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We hear this question every day and it just makes us want to cry! The sad reality is that there are more unwanted animals than there are homes for them and those places that used to take some of these animals are now full…no more room at the inn!
How do people end up with a pet they don’t want? Sometimes an animal is bought because of the image or because it’s the latest fad. We know that quite a few of these animals are “impulse” purchases and are regretted later. Many more are “hand-me-down” animals that have already gone through multiple owners. Desperate owners threaten to release the animals into the wild but this is neither humane nor legal and is strongly discouraged! Not only are you introducing an exotic into the wild, you are also introducing any diseases or parasites this animal may have and this could be devastating to native populations.
Although the zoo itself cannot rescue every green iguana, red-tailed boa, Burmese and reticulated pythons, pacu and piranha fishes, parrots of all sorts, turtles of every imaginable make and model, baby bunnies and ducks and chicks, tigers, mountain lions, bobcats, bears, old horses and other livestock past their prime, ill or behaviorally challenged, we can still help. We can find appropriate homes for some species through existing networks. Sometimes all it takes is help solving the problem that threatened to put an end the pet and owner relationship.
In February 2004, ZooMontana partnered with area veterinarians, nature centers, pet shops and other interested individuals, agencies and organizations in an effort to stop this problem. This forum assigned itself two tasks:
Short-term fix: All forum participants are working to put together a referral network for these various species. There is already one in place for turtles and one is already being implemented for koi and goldfish. This network will not stop the problem of unwanted pets but may help break the cycle of “hand-me-down” animals that end up abandoned at the zoo, vet clinics, parks, in the wild and other locations. There is also a plan to develop a “counseling program” in an effort to keep pets and owners together. This is especially important for our bird owners!
Long-term fix: Develop an education program aimed at “Responsible Pet Ownership”. Participating pet shops that currently do not do so have offered to voluntarily implement a waiting period for the purchase of exotic pets. They will also offer training workshops to teach perspective pet owners about the proper care of specific animals.
ZooMontana is currently developing an exhibit and educational material to promote responsible pet ownership.
See what the state of Montana is doing about the problem with exotics.
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