And who knows, maybe the profitability of taking care of exotic "pets" can lead to a steady stream of adventurer gold, and may even expand their business model to cater to them.
"Pimp my Rhino", anyone?
"Pimp my Rhino", anyone?
I restrict the list of pets to "ordinary" animals, like dogs and cats and horses. Harsh, I know, but unavoidable: the public doesn't know about monsters and magic, and if they did, they would be horrified. As the character advances in level, I advance the Hit Dice of the "ordinary" creature as per the rules, or I allow the player to add a template (using level adjustments to get the equivalent druid level.)
When the template or Hit Dice advancement says that the creature would gain a size category, I add all of the size bonuses and penalties due to size (AC, ability scores, attack, damage, etc.) but I don't actually make the creature larger. And I hand-waive any cosmetic changes that might make the creature look disturbing or "special."
Then you see a group of guys armed to the teeth with shiny, dangerous looking weapons, one or more looking like every stereotype you've ever heard about "Point at you and vaporize you" guys. One of them looks like a monster itself, it's definitely Strange, and is also carrying weapons, also swaggering next to these guys. With them is some sort of wild animal.
. . .
You are going to get the hell out of the way. You are going to mind your own business, and likely just leave the room entirely.
Because I know if I saw a group of Hell's Angels pull up, all with holstered guns, one of which had a hyena foaming at the mouth on a chain leash, I wouldn't go for the cops, I wouldn't put up a fuss, I'd find a hole to crawl into and hope they didn't notice me.
Obvious YMMV. In my campaigns, the adventures are nearly always heroes, fighting off threats to the community. Sometimes, they do it on their own initiative for their own reasons, but often they do it for a local community leader/prominent citizen, or are asked to do it by the national government.
They are less a biker gang -- hostile vagrants who terrorize the communities they visit -- and more like Special Forces.
How do you handle stuff like this?
IOW, "Stay here, Pooh, my furry friend, and I'll bring you back a pot of hunny when I come back from the city."
"ugly one-horned mule!""okay, this guy was wearing full plate! You know he's gotta have some cash, and he wasn't carrying anything when he left. Let me just get this lock and ah gods how did a rhino get in there?!?!"
"ugly one-horned mule!"
A line like that would work great for a bear, but I have a feeling the party's Minotaur would be displeased.
[Nostrils flaring with indignation]