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Ohio Senate Approves Exotic Animal Bill

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UPDATE 2:34 p.m. The state Senate has passed a bill to ban Ohioans from acquiring new exotic animals and regulate the current owners of tigers, lions and other creatures.

The measure cleared the chamber by a 30-1 vote Wednesday, and goes now to the House for its consideration.
 
Facilities accredited by some national zoo groups would be exempt from the bill, along with sanctuaries and research institutions.
 
The legislation would allow current owners to keep their pets by obtaining a new state-issued permit by 2014 and meeting other strict conditions. Owners would have to pass a background check, post warning signs and obtain liability insurance or surety bonds.
 
The measure follows the October release of dozens of exotic animals by their suicidal owner from Zanesville, following which authorities had to kill 48 animals.
 

A proposal to regulate ownership of lions, tigers and other exotic animals in Ohio has cleared a legislative panel and is headed for a full Senate vote.

The state Senate's agriculture panel on Wednesday unanimously approved the bill after making additional changes. They included lowering the permit fees for certain snakes and giving the agriculture director the discretion to allow permits to those owners who might be shy of acreage requirements.

The legislation would ban new ownership of exotic animals at the bill's effective date. It would allow current owners to keep their pets by obtaining a new state-issued permit by 2014 and meeting other strict conditions.

The measure follows the October release of dozens of exotic animals by their suicidal owner from Zanesville. Authorities had to kill 48 animals.