Laws About Paws

Have you ever looked out of your window and seen . . . a lion? That’s what happened recently for some people in Zanesville, Ohio. People there told police that exotic animals were loose near their homes. Exotic animals are animals that naturally live in another part of the world. We often see these animals, such as lions and tigers, at a zoo.

The animals in Zanesville weren’t from a zoo, though. A man in Zanesville owned them, and they lived around his home. When these animals got loose, the police had to make the hard decision to kill many of them in order to keep people in the area safe.

Lions like these were living in Zanesville.

This sad event is making many people think about the laws we have about exotic animals. Most states have bans against people owning them. A ban is a law that does not allow something. Some states, like Ohio, don’t have such bans on owning exotic animals. This is why the man in Zanesville could have his animals. States without bans usually do put some limits on owning these kinds of animals, though. For example, people often have to get permission from the state to own them. Owners also usually have to prove that the animals are healthy.

After the event in Zanesville, however, many people feel that these limits aren’t enough. People and groups in Ohio and other places are now working with their governments to help change exotic-animal laws. They think that we need stricter laws that keep people from owning these kinds of animals at all. They think that these kinds of laws would better protect both animals and people.

This dog owner is following a law about animals. What do you think it is?

Taking care of animals is a responsibility that people have. Following the laws about animals is one way that people show good citizenship. When people disagree with a law or think that it’s unsafe or unfair, they have the right to work to change the laws. So, pay attention to the news to see if the animal laws in Ohio and other places change in the future!

TLX News Journal:  Civics Activity

What laws about animals does your community have? With a partner, research some of these laws and write notes about them in your TLX News Journal.