Tue 1/31 @ noon
So, why does Ohio allow people to keep exotic animals? Can anyone explain this? Learn about the issues at a City Club panel featuring Tim Harrison, Founder, Outreach for Animals; L. Patricia Simmons, President & CEO, Akron Zoo and Chair, Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA); and Steve H. Taylor, Director, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.
The scoop: “Nationally, more than 5,000 tigers are kept as pets and in roadside menageries – more than exist in the wild. The trade in exotic animals is a multi-billion dollar industry. The issue of dangerous exotic pets in Ohio came to a troubling climax last fall, garnering international media attention as a Zanesville man tragically released his exotic pets before taking his own life.
“A community came to a halt, schools were closed and local law enforcement turned their full attention to protecting residents. Citizens were stunned by the staggering size of the problem, and many are surprised that Ohio lacks statewide regulations banning casual ownership of lions, tigers, bears, primates, crocodiles and large constricting or venomous snakes. Public safety, public health and animal welfare are all at stake, as is Ohio’s national reputation. As the debate about exotic animal legislation takes shape and heats up, learn about the issues with a panel of experts.”
3 Responses to “Pets Gone Wild! Discuss Exotic Animal Legislation in Ohio”
Joebr
“A community came to a halt, schools were closed and local law enforcement turned their full attention to protecting residents” …..
This story was never reported correctly beginning with the sheriff’s dept. and the media never exposed what went down. The animals never, ever got off of the property. They were released from their cages and were roaming the property freely. The only animals to escape off the property were let out simply because the sheriff’s left the driveway gate open and a wolf and lion proceeded to escape the perimeter fence that way. When this happened is when the sheriff’s dept. proceeded to drive the public into a frenzy. It’s a shame that it happened at all, but a true shame at how the situation was handled and everyone was stirred into a panic. The animals were never running around Zanesville at all. They never escaped the perimeter fence that secured the property. The remaining animals were shot execution style where the officers approached the animals and they reacted much like a pet dog would react.
Ann
Joebr – According to whom? Were you there? Where are you getting your rosy picture? The police reports, pages and pages, sure didn’t sound like this was a walk in the dog shelter’s yard. Imagine nightfall approaching, a dead, mauled body guarded by carnivores, not knowing what was where, how many were in or out, clearly the animals themselves were mixing with one another – a monkey was eaten by a cat for crying out loud! You paint some dreamy picture when in reality this incident was a “worst nightmare” scenario for responding officers who had no clue what was happening until it happened. How ridiculous to say the sheriff’s dept didn’t report what happened when they lived it. What’s the point of contradicting, anyway? Do you really think this was all “okay”? I don’t get it.
BJ
Ok, back up Ann. Joebr is correct in a lot of ways. The law enforcement had a lot of reports that never matched their other reports. If some crazy gun happy people were shooting at you-strange noises-strange smells- you would act not your normal, just as these animals. You as alot of people need to see the truth about all the animal rights people/groups. Thry are not who you think they are. This accident is larger than you think. We have people going onto our property letting our animals out, destroying property, we have been shot at, stalked, have had our vehickles, including work vehickles tampered with. SO T.Thompson is not the only time animals got let loose. He most likely came up on these people and ALF is one group that does this, and they made the murder look like a suicide. Law enforcement trained people CAN make a murder look like a suicide period.
THe atopsey showed it was done right handed, sorry he is left handed. It shows his pants were pulled down and his genitals gone. There so far is THREE MORE the same way. All of then were outspoken against the AR groups like the HSUS, whom are lobbists NOT ANIMAL LOVERS.
So its not just what happened in the Zanesville area. Its all over the US. Their wantabe vegans, they are also going around killing our beehives, are they going to pollinate enough for the us to have food? NOT. Like HSUS buying land so no one can farm or hunt. No farming no food. You people with blinders on need to wake up and quit being dumber than a box of rocks. Oh that might not happen. The AGENT ORANGE that our government is putting on our land here in the USA must have the cancer growing in your brain. There is more to the upcomming House Bill on dangerous animals. Soon it will be the ANIMAL RIGHTS NEXT UP AND COMMING ATTRACTION, NO CHILDREN THAT WAY THEIR IS NOR ANIMAL ABUSERS OR GOD FORBID ANIMAL OWNERS. You loose and so do the animals. I hope when 1 Jan 2014 comes all you animal haters, animal rights jerks are court ordered to look into my cats eyes as they take their last breath, then haunt the hell out of you for you life time on earth and where ever you go from there. Then come 1 jan 2015 they kill all of your children and you see in their eyes the same thing “what did I do wrong”