Should exotic animals be pets?

Keeping exotic endangered animals as pets conserves them

Question: Should exotic animals be pets?
Position‹2 of 2: Yes, exotic animals should be pets
Argument1 of 2›: Keeping exotic endangered animals as pets conserves them

Keeping endangered animals as pets help conserve the species by allowing them to live and reproduce in a safe environment.

The argument

If an animal is endangered, humans can raise its population numbers by keeping them as pets. With deforestation, climate change, and poaching, many animals are unable to return to their natural environment or have drastically decreased in population. Although the animals will have to live in captivity, sometimes it is the best option to prevent extinction. Foxes are becoming more commonly domesticated to rescue them from being killed for their thick, beautiful fur. They are usually taken from fur factories and suffer from infections and malnutrition. Although these foxes are considered tamed, they still have the same instincts their wild counterparts do (even though they would die if released from domestication).

Premises

[P1]Keeping endangered animals as pets can raise their population numbers as deforestation, climate change, and poaching shrink wild populations. [P2] Captivity is sometimes the best option to prevent extinction when animals cannot return to their natural environment. [P3] Domesticating foxes, for example, rescues them from fur factories where they suffer infection and malnutrition. [C] Therefore, because keeping exotic endangered animals as pets conserves them, exotic animals should be pets.

Counter-arguments

The focus should be on stopping the harm being done to the environment and putting an end to killing animals for their fur instead of forcing wild animals into domestication. Around the world, human activity has led to a major decrease in forests and other habitats for animals to live in. The fur trade has decreased in the U.S. in the past years but still is not completely illegal. Having exotic pets is not the solution to endangered animals.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P2] Keeping exotic animals as pets is not the solution to endangered species.