Your child came home from college with a tortoise. You inherited a parrot. Your aunt thought your child would enjoy an iguana for their birthday. Your child's teacher is retiring and elected your child to be permanent caretaker of the class hamster. Your child tossed a ping pong ball into a glass and is now the proud owner of an aquarium fish.

Due to circumstances beyond your control you're now faced with raising and caring for an animal that you don't have the ability or want to care for. What should you do now?

You may be tempted to release the pet into the wild, after all our country is home to many types of animals like these. Unfortunately placing a captive animal in the wild should never be an option.

Our world exists in a delicate balance and releasing a captive animal can tip that scale. Non-native and "extra" animals compete for resources with the native animals in our ecosystem. One example can be seen in the southern United States where the green anole is found. This native lizard is being out-competed and driven to endangerment by the non-native, bigger and more aggressive Cuban anole and Jamaican anole, both products of the pet trade.

You must also consider the conditions under which the animal will be living once released. A captive parrot cannot survive harsh winters outdoors and does not have the instinct to migrate. An African Spur-Thigh tortoise can live up to 70 years with proper care but won't survive one northern winter if released. The class hamster has been raised by hand and is used to being given food, when released in the wild he may not know how to forage. Releasing fish into the local water system is often illegal and can lead to overpopulation and death of native fish.

What should you do if you are given an animal you don't want to keep?

-Contact a local rescue. Rescues abound for dogs and cats, but there are also reptile and small mammal rescues. A small fee is usually asked.

-Contact a vet and ask if they know of someone who would be willing to adopt the animal.

-Contact state wildlife rehabilitation centers and offer the animal and a donation. Sadly, any of these centers are already overtaxed with unwanted animals.

-Your local SPCA may accept the animal for adoption or may be able to direct you to an organization that can.

-Zoos will sometimes accept more exotic animals if they have the room and funds. It's estimated that up to 50% of all zoo reptiles were former pets that became too large, specifically iguanas.

-Contact a breeder, explain the situation and ask if they are willing to take the animal. You can find breeders in the yellow pages.

-A pet store may be willing to accept the animal for sale. This should never be a first option as pet stores don't usually screen buyers and your animal could end up in a bad situation.

-As a last resort only, place ads in the newspaper and on pet store bulletin boards. Petfinder.com and craigslist.com may help you find a home for your animal. Always interview the applicant in person to ensure the future health and safety of your pet, and avoid fishy payment scams when using online services.