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Sheriff To Speak On Anniversary Of Zanesville Exotic Animal Escape
< < Back to sheriff-speak-anniversary-zanesville-exotic-animal-escapeMuskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz will spend the anniversary of the escape of more than 50 exotic animals speaking at Ohio University-Lancaster.
Lutz is schedule to speak on October 19, exactly a year after he and his deputies were dispatched to a farm near Zanesville where over 50 exotic animals had been released.
On the evening of October 18, 2011, farm owner Terry Thompson set loose 56 exotic animals before killing himself.
Lutz and his deputies spent the night and next day tracking down the animals, killing 48 of them.
Since then, Lutz has spent his time advocating for stricter exotic animals laws in Ohio.
He says that regulations regarding the ownership of exotic animals in the state have improved, but that his work remains unfinished.
Lutz is now lobbying for an exotic animal law on the federal level.
Lutz is set to speak on October 19 in the Raymond S. Wilkes Gallery at 1 p.m.
His speech will discuss his work with legislators, as well as the struggles he faced on October 19, 2011, including his decision to put down many of the exotic animals that were released in Zanesville.