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Panel Expected To Vote On Revisions To Exotic Animal Ownership Bill

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An Ohio Senate committee has planned a vote Tuesday on proposed rules for regulating exotic animals in Ohio.

The state Senate's agriculture panel was expected to make changes to the bill, and then likely vote to send it to the full Senate. The two dozen proposed revisions include easing rules for snake ownership and decreasing requirements for property warning signs.
 
The measure would ban new ownership of exotic animals while allowing current owners to keep their pets by obtaining a new state-issued permit by 2014 and meeting other strict conditions.
 
The bill came in response to the October release of dozens of pets by their suicidal owner from Zanesville. Most of the animals, including bears, lions and endangered Bengal tigers, were killed by authorities seeking to protect the public.