Keeping these exotic pets is ‘cruel’ and ‘dangerous,’ Canadian animal advocates say – CTV
April 23, 2024
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes in Canada, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say as they push for stronger and consistent regulation across the country.
“There is a misguided notion that wild animals can be tamed as pets,” Kelly Butler, wildlife campaign manager with Humane Society International Canada in Montreal, said in a video interview with CTVNews.ca. “It’s very cruel to the animal. It’s dangerous to the owner. … So this leads to dangers for both animals and the people, because the keeping of exotic pets is inconsistently regulated and largely unmonitored across the country.”
Advocates define exotic pets as animals that live in captivity outside their countries of origin.
