Environmentalists worried about hedgehogs escaping into the ecosystem and doing damage need look no further than their neighboring states where the pets are legal and the complete absence of any problems. It’s legal to get a hedgehog in the majority of states around the States. Editor's Note: This post was updated on January 9, 2020 to note that hedgehogs are now legal in Arizona. Why can't they be legal here in Georgia? See more of Say NO to No hedgehogs in GA on Facebook. No. This only becomes a problem when irresponsible individuals acquire these snakes and let them escape or do not know how to properly handle them and receive injury from it. While you probably aren't surprised that it's illegal to keep a rhinoceros or a bat as a pet, you might not realize that species welcome as pets in other states must stay out of Georgia. Summary: These Georgia wildlife provisions embody the General Assembly's finding that it is in the public interest to ensure the public health, safety, and welfare by strictly regulating in this state the importation, transportation, sale, transfer, and possession of certain wild animals. 1,906 people like this. I had a petition before this with many signatures that somehow was deleted. Am I willing to risk destroying the animal? Is what I am doing legal? It is unlikely that this snake, if released, could survive a Georgia winter. or. The state of Georgia allows for hedgehog breeders to raise and sell hedgehogs with a proper license and so long as they aren't selling to anyone in state or to any of the other states where it is illegal to own them. Well, at least in Georgia, they are afraid that a pet hedgehog may escape and start a hedgehog population. The Yellow Anaconda (Pictured Below) is legal to own in Georgia. Updated on June 2, 2019. Below is a list including simple explanations as to why these unfortunate regulations exist. Perhaps you've always wanted to own a pet monkey, or you're wondering whether it's legal for your neighbor to have that cougar in his backyard. Although hedgehogs legal in all of Canada and most areas of the United States of America, there are still places where hedgehogs are illegal. David Goehring/Flickr Their cuteness may catapult them to internet fame, but hedgehogs are banned in various US states including Georgia, California, Hawaii, and Pennsylvania. A lot of lawmakers don't understand the difference, which is why they say all hedgehogs are illegal. Community See All. Although hedgehogs legal in all of Canada and most areas of the United States of America, there are still places where hedgehogs are illegal. Law & Legal Issues. A bill in the Georgia Senate would allow residents to own an African Pygmy Hedgehog without getting a wildlife permit. A lot of lawmakers don't understand the difference, which is why they say all hedgehogs are illegal. "The best thing to do is contact your fish and wildlife/game department and see what they say about why they are illegal." Just an FYI, only European hedgehogs are at risk of becoming an invasive species. Log In. Hedgehogs are a prickly issue in some states These adorable critters are legal as pets in some places, but critics say they're a threat to public health. Georgia (there are currently efforts to overturn the ban in some of these states) without special permits, which has no logical basis. Georgia's firearm laws are very lenient. ... Tiffany Cronin needs your help with “Lift the African pygmy hedgehog ban in Georgia”. Just an FYI, only European hedgehogs are at risk of becoming an invasive species. Fans of hedgehogs should also note a loophole. In Pennsylvania, hedgehogs may ... the state as of 1992 and their descendants are allowed. The legal animals are listed, and all others are prohibited. About See All. But Quick is counting on wording in her bill that requires pet pygmy hedgehogs to be spayed or neutered so they can't reproduce. See more of Say NO to No hedgehogs in GA on Facebook. The spiny mammals are also illegal to keep as pets in Washington, DC, and all five boroughs of New York City. Currently, there are six states where it is illegal to own a hedgehog as a pet. In the same state, ownership may be fine for furring but not for private ownership.