don't take sea lions home - they don't make good pets

[Liberal_in_LA]

Sea lion pup taken from Dockweiler Beach parking lot, witness says

----- the cops are looking for a group that may have taken a sea lion pup home.



Wallerstein said sea lions often wander onto land looking for food, and people have tried to take them in before. He said most people have good intentions but make bad decisions.

"They'll put them in their bathtubs, then call us to rescue them," Wallerstein said.

But there have been some aspiring pet owners among the good Samaritans, said Wallerstein, who has been rescuing marine mammals for 30 years. One caller kept a sea lion in their backyard for three days before calling Wallerstein and giving it up.

"It wasn't eating, so they thought they'd better call someone," Wallerstein said.

Sea lions do not make good pets, Wallerstein said. They bite with 10 times the strength of dogs, and their mouths are dirtier and more bacteria-ridden than any other mammal, Wallerstein said. Keeping a sea lion carries a penalty of up to a year in prison and fine of up to $10,000, Wallerstein said.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-sea-lion-pupnapped-20150419-story.html