COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Owners of certain snakes anddangerous wild animals in Ohio must have a
permit to keep theircreatures beginning Wednesday, though the state has issued none.Justseven applications
returned to the state had been completed as ofTuesday, while another 30 are in progress, according to
Ohio’sDepartment of Agriculture.The permits are among the last piecesof the state’s exotic animal crackdown
to take effect, following the2011 release of dozens of wild animals by a suicidal owner at hiseastern Ohio
farm. Authorities killed most of the animals, includingblack bears, Bengal tigers and African lions, fearing
for the public’ssafety.While the law allows for state officials to seize animalsthat are kept without a
permit, that’s unlikely to start immediately inthe new year. The agriculture department expects to receive
applicationsinto the new year, said agency spokeswoman Erica Hawkins."It’s not like we can show up and
take the animals," Hawkins said in an interview. "There’s a due process that is
followed."Onceapplications are submitted, the agency has 90 days to decide whetherpotential permit
holders have met the state’s new caging standards andother rules for keeping certain snakes and animals. And
Hawkins said thedepartment is eager to work with owners who want to comply with thelaw.The new restrictions
are being challenged by several animalowners, who have asked a federal appeals court in Cincinnati to
strikedown the law. They are suing the state’s agriculture department and itsdirector over the rules,
claiming they infringe on their constitutionalrights. Their appeal comes after a federal judge in Columbus
upheld thelaw.Several of the owners in the case believed they were exemptfrom the law, only to be notified
recently by the state that they arenot, said Polly Britton, a lobbyist for the Ohio Association of
AnimalOwners. The group boasts more than 8,000 members, whose animals rangefrom domestic cats to Bengal
tigers."We kind of feel like this is a bullying tactic," Britton said in an interview.Accordingto
the agriculture department, a couple of the owners didn’t have thecorrect species to qualify them for
certain exemptions.Ownersapplying for permits must pass background checks, pay fees, obtainliability
insurance or surety bonds, and prove they can properly containthe animal and care for it. They also had to
register their animalswith the state.Ohio has 888 dangerous wild animals registered by150 entities. That
includes creatures kept at zoos, sanctuaries andother facilities that are exempted from the law. It’s not
clear how manyof the animals are privately owned. But the agriculture departmentbelieves the majority of
those registered belong to the zoos and otherexempted facilities.Still, some owners have not notified
thestate about their animals. Others have transferred their critters toanother home without contacting the
state, in violation of Ohio’s newlaw. And officials do not know how many owners fall into
thosecategories.The agriculture department has two full-time staffersdedicated to enforcing the law, along
with four others that split timebetween the program and another. Hawkins said the agency believes
that’senough people to enforce the law."If there’s a huge influx (ofpermits), we’ll bring more people
on," Hawkins said. "We think given thenumber we saw through registration, this team should be able
to coverit."Other pieces of the law, such as a ban on buying new animals, have been in place since
2012.Ohioconstructed a roughly $3 million building to temporarily keep animalssurrendered to the state,
should owners find they cannot keep thecreatures or comply with the new rules.Since opening in March,the
taxpayer-funded facility has held at least 24 animals, including 20alligators, three bears and a cougar.
None were euthanized. The statehas worked to find them new homes.___Online:Ohio Department of Agriculture:
http://1.usa.gov/18zy8cnCopyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rightsreserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten orredistributed.