(b) lawfully captured or reproduced without Massachusetts, provided that the export, sale or exchange of such animals is lawful in the State or country where the animals are captured or reproduced. Keeping wild and exotic animals as pets can cause problems, not only for pets, but also for people, public health, other animals, and the ecosystem. Many wild and exotic animals are illegal to own in Massachusetts. For those who are legal, it is important that people make informed decisions and understand and provide appropriate care. Massachusetts is strict with pet laws. Laws are designed to protect you and the animal from harm. A veterinarian can help you determine what type of pet is best for you and your family. Consider your lifestyle, the type of animal that can fit into your habitat, and your commitment to caring for the animal. A wild or exotic animal can be understood as any animal that does not belong to seven domestic species: dogs, cats, horses, pigs, cows, sheep or goats. Specifically, a “wild” animal is an undomesticated animal native to the United States (such as raccoons and skunks), while an “exotic” animal is an undomesticated animal native to another continent (from hedgehogs to tigers). Domesticated species such as cats and dogs have been closely associated with humans for thousands of years and have adapted to live alongside humans. Over the generations, they have experienced significant physical and behavioral changes – such as reduced anxiety and aggression – that now make them able to share their lives with us as pets. However, since wild and exotic animals have not undergone these changes, they often still possess all their wild qualities and many are not suitable pets.
Jon Snow may have his own werewolf, but real wolves are out of the question as pets in Massachusetts. Although they may look like larger dogs, they are not and MassWildlife has them on the list of prohibited dogs. Again, RI lacks a bit more of these exotic animals than pets, but its states like Alabama, Wisconsin, and Ohio have few restrictions on pets if you want to go crazy with what you own. Obviously, people LOVE their pets, but can that be an obsession? Maybe, but if you have the means and ability to take care of them and give them a comfortable life, what`s the harm? If you want more details, here`s a great resource for what you can own and not as a pet in Massachusetts: Wild Animals as Pets| Mass.gov If you`re a pet owner ready for the challenge of caring for an exotic pet, check out some of these unique and surprisingly legal pets below! If you go off the beaten path for your next pet, you know there are some pets you can`t own in Massachusetts. Keep in mind that even if you want to own one of these animals that require a permit, it can be very difficult to get one in Massachusetts. You will usually need to prove that you own one for research, educational, or business reasons. Pet ownership in Massachusetts is pretty strict, for the safety of people and animals. If you want a more exotic pet, you may want to get a chinchilla or bullfrog that you can keep without a license. Under the regulations of the Code of Massachusetts (321 CMR 9.01), you may possess, propagate, maintain, import, purchase, sell and dispose of the animals and groups of animals listed on this site without MassWildlife`s permission or license. A.K.A scary squirrels. (Squirrels, by the way, are illegal.) Sugar gliders make demonic noises when they are angry and/or scared and too small to really cuddle. But if it`s in your driveway, they`re readily available for purchase and live about six to eight years.
Massachusetts laws governing the custody of wild and exotic animals. In Massachusetts, the sale and private ownership of wild and exotic animals is strictly controlled by state laws and regulations. These laws govern which private animals are prohibited, which can only be sold or owned with permission, which can be sold or possessed without permission, and which can be taken from the wild. Massachusetts requires a permit to possess all species listed in a rarity category on the International Union for Conservation of Nature`s Red List of Threatened Species. any category of the Federal Endangered Species Act; or Massachusetts` list of endangered, threatened, and critically concern. The latter is a list of species protected under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (M.G.L. c. 131A). From 6. As of February 2022, 173 native animal species were threatened with extinction or could be endangered and are therefore protected by this law. Some of these animals are also protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
(7) Quarantine. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 9.01(1) of section 321 CMR, the Director may inspect, quarantine and destroy exempted animals and restrict or prohibit the importation of such animals in accordance with the provisions of M.G.L. c. 131, §§ 19, 19A, 25A and 25B, and the penalty for violation of such quarantine is provided in M.G.L. c. 131, § 25C. If the average hamster or cat isn`t your style, there`s an abundance of exotic animals you can legally own. These unusual animals are usually found in the wild, but the right guardian can provide the perfect environment for these animals to thrive in a domestic environment. Here are some of the animals that MassWildlife has banned.
For all these reasons, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), U.S. The Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) all raise concerns or oppose private ownership of some or all wild and exotic and hybrid animals. According to an AVMA policy statement, the organization “addresses animal welfare, animal husbandry, infectious diseases, public health and safety, and the environmental impacts associated with owning wild and exotic animals and their hybrids. The AVMA is also concerned that circumstances may arise in which the keepers of these animals are no longer permitted to keep them […] The USDA strongly opposes the private ownership of large wild and exotic cats such as lions, tigers, cougars and leopards. And the CDC and FDA have expressed great concern about the risks to individual and public health posed by the possession of wild and exotic animals. The Animal Protection Institute`s 2007 report “A Life Sentence: The Sad and Dangerous Realities of Exotic Animals in Private Hands in the U.S.” on captive exotic animals Although there is no official census of wild and exotic animals in the United States, it is estimated that millions of these animals live in captivity. According to National Geographic, more tigers now live in captivity in the United States than tigers roam freely in their wild natural habitats (where they are endangered and have a total population of less than 4,000 individuals). While some of these animals are kept in zoos, aquariums, amusement parks, and circuses, others are privately owned on farms and ranches, in urban and suburban backyards, in homes, apartments, and businesses, as well as in basements and garages. Despite the popularity of dogs, cats and horses, about half of the pets kept in this country are believed to belong to species that do not have a long history of domestication, such as reptiles and small mammals. These wild and exotic animals are acquired in different ways. Some are captured and taken from their natural habitat. Others are bred in captivity (sometimes in animal mills and by backyard breeders).
Some are “surplus” animals from roadside attractions, zoos and game farms. These animals are sold legally and illegally by dealers, at auctions and pet stores, as well as online. In December 2021, a young alligator that was at risk of starvation during the cold New England winter was rescued from the Westfield River near West Springfield. The animal had been regularly seen in the river since about August, but had escaped catch. Officials suspect that the reptile was illegally kept as a pet, then abandoned and left to fend for itself after becoming larger and more aggressive. The alligator was handed over to the Massachusetts Environmental Police. He was skinny because he hadn`t eaten, and it was believed that he had tried to warm himself by crawling through a drain pipe.