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Rules for owners of exotic animals
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture, through its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, enforces the Animal Welfare Act, which requires minimum standards for feeding, housing and caring of most animals used for research, exhibition or commercial sale.
Most exotic-animal owners in California need USDA licenses and must undergo regular, unannounced inspections of their facilities. The agency has eight inspectors working in California. They visit most licensed facilities once or twice a year.
State
The California Department of Fish and Game requires exotic animal owners to have restricted-species permits. The permits, renewed annually, include inventories of an owner's animals, including the number of each kind, age and sex, if known.
The permits are allowed only for specific purposes, including shelter or sanctuary, research or exhibition, and use in movies. State residents are not allowed to own exotic animals as pets.
Applicants also must provide evidence that they have at least one year of hands-on experience working with animals. In addition, the state requires an inspection of the animal and its living conditions at least twice a year. A local veterinarian usually conducts the inspection.
Local
People in unincorporated areas of Ventura County need conditional use permits to house any animals considered inherently dangerous. The permit includes the protocol for handling an escaped animal and contact numbers for the property owner. In addition, the county Animal Regulation Department requires exotic animals to be licensed.
Most cities also have specific policies regulating exotic animal ownership.
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