You are both absolutely right, Thomas and Wakanska.
It's frightening, really, that people everywhere are getting so manipulated and controlled, by others who do not have their interests or even the interests of the animals for that matter, at heart. The people being manipulated by these agendas don't even realize it for the most part.
The media is a big help with the wrong agendas, they never report about a private citizen and a pet tiger or other exotic animal, or even their certain large dog breed getting along, with the animal never attacking anyone.
But as soon as they can latch onto a one in a thousand sad tale about some large animal in the private sector mauling someone or their pets, it gets splashed all over every front page and TV screen. And the message they try to present is "Don't get a tiger! Don't get a pitbull! They are dangerous, they are wild, and they WILL attack you!"
The animal welfare operations, the "sanctuaries" get to keep all sorts of animals, and get on TV, ranting about how every animal in their care was neglected or abused before arriving there, and how each animal is so much better off in the sanctuary, and what a terrible shame it couldn't have been born in the wild, blah, blah, blah.
Making the ownership of any animal, criminalizes people simply for owning something, and that is wrong on so many levels.
If people are found keeping an animal illegally, even if they and that animal have a wonderful bond, and the animal is thriving, that doesn't matter to the animal welfare people or those who inforce the corrupt law that makes you a criminal for owning an animal on the banned list.
Animals have been taken from loving homes where there was no abuse or neglect, and no instances of animal attacks, and placed into sanctuaries where they do anything but thrive, spending the rest of their lives away from their owners, around strange people and animals, getting minimal contact and love.
I have a big problem with celebrities who own or get to be around some exotic animals just because they are famous. Especially if they tell everybody else not to own whatever animal they like. This has pretty much sucked any joy out of family movies that use exotic animals as a main part of some character's life on any movie or show.
Animal welfare people who sell animals will only sell to certain people, screen the heck out of them, and sell only if every condition is promised to be met by the new owner. They are also more than likely to call it "adoption" and talk about their "rescueing" as well as be breeders of whatever animals. And this even makes it very hard to find someone to buy from these days.
