The Harry Potter series, as far as we know, is at its end, with the last book published in 2007 and the last film released in 2011. Also at an end, apparently, are the hopes and dreams of the owls that idiots across the UK adopted as pets, based on the popularity of the books and movies. Via The Guardian (h/t io9):

Hundreds of owls are being abandoned across the country after being bought as pets by Harry Potter fans.

Sanctuaries are full of the birds now the craze has faded after the release of the final Harry Potter film last year.

And it’s feared many more have been illegally released into the wild and will have starved to death or taken over territory inhabited by smaller wild owls.

There was a surge in demand for pet owls from fans who fell in love with Harry’s cute companion ­Hedwig.

But the birds, which can live for 20 years, take a lot of looking after – and many owners have become fed-up of repeatedly having to clean up garages and sheds of their ­droppings and feathers.

One rescue worker says she is now having to care for 100 owls at her sanctuary.

Harry Potter had a snowy owl named Hedwig, who went on adventures with him and sometimes delivered his mail. In reality, of course, owls spend much more time killing mice and pooping than adventuring, and they almost never deliver envelopes to the location you intend. Most Harry Potter fans are not going to have ready access to a twenty-foot aviary, a captive owl’s preferred digs, and the owls may not like living in a small flat.

The Guardian interviewed J.K. Rowling about the owl craze she inadvertently inspired, and she chimed in:

“If anybody has been influenced by my books to think an owl would be happiest shut in a small cage and kept in a house, I would like to take this opportunity to say as forcefully as I can, ‘you are wrong’,” she has said.

“If your ­owl-mania seeks concrete ­expression, why not sponsor an owl at a bird ­sanctuary where you can visit and know that you have secured him or her a happy, healthy life.”

She does have a way with words.

Of course, this isn’t the first time that a film or book series has inspired fools to go get a real-life equivalent. When the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were a thing, kids wanted a pet turtle. When the kids found out that real turtles don’t wield nunchuks or eat pizza, many turtles ended up in the sewer or the local river.

When the 101 Dalmatians movie came out, people rushed out to get Dalmatians, then gave them up later. The same was true for Jack Russell terriers and border collies:

[J]ust because a dog is popular doesn’t mean it will fit well with your lifestyle. Likewise, dogs in movies like 101 Dalmatians can become very popular – until the animal shelters see the fallout. Families adopt these dogs without knowing much about them, and when they discover that the dogs aren’t suitable for their homes they surrender them to shelters. Research the dog before making a decision. Remember that breed traits are just generalizations and that every dog is an individual.

Don’t even get me started on the number of people who adopted chihuahuas based on those Taco Bell commercials.

Of course, with Prometheus coming out next month, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before people start clamoring for their own pet xenomorph.

Not a good pet. Seriously.