There are several issues that
come up frequently in the news that relate to pets:
The
illegal pet trade is a major issue. Pet smugglers illegally
take many rare and endangered animals and then sell them
as pets. Many of these animals are transported to other
countries and only about 10% of the animals survive the
journey. If this illegal activity continues some animals
may disappear from the wild and eventually become extinct.
You can help stop this problem by finding out exactly where
a pet came from before you buy it. By choosing pets that
were bred in captivity, or captured in a responsible way,
you are helping to ensure that these animals continue to
exist in our world.
Another
issue is the release of unwanted pets into the wild. Sometimes
people buy pets not knowing just how hard it is to care
for that animal or how big it will grow. People can also
lose interest in the pet. When some people decide they don’t
want the pet anymore, they release the animal into the wild.
This might sound like you are doing something nice for the
animal but if the animal is from another part of the world,
it may just die or, even worse, it may upset the balance
of nature and end of destroying native species. It’s
important to know all the important facts about an animal
before you decide to get one as a pet and if you realize
later that you can’t keep the pet be sure to donate
it a pet store or an animal sanctuary instead of letting
it go free.
Pets
that have been genetically modified are also an issue. Some
companies have managed to breed tropical fish that glow
in the dark and can tolerate cold water. These fish may
sound like a fun pet but since they really aren’t
supposed to live in cold water they can cause a lot of damage
if they accidentally get released. For instance, they could
spread strange diseases or take food and space away other
fish.
Improper
care of pets is something we also talk about on AquaNews.
Many people will buy a cute pet in a pet store, but not
know how to take care of it properly. Some pets can live
to be very old and require a lot of special care and attention.
Other pets might grow to be a lot bigger than the buyer
expected. That cute little turtle in the pet store can grow
to be the size of a dinner plate, and live for 40 years!
The clown fish made popular by the recent movie “Finding
Nemo” can live to be 20 years old. This means that
if you buy one of these pets you should expect to look after
these animals for a very long time. Some animals, like the
clown fish, also require very special equipment food and
care, making them unsuitable as pets for children. Doing
your research before you buy is part of being a responsible
pet owner
News
Headlines: 
The
illegal pet trade is a major issue. Pet smugglers illegally
take many rare and endangered animals and then sell them
as pets. Many of these animals are transported to other
countries and only about 10% of the animals survive the
journey. If this illegal activity continues some animals
may disappear from the wild and eventually become extinct.
You can help stop this problem by finding out exactly where
a pet came from before you buy it. By choosing pets that
were bred in captivity, or captured in a responsible way,
you are helping to ensure that these animals continue to
exist in our world. 
Another
issue is the release of unwanted pets into the wild. Sometimes
people buy pets not knowing just how hard it is to care
for that animal or how big it will grow. People can also
lose interest in the pet. When some people decide they don’t
want the pet anymore, they release the animal into the wild.
This might sound like you are doing something nice for the
animal but if the animal is from another part of the world,
it may just die or, even worse, it may upset the balance
of nature and end of destroying native species. It’s
important to know all the important facts about an animal
before you decide to get one as a pet and if you realize
later that you can’t keep the pet be sure to donate
it a pet store or an animal sanctuary instead of letting
it go free.
Pets
that have been genetically modified are also an issue. Some
companies have managed to breed tropical fish that glow
in the dark and can tolerate cold water. These fish may
sound like a fun pet but since they really aren’t
supposed to live in cold water they can cause a lot of damage
if they accidentally get released. For instance, they could
spread strange diseases or take food and space away other
fish. 
Improper
care of pets is something we also talk about on AquaNews.
Many people will buy a cute pet in a pet store, but not
know how to take care of it properly. Some pets can live
to be very old and require a lot of special care and attention.
Other pets might grow to be a lot bigger than the buyer
expected. That cute little turtle in the pet store can grow
to be the size of a dinner plate, and live for 40 years!
The clown fish made popular by the recent movie “Finding
Nemo” can live to be 20 years old. This means that
if you buy one of these pets you should expect to look after
these animals for a very long time. Some animals, like the
clown fish, also require very special equipment food and
care, making them unsuitable as pets for children. Doing
your research before you buy is part of being a responsible
pet owner