Ohio HB 45- exotic animal legislation alert

[Banks]

I wanted to pass this on to the readers of TTT, this House Bill 45 needs to go down to defeat, please take the time and read over HB45.
This legislation may impact our live tiger mascot progeam.
Please contact your representatives and let them know you are not in favor of this bill which is currently in committee.

Scott Oelslager
51st District
585 Yorkshire Trace SE
Canton, Ohio 44709
Email Address: district51@ohr.state.oh.us

Jim Aslanides
77 S. High St
12th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6111
Telephone: (614) 644-6014
Fax : (614) 719-6994
Email Address: district94@ohr.state.oh.us

William J. Healy, II
501 52nd NW
Canton, Oh 44709
Email Address: district52@ohr.state.oh.us



House Bill 45

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has laws in place under the Animal Welfare Act to regulate people owning small, large, and/or dangerous animals, domestic or exotic. If you breed, sell, or exhibit, you are required under Federal law to have a USDA license – which requires standards to be met, such as perimeter fencing and quality standards for care.

Licensed individuals or facilities cannot sell large or dangerous animals to anyone who is not licensed, which eliminates the pet trade for large or dangerous animals.

Requirements for obtaining a USDA license are breeding, selling, exhibiting with experience handling the species (not pet owners).

Lawmakers need to press the USDA to enforce what is already in place – not create new, costly to enforce laws that give a monopoly to AZA zoos. More animals have escaped from or injured people in zoos than the private sector of the animal industry.

House Bill 45 will also eliminate jobs in Ohio at feed mill, suppliers, pet care, building industry, etc., at a time when jobs are vitally important in our area.

[DAWGH8R]

Sent out my e-mails already !:argue:

[obie7661]

IMO, a written letter to a legislator carried a lot more weight than an email.

Here's the link to the legislation:

http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_HB_45

[Banks]

IMO, a written letter to a legislator carried a lot more weight than an email.

Here's the link to the legislation:

http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_HB_45



I am doing BOTH !
Also please pass the word around and I am sure there are other family and friends outside of this area that their Reps can be contacted.

[Obie Wan]

Umm... Might someone tell us why we should object to this?

[Banks]

Umm... Might someone tell us why we should object to this?


For one it could mean the end of the schools live mascot.


http://www.indeonline.com/index.php?...r=1&Category=3

[Spize]

For one it could mean the end of the schools live mascot.


http://www.indeonline.com/index.php?...r=1&Category=3

Ok, so it is gonna be cold on Easter... what am I missing here?

[Banks]

http://www.indeonline.com/index.php?ID=12796&r=1&Category=3

[obie2000]

Sign me up! OBIE cannot leave! I will be talking to my Reps here in Cincy!

[Machiavelli]

I know the sponsor of this bill very well. I don't think the bill is going anywhere fast but if it moves, I'll talk to him to fix any concerns that Massillon would have with it.

[giant lugey]

If you read the article it says the the Massillon Tiger Booster Club may not be able to get a permit, but it does say that schools would be able to get a permit. So just let the school get the permit. What's the big deal.
Frankly I don't want my neighbors having a bear or a boa constrictor, so I think some regulatoon is necessary.
If the school can get the permit then I don't think this will affect OBIE.

[Spize]

If you read the article it says the the Massillon Tiger Booster Club may not be able to get a permit, but it does say that schools would be able to get a permit. So just let the school get the permit. What's the big deal.
Frankly I don't want my neighbors having a bear or a boa constrictor, so I think some regulatoon is necessary.
If the school can get the permit then I don't think this will affect OBIE.

There are other things that make it so the booster club must do the live obie program and not the school, not to mention it would put huntsman out of business and there would be no tiger to be had. This is what I am getting out of this.

[CarlE]

There are other things that make it so the booster club must do the live obie program and not the school, not to mention it would put huntsman out of business and there would be no tiger to be had. This is what I am getting out of this.

I don't think he's saying that the Booster Club still doesn't do the program. I THINK what he's saying is that the permit is in the name of the school itself. Happens all the time with permits.

[Banks]

If you read the article it says the the Massillon Tiger Booster Club may not be able to get a permit, but it does say that schools would be able to get a permit. So just let the school get the permit. What's the big deal.
Frankly I don't want my neighbors having a bear or a boa constrictor, so I think some regulatoon is necessary.
If the school can get the permit then I don't think this will affect OBIE.

Forget the school taking care of OBie, it is just not going to happen, have you noticed there are cuts being made with in the MCS, a permit cost money etc.

The booster club is licensed to have a Live Tiger and is regulated by the USDA,APHIS Animal Care .

So if your neighbors want a bear they must be licensed by the US Government USDA,APHIS

Having Federal guidelines in place by the USDA,APHIS doesn't seem to be good enough for some people in the State of OHIO and they want to be the only state in the union to have their own laws regarding such animals.

Could this be a new game that Peta is playing?
Looks like a wolf in sheep's clothing to me.

[Big Fan Van]

I wish you all the luck on this topic. I will do my part too. I would hate to see that tiger leave, that thing is a big part of the tiger tradition. Just would not be the same without a live obie. If you feel the same way I do, you too should take a little time out of your busy schedule to do your part. If you dont, maybe sometime down the line, you'll wish you had.

[Kamd50]

That is very kind of you.

[MSlater]

The big vote for removing exotic animals for personal use will be decided on April 18, 2007 which is known as Ohio House Bill 45. If passage this will eliminate Massillon's 37 year tenure with "OBIE" on our sidelines not to mention put Stump Hill Farm out of business. Please contact Representive James Aslanides at www.house.state.oh.us. He is the Chairman of the committee. Also contact Scott Oelslager, William J. Healy II as well as Kirk Schuring at same address above. This is very serious and time sensitive!!!

[Seeker]

I don't think that we should panic just yet.

Sorry, but I'm questioning the timeframe stated above for the vote.

We understand from information given directly to us from a Representative last week that the bill has not been acted upon.

It is in committee and will be a subject of public hearings for the next several weeks. Then the bill will go back into committe where it will be reviewed, possibly tabled, possibly changed, or possibly eliminated.

After all of that it would go for a floor vote on the Ohio house floor were it could be defeated, if passed then the same process would need to unfold in the senate....you get my drift, this thing isn't going anywhere fast.

[Banks]

So it is not going to have its first reading on April 18th?
Has the Pro input been canceled for April25th ? If it has then they don't need the Con input for May 2nd !

Wouldn't it be great if it didn't even get that far.

[MTown]

Let's slow down here a bit. The bill has not even been voted on by the house...let alone the Senate. There is a LOT that can happen in between to make this thing go down.

[srandolph]

I was just told about a bill that is going up for a hearing on april 18 2007 and if it goes through it will ban exotic and dangerous animals from being put on exibit ect. which means we would not be allowed to have out beloved obie as our live mascot anymore. I encourage you all to contact state rep William Healy II at (614) 466-8030 or e-mail him at district52@ohr.state.oh.us and let him know that we do not want this bill to be passed. It is bill 127 HB 45. Anyone who wishes to read this bill can read it at
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_HB_45
thank you

[Banks]

Sec. 1534.02. (A) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, no person shall possess a dangerous wild animal or an exotic animal.

(B) This chapter does not apply to any of the following:

(8) A vocational school, college, university, or other educational institution;



I think the booster club is part of the school system.

[Spize]

The problem is that it would shut down where we get obie from.

It is kinda like if you want to ban smoking and you don't ban smoking, but transporting tobacco. You make it so you are unable to perform the legal activity.

Basically it is possible that we would be legally able to have obie, but there would be no place to get obie from, so hence NO OBIE.

[Big Fan Van]

The problem is that it would shut down where we get obie from.

It is kinda like if you want to ban smoking and you don't ban smoking, but transporting tobacco. You make it so you are unable to perform the legal activity.

Basically it is possible that we would be legally able to have obie, but there would be no place to get obie from, so hence NO OBIE.

Great choice of words for clarification. GET THE HINT.