Is It Legal to Own a Raccoon in Canada?

Raccoons are furry and adventurous, and they may be one of the most curious animals on the planet. They’re also highly adaptable to any kind of environment or habitat. They’re super cute, too, which leads to many people considering owning one as a pet. 

However, is owning a pet raccoon legal in Canada? What laws apply to owning a raccoon? What other exotic pets are covered by such laws? Read on to find out. 

The Quick Answer of Owning Raccoons

So, can you own a raccoon legally in Canada? The quick answer is no, you can’t. 

Raccoons are among the prohibited animals to keep as pets in Canada, along with other exotic pets. Laws that apply to keeping wildlife as pets include: 

• Wildlife Act – Wildlife Regulation: the provincial Wildlife Regulation restricts ownership of most kinds of wildlife. 
• Public Health Act – Communicable Diseases Regulation: regulations under the Public Health Act also have restrictions for various species. For instance, distributing certain kinds of turtles is restricted; the same applies to certain kinds of birds.

Punishments for the violation of said Acts include a fine of up to $2,000,000 and imprisonment of up to five years. 

If these aren’t enough to prevent you from trying to own a raccoon, then read the following: 

Owning Wildlife is Unethical

Raccoons are wild animals, and they’re generally kept in their natural environment. Unlike cats and dogs, they do not need human contact. It’s greatly unethical and illegal to capture a healthy wild animal and force it to live the rest of its life in confinement. 

Raccoons are Biters and Carry Diseases 

Raccoons tend to bite humans — including your family members, friends, visitors, and other pets. When they mature sexually at six months, they become aggressive. 

With that aggressiveness comes the threat of diseases, too. They can carry zoonotic parasites, rabies, and other infectious diseases that can harm you, your family, and other pets. Their droppings may even contain parasitic worms, while the spores in their feces are light and can become airborne.

They’re Messy and Impossible to Train 

Raccoons “massage” their food before eating them. They also love opening doors, jars, and latches to pursue anything they find interesting. If you have small holes in your house, they can make them bigger and can cause irreparable damage to your house. 

They’re also impossible to house train. Unlike cats, for example, it would take years to train a raccoon to use a litter box. At the same time, they’re faster and larger than many people think. They can reach more than two feet long and weigh two dozen pounds. They can also run as fast as 15 miles per hour. 

There are No Services for Raccoons

It’s difficult to find a pet sitter that has an experience with raccoons. There are also no boarding facilities for them unlike what communities have for cats and dogs. On top of that, not a lot of vets deal with raccoons. If your illegally owned pet raccoon gets sick, finding care and treatment for it may be difficult and expensive. 

Racoons Can Hurt Themselves or Pose a Threat to the Community 

If your raccoon escapes your house, your neighbors may feel scared for themselves and their pets. They may damage properties, dig holes in walls, roofs, and vents, and contaminate food containers and storage.

If your raccoon escapes, it will likely have minimal chances of survival in the wild if it has been domesticated all its life. 

Other Exotic Pets You Can’t Legally Own in Canada 

Apart from raccoons, it’s also illegal to own the following exotic pets in Canada: 

Cassowaries 

Cassowaries are originally found in Australia and New Guinea, and they’re the third-largest bird after ostriches and emus. They’re banned in British Columbia since they can be violent when provoked. These birds have records for causing injuries to humans and dogs, making them one of the most dangerous birds in the world. 

Canada Geese 

You can see Canada geese everywhere in Canada, but that doesn’t mean you can keep them as pets. They’re protected by Canada’s Migratory Birds Convention Act, which prohibits people from capturing and keeping wild birds. 

Apart from that, they’re also not the cleanest known animals in the world — their feces spread bacteria. 

Pit Bulls 

While pit bulls aren’t uncommon or wild, they’re not always allowed as a pet in many Canadian provinces. For example, Ontario currently bans the following pit bull breeds: 

• Pit bull terriers
• American Staffordshire terriers
• American pit bull terriers
• Staffordshire terriers 

Primates 

Primates like chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas are illegal to own as pets in most parts of the country. 

Hyena 

Hyenas are illegal in many Canadian locations because of their nature. They can’t be trained and are naturally inclined to roam large areas in packs. They often attack smaller animals and eat them raw. 

Poison Dart Frogs 

Owners of amphibian pets may be trying to change this, but poison dart frogs are banned in many places in Canada.  

Leopards and Tigers

Leopards and tigers are illegal to own in some Canadian provinces, though some locations have no legislation for them. British Columbia bans owning tigers and leopards as pets, but Ontario doesn’t have any laws for this — the city of Toronto, however, prohibits them. 

If you happen to live in a place where tigers and leopards are not banned as pets, chances are you’ll run into issues when you speak with your local municipality about your plan to keep such animals as pets.