Ohio to ban exotic animal ownership

By Steve Bennish, Staff Writer
Updated 5:11 PM Saturday, September 4, 2010

New rules banning the sale and ownership of exotic pets could put an end to Ohio’s wild history of regulatory gaps.

The promised rules are the result of an agreement Gov. Ted Strickland brokered between the Humane Society of the United States and farm groups to keep an animal welfare initiative off the November ballot. The rules will grandfather current pets but they won’t allow replacement or breeding.

Strickland’s agreement indicates animals banned will at least include “big cats, bears, primates, large constricting and venomous snakes and alligators and crocodiles.”

In the Miami Valley, runaway or out-of-control beasts created a second career for now retired Oakwood police officer Tim Harrison. A documentary on his exploits corralling cougars, hyenas, snakes, reptiles and bears, titled “The Elephant in the Living Room,” was released this year and will be shown at The Neon in Dayton the first week of October.

Harrison, 54, of Springboro said the subculture of exotic animal ownership has been fueled by reality television and naive people with illusions they can control dangerous animals, creating a deadly situation in Ohio. “You can buy a cobra, but you can’t buy common sense,” he said.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/...wComments=true

Aaaarg....

Really?

A guy who is into reptiles at my work told me that he heard this bill passed. Does anyone know how to find out more about this bill?

This is so ridiculous! I thought America was the "land of the free"? Now they can tell us what pets we can have? Wow!

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Originally Posted by demjor19

This is so ridiculous! I thought America was the "land of the free"? Now they can tell us what pets we can have? Wow!

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You know the saying "One bad apple will spoil the bunch"? Yeah, that's what goes on unfortunately. Like the guy in Florida a year ago that kept his 20ft Burmese with out a ROC permit, and it made national headlines when FWC came to take it away. Notice now Florida can't have those snakes.

It stinks, but those few bad pet owners that have no idea what they are doing, and are highly uneducated about animals like snakes and other creatures, ruin it for everyone when they allow them to escape, especially out of the house. Not much we can do to stop moron owners unfortuantely.

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Originally Posted by The Hedgehog

You know the saying "One bad apple will spoil the bunch"? Yeah, that's what goes on unfortunately. Like the guy in Florida a year ago that kept his 20ft Burmese with out a ROC permit, and it made national headlines when FWC came to take it away. Notice now Florida can't have those snakes.

It stinks, but those few bad pet owners that have no idea what they are doing, and are highly uneducated about animals like snakes and other creatures, ruin it for everyone when they allow them to escape, especially out of the house. Not much we can do to stop moron owners unfortuantely.

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Then when are they going to ban guns, cars, alchohol, etc...they can all kill people when abused and put in the wrong hands! I'm just so sick and tired of our rights being taken away. So what if a few idiots abuse their rights to keep these animals? If they screw up then punish them as a person just as they would in any other case. If I hit someone with a car, they don't ban all motorists from being able to own a car! They punish me...take my license, fine me, or throw me in jail. It's all just very frustrating to me.

Surely having the title of "democrat" infront of Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland's name wouldnt have anything to do with it :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Wh00h0069

A guy who is into reptiles at my work told me that he heard this bill passed. Does anyone know how to find out more about this bill?

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I've done alot of searching and the only thing I can find is the name of the Bill according to this website www.cwapc.org is listed as "Bill H 45" but I have not found any info related to the Bill other than the agreement mentioned in the article above.

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Originally Posted by iCandiBallPythons

I've done alot of searching and the only thing I can find is the name of the Bill according to this website www.cwapc.org is listed as "Bill H 45" but I have not found any info related to the Bill other than the agreement mentioned in the article above.

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Thanks Malcolm.

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Originally Posted by iCandiBallPythons

Surely having the title of "democrat" infront of Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland's name wouldnt have anything to do with it :rolleyes:

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No...that couldn't possibly be it!

I don't think this has passed yet.