Update: Good news! This legislation failed to complete the legislative process this year.
Bill Description: This bill would allow the private possession of hybrid wild cats. This bill would exempt these animals from existing state law, which requires that those who possess these animals meet health and safety restrictions as well as registering with the state.
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Current law restricts possession of these animals as well as other dangerous wild animals. This existing law protects these animals as well as protecting the public. These dangerous wild animals do not belong in the hands of private individuals as “pets.” By their very nature, these animals are potentially dangerous and do not adjust well to a captive environment. Across the country, many incidents have been reported where wild cats held in private hands have attacked humans and other animals, or have escaped from their enclosure and freely roamed the community. The American Veterinary Medical Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention all oppose private possession of certain dangerous wild animals. All of the factors which spurred the state Legislature to enact the current law restricting possession of these animals still exist and therefore the existing law should not be weakened by S 2383.