REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Agriculture is reminding dangerous wild animal owners a new state law passed in June requires the registration of their animals before Nov. 5.
Penalty
Failure to register animals by the deadline can result in a first degree misdemeanor for the first offense, and a fifth degree felony for each subsequent offense.
Additionally, timely registration is a requirement for anyone who wishes to receive a permit to keep any dangerous wild animal past Jan. 1, 2014. Failure to register and microchip by Nov. 5 will disqualify the owner from permit eligibility.
Forms
The registration forms, which are available on the Department’s website at www.agri.ohio.gov/TopNews/DangerousWildAnimalAct/, must be printed, signed and returned to the department no later than Nov. 5. Forms that do not include microchip serial numbers will not be considered complete.
In addition to requiring registration, the new law, which became effective Sept. 5, regulates the ownership, sale and permitting of dangerous wild animals and restricted snakes.
Restrictions
The law prohibits any person from: Buying, selling or trading a dangerous wild animal; allowing a dangerous wild animal or restricted snake to roam off the property where it is confined; knowingly releasing a dangerous wild animal or restricted snake into the wild.
After Jan. 1, 2014, possession of all dangerous wild animals and restricted snakes will be prohibited unless the individual is exempted under the law or is granted a permit by the department. Permit applications will be made available in 2013.
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There are 2 important words missing from ODA’s article:
The law prohibits any person from: Buying, selling or trading a dangerous wild animal AT AUCTION.
The law was written to prohibit AUCTION SALES effective September 5; the ban on PRIVATE SALES does not kick in until November 5. We have gone ’round and ’round with ODA about this, and their attorneys apparently are choosing to interpret the law the way they want and not the way the law actually reads.