Letter: Bill banning exotic pet trade long overdue

Friday, Feb. 14, 2003 | 9:28 a.m.

As an independent animal rights activist, I would like to thank Sen. John Ensign for introducing a bill that is much needed in Nevada as well as across the country. The bill is S.269, the "Exotic Pets Bill," and would ban the transport of big cats such as lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs and jaguars across state lines.

They are transported for sale to private owners (pets), or sent to an exotic hunting ranch, slaughtered for the exotic meat trade, for breeding, for their pelts, and the list goes on.

The Human Society of the United States estimates that there are between 10,000 and 20,000 big cats kept as pets in the U.S. alone. Here in Nevada we certainly have a problem with the big cats kept in back yards around Las Vegas and the Pahrump area in neighborhoods you might never suspect. We have also had our share of incidents of serious accidents, injuries and even death caused by the keeping of these unpredictable animals, oftentimes kept in substandard conditions.

This bill would exempt Siegfried and Roy and those big cats used for entertainment. It is time we did something to slow down the people who breed and make money off these babies, never knowing or caring where or how they end up. We not only have a severe pet overpopulation problem in this country, but also an explosion of exotic animals for sale on the Internet, auctions and from back yards.

Thanks again to Sen. Ensign for having compassion and insight into this growing, dangerous situation for animals as well as people.

LINDA FASO