WALKING ON THE WILD SIDE: CLASSIFICATION AND LIABILITY FOR OWNERS OF WILD-DOMESTIC ANIMAL HYBRIDS

摘要

Man has long been diversely fascinated with animals. We keep them in zoos to admire their strength and rugged wild beauty. We domesticate them to become our companions and servants. We hunt them for sport and create laws, foundations, and funds to protect them from extinction. We study them in the wild, and in laboratories, to gain insight into their behavior, and our own. For better or for worse, the human race has taken an active and inextricable role in the natural animal kingdom. One of the latest trends in this relationship has been the drive to make our domestic companions more closely resemble their wild relatives. Since the domestication of dogs nearly 10,000 years ago, man has engaged in selective breeding of his domesticated animals to enhance and emphasize the traits he desired, ultimately resulting in different accepted breeds within the species.Now, numerous breeders are engaged in the cross-breeding of domestic animals with their wild relatives. In the case of dogs and cats, this is primarily to appeal to those buyers desiring to own an exotic pet by creating the appearance of a wild animal.