Pets are part of human cultures all around the world. We keep animals to admire their beauty or to enjoy their companionship or devotion. The pet trade is big business throughout the world but with its positive aspects, there are distinct negative ones as well. As with any commodity, economics dictates that the rarer an item is, the more valuable it becomes in the market place. Many rare species thus become quite valuable to wealthy collectors, who are willing to pay exorbitant prices to black market dealers for certain species—even though they are protected by international treaties and laws.

Because these illegal pets must be smuggled into the market arenas, concealment almost always requires physical abuse of the animals. This may be in the form of constrictive bindings, overcrowded or confined spaces, exposure to extreme heat, or lack of oxygen due to these restrictions. Such...