Yes, Owning a Werewolf Is Actually Illegal in Massachusetts

I've encountered people in Massachusetts with some unusual pets, including tarantulas, large snakes, various lizards, exotic birds, and even rodents. I've even seen folks with monkeys. But werewolves?

I don't recall ever seeing anyone wandering Massachusetts streets with a werewolf on a leash, not even in darkened alleys on Halloween or during a full moon. That's probably a good thing, since owning a werewolf is strongly discouraged in Massachusetts. In fact, it's illegal.

"Did you know that you can't own a werewolf in Massachusetts?" asks the Massachusetts Executive Office of the Trial Court Law Libraries on its website.

Massachusetts Law Forbids Owning A Werewolf

Upon further review, the site says, "While it is not exactly specified, we can presume that it is unlawful to have a werewolf in one's house or to release it into the wild based on a Massachusetts law.

What Massachusetts Law Says About Exotic Pets and Wild Hybrids

'No person shall possess, sell, trade, breed, import, export, or release a wild canid hybrid or wild felid hybrid, except as otherwise provided by rules and regulations of the division," according to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 131, Section 77A. Look it up.

Massachusetts Law Forbids Owning A Werewolf

Nostalgic Horror: Double Features and Dark Shadows

My only experience with werewolves came from watching the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows as a kid or catching creature double features at New Bedford's Capitol or Olympia Theaters.

Get our free mobile app

While Halloween is not a state holiday in Massachusetts, it is widely celebrated, and some laws are "especially relevant to Halloween," according to the state's law department.

Ghosts, Haunted Houses, and Spooky Legal Disclosures in MA

For example: did you know that you have a right to know if your next housemate is a ghost? You cannot knowingly sell a haunted house without informing the prospective buyer in Massachusetts.