Another reason: Let's say you named a snake after a figure who was well respected at the time, such as Bill Cosby, Eliot Spitzer, Anthony Weiner, Bernie Madoff, etc. At one time they were all respected, admired, considered to be successful and effective, etc. And then it turned out that Cosby used date rape drugs, Spitzer spent a lot of time with expensive prostitutes, Weiner texted dirty pictures, and Madoff ran a ponzi scheme. And then it's like, "That guy's so slimy, no wonder you named a snake after him" or "That guy's such a treacherous liar, no wonder he has snakes named after him". It would still be unfortunate to have a dog named Madoff and a horse named Cosby, but at least dog and horse owners don't generally have to worry about fighting the perception that their animals are slimy or treacherous.