Avoidable Exotic Animal Massacre In Ohio Underscores Need For Govt. Regulation

Zanesville, Ohio resident Terry Thompson, 62, owner of a 73-acre animal preserve with his wife, committed suicide on Oct 18th shooting himself in the head after releasing his private collection of 56 exotic animals from their cages, essentially condemning them to death. Thompson's "pets" included 18 critically endangered Bengal tigers, 17 lions, 6 black bears, 3 grizzly bears, 3 leopards, 3 cougars, 3 monkeys, 2 wolves, and 1 baboon. 50 of the animals through no fault of their own met a gruesome death: 48 were gunned down by the local sheriff and deputies. 1 wolf was run over by a car on nearby I-70. 1 monkey reported to have Hepatitis B was eaten by 1 of the big cats. The remaining 6 animals: 3 leopards, 2 monkeys, and 1 grizzly were spared their lives, captured and taken to the Columbus Zoo. The only human casualty was Thompson's self-inflicted suicide.

Thompson, a Vietnam War veteran and gun collector had been released from federal prison only weeks before after serving a year for possessing illegal firearms. How the animals were cared for during his incarceration is unknown. He was convicted of animal cruelty charges in 2005 and had multiple confrontations with the law over cruelty speculations from neighbors. While the U.S. Department of Agriculture's can prosecute animal cruelty charges under the Animal Welfare Act, the agency is limited to monitoring exotic animal owners who either breed certain species for commercial sale, or those who exhibit the creatures to the public. Thompson's collection was private, not exhibited to the public.

Ohio has some of the nation's weakest restrictions on exotic pets and among the highest number of injuries and deaths caused by them, according the United States Humane Society. Before former Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland left office last year, he signed an executive order that restricted the ownership of exotic creatures, in addition to banning their sales and import. The order grandfathered in existing exotic animal owners, as long as they registered their animals with the state and had not been convicted of animal abuse charges.

In April, Republican Gov. John Kasich - nationally recognized for his disdain of unions and govt. regulation allowed the ban on exotic animals to expire after being in effect for only three months making Ohio one of only eight states that does not regulate the import, sale or private ownership of exotic animals. He claims the plan -- which would have placed the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in charge of enforcing the ban -- would not work because the move exceeded the authority and slashed budget of the agency, which is limited to regulating only native species.

This horrific episode highlights the many gaps in a patchwork of state and federal regulations governing the private ownership of exotic animals. Such laws vary from state to state, and federal laws don't address the possession of certain animals. Not surprisingly, there's an epidemic of private ownership of dangerous exotic animals in the United States. Globally, the exotic pet trade is a 20 billion dollar industry that contributes to the suffering, abuse, and death of millions of animals, often threatening public health and safety, disrupting ecosystems and driving species to endangerment and extinction. Each year, countless numbers of exotic animals are purchased as pets at retail stores, from private breeders and dealers at auctions to open public markets and online shopping then forced to suffer a lifetime of confinement in a squalid cage or pen that resembling nothing close to their native habitat. Since the vast majority of people who keep exotic animals as "pets" are not trained animal welfare professionals or zoologists and cannot meet their needs, the animals often become the victims of harrowing abuse and neglect -- they are caged, chained, drugged, terrorized, beaten into submission and killed. Exotic animals should not be kept as pets for obvious reasons.

The tragic loss in Zanesville, Ohio could have been prevented. Mr. & Mrs. Terry Thompson, supporters of the exotic animal trade industry, dismantlers of necessary govt. regulation, Gov. Kasich, and the legislators and people of Ohio who elected him, you are accountable.

Video content owed by The Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Ohio
• exotic
• animal
• wild
• lion
• leopard
• bear
• grizzly
• monkey
• tiger
• wolf
• baboon
• shot
• sheriff
• kill
• escape
• animal rights
• animal welfare
• death
• Thompson
• regulation
• government
• Kasich
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• Rachel Maddow Show
• MSNBC

[cherrytoasterpastry]

If someone owned 40 huskies and let them all loose and they killed or maimed someone, would that mean no one else should be able to own a husky?

[joshfmason]

@cherrytoasterpastry Of course not, huskies are domesticated dogs. Tigers, lions, cougars, grizzly bears, black bears, monkeys, baboons, wolves, etc.... are wild animals. Meaning they do not overcome their instinctive behaviors and should be left to live a life in the wild the way nature intended.

[NineCatsz]

More legislation is NOT the answer. 

It's already illegal to abuse animals.

It's already illegal to release non-native animals into the wild.

The man who did this was deranged. He could just have easily driven a semi truck into a crowded shopping mall. Would ya'll then be screaming for semi truck legislation or an all out ban? Nope.

[joshfmason]

@NineCatsz Fortunately there are already laws in place that prohibit and penalize that sort of "deranged" behavior. Have you forgotten about laws regarding speed limit, operating a commercial vehicle, wreck-less endangerment, criminal vehicular homicide and injury, etc..??!! A functional society is dependent on having comprehensive rules and regulations in place, municipal, state, and federal.

[joshfmason]

@NineCatsz Tighter legislation is needed. For instance, "animal abuse" is prohibited in all 50 states, but HI, KN, MS, ND, & ID laws don't require owners to provide basic animal care such as adequate food and water, no requirement for mental health evaluations or counseling for those convicted of animal abuse and no restrictions on future ownership of animals following a conviction. 3 of 5 states don't consider cruelty, neglect or abandonment a felony.

[BunnehFluff]

The lives of these animals were doomed the minute the owner took them under his "care". He obviously did not care about them or he would not have selfishly released them into the unknown. He could have had them safely taken to another facility before he decided to take his own life, but unfortunately they were forced to live out this fate. These beautiful creatures should have never been kept as "pets". Period.

[Armanthe92]

Terry is a dumbass

[11haythem]

yh grizzlys, lions, black bears etc.... BUT TIGERS. THERE'RE NEARLY FUCKING EXTICT.

[marlyonama]

too much regulation hurts small buisneses? that's all republicans care about now days, buisness is much more importaint than the people or animals.

[tunel2tye22]

I love how the reporter ended up blaming it on the republicans......

[dbgelman]

what is implied by

nonhuman primate?

[Alphaphotographer]

Total lack of planning on law enforcement's part. National disgrace.