Escaped animals hunted down and killed

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 2:45 pm

Horrible, horrible story.

Lutz said preliminary investigations indicated that Thompson, 62, pried open cages and left the farm's fences open and then died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities were waiting on the results of an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Monkey is the last exotic animal still at large in Ohio - CNN.com

Mustang · Post by **Mustang** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 3:09 pm

Yes, yes it is SnoozeAgain.

I've been watching this on the news. Hopefully the State of Ohio will finally get a law on their books now, where people cannot own exotic pets and enforce it.

WonderWendy3 · Post by **WonderWendy3** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 4:20 pm

This broke my heart when I heard it on the radio this morning. I understand people being afraid of the animals, but killing them?? really?

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 4:27 pm

Bengal tigers are on the endangered list, you'd think they'd be a little more concerned with taking these animals alive. I broke out crying when I read this article, those animals probably had pretty miserable lives anyway and then they were hunted and killed like vermin. It really is heartbreaking.

Scrat · Post by **Scrat** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 4:42 pm

I'm going to lay the blame for this right at the feet of the Ohio bureaucrats. I will also blame stupid people who think a tiger cub is cute and adorable and buy one for their kids. A Collie or German Shepard, a cat is a pet. Lions, tigers, bears and baboons are not. I'm not so inclined to blame the guy either, he probably was caring for these animals for whatever reason. His trouble with the law was related to animal abuse and neglect or so I heard, maybe he couldn't take care of them or something.

I also think that maybe the animals are better off, life in a cage has to be bad.

Lady J · Post by **Lady J** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 7:21 pm

Snooze, I did not hear of this on the news which I am glad of cuz it would have upset me terribly. I am mortified at what I see just volunteering with Animal Advocates.

And we call ourselves humans? Well we (and I am generalizing here) are not even humane.

ellieR · Post by **ellieR** » Thu Oct 20, 2011 5:23 am

This is so sad for me to even watch. I hope they change the law so that exotic animals cannot be pets in that state.

tabby · Post by **tabby** » Thu Oct 20, 2011 7:03 am

This is indeed a sad story and the animals paid a high price for this man's mental unbalance. Assuming the law enforcement's first priority was public safety, they most likely felt pressure to resolve the problem by killing the animals outright in order to reduce danger as quickly as possible. Just a guess.

I read this morning that the zoo(s) are now reporting the animals they did save were adjusting well to their new environments.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Thu Oct 20, 2011 7:31 am

I would have been more frightened if I hadn't been so preoccupied with the round up and eventual relocation of these animals back to their "natural" habitat.

The only animal left is a baboon, 1, 2, 3,.. ahhhhh, how cute!!!!!!!!

tabby · Post by **tabby** » Thu Oct 20, 2011 8:58 am

On a lighter note, I did enjoy the ambivalence of this headline:

Sheriff: Animal bit Ohio man after he shot himself - US news - Life - msnbc.com

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Thu Oct 20, 2011 10:11 am

ellieR;1373083 wrote: This is so sad for me to even watch. I hope they change the law so that exotic animals cannot be pets in that state.

Could you please clear up a matter of long standing confusion for me.

Why "in that state" rather then "in this country"? What is it about Ohio that needs such a law where, say, Pennsylvania would not?

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:31 am

To be fair I read that as 'in that condition' or 'under them circumstances' not in that specific State.

While understanding the sad loss of some majestic animals, the authorities main concern must always be the protection of the local population.

tabby · Post by **tabby** » Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:41 am

I'm guessing that she would like to see the keeping of exotic animals outlawed nationwide but specified Ohio because of the recent event.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Thu Oct 20, 2011 12:17 pm

Bryn Mawr;1373099 wrote: Could you please clear up a matter of long standing confusion for me.

Why "in that state" rather then "in this country"? What is it about Ohio that needs such a law where, say, Pennsylvania would not?

Each State have their own set of laws when there are no Federal laws to cover such circumstances.

Mustang · Post by **Mustang** » Thu Oct 20, 2011 12:23 pm

Bryn Mawr;1373099 wrote: Could you please clear up a matter of long standing confusion for me.

Why "in that state" rather then "in this country"? What is it about Ohio that needs such a law where, say, Pennsylvania would not?

It has always been that way, that each state sets their own regulations in regards to possession of exotic wildlife.

Ohio's temporary ban on private possession of exotic animals officially expired on April 6, 2011. Unfortunately, Gov. John Kasich did not extend the ban and has asked the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to draft recommendations for a proposed rulemaking

Summary of State Laws Relating to Private Possession of Exotic Animals

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Thu Oct 20, 2011 2:40 pm

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Fri Oct 21, 2011 4:20 pm

This is indeed a tragedy.

Perhaps all owners of pets. whether domestic or exotic, should consider how their animals will be taken care of if and when something happens to them, the owner.

ellieR · Post by **ellieR** » Sat Oct 22, 2011 12:22 pm

Bryn Mawr;1373099 wrote: Could you please clear up a matter of long standing confusion for me.

Why "in that state" rather then "in this country"? What is it about Ohio that needs such a law where, say, Pennsylvania would not?

Every state in the United States have different laws regarding exotic animals as pets and that is what I meant by saying in that state, meaning Ohio. I am sorry for the confusion.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 3:57 pm

YZGI;1373117 wrote: Each State have their own set of laws when there are no Federal laws to cover such circumstances.

Mustang;1373121 wrote: It has always been that way, that each state sets their own regulations in regards to possession of exotic wildlife.

Summary of State Laws Relating to Private Possession of Exotic Animals

This is exactly why it is a confusion of long standing - is the USA a country or a ragbag of states who rub along together? OK, that might be a brutal way of phrasing it but either you are a nation in which case the law should be the same for all, or it's a mish-mash and there is no unity.

To whom do you give your loyalty? To the USA or to Ohio?

I was horrified to find, some months ago, that the State Guard can run their own Air Force under the control of the Governor - if that is true then who should the UK be negotiating with? The US federal administration or each of the state Governors independently?

The equivalent for the UK would be for Rutland to have different laws to Leicestershire and for Cornwall to threaten to apply for sovereign status - it would be anarchy!

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 3:59 pm

YZGI;1373117 wrote: Each State have their own set of laws when there are no Federal laws to cover such circumstances.

ellieR;1373274 wrote: Every state in the United States have different laws regarding exotic animals as pets and that is what I meant by saying in that state, meaning Ohio. I am sorry for the confusion.

No need to apologise, I recognise the situation but the why of it confuses me.