Our EXOTIC furbabies part 2 - Page 7

Yes you are correct about Aiya, he did come from George. He does live in Ohio and is legal to own  one, for now that is.

Yes, Natasha came from upstate NY. Nakoma also came from NY. The person who had him was legal to do so (was grandfathered in after that state ban). However, they were not one of the good owners. In fact, poor Nakoma was abused and not handled at all as a kitten. So when someone made a complaint that they felt he was not getting the best care, the state DNR removed Nakoma from his previos owner. I was contacted and of course, I took him in. He is loved like all my others, even though he can not be handled the same, because he was not socialised properly. I can interact with him. When I go in his enclosure, you can get him to play with you and will take treats from my hand, but I can not pet him as I do my other bobcats and cougar. However, just this past summer. I was in with him and as he walked by me, I reached down and ran my hand down his back. He stopped, looked at me as if he thought, hmmm that wasn't bad at all  But since he wasn't handled as a kitten, he just doesn't understand that petting or holding him is ok. But, he is loved as much as my others. And he gets all the attention he desires.

Boris came from a couple in Virginia. At the time they got him, they were legal to do so. However, they did not follow the rules prior to getting their cat. They had to get the permit first, before bringing him into the state. I personally told them how to go about this. But, they decided to get their cat first and then try to get the permit. When the state DNR came, they panicked and felt he should go to a new home. They didn't want the state to take him in fear he would be put down. I told them they may have to pay a fine for not getting the permit first, but since they were legal to own one, they would then need to apply for the permit. But, they were still worried and asked if I would take him in. He was only 8 weeks old at the time.

I haven't spoken with Carmelo's breeder in a while. I am sure they still breed, would have to call them and see.

I just may do that. Have to see how things go after the start of the new year.

mldas-I like your thinking  Welcome to the site

My friend and fellow exotic animal owner, George Kraus, wrote a long post on his face book wall ref the situation in Ohio. I am not posting a link to facebook, but have his FULL permission to repost what he wrote on this site. I started a new thread with his post here http://www.thecatsite.com/t/239870/exotic-animal-owners-under-attack-in-ohio#post_3157542. I could have re-written what he said, but this saves me a lot of typing. Please pay cloase attention th the statistics, because they will prove there is NO reason for any ban on exotics in Ohio. There is NO emergency in Ohio, regarding exotic animals.

Just F.Y.I. it is believed a bill will be introduced in the Ohio senate at the beginning of February. Don't know what is/will be in it yet, but I will post as soon as I get the information. One thing is for sure, a WAR is about to begin in Ohio.

An update on the Ohio (HSUS) encouraged bill. The bill was supposed to have a sponsor hearing this week, but has been delayed. Not sure why, some say it is not complete yet, but I also heard there was a dispute between the Senator introducing the bill and the Governor, which could be a bad thing. As it stands now, it looks like I will be grandfathered in, but without seeing the bill, no one knows for certain and this delay may mean something has changed. I read the bill in it's current form, but I have to wait now to see what has changed. Once I get the final draft, I will post it here for everyone to read the nonsense for themselves.

Well folks who care. This may very soon, be the last time I post here about this. In short, the bill that is trying to be shoved down our throats by HSUS and JACK HANNA...Yes, Jack Hanna, if it passes in current form, will be the end of my cats lives. There are things in the bill, the way it is written that NO ONE will be able to comply with. They say current owner's will be grandfathered, but that is a lie. So if it does pass in it's current form (which we are fighting to change or stop) I will only have a few choices. 1) Move out of state which would mean, trying to find a new job, buying a place to live with my animals and selling my current home, which we know at this time will be almost impossible. 2) Having my animals ripped from their home and taken to a place I will have no control over or 3) Having all of them PTS!! Wow, have to love the choices I have to make living in a so called, free country!! Thank you HSUS and JACK HANNA and to all that support them. If this bill passes, you are the reason my cats will die!! Sorry to be so blunt, but it is the truth.

There is also a thread in the SOS and I posted the same thing there. If you live outside the state I say yes, call the Governor's office. Governor John Kasich (like kaysick) (614) 466-3555. Let them know you oppose Senate Bill 310.

Sadly my third choice is something I would never want to do. But, if this bill passes and my cats get confiscated after I apply for a permit, pay a $1,000.00 fee (NON REFUNDABLE) and they say sorry, we are not going to give you a permit. They will confiscate and destroy them. The bill is written that USDA licensed sanctuaries in Ohio will NOT be able to keep their animals as well. If they think the animals that died in Zanesvile was bad, wait until they refuse ALL permits and take everyone's animals.

I must say, we in Ohio are at war. We have been writing, calling etc like crazy. Tomorrow is one of the opponent hearings and I have a feeling that the state house is going to be jammed. Ohioans do NOT take this AR crap sitting down. We fight and will continue to do so no matter how hard HSUS and Jack Hanna yell. I have to say, the Senate is taking notice. One thing that helped too, was that during a proponent hearing (for the bill) not many people were at the state house. So if the people who oppose the bill pack the state house, they will notice. Lets hope and pray. I will keep everyone updated. I was on the phone all moring with the Senator's offices, I wrote my testimony and emailed all of them. I won't stop!!

THANK YOU for your support!! Let me tell you this. Ohio animal owners made themselves heard loud and clear. The room was packed to standing room only and out the door. Now, this is a committee hearing, so the room isn't as big as it will be if this bill should go before the whole Senate. But still, the committee knows for sure loud and clear, this bill must be stopped!! The proponent hearing had very few people in this same room, but the opponent hearing as stated, was at standing room only and out the door. The meeting went on for hours and one persons 15 yon son spoke and got an applause from the chair of the committee (applauding is not usually allowed). Next hearing is April 17th. Lets pack this one as well with even more people!! Here is a link to an article about the hearing http://www.chron.com/news/article/Exotic-animal-owners-oppose-Ohio-bill-new-fees-3438334.php

I have an update. Of course no one was listening. Even though the people AGAINST the bill SB310 outnumbered the people for it 30-40 to1. On all the days that I attended the senate hearings that lasted until approx 6pm, only 5 people testified for it and the rest of the day was person after person after person who testified AGAINST it. Sadly, the senate voted for this ban bill. What really angers all of us, is that while the opponents testified against the bill, the senators who should have been listening to us, got up and walked out, talked amongst themselves and really did not give a s---!!!! The Senator who introduced the bill, Senator Balderson, he himself got up many times and left the room. Now it is understood, that some of the senators have other things they have to vote on etc, but senator Balderson should have remained there at all times. This is his bill (well not his, he did not write it, HSUS did) so he should have been there for every single testimony. They never asked any questions of the people who testified against it, but always asked questions of the people who were for it. Why you may ask? Because we know their minds were made up and even though we have no proof, we know darn well they have been paid off by someone. I know who, but will not say here. We DO however, have written proof that the GOVERNOR himself, was paid off. That is why he is pushing so hard to get this bill to pass. Now, the bill is going before the house. We do have a better chance in the house and we have a strong plan. I won't say what it is here, because I know there are numerous HSUS supporters here or some that may read these posts. SB310 is a bill written by HSUS, there is no question. The part that EVERY PET OWNER OR ANIMAL LOVER MUST TAKE NOTE. This bill is targeted at ALL animals and to eliminate ALL animal ownership. How do I know this? Very simple. One line of the bill gives the director of the ODA (Ohio Department of Agriculture) to add ANY animal he/she feels is dangerous at any time after the bill becomes law (if it does) That means, if some HSUS person gets that position, they can add any animal at will. Farm animals, domestic dogs, cats etc. And if that is not proof enough, domestic hybrid cats are already on the list!! Bengals and Savannahs would be banned!! But as stated, we do have a very strong plan now for the house, we will see how that goes. If all else fails and the bill passes, we are already set to file a lawsuit against the state because many parts of the bill are unconstitutional and also not legal. I won't go into that part yet either. So, we will see what happens next!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldyCat 

I really hope your plan to stop it in the house works, and that you don't have to go to the step of challenging it after it becomes law.

Thank you!! This whole thing has taken a huge toll on me, that I won't lie. Between going to the state house, writing, calling and then the thought of losing my cats has put me in a state of depression. And lets not forget the total lies and nonsense by the media, Jack Hanna and HSUS. But, the exotic animal owner's in Ohio are strong and we will NOT stop fighting. And as I have told others, over my dead body will ANYONE take my cats from me!!.

My faith in America has died a long time ago. No longer free as they say we are. But I won't get into that lol. One thing I will stand by, NO ONE is going to touch my cats even if this bill passes and all other owners I have spoken with have said the same. I am legal as it stands right now and no one has the right to force me to get rid of them or take them from me, unless it has been proven that the animals are in neglect and not being properly cared for, which is not the case in a long shot by any means. But if things do go horribly wrong, I do have people lined up that can take them until I can move out of state. America, home of the free...nothing but a lie.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Callista 

I've just come on this thread and it makes me quite sad. I'm an Ohio resident myself--if I'd heard about it earlier I probably would've sent a letter, but I doubt it would have helped.

 

 

Why can't there be a middle ground? They are right to be worried that big cats will be dangerous to people, or that they will be mistreated by people who don't know how to take care of them--that sort of thing does happen--but banning them entirely is not the solution. Why could they not have a licensing system?--you know, get a license for the animals, make a requirement for the license to have a vet vouch for your ability to keep the animals, ensure that you have enough room for them and aren't keeping unattended children/disabled/elderly people in the same place (because let's face it, a bobcat is big enough to do damage to an infant even if it's only playing). If they banned any cat, they should limit only very large cats--tigers, for example--the sort that need a big enclosure and are usually kept in zoos, wildlife reserves, or as working/performing animals by professional animal trainers. Surely they could be persuaded to understand that a bobcat is not nearly the risk a tiger would be. Even a cougar isn't bigger than an English mastiff, the largest dog breed, though it's pretty big as far as cats go.

 

Have you considered talking to a lawyer about it? Maybe there is another way to keep your cats without moving away. After all, bobcats are owned by zoos and animal trainers, aren't they? If you could, legally, be declared something like that, maybe you could keep them.

 

Thank you for the support!! 

I have to say, that after the Senate hearings on the bill, I have been left quite depressed over all this. However, during the past 3 days the bill has now been before the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. I have not been able to attend these hearings as I did when the bill was before the Senate. But, from what I am hearing, this House Committee has been awesome and one of the hearings went on just past midnight!! The committee asked all kinds of questions, they listened. They are accepting amendments to the bill and the OAAO, Ohio Association of Animal Owners (I am a member) has even introduced a sub bill to replace the current SB310. I hope and pray they accept and pass this sub bill, because it will support exotic animal ownership now and into the future, with fair regulations that all owners would have to comply with, whether you are a pet owner, breeder, exhibitor, sanctuary etc. There will be two classes of license, commercial and non commercial. The state would then adopt and write into Ohio law, the USDA rules and regulations. These rules and regulations support the animal welfare act. This would protect both the animals and the public and allow future generations to own these animals under rules that will promote safe responsible ownership. Whether the Governor would sign into law, the new sub bill if it is accpeted, is another question however. If he does not, then the whole bill would then be dead. I read the sub bill and I like it. I have always been in favor of fair regulations. I try to follow USDA rules as it is now.

As for a lawyer. If the bill passes in it's current form (a total ban) we have some legal options that we will go through. I am not ready to post what that is just yet (don't want to let the cat out of the bag lol) I am hoping the sub bill will be accepted and we all can get on with our lives and love our animals.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheKatSaysMEOW 

Just had to add: how it annoys me how there doing this,i live in
MA and I'm not allowed to own a savanna cat because their to "wild"
That is such BS! It saddens me that I will never have this dream of mine
Be anything more than a dream... It's total crap whats next are they ganna
Ban feral cats? Because they think there to wild total crap.

The Savannah cat would be banned in Ohio now, should the current form of SB310 pass. WIth the amendments or the sub bill, this would not be the case. The banning of feral cats or ANY animal, would NOT be out of the question, should the current form of SB310 pass as written. The reason? The bill gives the director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture to add ANY animal to the list of banned animals, after the bill is written into law. This means that if the director is convinced that cows, pigs, horses, domestic cats and dogs, chickens etc are dangerous, they can be banned!! If this director is a huge HSUS/PETA supporter anything IS possible.

Yes I fully agree, it is total crap!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheKatSaysMEOW 


I know, that is sooo ridiculous....
Evil people like that should not have the right to
Take amounts animals away, peoples animals should not be
Taken away unless it is for the animals health and safety
But to take someones animals away when they are obviously
A great and caring owner is unbelievable!!!
HSUS, JACK HANNA should go to h*ll for this.
I'm hoping they won't pass this bill for every ones sake and the
Animals, or atleast go with the sub bill.
I'm calling to oppose this bill I do not b leave in destroying
These or any of our worlds beautiful creatures, and thats that!

Jack Hanna=Do as I say NOT as I do!! Jack forgets to mention, that he started as a PRIVATE EXOTIC PET OWNER!! Guess it is ok for him, but no one else. He is no expert and he has very little if any, knowledge of these animals. And here is another point to remember. Anytime good ol Jack appears on a TV show with animals, they are NOT his animals or the zoos animals. He gets them from....are you ready, PRIVATE OWNERS in the area!! He has no knowledge how to handle them and if you watch, he appears to be scared of the animals as well. He is nothing more than a TV celebrity. I have far greater knowledge of animal husbandry than he. But enough about Jack, I just want to say THANK YOU for the support. This has been very hard on me and next week, the House may vote on this bill. There will be a couple hearings next week and a possible vote. So I won't find out until then if and how the bill was amended or if the sub bill was accepted. Now if anyone gets a call, letter in the mail, email etc from HSUS to ask you to join them or donate, tell them to take a long walk of a short pier and make sure you tell them that HSUS supports the killing of animals!!

Thank you for the vibes, will keep you posted. Should hear some news in a few days

Ok everyone. This is our last chance. If you care about my cats, please do me a favor. No matter where you live, please write to the Ohio house of represtatives asking them to vote NO on Senate Bill 310. Next Tuesday, it goes before the full house and will likely be voted on. If it passes, it is all over.

The link below is the list of all Ohio Representatives.

Thank you!!