Editor:
On January 6, 2011, the last day of Teddy Strickland, he signed the ban on exotic animals in Ohio to fulfill his backroom deal with Humane Society of the United States and Ohio Farm Bureau. The sellout was with poultry, swine, veal, dog breeders and the exotic animal industry in Ohio.
Mr. Ex-Governor Strickland made good his promise. He said that the exotic animals were a threat to public safety. I have called every sheriff’s department in Ohio and every Ohio Department of Natural Resources district. Not to my surprise, not one knew of a threat to the public.
Every Ohio animal owner needs to call Gov. Kasich and ODNR and tell them to keep Ohio free; don’t turn Ohio in to the new veganist state. Gov. Kasich said less government, more small business. The exotic animal industry is a 12.5 billon dollar business in Ohio.
HSUS says Ohio is the leader in exotic animals. I ask why kill a leader that brings in 12.5 billion a year? Ohio is hurting because of ex-Gov. Strickland. He was not good for Ohio. Killing jobs drove people out to this state.
I ask Gov. Kasich not to follow in his footsteps. Do the right thing; drop this backroom deal made by leaders that don’t stand for animal ownership in Ohio. This new ban hurt animal owners and hunters all across Ohio. It’s a stepping stone for animal rights groups to take away our rights as United States citizens.
I have been told I am not a Christian because I eat meat by AR’s. I am a Christian and an animal owner. I eat meat, I wear leather and see nothing wrong with hunting, fishing or trapping. I like animals on my lap and on my plate. I feel this ban needs to be stopped and the animal rights groups need put in their place.
Just like other states have done where the governors have put them in their place and even served ham sandwiches for lunch. Ohioans need to ask Gov. Kasich, where the money is going to come from to support this ban? How many new wildlife officers will require training and vehicles to support this? Will everyday taxpayers see an increase in property taxes to appease an out-of-state animal rights organization?
Ohio is an agricultural state; that means we raise animals. Animals are our pets, our food and yes, even our income, whether it be farm, exotic or domestic. Keep Ohio free from outsider special interest groups.
Butch Hash
Frazeysburg, Ohio
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Our new cov. needs to getrid of the ban and everything else to do with HSUS, and do what is right for Ohio.
Just how is stopping irresponsible people from acquiring dangerous wild animals in their back yards going to turn everyone in Ohio into vegans? The ban contains plenty of exemptions for accredited zoos, legitimate sanctuaries, and breeders who work with zoos to preserve certain species. It also only applies to a handful of large dangerous animals, and current owners are grandfathered in. A majority of other states have enacted similar bans. And by the way, I am an OHIOAN who supports this ban, not some out of state interest group.
Amy,
The majority of states have not enacted laws against exotics. Several cities including Cleveland, OH have, but not the states them selves. I live in rural land with over 1 acre of land. My animals are under lock and key. I have educated multiple people about the animals I keep in a safe environment.
You propose that only licensed facilities can manage these animals properly, but a significant number of these licensed facilities contact private owners when setting up their animals. This is because private owners are the ones with the experience, knowledge, and best practices for keeping these animals in safe environments.
I have to ask should we take away everyone’s right to drive a car to keep irresponsible drivers off the road?
I am a resident of Ohio that is opposed to this ban.
I am also in support of removing HSUS tax exempt status as a none profit and relabeling it as an economic terrorist group to Ohio’s economy. Maybe we need to start collection signatures and put that ballot measure on the next ballot!
Nice how the “accredition” corporations are financially tied to HSUS. That is a monopoly AmyK. Private Owners that abide by the law are USDA licensed, inspected and accredited by USDA whom the HSUS does not have financial ties to.
Besides, repitles are not covered by USDA but they deserve their rights as well to be private owners.
HSUS makes it sound like there is a problem when there is none. 2 accidents is that has ever happened, this per HSUS’s website, in this state. And lets not bring that other animal rights groups bogus numbers into all of this. The only problem is that HSUS doesn’t want people owning animals. This ban is completely full of holes that HSUS can come back and fill in later with all the other species of Native and Exotic animals.
Breeders who deal with zoos, unless accredited by HSUS supported corporations, are not exempt. HSUS is doing nothing more the profiling animals based on species. But then HSUS is good at profiling, they do it in every state.
Guess who will pay for this ban AmyK, you will, along with every other Ohio tax payer. Inorder to enforce it, the taxpayers are the ones that will have to front the money to enforce it. So go ahead and continue to support the ban, but don’t come a crying when it zaps your wallet.
Every Ohio tax payer need to call the Governor and ask him if AR,s are paying for this ban or will it be the middle class working man woman.
The grandfather clause does not allow USDA licensed, inspected facilities to continue a breeding program. The grandfather clause simply states that you can keep the animal till it dies. It does not allow you to purchase new, breed, sell or anything else with the animals. How much damage is being done by keeping healthy animals in the middle of their breeding season from doing what is natural to them?
Animal rights organizations lobby to regulate those who own animals while they themselves have no vested financial interest in animal ownership. Activists manipulate law makers and the public which generally have no firsthand knowledge of captive bred husbandry practices. They have generated an inaccurate and unhealthy fear of zoonosis. They have created a problem, blown it out of proportion, and then propose a solution where none is needed.
2 Accidents in 50 years and 1 of the top 5 states with animal owners (as noted by HSUS on their website), this fact speaks for itself that we are responsible owners.
How long untill Hsus takes down the zoo’s? They have already gone after the rodeos hard n heavy, they are going after the farmers and ranchers,dog n cat breeders. You know why they want you at fix your animal so it can’t reproduce anylonger, because they want them totaly wiped out.Exotic animal ownership is not the problem,HSUS is.They are also hitting all circuses hard by posting picts.from years ago and videos from years ago and tell ing people that the cruelty is happening everyday and one video was from China!.