About the responsible pet guide and assessments
WWF aims to ensure species in the wild are not threatened from the pet trade and supports responsible pet ownership. Developed through a collaboration between WWF-US and WWF-Japan, the Responsible Pet Guide provides people the information they should consider before buying an exotic pet and assessments on the suitability of various species as pets.
The five themes of potential risk
Exotic pet suitability is assessed based on a rigorous evidence-based criteria that is summarized at a high level below. There are five themes of potential risk when considering the suitability of an exotic species as a pet including conservation, legality, public health, animal welfare, and invasiveness.
Conservation
Sourcing animals for the pet trade should not threaten the survival of species in the wild
Legality
Exotic pets should not be obtained or kept in violation of the law
Human and public health
Exotic pets should not pose a major threat to public health and safety
Invasiveness
Exotic pets should not have the potential to negatively impact native biodiversity or habitats if they escape or are released
Animal welfare
Exotic pets should have a good quality of life and their needs should be easily met in human care
The overall risk and suitability ratings
Each theme includes multiple sub-criteria, that make up the overall exotic pet suitability score. A species is scored against each sub-criteria on a 0 (no risk) to 5 (high risk) scale. Scores are added up under each theme and used to determine the overall risk rating. The overall risk/suitability ratings follow a stoplight system as shown below.
Green | Low risk
Can be a suitable pet if well cared for, do more research to ensure it is a good pet for you.
Orange | Moderate risk
Prospective pet owners should research if they can safely keep the animal for its lifetime, including housing, proper food and veterinary care, and be sure it came from a legal source and is allowed in their jurisdiction.
Red | High risk
Prospective pet owners should research if they can safely keep the animal for its lifetime, including housing, proper food and veterinary care, and be sure it came from a legal source and is allowed in their jurisdiction.