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You’d think that after a Connecticut woman’s face was ripped off by her friend’s “pet” chimpanzee—or after a toddler was strangled to death by her family’s python and a 9-year-old girl was mauled to death by her stepfather’s pet tiger—that lawmakers would step in and put an end to the carnage.
Well, they’re about to, at least in Oregon: Starting in January, the state will no longer issue new permits for exotic animals—including big cats, nonhuman primates, crocodiles, and most bears—and existing permits will expire if the animal dies or is sold.
This is a good first step, but more needs to be done. Keeping tigers, reptiles, and bears in cages is like lighting a fuse and pretending that it won’t go off. It’s time for federal lawmakers to put a stop to it once and for all. Please contact our Action Team to request materials that can help you start a campaign to ban the keeping of exotic animals as “pets” in your area.
Written by Paula Moore
