Illegal Pet Trade: Smuggling & Abuse of Adored Pets - Essay Sample

Introduction

Pets inform part of global human cultures that people keep for admiration of beauty and enjoyment of companionship and devotion. Many people may be willing to purchase such pets, but the illegal pet trade has threatened the lives of such pets that humans hold in high esteem. Pet trade has been a lucrative trade ion the world. Besides the positive impacts of pets, there exist adverse effects like the smuggling of such pets that result in physical abuse of the animals. Also, the overcrowded places and extreme heat that such animals are exposed to (Beckham). Additionally, such pets and animals are kept by the owners in cages, where they are held captive and alone that may subsequently result in their deaths. Thus, exotic animals and pets are best suited for the parks and zoos where they can be properly taken good care. The big question is, should people keep exotic pets and animals? Endangered species should be kept in the zoos and game parks where they can be adequately taken care of, are not a risk to the society, and can be appropriately treated in case of illnesses (Weaver). People should, therefore, not keep exotic pets because they require specific care, pose a risk to both individual and public, and carry diseases and illnesses.

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Background on Why People Should Not Keep Exotic Pets

Exotic pets are depicted as wild, and at times people are banned from domesticating them. Examples of exotic pets are big catlike tigers, lions, big snakes like boa constrictors, or raccoons. All over the United States, exotic pets' live side by side with humans, and it is estimated that most exotic pets and animals live in homes that are kept in zoos. The keeping of exotic pets by humans has been a topic of controversy. That is following the fascinating pet business, which albeit depicted as lucrative, the animal welfare and welfare conservationists have opposed it viewed ng that it is not only dangerous in upbringing the captive animals in the superb but also cruel to the animals. Conversely, some animals like the wild kangaroos typically display hints of aggression by attacking people, especially in Australia. Additionally, the continuous reported cases of deaths and injuries associated with exotic pet ownership has led to the banning of exotic pet ownership in some states in the US.

Similarly, some people have been reported strangled to death by their pet snakes as some people have become sick owing to coming into contact with some zoo animals. However, some proponents of exotic pets advocate for private ownership of exotic pets by humans. They cite that some pets in the zoos need new homes as some people can adequately care for such animals; hence, they are allowed to purchase them so long as they have a license to do so. Such animals may be treated by their owners like surrogate children, by giving them a room of their own, dressing them, feeding them well, diapering them, and training them for various roles. The proponents of animal ownership also assert that people should be allowed to own pets as it would be a way to reconnect with the natural world since exotics may set them apart. Such a relationship with exotic pets may reduce social isolation and makes them happier. The proponents assert that it is only the ownership of dangerous exotic animals that should be banned while other pets should be allowed for people to own and trained on how to take proper care and treatment of them.

Reasons Why People Should Not Have Exotic Pets

Exotic Pets Cause Infectious Diseases to Humans

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak of some human diseases is pinned on exotic animals that are imported. Additionally, the US Department of Agriculture's Animals and Plant Health Inspection Service, exotic pets are majorly the ones imported are a severe threat to plant and animal health. Examples are the amphibians that carry chytrid fungus that resulted in the death of toads and frogs; and the civet cats that harbored the deadly SARS Virus (Aldhous). Additionally, most infectious infections are zoonotic emanating from the exotic pets kept by people. Such diseases are primarily of viral origin and likely to be vector-borne. An example is the emergence and spread of the West Nile Virus in North America and the outbreak of monkeypox that came from pet prairie dogs. That has called for a closer collaboration among the specialists of wildlife, professions of the veterinary, and the personnel of the public health into playing surveillance, control, and prevention on the emergent infections caused by the exotic pets.

It is also worth noting that the infectious pathogens resulting from exotic pets is not only contagious to the health of humans but also on the agricultural production in the realms of wildlife conservation and wildlife-based economies. Conversely, zoonotic pathogens resulting from the exotic pets kept by people infect the domesticated animals and the hosts of such pets as well (Bruno). Moreover, the close human contact with the exotic pets puts such powers at risk of exposure to zoonoses.

Exotic Pets are Dangerous to the Owners and the Community

Besides causing unusual infections, exotic pets are dangerous not only to their owners but also to the community, like pet tigers that my mound and injure people in the city. That may be following the lack of skills and qualifications of the people who keep such exotic animals. Some exotic animals can also be hazardous to the community, and owners should hence be preserved to the zoos. Similarly, some exotic animals should not be domesticated as the dangers they pose should never qualify them as pets. An example of such an animal is the chimpanzee, which is dangerous to the neighborhood. Similarly, keeping monkeys as exotic pets poses dangers to the society as they are prone to attacks through bites and scaring and attacking people. Additionally, pets like pythons have attacked not only the owners in the past but also the community at large. Such captive wild animals should be kept in the sanctuaries or to be released to the wild instead of being saved by people (Oren).

Conversely, the state should ban the keeping of pets like tigers, lions, bears, and wolves since they may dangerously attack mand injure their owners and the community following their unpredictability. Besides, certain dog breeds may be dangerous to the community when kept by people, thereby should be left to the wild instead of domestication. Moreover, most pet owners are never equipped to handle the rapid growth of pythons that may be dangerous to the community (Marquis). The thick vegetation cover, the warm climate, and the ways of the waters for travel and the trees to climb enhances the spread of exotic snakes in the neighborhood, making the owners be overwhelmed in controlling them, subsequently poising danger in the surrounding community. Such exotic animals should be left to the wild instead of being domesticated.

Exotic Pets Need Special Care and are Prone to Mishandling by Owners

Similarly, people should not have exotic pets since they require special care as they have special needs and requirements that can be cumbersome to deal with at home. Pets like tigers typically roam like terrorists hence may need enough space to exercise rather than enclosed yard or in the house. Besides, other wild animals, following their strength in nature, they may need to climb or jump to great heights, rendering them difficult to contain at home as pets, and once they escape, they may be difficult to be traced hence suffering. At times people may buy exotic animals as infants when they are young only to realize that they are unable to control them as they turn from cute cubs into tigers or as snakes turn from tiny slithering friends to twenty-foot giant pythons. That may result in abandoning of such animals as they grow, which may put the lives of such animals in danger and subsequently lead to their death. Worse still, failure to care for the animals by the owners may make the animals escape, be hurt, or be shot and killed. The home captivity may, therefore, be dangerous and unhealthy for the exotic animals as they may suffer both psychological and physiological distress conferring the inability to express healthy behaviors like hunting or acquiring a mate (Favreau). That would subsequently result in serious illnesses or zoochosis encompassing the development of abnormal and self-mutilating behaviors manifested by the exotic animals when under captivity.

Animals Deserve Protection from Abuse

Most exotic pets owned by individuals are vulnerable to abuse and mistreatments. That is in the realms of malnutrition, animal cruelty, or killings. Worse still, some pets are generally left without food, water or beddings by their owners. That may lead to starvation of such animals to death, animals that could otherwise have been well fed in the zoos. As a result of that, prominent animal welfare groups draw a direct correlation between animal abuse and domestic violence as most domestic violence victims reported that their abusers also targeted pets. Exotic pets kept by individuals are therefore vulnerable to injury and terrorizing in terms of physical beatings, malnutrition, starvations, and killings by their owners thereby people should never be allowed to keep them

Reasons Why People Should Keep Exotic Pets

Despite the challenges of keeping exotic pets, the proponents of keeping exotic pets still argue that people should stay exotic pets for the following reasons:

The Dangers of Exotic Pets are Minimal

Most exotic pets pose mi animal threats to the owners and the public. Appropriate training of the exotic pets by the owners may minimize their dangers and encourage good behaviors and friendliness. Most owners of exotic pets usually are responsible; hence they should be given the freedom to have and keep exotic pets of their choices without being infringed. That has made some pet owners treat their pets are surrogate children by diapering them, dressing them with bay clothes, and training them on basic things like using the toilet. Additionally, owning the animals is a form of status and power to the owners

Keeping Exotic Pets is Good for the Animals and the Owners

Advocates of keeping exotic pets assert that regulated exotic pet ownership should be allowed to provide a safe and fulfilling environment. Many exotic pet owners report an emotional connection with their pets leading to better care of the animals, owing to the rapport and good bonding between the pet and the owner (Favreau). With the right resources and traini8ng, exotic pet owners assert that they can provide a fulfilling and safe environment for their pets, coupled with according their pets more specialized care than the care that the pets would get in the overcrowded and overburdened zoos. The owners may, therefore, in some cases, end up adopting a rescued animal in need of a home. Besides, the owners keep the pest as a way of reconnecting with the natural world, forming an intense relationship with the pets to avoid isolations as the pets would be a good companion, thereby taking pleasure in possessing the exotic animals.

Fondness for Exotic Pets by Pet Keepers

Moreover, most pet owners assert their fondness for exotic pets. They underscore that pet keeping is like living with the best friend that enhances cheerfulness ion the environment besides easing tensions. They also juxtapose that by caring before the captive-bred creatures, the pet owners are doing their part in helping the animals stay alive and healthy on earth since they care for the exotic pets with profound commitments. When the animals or pets are non-longer wild, they can be domesticated following their friendliness and the fondness of the owners with them, as the owners report that the animals keep a hood co...