Smart Pet Choices
Introduction
Zoo and aquarium staff and volunteers are frequently faced with members of the public who ask us about getting a wild or exotic animal as a pet. These situations often arise when we include live animals in a presentation. Common inquiries include exotic birds, reptiles, amphibians, marine life, and local wildlife (such as frogs, snakes, opossums, skunks, coyotes, bobcats, and tide-pool creatures).
Zoos and aquariums are also frequently asked to adopt an unwanted exotic pet. However, our institutions do not have the capacity to care for the volume of unwanted animals. Through the Alliance Smart Pet Choices project, we can provide reliable information to visitors, to help them make good decisions about pets and wildlife.
Smart Pet Choices Major Goals
- To encourage responsible pet ownership, thereby minimizing impacts on local and global ecosystems.
- To prevent introduction of exotic wildlife into Pacific Northwest habitats.
- To prevent removal of native wildlife from local and distant habitats.
- To assist pet owners in understanding the long-term “care and feeding” that exotic pets require.
Smart Pet Choices Projects
- A pocket-sized Smart Pet Choices Card (PDF, 439 kb), available to Alliance zoo and aquarium visitors, highlights issues to consider when choosing an appropriate pet.
- The Odd Pet Gazette is a fun and informative website to assist people in understanding the potential challenges of exotic pet ownership.
