Scotland’s Exotic Pets - 2016

Exotic pets are growing in popularity in Scotland, the UK and across the world. One of the key factors behind this trend is the easy availability of exotic animals online.

A chincilla in the exotic pet trade in a cage.

Welfare issues

Being able to buy any animal at the click of a button inevitably results in purchases of pets that might be inappropriate to the lifestyle and/or budget of the buyer. It also fuels other welfare issues that are common amongst exotic pets as animals are often sold in poor condition and with little or none of the information required by a buyer to make a responsible choice.

This report was produced to support the ongoing review of pet vending legislation in Scotland and contains the results of six months of monitoring of online adverts for exotic animals.

The report concludes with recommendations to improve the regulation of the online trade so that the welfare of animals sold online is properly protected.

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