[Ventura County] Letter-to-the-editor: Animals are individuals

Re: your story July 23, "T.O. defends wild animal practices":

I found the Ventura County Grand Jury’s report on exotic animal policies in Thousand Oaks, which concluded there is a lack of adequate enforcement of regulations regarding wild animals kept within the city limits, to be of extreme importance.

It is important to note that “dangerous” animals, such as alligators and cobras, are only threatening because individuals are attempting to keep as “pets” creatures that belong in the wild. It is cruel to confine animals that are biologically adapted to vastly different climates and habitats. These animals are being treated as objects solely for human entertainment and amusement. 

I urge Thousand Oaks officials to heed the Grand Jury’s advice and to more aggressively enforce welfare standards for exotic animals. I would also urge Thousand Oaks citizens to reconsider keeping such animals as pets and to recognize that wild animals are individuals with their own lives and needs, and they deserve to live in their natural habitats. 

July 24, 2018

Ventura County Star

By Veronica Rice, Goleta