by allowing exotic pets, Cottonwood Heights is potentially creating a situation where non-‐native exotic animals will be introduced into Utah. If this were to happen, it may become impossible to remove the exotic animals.28 In Florida taxpayers are spending millions of dollars, yet Florida still cannot fix the damage caused by the released exotic pet snakes that have adapted to their new environment.29 Snakes can have up to one hundred twenty four eggs in a single clutch.30 If a solitary pregnant female were to escape or be abandoned, that could result in an outbreak of new snakes living in the community.31 It only takes one exotic pet to put an entire community at risk of harm. Another financial burden of allowing exotic pets is the resources spent by police. In many snake attacks, police are called to help free people from the grips of large constrictor snakes.32 In some incidents, it takes more than half a dozen people to free individuals 25 Id.
26 “Domestic Trade.” Animal Welfare Institute, available at:
https://awionline.org/content/domestic-‐trade. 27 “The Dirty Side of the Exotic Animal Pet Trade.” June 15, 2003. Born Free, available at: http://www.bornfreeusa.org/articles.php?p=180&more=1. 28 Markarian, M. “Close the Loophole on Exotic Snakes.” Dec. 31, 2013. Tallahassee, available at: http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20140101/OPINION05/301010002/Michael-‐ Markarian-‐Close-‐loophole-‐exotic-‐snakes. 29 Id. 30 Id. 31 Id. 32 “Constructor Snake Incidents.” The Humane Society of the United States, available at: http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/wildlife/captive/captive-‐constrictor-‐snake-‐ incidents.pdf. 5
trapped by constrictor snakes.33 Police have also devoted resources to putting out bulletins to warn communities when exotic snakes are on the loose.34 Cottonwood Heights should seriously consider whether it wants to potentially incur the additional expense of using police resources to combat incidents when wild animals get out of hand. There is also the risk to firefighters when they enter homes with exotic animals that they are not prepared to encounter.35 Finally, another consideration would be the medical costs for the physical and physiological damage inflicted when owners of exotic pets can no longer control their wild animals and those animals attack.36 G. Problems with Exotic Snakes in Utah While the Cottonwood Heights City Council is considering creating a law limiting exotic pet ownership, this particular concern started because of citizen complaints over exotic snakes. Constrictor snake attacks have occurred across the country, including Utah.37 On October 31, 2010 in West Jordan, Utah, a fifteen-‐foot, one-‐hundred forty pound Burmese python attacked a ten-‐year-‐old boy at a Halloween party. The boy was bitten on his face, chin, and under the ear. On August 15, 2012 in West Valley City, Utah, a woman was attacked in her garden by a large snake after rescuing her dog who was also attacked by the snake. She was bitten three times, the snake wrapped around her waist, and she suffered bruising before freeing herself. Additional incidents of snakes roaming through communities have been reported in Utah. Across the country, people of all ages have been attacked and killed by constrictor snakes. However, snakes are just one type of dangerous exotic animal. The more exotic animals living in Cottonwood Heights, the more danger the community may encounter. H. Friends of Animals Urges Cottonwood Heights to Ban Exotic Pet Ownership By allowing exotic pets in the community, Cottonwood Heights is taking a serious gamble. It is risking the safety and health of its citizens, visitors, and neighboring communities by permitting animals that belong in the wild to live as pets with humans. Cottonwood Heights is also helping further the exotic animal trade and leading endangered animals one-‐step closer to extinction. Finally, Cottonwood Heights is taking a serious financial risk if anything were to go wrong with exotic pet ownership. Friends of Animals strongly encourages Cottonwood Heights to ban exotic animals completely in order to protect animals and humans alike.
33 Id. 34 Id. 35 Id. 36 See Id. 37 Id.
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