Exotic BAN bill in Ohio

[twstychik]

John,

I've also PMed you but as I live in Indiana I'm not sure what I can do to help aside from this idea.

If you have a local news station that does people pieces try contacting them. If you push enough they may air your story... you and your cats and advocate against this new bill. You can also expose this bill for what it really is... a ban under the pretense of regulation.

 

[lsulover]

Originally Posted by neetanddave

Oh yeah. Belinda is in Mississippi, but the power of her Cajun voodoo gris gris curse is STRONG!!!! Gris gris is a curse to stop something from happening, basically bad mojo....

Is that guy running for reelection? She can screw that up for him too....

Yep, I will do whatever I hafta do.

Please keep us posted on this bill.

And I will pray again tonight that this bill does not get passed.

 

[amberthe bobcat]

How dirty can they get. This rep is trying to make it look like he is trying to protect society from exotics housed in basements in the city, when in fact it is an outright ban (like John said). I really want to help fight this and I live in Ohio. John, I sent you a PM.

I am happy that you see how they twist things around. This is what we need people to understand. These law makers can be quite nasty when they try to get things their way. I have everyones contact info and I can't thank you enough. It may not be until April, until anything else happens with this bill. This is very good, gives us more time to prepare. When the time comes for the hearing, we want to pack the state house with as many people as possible who are against the bill. I will let the Ohio people know when that is. Again, thank you

 

[furryferals]

Hi

I'm sorry your having to fight a bill like this and the prospect of having to give up your
babies

People in the UK used to be able to own big cats up untill 1976,when a private
members bill was introduced.
I don't know much about the act but
From what I gather the requirements of the bill weren't as stringent as what your gov't
bill is proposing,but that didn't stop people from releasing their cats into the wild,
when it was introduced,I think These people were responsible owners but because they found no way of keeping their pets they released them to fend for themselves rather than Pts them.A friend of my family released his lion cub into the wild

Here is a link to some info

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-cou...wd/wildact.htm

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-cou...animallist.pdf

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4833450.stm

I don't know if you can make use of the info but it may make the legislators think
twice before passing the bill.

Good luck

 

[panther pride]

if all else fails John, you should look at rescue centers/wildlife education places that take in unwanted exotics maybe that would save your furbabies from being PTS. Hopefully it will not pass and you can keep your cats

The law is made by ill informed people who worry about the 'bad' owners of wild animals, not the good ones, they in their cloved minds fell as if society shouldn't risk it all for the good owners... it needs to end, I think you are being very brave to fight this legal battle. Maybe you could tell congress to pass an new required inspecton of all private exotic cat owners. A aspca/ animal control inspector would come over and see if the animals were okay and in proper living areas and then give the okay or the not okay to own for owners, depending on their animals living arangements. Some evil people who own excotic's do so only for a status symobol or to guard crack houses, ext. I saw a rescue show about that once on animal planet. You are being blammed for nothing and I think its wrong you cats look great and are in no way being abused. That's called discrimanation when you lump all owners as if they are doing something bad by owning exotics. You should own them only if you have alot of land and know how to take care of them and know they are always wild and potentionally dangerous, in my humble opinion.

 

[trouts mom]

I have no idea how I could help, but I support you for sure. I am sending many vibes your way. It would be traumatizing to lose your babies.

 

[amberthe bobcat]

Originally Posted by Panther pride

if all else fails John, you should look at rescue centers/wildlife education places that take in unwanted exotics maybe that would save your furbabies from being PTS. Hopefully it will not pass and you can keep your cats

The majority of rescue facilties in Ohio are USDA licensed. The bill requires the facilty to be AZA approved. USDA is the United Stated Department of Agriculture, a federal government agency. AZA is a PRIVATE agency, not a goverment agency. So, this bill requires you to be approved by a private agency, NOT the federal government agency. In other words, the State Rep who introduced the bill, feels a private agaency knows better than the USDA. See the stupidity here? My friend has a wildcat sanctuary, this is where Carmelo lives at the moment. She is USDA licensed and inspected. The USDA does random inspections, you never know when they will be there to inspect. So, this means your facility must always be in top condition. However, since she is not AZA approved, her cats would have to go as well. Since there are not many AZA approved facilities in Ohio, except zoos, where are all these cats going to go? Zoos will not take them!! The bill would require them to be PTS, this means cats that are on the endagered protected species list!! The ASPCA is no better, they are a PRIVATE agency. I am a member of the FCF, Feline Conservation Federation and other exotic animal organizations. I completed a course on wild/exotic cat husbandry and I am state licensed. However, I am not USDA licensed, but I am not a sanctuary. I am more than willing to get a USDA license. My enclosure and care of my cats EXCEEDS that of both the USDA and AZA. My friends sanctuary also exceeds these same guidlines. The FCF has higher standards than both the USDA and AZA. The AZA is what most zoos belong to. Nothing wrong with the AZA, but our standards of care are better. For example. The AZA requires a minimum cage size of 300 square feet for a large cat, like lions. They also require a minimum of 91 square feet for a cat the size of a bobcat. Our bobcat enclosure is 200 square feet, more than twice the size requirement of the AZA and USDA. I follow FCF guidlines, they are much better. Our cougar enclosure is well over this 300 square foot size, much more. Close to 1,000 square feet. As stated before, this bill is bad, very very bad.

 

[panther pride]

Maybe you could get yourself approved by the AZA http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/ima...s/confused.gif. Sorry had no idea this was so compacated, glad I'm not in your shoes. Hope all goes well. Would getting approved by the AZA mean shrinking your cats living condictions? if that be the case I think its just nuts. Cougers need huge spaces, as do Bobcats. I would possibly look for rescue places outside the ohio state? Maybe do an online search. I saw show once about a chimp who was treated like a human and lived in someones home, the animal attacked someone later and had to be put into a rescue center however the couple got to visit the animal, maybe you will get to visit your cats if worse should come to worse? http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/ima...lies/frown.gif

 

[sharky]

I hope it doesnt come to this but I live in Idaho and well I can have a big cat in my house now if I wanted...

 

[alikatt]

While I have not commented you much before, I just wanted to say that if anything, I commend you for what you do. You obviously care for ALL your animals, big or small. This bill is so beyond unfair, that it makes me sick in the pit of my stomach. Everyone on this board is opposed to act's of animal cruelty in any form, as well as many over the entire United States, and elsewhere. To me, this is just another form of it. To have these beautiful and gorgeous cat's taken away from you by our OWN government is horrid. I understand regulations, and I believe regulations need to be made to promote responsible ownership of these big cats, because it's better for THEM, not us. That's what this need's to be about. It's not about how we feel, as people, but about the poor cat's that are looking at being stripped of everything they have come to know, and the chance of being PTS because we have our head's stuck up our own... Like every other animals on the face of this planet, we need to help be their voice, and I am behind you 100% with whatever I have in my power to do to help you.

 

[panther pride]

Thats nice to offer Sharky but could you really care for a bobcat or couger? I think maybe John should flee the state with his cats, If he cannot find somewhere to take the where they wont be PTS. I wonder how that would work out.

 

[bemyonlyone]

I am sorry that you're going through a traumatic experience. In the event that the bill passes, I hope you can make necessary arrangements so that your pets will be safe. That's the best thing you can do for them if it comes to an outright ban.

Again, I am truly sorry that you are facing an uncertain future.

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by Panther pride

Thats nice to offer Sharky but could you really care for a bobcat or couger? I think maybe John should flee the state with his cats, If he cannot find somewhere to take the where they wont be PTS. I wonder how that would work out.

Bobcat likely yes ... cougar I am thinking not... I should have been more clear about the move to a state that allows them... not that I WANT one... At this time I am debating a third cat and 2nd dog

 

[lsulover]

I am still sending prayers and hugs from Mississippi for you. Please hang in there, I am praying for you and your beautiful cats every night

 

[amberthe bobcat]

Originally Posted by Panther pride

Maybe you could get yourself approved by the AZA http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/ima...s/confused.gif. Sorry had no idea this was so compacated, glad I'm not in your shoes. Hope all goes well. Would getting approved by the AZA mean shrinking your cats living condictions? if that be the case I think its just nuts. Cougers need huge spaces, as do Bobcats. I would possibly look for rescue places outside the ohio state? Maybe do an online search. I saw show once about a chimp who was treated like a human and lived in someones home, the animal attacked someone later and had to be put into a rescue center however the couple got to visit the animal, maybe you will get to visit your cats if worse should come to worse? http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/ima...lies/frown.gif

Well, I could become AZA, but I may still have problems due to the 500 foot property line set back. At minimum, I would have to have property that is 1,030 feet by 1,030 feet. Thats 1,060,900 square feet!! I have to study the bill more. Not sure if just being AZA would help me or not, it may. That is something we need to look into. If I became AZA, no, it would not mean making their enclosure smaller. What that means is if you are AZA and you decide to get a bobcat, cougar or whatever, your enclosure would have to be at least the minimum. I exceed their minimum and you could make their enclosure as large as you want, provided you have enough property to do so. In my back lot, I could make another enclosure that is 1,800 square feet and still have space left over. As for relocating them out of state, that is not an option for me at this time. We will fight until we can not fight any more. I will not let the government take away my rights without a fight. That isn't happening. Remember, this is the USA, we used to be a free country at one time. Freedom isn't free, you have to fight for it and fight I will

alikatt...what can I say, great post

Yes, I agree with fair regulations, but this bill isn't fair. I forgot to mention another stipulation of the bill. This bill would require me to post a notice in our local newspaper, stating that I own these cats and have them on my property

It would also require me to post signs every 10 feet, stating these cats are on my property

Yeah right, like I would ever comply with that!! This would put my cats lives at risk, by letting every animal rights person in the area know these cats are here. It would require me to get a $250,000 insurance policy, which by the way, you can't get in this state. Again, can you say ban law?? This insurance requirement is dumb and does no good in making someone a better owner. I have no idea where this guys head was at when he wrote this. One thing is for certain, HSUS supports this bill. This is an animal rights endorsed ban bill. I have been calling HSUS head quarters in Washington DC to complain. I asked them "how do you feel about the mass killing of exotic animals?" The lady I spoke with said, "you should know how we feel about that". I said, "no I don't". I then told her about this bill and how HSUS in Ohio supports this bill. I told her, "if this bill passes, it is very likely that many animals will be destroyed. Since HSUS supports this bill, HSUS supports the killing of animals". There was silence on the phone. She said she will look into it for me. If I can get HSUS to back out of it, a slim chance, this could weaken the bill. For those who are not aware as well, HSUS is not a government agency either. They are a private animal rights organization.

I am still sending prayers and hugs from Mississippi for you. Please hang in there, I am praying for you and your beautiful cats every night

All of us animal owners in Ohio thank you. We have a little more time to prepare than we had thought. However, now we found out a ban law may be introduced in the state senate

However, the senate bill may be easier to fight. I am not sure what this would mean about HB45, if one is introduced in the senate. Maybe one would be dropped? Not sure yet, but will find out if and when one does get introduced in the senate. This isn't the first time something like this has come up in Ohio. But, this has to be one of the worse and it has more support than others had. So, that is the latest. I know this was long winded, sorry. I am going to visit Carmelo tomorrow and we are going to do some hard work on this bill. When anything changes, I will keep everyone up to date. If we get this bill stopped. Wait, when we get this bill stopped, we need to have a huge TCS celebration party. After all, I am getting a lot of support from you here. The emotional support is much needed as well and very much appreciated

 

[sarahp]

I'm so sorry to hear this is happening John! I'm not in Ohio, but if I can help, just let me know what I can do!

Have you tried approaching tv stations to do a story on it? If you can get on tv showing your beautiful animals, how well cared for they are and how silly the rule is, then maybe you can drum up more support?

 

[zissou'smom]

Having worked on a number of campaigns here in Ohio... maybe I can help you? Anyway, I live in Columbus and have friends and family from Cinci to Youngstown and you'd be surprised what the largest college campus in America can get you...

Let me know.

-Julie

 

[proudkittiemom]

I am sending you lots and lots of good vibes to STOP THIS BILL, also I support u guys 100 % and also I do agree with Sarahp, see what u can do, if there is any way I can help just let me know !! U guys are all in my thoughts and prayers, it j ust lows my mind the kind of bills and laws every one is trying to pass these days....they are just getting to rediculous, and u were right about u do have to fight for freedom any more in the land of the "free" But u all are in my thoughts and prayers and sending lots and lots of good vibes ur way

 

[amberthe bobcat]

Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

Having worked on a number of campaigns here in Ohio... maybe I can help you? Anyway, I live in Columbus and have friends and family from Cinci to Youngstown and you'd be surprised what the largest college campus in America can get you...

Let me know.

-Julie

Yes, you are an Ohio resident and you can help

The first step is to have everyone call their State Rep. Email and call them, that's what I have done so far. I emailed and called twice. The second call was a follow up call. I am sure I will call again, but will give it some time. They key here is to have anyone who calls, to be polite and try not to take up to much of their time. The main points are, that this is a ban bill, not about regulations. You are upset that any animal that can not be kept or placed, would have to be destroyed. If asked how YOU would change this bill or "fix it". Tell them, this bill is NOT fixable. Asked them to please kill the bill. I am sure you know how to find your State Representative information. You maye have more than one since you live in the Columbus area. I am in a rural area, so I just have one. I will send you a link on how to find your state rep by your zip code, just in case. I am also sending you a copy of an email I got, for some points to talk about if you need it. The bill is House Bill 45. By the way, in just about a half hour, I will be heading my way down your way. I am going to our friends sanctuary, to work on this bill and to play with Carmelo. The sanctuary is about 40 or minutes or so outside of Columbus.

 

[lsulover]

Still sending prayers and hugs from Mississippi for you and your beautiful cats.