10 Animals You Can’t Own As Pets In Michigan

Animal lovers in most cases are people who enjoy the company of domestic dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, turtles, monkeys, gerbils and snakes and many other breeds that are usual household pets here in Michigan. To experience some of the more exotic breeds a visit to the Potter Park Zoo will usually scratch that itch. But then there are folks who are into exotic pets, in most cases, these are people that work with them professionally at zoos and other venues that show or breed these animals. Different states have different laws concerning these animals.

Findlaw.com says

Many exceptions and qualifications apply to these exotic animal laws. Statutes often exempt people and organizations who possess exotic animals for exhibition, scientific, or educational purposes. Additionally, if you owned an exotic animal before a certain date, you may be grandfathered in if you registered or obtained a permit in time. However, even if you're allowed to own a certain type of animal, you may still be liable for any injuries or damage caused by your exotic pet, which can be severe.

That last line pretty much says it all. Many of these exotic animals are extremely dangerous, and can easily kill you, or injure or kill someone else. These are wild animals, they don’t follow our desired behavior as domestic animals do. Sure they can be trained, the circus does that all the time. But they are never allowed access to the public without a trained handler in control, and they are still kept at a distance with many safety precautions made during a public performance.

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Because of the extreme danger and uncontrollable behavior of these animals, there are 10 different breeds of animals that are not allowed as pets in Michigan, and even for zoos and the like, there are very strong regulations regarding the handling and caring for these creatures.