Today, in a hard-fought win for animal welfare, wildlife conservation, and public safety, The Big Cat Public Safety Act (H.R. 263/S. 1210) successfully cleared the U.S. Senate. The popular, bipartisan bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year and will now be sent to President Biden for his signature. This is a moment Born Free USA and other leading animal welfare organizations have been working towards for a decade.
“The Big Cat Public Safety Act will end the horrific exploitation of big cats and bolster public safety. These beautiful but powerful predators deserve to live in the wild, not be kept in captivity for people’s entertainment—even as cubs. I’m thrilled that, after a groundswell of public and bipartisan support, this bill I’ve long advocated for will become law,” said Senator Blumenthal.
“Big cats like lions, tigers, and cheetahs belong in their natural habitats, not in the hands of private owners where they are too often subject to cruelty or improper care,” said Senator Susan Collins (R-ME). “Our legislation will prohibit the private ownership of big cats, which threatens the safety of the animals and the public and harms conservation efforts. I am pleased that our colleagues supported our bipartisan effort to improve the welfare of animals.”
The Big Cat Public Safety Act prohibits the private possession of big cats and also bans public contact with them. These two actions will remove incentives for the rampant and irresponsible breeding of these species, effectively putting an end to the pet trade in big cats and the cruel practice of cub petting in disreputable zoos, menageries, and other public exhibits.
Said Angela Grimes, CEO of Born Free USA: “This momentous success is thanks to a long-fought battle by numerous organizations, individual advocates, and tireless wildlife champions in the House and Senate. Born Free USA has been advocating for this bill since it was first introduced in 2012, and we have worked diligently since then to see it through the legislative process. We are immensely grateful to Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Richard Burr (R-NC), as well as the House sponsors Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) for their unshakable commitment to protecting both future generations of big cats, as well as the public and first responders from the serious risk of injury these dangerous animals pose when kept irresponsibly in private hands. To say we are delighted with today’s news is an understatement.”
There are thousands of big cats kept privately as pets across the country, despite serious and significant risks to their welfare and to public safety. The bill now heads to President Biden for his signature, rending moot the current inadequate patchwork of state legislation that has failed to properly protect animals and people from harm. After the bill is enacted, the use of cubs in petting experiences and other interactions with the public will end. This will, in turn, de-incentivize the cruel, unchecked breeding of big cats for profit. The big cats currently kept as pets legally will be “grandfathered” in, which means that they can continue to be kept by their owners, but no new cats can be legally possessed privately going forward.
Grimes continued: “We would like to thank our dedicated supporters for their perseverance in educating their representatives and putting consistent pressure on legislators to do the right thing over the many years that this bill has been in the pipeline. Today is a victory for big cats, and also for animal advocates across the nation.”
