Update: This bill did not complete the legislative process prior to adjournment.
Bill Description: If passed, this legislation will ban the future private possession of wild animals as “pets,” including elephants, lions and other large wild cats, black bears, wolves and other wild dogs, nonhuman primates, and dangerous snakes. Persons possessing these wild animals prior to the effective date of the act would be allowed to keep the animals if a permit is obtained and if certain fencing and animal care requirements are met. Animals possessed in violation of the law would be subject to confiscation. Violators of the law would face a civil penalty. The bill does not apply to accredited zoos, educational institutions, animal shelters, accredited wildlife sanctuaries, and circuses.
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Dangerous wild animals belong in their natural habitat and not in the hands of private individuals as “pets.” By their very nature, these animals are potentially dangerous and do not adjust well to a captive environment. Across the country, many incidents have been reported where exotic animals held in private hands have attacked humans and other animals, or have escaped from their enclosures and freely roamed the community. The American Veterinary Medical Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention all oppose private possession of certain dangerous wild animals.