Legal Pets

 

It is safe to say that dogs are man’s best friend, but that has never limited anyone when it comes to their pet choices. People have all kinds of exotic and interesting pets, for good or ill. Some of them work and some of them are total disasters that cost a whole lot of money and a whole lot of heartache before the trouble is done. There are a lot of animals in this world, and the vast majority of them probably do not make for good pets, for any number of reasons. Some of those reasons have been looked at by the law and have been founded to be worth of rules against particular kinds of pets. So, if you live in the Treasure Valley area and are not satisfied with owning a cat, dog, or other tiny animal typical of a pet owner, what animals are off the limits? What follows will hopefully give you some idea of the general restrictions placed, as the specific restrictions include too many individual animals to mention.

There are several obvious reasons why an animal would be unsuitable as a pet and several not so obvious ones. First, some animals are just too dangerous for your average citizen. A zoo can house lions, leopards, and wolves because they have a large staff of people trained in the care of these animals and who can also keep themselves safe when handling them. Unless you happen to be one of these people and have permission from the government to care for these kinds of animals, you are only risking potential harm to yourself and those around you. You made have heard of some people who have animals like wolves in their possession that are basically just big dogs and are all kinds of loveable, but these people are very special, and often have special permissions given to them. Also, the animals themselves are usually special in some way, and are used to human contact or are only part wolf or wild animal. There are tons of different kinds of animals that are just too dangerous to be kept up around, from the large and savage breeds of cat to tiny spiders and insects that can kill with a single sting. It is foolhardy and dangerous to try and go against this fact and own such creatures anyway.

Then there are the animals that are just a nuisance to the people around you or cause public health problems. Sure, you might like having a cage full of chickens that give you eggs for your breakfast every morning, and you might even take good care of them, but they are still going to create a lot of noise and a big stink. Your neighbors may not appreciate this, and if your local government does not immediately stamp down, there may be some that will soon get them involved, even if they do not tell you they have a problem. Owning some animals is just inconsiderate towards the people you live near. If you want to move out to the country and start a farm, you can have as many chickens or other kinds of livestock as you can afford, but the city is not a place for this kind of animal, especially in large numbers.

As for the less obvious reasons, you cannot own any invasive species that might cause environmental trouble. This will not apply to anyone that is not especially creative or ambitious in their search for a pet, but you never know. If you are importing a pet, it is a good idea to check if there are any reasons why it might be a danger to the habitat of other animals should it escape. Maybe you want to make a special ant farm, but not just any kind of ant will do. Make sure the ant you pick is not going to kill all the other ants in your area if a few get out and start to reproduce. Obviously, it will be pretty hard to get this kind of animal for yourself without obviously breaking some kind of customs law, but it is possible, and you should be aware of what your actions can result in.

Some animals tend to just not survive or thrive in captive environments. Thanks to years of domestication and life among humans, dogs or cats are perfectly happy living in a tiny house with only the occasional foray into places outdoors. But some exotic animals will just die if they have to live in your house or an even smaller cage inside your house. To keep an animal like this is just cruel and a form of punishment for it. Even if you do not care about this sort of thing, it is just a bad idea for an investment. If your animal dies a few weeks after you buy it, what was the point? For the rest of you, know that you are causing the suffering of something you love as well as breaking the law.

All of this does not mean you cannot have variety in your choice of pet. There are still tons of options available to you, even if you are creative and ambitious and not satisfied with a typical animal. Simply explore what is available to you and you will find something that makes you and the animal you choose happy.

If you follow all of these rules and laws, you can come out with a fine new pet that does not cause you to bring the government down to your doorstep. Sure, you can try and hide the pet you own if it does not fit the rules, but is it really worth it? Just keep away from anything dangerous to you, others, or the environment, anything that will be a nuisance, or anything that will be in danger because you own it.

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