Editorial: Exotic pets call for logical local regulation
Share this post:
Pennsylvania has rules about animals.
There’s a whole Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement. Many others fall under the Department of Agriculture’s umbrella. State law can be brought to bear in cases of neglect or cruelty.
Local ordinances can come into play, too. They regulate how people are required to handle their animals. Clean up after your dogs. Keep pets on leashes. Yes, you can have chickens in this township. No, you can’t have horses in this borough.
And … alligators?
Kiski Township residents have called their leaders with questions about reptiles. Dominic Hayward, for example, has 10 alligators he loves as much as any stereotypical cat lady loves her fluffy Persian pets. There are reports of another township resident with 100 or so venomous snakes.
“You just want to hope these are responsible people that have them securely locked away so they don’t get loose,” Supervisor Chuck Rodnicki said.
To be fair, the same could be said of the neighbor’s German shepherd or a yappy Chihuahua that bites ankles. Responsible pet ownership should be responsible pet ownership, regardless of species.
The difference is that a Siamese cat on the loose is unlikely to kill someone. A venomous snake could.
The other problem with exotic pets is the introduction of nonnative species into the wild if they get loose. While alligators that got loose in Pittsburgh in 2019 were quickly captured without incident, snakes might be a bigger problem. Florida has had significant issues with ball pythons loosed by owners who couldn’t handle them, only to have them breed in the wild and threaten native animals.
That is why Hayward supports some regulation that emphasizes responsibility over restriction.
“If you are somebody who has no experience and doesn’t know what you are doing and you panic, that is not good,” Hayward said.
Kiski passed an ordinance requiring registration earlier this year. That is smart. If a poodle has to be registered, a cobra should be, too. And in the event of an emergency, first responders should know there are exotic animals in a home for the protection of both people and the pets.
The township’s solicitor is looking into possibilities of limiting the number of exotic pets that can be possessed. Again, this isn’t a bad thing to consider. Regardless of the animal, large numbers can breed neglect at worst or carelessness at least.
The City of Pittsburgh has also taken steps to regulate alligators, crocodiles and some turtles.
But officials should also consider involving owners like Hayward in any process they undertake because owning exotic pets is not exactly like keeping goldfish. The people who do keep such reptiles — or other animals — would have more knowledge about pros and cons that would be better for everyone.