COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Ohio task force — set up in the wake of the release and subsequent killing of exotic animals last month — recommends banning the ownership of all exotic animals and prohibiting the sale of them in Ohio.
For the last month, a task force has put together recommendations to present to Ohio Gov. John Kasich before Nov. 30, recommending actions, restrictions and new laws regarding exotic animals.
The task force began after Oct. 18, when Terry Thompson turned 56 lions, tigers, bears and wolves loose in his farm near Zanesville, Ohio, before committing suicide. The Muskingum County Sheriff's Office killed 48 of the animals. Two monkeys were believed to have been eaten by the large cats. Six animals are being housed at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium under a quarantine issued by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
The summary, which the governor has not yet been presented, states owners would have to register their animals within 60 days of the Jan. 1, 2014, deadline and the Ohio Department of Agriculture would then be in charge of regulations.
The summary does not give specifics of what kind of cages should be used, what fines or penalties would be established, or exactly how the laws would be carried out.
State Sen. Troy Balderson, R-Zanesville, said he's grateful for efforts of the task force but cautious about how it might affect "some good people out there who are doing it correctly."
"I had a gentleman in my office (Monday) that has thousands of dollars invested in reptiles," Balderson said. "This could put him out of business and he's extremely upset. I can understand that."
Balderson said the next step is for the legislators to hammer out the necessary changes to get a law in effect in 2012.
Polly Britton, with the Ohio Association of Animal Owners, is not happy at all with the summary.
"I know the actual bill will look nothing like the summary," Britton said. "They're grandfathering in owners of these exotics and giving them two years to either comply or dispose of the animals. Now, what's that owner suppose to do if they can't comply with all the restrictions and regulations? I'll tell you; they'll have to kill those animals. This is their way of making sure all these animals are dead."
Laura Jones, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said the question of what to do with animals an owner can no longer take care of will not be just one agency's issue.
"We'll all be working with zoos and sanctuaries on that," Jones said. "The nuts and bolts haven't been put into this yet, and we'll be moving forward to get those kinds of issues and questions ironed out."
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