Legal Permits for Owning a Fennec Fox in California
The Legal Landscape: CCR Title 14, Section 671
California’s approach to exotic animals is governed by the California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 14, Section 671. This section classifies the fennec fox as a “Restricted Species.” Unlike states that allow these foxes with a simple hobbyist permit, California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) operates under a prohibitive framework.
The CDFW restricts species based on four critical pillars:
- Public Safety: Protecting citizens from unpredictable wild behavior.
- Environmental Protection: Preventing non-native species from escaping and outcompeting California’s native flora and fauna.
- Disease Control: Mitigating the risk of zoonotic diseases.
- Animal Welfare: Ensuring that specialized animals are not kept in substandard domestic conditions.
Because fennec foxes are non-native canids that could potentially establish feral populations in California’s desert regions, they are strictly regulated to prevent environmental “detriment.”
Who CAN Get a Permit? (The Exceptions)
While you cannot get a permit to …
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