CLEVELAND, Ga. -- Go to a place in White County called Paradise Valley Farm, and you may get to see its families of African Pygmy Hedgehogs. They're here as zoo stock and as breeding stock.
Paradise Valley has no problem finding homes for its hedgehogs, according to it's director Hope Bennett.
"The appeal, first of all, is you can't get much more cuter than that," she said, holding the coffee mug-sized critter. "They're absolutely adorable."
But Paradise Valley cannot sell African Pygmy Hedgehogs to residents of Georgia, one of three states where they're outlawed, unless the owner has a wildlife permit.
"The pygmy hedgehog is a wild animal," cautioned State Veterinarian Robert Cobb. The African Pygmy Hedgehog may have a relatively serene demeanor, and shiny, beady eyes on its photo-friendly face.
Cobb would refer you to a CDC article written a decade ago, warning that African pygmy hedgehogs could contract scary diseases like rabies, foot and mouth disease, pseudotuberculosis, chlamydia and Crimean Congo homorrhagic fever.
"This has to do with spreading of disease to our domestic species, as well as our wildlife that is indigenous to the state of Georgia," Dr. Cobb told 11Alive News. "That's the big issue."
But not at Paradise Valley. "We have never had any issue with foot and mouth" disease, Bennett said. She says her stock stays relatively isolated and free of scary diseases.
Bennett said she is moderately supportive of the effort to remove the legal restrictions in Georgia to owning an African Pygmy Hedgehog. With its bristly coat, she adds, is not a pet for everybody.
"Holding it, it's like a pine cone. So it's not bad," she said. "The belly is soft. And when the quills are laying down, I wouldn't say it's really soft but it's not hurting my hand or anything like that."
The African Pygmy Hedgehog is small in stature and in shelf life, with a lifespan of five good years and a price tag of $200 to $500 in the 47 states where it's legal to buy them.
