I have been hearing of this for a long time,but more frequently now, of some illegal purchasing or capturing of "pets" . These "pets" can be in the category of birds, dogs, and even insects or small animals. So everyone! Before you buy a "pet" from someone, or before you attempt to capture and keep these animals, do you ensure that they are not off limits in your country? For instance, I know that PitBulls are illegal in some parts of the world but many people still do keep them. So, what measures do you take in order to ensure that you're not illegally purchasing the "pet of your dreams"? Also, are you concerned about this practice? Or is it that it doesn't really matter either way?
I was at the fair a few months ago and they were pushing for people to buy some kind of nocturnal rodent. They wanted a few hundred dollars for one, but provided basically no information on their care. People were snatching them up like it was nothing. It terrifies me to think how those poor animals get treated when the new owners realize they will be up all night screeching. I wouldn't be surprised if some never even figured out the right diet for the poor things. Think about the pets you buy before you buy them! Where they came from, and how to take care of them!
Over here in my country, illegal pets are usually exotic animals like some reptiles and snakes, and I have no interest in those pets whatsoever, so I'm not concerned about breaking the law to have them, but I do have concern on the welfare of those captured animals and how their owners will treat them.
Illegal pets are seen greatly in our country. But till no measurement has been taken to avoid their usage and existence in the country. I hope in future something really good comes up and is useful for the people and the animals over here.
I think it is very important to check the history of the pet before you buy it. There are too many people who steal expensive pets to gain from them, and I think it is horrible!!
There is a shopping center here called Cartimar where you will find the exotic pet you are looking for, from tarantulas and black widows to pangolins (ant eater) and the endangered eagle. No, I don't relish exotic pets and I don't actually buy pets. All my pets are given to me as gifts.
I've actually never really thought about this facet of human - and animal, I suppose - life before. I am guessing that there are certain animals that are illegal over here in the UK. But I would not have the slightest clue as to which animals were on the illegal list.
It's also a thing to steal pets from their yards and sell them online.. or to take in free animals from online trading sites etc and turn around and make a huge profit from them. I would be highly cautious with any animal sale.. in many cases, you will be funding something that should be shut down immediately. Rescue is the best possible thing you could do.
Why buy a pet when animal shelters are full of animals that are desperately looking for a home. I've never paid for any of the pets that I have had over the years. Either they found their way to my house and put their paws and claws up for adoption, or I found them in the streets or animal refuge centers.
I used to discuss this with my ex girlfriend. Taking on animals that had had quite terrible pasts, and then raising them as our own. Mostly cats, since I sort of despise dogs. But that is not to say that I don't have any love to offer one lol. I have only ever paid for a hamster when I was younger, but then that was the only pet that I have ever had besides the fish that we currently have.
Getting a pet from a legit pet store would be the sure-fire way of ensuring the pet you are buying wasn't stolen. As for exotic or [illegal] pets, I think some people just don't care as long as they don't get caught. I remember last year a Brooklyn man was busted for having an alligator as a pet. They try to keep it all secret but how long can you keep something this huge secret?
But wouldn't getting a pet from a shelter also ensure that the pet that you were taking home with you wasn't stolen?? I am sure that these places operate under some rule that means that they must provide the animals paper work? I can't imagine them not showing the new potential owners paper work of some sort.
What's a legit pet store? As far as I know they just keep puppy mills et al going. Admittedly, I haven't looked into pet stores in a long time.. but where are they getting their animals if they're legit? I know of one I would call "legit" (despite my hate for pets being locked in cages and poked at all day by customers), I would only consider it "legit" because they help adopt out shelter pets instead of mill pets.
I'd go one step further & say you should be careful of people giving dogs away as well. When I got my dog back a few years I looked her up on all the missing dog sites I could. Facebook included. It was just to be sure someone hadn't missed people searching for her & dropped her at the pound. She had no chip & no tags but it's that extra step one should take so that when you're walking her later someone doesn't come up & claim she's theirs.
Where I come from, there is a huge list of breeds of dog that you are not allowed to own, due to the fact that they have been known to be violent in the past. However, many breeders are not honest about what they are breeding from, and as a result of this many are ending up with illegal dogs when they don't even know about it. This is something that you need to be wary about, so always make sure that you know the things that are illegal in your country, and make sure that you don't own anything that comes under any kind of banned list.
