Feltham-Chase 1

Matthew Feltham-Chase
Kelly Turnbough
English 1010
08/04/2015
Annotated Bibliography
What is an exotic animal? What makes an animal dangerous in the eyes of the public?
How are these animals regulated? These are question I wanted answers to after purchasing my
first pet snake. I found that there was always a negative opinion on unusual pets specifically
those that some are frightened to see. There is also a lot of recent discussions in the news about
the regulation of the animals and the horrors of their escape.

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"Exotic Animals as Pets." ASPCA. Web. 31 July 2015.

This article discusses the negative effects owning an exotic animal has on the creature
itself, the environment, the owners, and the law. Wild animals cannot be kept in cages without
consequences. The animals need space in order to live a normal life. Owners dont always know
the costs of owning such an animal and the stress it can bring into their financial life. When these
animals are released by their owners of transported to shelters, they alter the ecosystems by
consuming other creatures that are not part of their natural diets. This may cause extinction or a
sudden burst of other creatures to occur, with would disrupt the balance of the natural order.

Seeing as the ASPCA is an organization created to help animals it is only right that this
article has a concern for their wellbeing. It also makes sense that they are pushing for a ban on
the import of exotic animals. However it does not talk about what an exotic animal actually is.

I could use this in my paper as a perspective piece. They support more heavy regulations
towards potentially threatening creatures. This article could be criticized since it never specifies
that animals in particular they are looking to ban. I could easily turn this article against itself and
have it work to my benefit.

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"Dangerous Exotic Pets: Snakes : The Humane Society of the United States." RSS. 24
May 2013. Web. 31 July 2015.

This article talks about the threats large exotic snakes can pose to those that own them
and others around them. It also talks about some of the conditions the animals are kept in. Small
cramped cages with only a simple water bowl and light. It talks about the unfortunate incidents
that have occurred in the past with the escape of such animals. It is unfair to the animals and
unsafe for those that in the same community as them.

This article was put out by the Humane Society so it is acceptable that their main concern
is the wellbeing of the animals and the people around them. However it also points out unfair
living conditions these animals are forced to endure, which seems to slant the owners. All in all
they are trying to look out for the animals which is great.

I could easily use this piece to build an argument against some of the pet owners that are
not meeting the requirements of the animals they have purchased. This could go hand in hand
with the discussion about the ban on the animals, seeing as it is only a select few people that are
mistreating these animals. I found this article slightly upsetting, as a snake owner myself I can
say I would never treat my animals this way.

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Duncan, Ashley. "Sale of Pets at Retail Pet Stores." Sale of Pets at Retail Pet Stores.
Animal Legal and Historical Center, 2006. Web. 30 July 2015.

This article discusses the way animals are treated in pet stores before they are even
purchased by the customer. It varies from state to state on how they are required to be cared for,
but these rules are not commonly enforced. Animals are treated as property and not as pets which
can lead to their malnutrition and sickness. Where the animals are purchased from is also a
concern, since it needs to be done in a sustainable way that has no negative effect on the natural
habitat.

I find this source to be credible since it is a center for animal legal concerns. The author
also shows concern for the animals she is writing about, which shows she cares about the topic.
The center she supports is also working for the overall good of the animal community. It is clear
that show changes need to come to retail aspect of animal sales.

I was shocked after reading this. Seeing as I have history in selling animals I found it to
be horrible that animals are being treated so negatively in other stores. I can use this to express
why exotic animals should not be brought into this country without already having a loving
home.

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Ingraham, Christopher. "Chart: The Animals That Are Most Likely to Kill You This
Summer." Washington Post. The Washington Post. Web. 28 July 2015.

This piece of writing is all about the statistics of animal related deaths. It also compares
them to the number of traffic related deaths every year. This is all based of the CDCs Wonder
Database which describes with great detail the cause of deaths. It demonstrates how insignificant
the amount of animal related injury or death in comparison to other real world situations.

Since this is put out by the Washington Post, the facts should be confirmed by another
source. The data is also pulled of the CDC database so the information has credibility. Although
parts of the article are slightly humorous the underlying message is very serious. The statistics
are quite shocking to say the least.

This would be used for pure disproval in my paper. People think these exotic animals are
very deadly and should not be allowed in any household. However one of the biggest reason for
hospital visits is dog bites. Why then are there regulations on owning other animals when one of
the most common pets is more of a danger. I have a huge problem with this, if the government
chooses to ignore the dangers of dogs and chooses only to target exotic pets for regulation, what
does that say about those in power.

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Korte, Gregory. "Snake Salesman Pleads Case against Regulation." USATODAY.COM.
USA Today, 16 Sept. 2011. Web. 31 July 2015.

This article talks about how more regulations would affect a retail business that many
have made a career choice. The sale of large snakes is prohibited over state lines, as well as other
exotic animals. Enacting more regulations would make it impossible for these businesses to
continue. For those that have already purchased these creatures and find they are too much to
handle, zoos and shelters will not take certain animals. The author states that the 111 year old
Lacey Act needs to be repealed.

This opinion is slightly slanted because the writer is a stakeholder in this argument. He
runs a business of selling exotic animals. I can understand his displeasure at the laws that are
being enforced with concern to retail storefronts. He fails to see the other side of the argument
which could prove to be a mistake.

This article really hit home, I have made friends that breed animals for a living. What this
piece says really holds sway with them as well. It affects their businesses everyday also. I could
use this report to introduce the idea of change since the laws it is talking about is 11 years old.

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Murray, Ed. "Humane Society Calls For Strict Exotic Animal Laws." - NewsOn6.com.
News 9, 20 Oct. 2011. Web. 27 July 2015.

The Humane Society is unhappy with current laws concerning exotic animals as pets.
This is localized to Oklahoma however it can be seen in many other states. Animals do not have
the proper housing and fencing around that to be considered safe. Large cats can be kept as pets
without permits or check ins, which in the eyes of the government and the public is a huge
problem. There have been incidents when these animals have escaped and caused harm to others,
and then the animals are put down for fear of another outburst.

This paper is limited to what is happening in one state it does not take into consideration
the animals that being kept all over the country. In comparison to the attacks by other house pets
it seems unfair to prosecute the exotics just because they are larger than normal cats or dogs.

This is something that could very easily be argued. The fact that is so localized is easy to
pick apart as well as the fact that they only have two examples weakens their defense. However
this page does not talk about how current laws are being enforced which is another point that
could be exploited.

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Rossen, Jeff, and Charlie McLravy. "Deadly Snakes Are Being Sold Online, and Shipped
on Passenger Planes." TODAY.com. TODAY, 24 Jan. 2015. Web. 29 July 2015.

Its very easy to buy venomous snakes. You can find them at every reptile expo around
the states, and most vendors dont ask questions. For 300$ you can walk out with a cobra and no
one asks for a permit. Buying one online is even easier, no face to face contact and they even
ship them on commercial air planes. You could be flying to California for a vacation with one of
the worlds most lethal creatures right below your feet.

This news report is purely informational, although the information is quite scary it needs
to be said. It touches on aspects of our lives that we never considered past the movies. It also
brings to light the areas of security that could use some re-evaluation.

This article supports the idea that animals need to be more heavily regulated but also that
the current laws should be enforced. I also find it troubling that everyone that has purchased a
snake from an expo is being put in the hot seat because of a select few that are ignore the rules.

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Slater, Lauren. "Exotic Pets." Exotic Pets. National Geographic Magazine, 1 Apr. 2014.
Web. 29 July 2015.

Many people across the nation have found that having captive predators in their back
yard is not as glamorous as they once thought. Exotic pet owners that go out to the countries
their pets where removed and they see them in their natural environment have a slight change of
heart. Most move their animals to shelters where they can be safe, and start to work for agencies
that strive to protect the wild animals. Moving those that can no longer be cared for into the
appropriate shelters for the protection of the environment and the community.

National Geographic is a very reliable source. It has done documentaries on many

different subjects. They talked to many different people that had a hand in the topic, coming from
many different back grounds. It had a versatile perspective considering the amount of sources
they utilized in writing the article.

Most of this article is usable in my paper as it views from many different histories. It
discusses what makes an animal exotic which has a huge impact on my paper. It also opened my
eyes to a new way of thinking concerning less common species of animal. It made me reconsider
what pet owner should really be about in this world.