# College Project Help :)



## Tanyarr1991 (Jan 19, 2013)

Good evening 
Now, I know this isn't about me personally owning an exotic animal, more of me looking for advice from people that do!
I know that for some exotic and endangered animals you need a license to own in the UK. My question is; do you know what animals are _completely_ illegal to own in the UK?
Any help would be very much appreciated!


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## em_40 (Sep 29, 2010)

None?

Some require DWA or A10, and some will be completely impossible to get hold of, but in a hypothetical sense, you can own anything. Except for the 4 illegal dogs, you can't buy them. 

Think that's the case anyway.


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## Disgruntled (Dec 5, 2010)

I was given an Eagle Owl that had been caught by a rescue as she was wild in Hertfordshire 12 years ago. She was not allowed to be given an article 10 but she may be kept, but not sold, bred or exhibited. Some callous person probably let her go when they tired of her.


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## Tanyarr1991 (Jan 19, 2013)

So, like the Eagle Owl, are there many other animals that you can own, but not buy or sell? Or is it that most animals you can own providing you have the correct licenses?

Thanks for the replies!


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## EmmaLock (Nov 10, 2010)

To my knowledge I believe the first poster summed it up pretty well. 

Certain dogs are illegal and cannot be bred or bought.
Some exotics that are deemed dangerous need to have certain papers such as the crocs, big cats and some snakes (certainly venomous). These require a license called DWA and its illegal for a DWA holder to sell an animal of DWA standard to someone WITHOUT a DWA.

Lots of animals which arent strictly illegal or banned do actually come into the country illegally through smuggling. Birds are a prime example. That might be an interesting topic in your work. Or perhaps the rise and fall of animals popularity relating to the media.

Goodluck x


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## Andy b 1 (May 14, 2007)

hermann's tortoise and other tortoises need an article 10


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## TalulaTarantula (Jan 21, 2011)

I also think you need a license to breed certain types of parrot? not too sure on that one

As for animals definatly not allowed, animals that may possibly be in that catagory might be ones such as seriously endangered species, this wouldnt include zoos i imagine though. they seem to be able to get anything.

Id look into species that can only be found in certain places in the world?
madagascar has alot of species that can only be found there, could be a start


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## Jesss (Mar 24, 2011)

I'm not 100% but like others have said I don't really think there are any that are completely illegal (apart from the dogs).

However I /think/ that whales, dolphins and polar bears (unless the polar bears were already here before the ban) are illegal for zoos to own over here.


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## em_40 (Sep 29, 2010)

Also Giant pandas (and I believe) red pandas are not legally owned by anyone else but have to be rented from China don't they(?)

Edit: The critically endangered things were the ones that I meant would be impossible to get hold of, I think that hypothetically you can own them but they have to have A10s and be captive bred and they keep tabs over where they are and who owns them, so it would be almost impossible to get them as a pet and you obviously can't (legally) just take them from the wild.


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## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

em_40 said:


> Also Giant pandas (and I believe) red pandas are not legally owned by anyone else but have to be rented from China don't they(?)
> 
> Edit: The critically endangered things were the ones that I meant would be impossible to get hold of, I think that hypothetically you can own them but they have to have A10s and be captive bred and they keep tabs over where they are and who owns them, so it would be almost impossible to get them as a pet and you obviously can't (legally) just take them from the wild.


I'm not sure, but I shouldn't think red pandas need to rented from china, do they? Seems that every zoo, even the small ones, have a pair now.


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## UrolithicTitan (Sep 12, 2010)

mrcriss said:


> I'm not sure, but I shouldn't think red pandas need to rented from china, do they? Seems that every zoo, even the small ones, have a pair now.


There was a pair for sale in America on the private market fro $20,000? or around that mark. Unlike Giants, China haven't retained control of any Reds, so as a result they can't be used as political bargaining tools. In, fact apart from Giants the only other species I have heard of a country retaining overall control was Brazil with Golden lion tamarins. I'm not sure whether this is true or not. Whenever I go to a zoo, I always check before hand to see if they have Reds. Unfortunately, they just tend to be curled up in a ball at the top of a tree most of the times I see them.


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## Tanyarr1991 (Jan 19, 2013)

Thanks everyone. 

My project is based around the Illegal Pet Trade in the UK and at the moment I'm making a questionnaire asking: 
Which animals are illegal to buy/sell in the UK?
Which animals are you allowed to own with the correct licenses?
Which animals are you allowed to own without?

The aim is to test peoples knowledge about the Pet Trade and what is/isn't allowed. But I was finding it difficult to find animals that are not allowed at all!

Thank you again for your help!


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

em_40 said:


> None?
> 
> Some require DWA or A10, and some will be completely impossible to get hold of, but in a hypothetical sense, you can own anything. Except for the 4 illegal dogs, you can't buy them.
> 
> Think that's the case anyway.


There's no such thing as an 'illegal' dog. Tanya, if you do want information on breed specific legislation (the Dangerous Dogs Act) please PM me.


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## em_40 (Sep 29, 2010)

mstypical said:


> There's no such thing as an 'illegal' dog. Tanya, if you do want information on breed specific legislation (the Dangerous Dogs Act) please PM me.


They are banned, they are illegal to own, some can be 'exempt' yes, but they are never allowed to be sold, which is the part I specified.

https://www.gov.uk/control-dog-public/banned-dogs

Are polar bears really banned or is it the trade in dead polar bear parts, that's all I can find out about that. 

As for the dolphin and whale thing I found this: 

_''It is popularly promoted by animal-rights groups and indeed the Brighton Sealife Centre that cetacean keeping has be banned and is illegal in the UK. *This is not correct. * __In 1985 after concerns raised about the care of cetaceans in the UK by various animal and environmental groups the then Department of the Environment, now part of DEFRA, commissioned biologists Dr Margaret Klinowska and Dr Susan Brown to research and review the keeping of these animals in UK zoos and aquaria (see below note). _
_Klinowska and Brown's report 'A Review Of Dolphinaria' was published in 1986 with various recommendations to be implemented by those holding captive cetaceans by no later than 1993. The authors did have the authority to recommend that cetaceans should not be held in captive care if their research supported such a position. However it did not and they maintained that these animals could be successfully kept in animal collections provided they were given the right conditions. _
_One of these conditions was related to pool dimensions. Whilst some facilities complied with pool size and area none reached or exceeded the suggested minimum depth standards for the species held; for bottle-nose dolphins this depth of at least a third of the pools size should be 7 metres (23 feet). Ironically Marineland Morecambe one of the first facilities to display these animals had a main pool which was 5.53 metres (18 feet) deep with Flamingoland's main pool having a depth of 4.6 metres (15 feet).

However by this time only three dolphinaria remained and all would have to rebuild and/or extend their existing facilities to be able to publicly display animals after 1993.

Windsor's holding company had financial problems and went into receivership in 1992. The site was acquired by Legoland Theme Parks and the animals in the park where rehoused; the dolphins going to Harderwijk Marine Mammal Park. 

Brighton Aquarium's lease was sold to the Sealife Centres group in 1990 and the two dolphins and the dolphin 'Rocky' from Morecambe's Marineland became part of a dolphin release project called 'Into The Blue'. 

Flamingoland was the last facility to house dolphins and did plan to build an extension to the existing dolphinarium to comply with the new keeping regulations but this did not come to fruition and the dolphins were moved to aquaria in Europe.''_

You can still keep them if you can house them, but nowhere has the facilities at present


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

em_40 said:


> They are banned, they are illegal to own, some can be 'exempt' yes, but they are never allowed to be sold, which is the part I specified.
> 
> https://www.gov.uk/control-dog-public/banned-dogs


They are not illegal to be sold either. The police asked me recently to take on a puppy of two type dogs, so a very high chance the puppies would be type too. Trust me I know more about this than most, and the exemption/licensing side, if the OP is interested.


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## Jesss (Mar 24, 2011)

em_40 said:


> Are polar bears really banned or is it the trade in dead polar bear parts, that's all I can find out about that.
> 
> As for the dolphin and whale thing I found this:
> 
> _''It is popularly promoted by animal-rights groups and indeed the Brighton Sealife Centre that cetacean keeping has be banned and is illegal in the UK. *This is not correct. *__In 1985 after concerns raised about the care of cetaceans in the UK by various animal and environmental groups the then Department of the Environment, now part of DEFRA, commissioned biologists Dr Margaret Klinowska and Dr Susan Brown to research and review the keeping of these animals in UK zoos and aquaria (see below note). _


Ah I wasn't sure. Thats really interesting though! I've always been told that they are. :blush:


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## Sjd1987 (Oct 22, 2012)

There are four banned dogs on the list, stating you can not sell buy breed etc etc. Hwoever the way people get around this is if it's a cross breed and also whoever is trying to take the dog away has to prove what it is, which costs a lot of money and is hard to prove.......I know this as it has happened to someone close to me!
But they are BANNED. (if someone has one from before the act came into place they must have it neutered- the government is waiting for them to die out as a species, which won't happen as they are bred illegally.

Also have you checked out the sticky at top of exotic mammals forum bit as there is a license do you need one? And if you click the link it will tell you want is needed.

Also not to sure on this bit but I think wolves can't be owned as pets I mean 100% wolves they have to be a decendant of one, I'm sure they have to be 75% or less - again only know this as my aunt has one. But double check that.


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

The question was; are there any animals which are completely illegal to own in the UK. With clear emphasis on 'completely'. So I will say it again, NO dog is COMPLETELY illegal to own. There are banned dogs but even those are eligible for exemption, so not illegal to own or I wouldn't have one, would I?


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## Tanyarr1991 (Jan 19, 2013)

mstypical said:


> The question was; are there any animals which are completely illegal to own in the UK. With clear emphasis on 'completely'. So I will say it again, NO dog is COMPLETELY illegal to own. There are banned dogs but even those are eligible for exemption, so not illegal to own or I wouldn't have one, would I?



Which do you own? And how? 
I thought if they share the same traits or anything then they're banned, but I've seen some for sale in a few places online


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

Tanyarr1991 said:


> Which do you own? And how?
> I thought if they share the same traits or anything then they're banned, but I've seen some for sale in a few places online


American pit bull, in the photo in my signature. Been a long hard journey but she's safe now!


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## Tanyarr1991 (Jan 19, 2013)

mstypical said:


> American pit bull, in the photo in my signature. Been a long hard journey but she's safe now!


Beautiful dog


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