Update (May 12, 2017): Good news – this bill was signed into law by the governor!
Bill Description:
This bill makes it illegal for a person to import, possess, keep, purchase, have custody or control of, breed, or sell a large wild cat, non-native bear, or great ape, including transactions conducted via the Internet. The bill gives animal control officers the authority to confiscate one of these animals under many circumstances if this law is violated.[teaserbreak]
Exemptions:
• Nonprofit animal protection organizations, such as humane societies and shelters, housing a large wild cat, non-native bear or great ape temporarily at the written request of the animal control authority
• Law enforcement officers and agencies acting under the scope of their authority
• Veterinary hospitals, clinics, veterinarians, and persons employed at such facilities who are actively treating a large wild cat, non-native bear, or great ape
• University, college, laboratory, or other research facility holding a Class R registration under the Animal Welfare Act
• A United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Class A, B, or C licensee in good standing and in compliance with the Animal Welfare Act regulations and standards
• Circuses that hold a Class C license under the Animal Welfare Act that are temporarily in the state
• A handler acting as a registered agent for a USDA license who is traveling through the state with a regulated species if the animal is contained at all times
• A person who legally owns one of these animals prior to January 1, 2018 may keep the animal for the remainder of the animal’s life, as long as they register the animal with the state.
This bill also removes a prohibition on public contact with animals for which a USDA licensed rabies vaccine does not exist.
Background:
Check out our page on exotic pets for more details on why private ownership of wild animals is both cruel and dangerous. Additionally, read our 2016 report on the online sales of exotic pets, Downloading Cruelty: An Investigation into the Online Sales of Exotic Pets in the U.S., here.
However, the provision expanding public contact opportunities in this bill is concerning. Read about the inherent cruelty and the danger to public safety associated with allowing public contact with wild animals here.
Read the full text here.