Misguided ban
Letter to The Vancouver Province
Published: Tuesday, May 15, 2007

All this talk about banning exotic animals is completely misguided.

How can keeping a tiger on a huge farm in the B.C. wilderness be less humane than keeping a German Shepherd in a one- bedroom Kitsilano condo?

If the SPCA actually cared about saving lives, they'd have killer breeds like Rottweilers and pit bulls banned instead.

Lance Bracken, Surrey

Exotic ban too broad
Letter to the Vancouver Province
Published: Tuesday, May 15, 2007

As the responsible owner of small exotic pets and as the future owner of a exotic cat the size of a small house cat, I feel any ban of exotic pets would be unfair.

Keeping exotic animals is not the problem. Having uninformed and irresponsible people do it is a problem.

Ownership should be monitored, and regulations imposed on the housing and care of exotic pets, as well as on their size and care requirements.

Keeping a tiger or lion is not something that should be done by an average person. They require large areas and special care. But this should be done through permits -- and not by an outright ban.

Common sense dictates that these animals can be unpredictable. And any animal that is not given proper care and respect can cause harm.

Rose Ginther, Abbotsford