It's not about "getting involved with crazy people", because people aren't usually like that when we first get with them (or else we wouldn't be with them, probably).
I feel that the person did the right thing by accepting the consequences, even if it really sucks that his pets were taken away. For myself, there would be two options:
1) Hide my pets!
2) Move somewhere where they are legal to own.
Right now I'm sort of hiding mine... from my landlords. Hehe. But then again, I can't be kicked out for having any type of pet (in Ontario).