This year the Texas legislature was presented with two bills. The animals right agenda wants HB 1015 passed. Sanctuaries wanting to protect themselves from possible lawsuits, as they are technically in violation of the Texas Wild Animal Act, would like HB 629 passed.
Let's look at the arguments on both sides and I shall of course, render my personal opinion on the subject.
Primarily Primates · 1,152 like this
March 27, 2013
Read for yourself the original AWA Bill and HB629, authored by Lyle Larson:
Opponents, on the other hand, claim that this "amendment" will "gut" the AWA. Huh???
Your action is needed to keep Texas House from gutting the Dangerous Wild Animal Act
Photo: Stacy Smith
"The Dangerous Wild Animal Act (DWAA), passed in 2001 with the support of the Texas Humane Legislation Network, requires the owner of a dangerous wild animal (a lion, a tiger, cougar, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, bear, coyote, hyena, jackal, baboon, gorilla, etc.) to register the animal with the local animal control authority and send a copy of the registration certificate to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
This is important for several reasons:
- it allows the public who live near these dangerous animals to know where and what type of dangerous animals are being kept and by whom so they can take whatever precautions they think appropriate to ensure their safety and the safety of their family.
- it also provides law enforcement and disaster relief agencies the information needed to protect the public’s safety if the animal escapes and in emergency situations and natural disasters such as floods, fire, tornados, etc.
But now a bill has been introduced in the Texas Legislature that will effectively “gut” the Dangerous Wild Animal Act (“DWAA”). HB 629 will exempt from the registration requirements of the DWAA, all roadside zoos, certain private animal collectors, and so-called “substandard wildlife sanctuaries.
This bill is being brought at the request of the very same special interest groups that would be exempt from registration under the bill. Given the powerful influence of the proponents of the bill, THLN predicts it will take a huge grassroots effort to kill the bill. But you can help. All you have to do is call, fax or email (instructions below) and ask your friends to do the same. But you must hurry!
Call, write, fax, or email each of the committee members listed below and ask him to oppose this bill:
Chair, Ryan Guillen
(Email: ryan.guillen@house.state.tx.us; Tel: 512/463-0416; Fax: 512/463-1012)
Vice-Chair, Dawnna M. Dukes
(Email: dawnna.dukes@house.state.tx.us; Tel: 512/463-0506; Fax: 512/463-7864)
Jimmie Don Aycock
(Email: jimmie.aycock@house.state.tx.us; Tel: 512/463-0684; Fax: 512/463-8987)
John Kuempel
(Email: john.kuempel@house.state.tx.us; Tel: 512/463-0602; Fax: 512/463-5896)
Lyle Larson (Bill Sponsor)
(Email: lyle.larson@house.state.tx.us; Tel: 512/463-0646; Fax: 512/463-0893)
Poncho Nevarez
(Email: poncho.nevarez@house.state.tx.us; Tel: 512/463-0566; Fax: 512/463-0220)
Wayne Smith
(Email: wayne.smith@house.state.tx.us; Tel: 512/463-0733; Fax: 512/463-1323)
To make it as easy as possible for you, THLN has provided the following talking points:
Under current Texas law, every county must either: (i) totally prohibit the ownership of dangerous wild animals in their county; or (ii) register and regulate those dangerous wild animals in accordance with the Dangerous Wild Animal Act. The vast majority of counties have chosen to totally prohibit ownership of dangerous wild animals in their county and the remaining counties have enacted registration and regulatory ordinances in accordance with state law. HB 629 is amending the current state law to exempt roadside zoos, exotic animal owners and substandard wildlife sanctuaries located in the counties that register these animals from having to register their animals. This is bad public policy and will have a negative effect on the Texas regulatory system for dealing with dangerous wild animals. Registration is necessary for several reasons:
- it allows the public who live near these dangerous animals to know where and what type of dangerous animals are being kept and by whom so they can take whatever precautions they think appropriate to ensure their safety and the safety of their family.
- it also provides law enforcement and disaster relief agencies the information needed to protect the public’s safety if the animal escapes and in emergency situations and natural disasters such as floods, fire, tornados, etc.
- The registration requirements under the DWAA for dangerous wild animals are no more stringent than those required for a “dangerous dog.”
- If HB 629 passes, it will exempt the very facilities where the vast majority of these dangerous wild animals are being kept. Thus, the public and law enforcement will not know who owns all the animals or where they are kept.
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Okay, this is a rather inflammatory piece of work (I've highlighted the worse info above) and very disappointing to read. No doubt, this group would prefer the competing HB1015 authored by Ryan Guillen. Let's take a look at this Bill as it relates to the regulation of big cats and nonhuman primates; providing
penalties.
Now this particular bill is very disturbing. Only sanctuaries that have been verified or accredited by Global Federation may keep their animals? Civil fines? Animal euthanasia (real termination should be killings, not euthanasia)? Threats of suing your neighbors? No wonder Primarily Primates and other sanctuaries, such as the Austin Zoo, is worried about this Bill. It's horrible! Under this Bill, there is no private ownership of any big cat or primate - period. So all the owners who maintain, love, and provide the best care possible for their animals would have their animals ripped away from them without even a hearing? And if they couldn't be placed, they would be killed? And this Bill would go into effect September 1, 2013, thereby giving owners no time to rehome them animals or make arrangements to leave the states? Outrageous!
I have been demanding that the USDA/APHIS and other wild life agencies uphold the current laws on the books. But heck, I couldn't even get them to do their job when it came to protecting the WAO animals. So what is the Texas solution? Kill all the tigers? All the lions? All the bears? Just to satisfy animal rights groups' blood thirst?
We have truly sunk into a sad state of affairs in this great State of Texas. Instead of enforcing and strengthening current laws on the books, we want to create new ones that kills animals. Wow. We humans can be pathetic--acting out our "god-like" fantasies when it comes to the destruction of innocent animal life. Breaks my heart.
Let's save the animals. Not KILL them, please.
Later:
The follow exert was taken from an e-mail sent to me on 4.11.13 by Lyle Larson's Office:
Yesterday, I presented HB 629
in the Culture, Recreation and Tourism Committee. We introduced HB 629 with the
intent of protecting accredited animal sanctuaries in Texas, and more
specifically, Primarily Primates, a sanctuary in District 122. Primarily
Primates, founded in 1978, serves as a home to wild, non-native animals that
have been abandoned after being used in lab tests, in zoos and circuses, or as
pets. Without organizations such as Primarily Primates, these animals would
likely be euthanized or let go by their owners.
Later:
The follow exert was taken from an e-mail sent to me on 4.11.13 by Lyle Larson's Office:
HB 629: Protecting Animal
Sanctuaries
In 2001, the Texas Legislature enacted the Texas
Dangerous Wild Animals Act to protect citizens from the threat presented by the
increase in dangerous wild animal ownership in Texas. The Act doesn't ban the
ownership of dangerous wild animals by Texans; rather, it requires owners to
register such animals with a county, pay a fee, and ensure the proper care,
treatment and enclosure of such animals. The Legislature has exempted certain
categories of animal welfare entities from the Act, including circuses, zoos,
research facilities, veterinarians, movie and TV animals, college mascots, etc.
Animal sanctuaries, however, are not currently included under these exemptions
in the statute because the original drafters of the Act simply overlooked
wildlife sanctuaries. An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are
brought to live in a protected environment for the rest of their lives, and we
contend that certain accredited sanctuaries should be exempted from the Act to
make it clear they are allowed to exist in Texas.
