Ohio's Dangerous Wild Animal Law, nearly three years old, appears to be trimming down the number of residents with exotic animals. The state enacted the law after a Muskingum County owner released dozens of exotic animals from his farm.
A few years ago we told you the story of a Marion County man who cared for black bears and tigers. Today the bears are gone and now he's scrambling to meet a looming deadline to satisfy state requirements.
Mike Stapleton treats his five tigers almost like family pets.
"You can't help but get emotionally attached to these animals, I spend more time with these tigers than my own family," said Stapleton.
Stapleton took in the tigers from previous owners who gave up on caring for the animals because of the cost and time needed. He has owned some of them for about 10 years.
Stapleton's tigers live in a pole barn on his property. They can roam an area outside the barn before a fence keeps them from going too far.
Ohio's Dangerous Wild Animal Act requires Stapleton get a permit to keep the tigers. To get the permit, he needs to install another fence, a taller perimeter fence, and it's expensive. He has until the end of the month to get it installed. Stapleton says a lack of money and rainy weather may cause him to miss the deadline.
"The state agreed to work with me past those deadlines and now they're backtracking. They're picking parts of this law what they want to enforce, what parts they will enforce on whom and who they won't," said Stapleton.
The state has already extended the first deadline in January 2014. It allowed some owners time to get accreditation with a national organization, like the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.
Stapleton says he's trying to do that, but the IRS is holding up his application to become a non-profit, which is required by the national organizations.
Spokeswoman with the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Erica Hawkins says the state did issue a quarantine order for Stapleton's animals to make sure his animals were being cared for properly on his property while he attempts to get the necessary paperwork. It's one step toward removing the animals if Stapleton doesn't meet requirements.
"If the documentation is provided the law allows for the exemption. If it's not then we need to work on a plan to rehome those animals," said Hawkins.
Hawkins says that it's hard to know how many owners of wild animals in Ohio have not applied for the state permit they now need.
Before the Dangerous Wild Animal Law went into effect 3 years ago, no permit was required to own an exotic creature. State lawmakers changed that after Terry Thompson released his dangerous animals before killing himself.
Last year Ohio issued permits to 64 wild animal owners. That number fell to 55 this year representing more than 200 animals - including 36 tigers, 30 lions, and 19 cougars. Hawkins says about 7 owners did not get their applications processed because they were incomplete and the animals went to sanctuaries outside of Ohio.
"There was always an expectation that we were going to struggle with some owners to get them into compliance. We know it's a really emotional issue for these owners, and that the state law set a high bar," said Hawkins.
Hawkins says though there comes a point when the law needs to be enforced.
Permits can cost up to $1,000 a year depending on the number of animals. Breeders can pay up to $3,000 for a permit. Owners also must carry liability insurance.
Stapleton says though he will protect his tigers. He worries state officials will send them to a place where they would be bred and mistreated.
"I committed to bringing them animals here and giving them a life, a forever home, that they'll live out their days right here and I'm going to see to it that that's done," said Stapleton.
