Friday, January 07, 2011

Perpetual Danger

When Ted Strickland signed an executive order barring Ohioans from owning "exotic pets", he brought up the recent death of a a handler working with a bear. Apparently we are to believe this ban is in our best interest due to the dangers of "exotic pets".
"This rule will help protect Ohioans from deaths and serious injuries caused by attacks from dangerous wild animals held in private ownership." ~ T. Strickland

Don't believe it for a minute. This order stems from from an insidious agreement made earlier with HSUS which has never given a rat's ass about human safety. They would shove you under a bus if they thought it could liberate your cat so it could starve, get fleas & wind up getting eaten by a coyote. If it was about safety it seems there would be a few other priorities for the governor.
Since 1990 there have been 20 deaths by "exotic animals" in Ohio. In 2009 there were 519 murders in Ohio. In cases where people weren't gunning for specific people, 1,190 people died from traffic accidents. So, you are over a thousand times more likely to die due to your fellow man's inattentiveness than becoming Simba's dinner & over 500 times more likely to get shot while stiffing your pimp. 0.008 people in Ohio per 100,000 are killed by "exotic animals" every year.
This isn't about safety at all.
Wayne & his thugs want these animals to live free or die. They consider the ownership of pets (companion animals) to be a tortuous form of slavery. Make no mistake, that furball dozing on your lap, purring & digging it's claws into your leg is a victim of your horrific and immoral abuse.
If safety & proper care for these animals, many being "retired" from zoos & circuses, is an issue, we could have the Ohio zoos concoct a training program & set confinement standards that "exotic pet" owners would need to learn & follow in order to keep these critters. Regulation, the zoos could pick up some spare change, the state could pick up some license money, the animals would not be put to death & everybody wins.
Well, except for the animal rights loons.

Fishwrap story here.
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2 comments:

SecondComingOfBast said...

I agree with what you're saying about the animal right's groups, most of them are clearly asstards. But at the same time, its really not a good idea to own certain wild animals as pets. Yeah, its cool and all, but really its not in their own best interest, or yours. Even something that seems relatively benign as an ocelot or a lynx can plainly rip you to pieces in a matter of minutes.

They might have a kind of bond with you, and who the hell knows, they might even love you, but they just can't help themselves. It's pure instinct. After the moment passes, they might feel bad about it for a while, but its still too late for you.

Quimbob said...

I am aware of the damage a house cat can inflict on a person in the blink of an eye. I would never take a chance with a big cat myself. That being said, if someone wants a big cat, there are ways to contain the thing so only the owner is in danger.