Saturday 9 April 2011

Woman fighting to keep pet kangaroo

In the season of Peter Rabbit, a woman in Oklahoma is fighting to keep her pet kangaroo by her side.


Christie Carr told KIRO Radio's Ron and Don Show Irwin the kangaroo has been her best friend for over a year now. She helped nurse him back to health as part of a program to battle her own depression. Irwin broke his neck and was paralyzed, but with Carr's help, he can now move around.

"He can do two to three hops before he falls," Carr explained.

She explained that in the area of Broken Arrow, Okla. there are domestic kangaroo farms where the animals are sold for pets. Carr discovered the injured kangaroo at an animal rescue shelter.


When she first brought Irwin home, she couldn't find a city ordinance that applied to her situation. Carr said now the USDA has required her to get an exhibitor's license. In the process of acquiring that license, she found out the city does have an ordinance.

"They can't take him away. His ownership was signed over to me, but they can make me move," Carr said. "The city is trying to get an exemption worked out."

So how do you raise a 25-pound kangaroo?

Carr said she carries Irwin around in a denim pouch or child's car seat. He also has quite a wardrobe.

"He has jeans and t-shirts, two suits, and he had a tuxedo until he grew out of that one," she said.

Irwin eats kangaroo food made by an exotic pet food company, which looks similar to dog food. He also sleeps in Carr's bed.

"He hogs the bed. He stretches out and tries to push me off," she said.

Stephanie Klein, MyNorthwest.com Editor
http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=458247

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