The Liability of Owning an Exotic Animal

For some people, it is not enough to just own a dog or a cat for a pet. These people seek exotic animals that will bring attention — but owning these exotic pets could result in a potentially bad situation. What would happen if you owned an animal that mauled or attacked a visitor? What if an animal attack resulted in the wrongful death of a person? You could be held responsible — and find yourself in need of a lawyer.

Being Responsible

In Salt Lake City, you wouldn’t think of anyone owning an exotic animal, but you would be surprised to hear that there are exotic vet clinics all around the valley. If you have an animal that hurts someone else and causes a wrongful death, you are liable due to negligence of proper care of the animal. You could be paying some hefty fines or even spend some time in prison.

Other Issues with Exotic Animals

Salt Lake City has several laws in place to keep people from owning certain types of exotic animals. Not only would your lawyer assist you in a wrongful death case but you could face other issues with the state as well.

Protect Yourself

If you still want to take the risk of owning an exotic animal, make sure to get it insured. There are a lot of programs in Salt Lake City that are willing to help people own an exotic animal and get insured. Although insurance may help in any case, you could still be held liable for the actions of your animal — including wrongful death.

If you own an exotic animal and are concerned with any legal ramifications, speak with a lawyer in Salt Lake City who can help advise you. Even if you have taken all precautionary steps, it is important that you and your pet — especially if it is a dangerous pet — see what legal actions could be taken. A lawyer can even tell you what options are available if your exotic pet is the one who was injured by someone else.

Eric Simmons is a legal writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Robert J Debry. Follow on Twitter.