Ensign pushes big-cat legislation

Benjamin Grove

Friday, Jan. 31, 2003 | 11:06 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., one of two veterinarians in the Senate, wants to reduce the number of exotic big cats kept as pets.

Ensign introduced legislation Thursday that would ban the transport of cats like tigers, lions, leopards, cheetahs and jaguars across state lines. The Humane Society of the United States asked Ensign to sponsor the bill.

"There is no compelling reason to keep a tiger as a pet," Humane Society senior vice president Wayne Pacelle said. "These are big animals that are programmed from an evolutionary perspective to kill."

The bill would not apply to animals kept by zoos, circuses and entertainers like Siegfried and Roy, who are required to obtain permits from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Humane Society estimates that between 10,000 and 20,000 big cats are now kept as pets in the United States, typically in inadequate spaces in backyard cages or basements, Pacelle said. Authorities recently found a leopard kept in a closet, Pacelle said. The numbers have skyrocketed in the last decade, he said.

"This is a fad, a trend, that has emerged rapidly and completely outpaced the activity of policy makers," Pacelle said.

By targeting trafficking across state lines, the bill is designed to reduce the number of big cats kept as pets. Pursuing a federal law banning ownership of big cats outright is a "bit of a stretch" for constitutional reasons, Pacelle said, although 12 states ban ownership and seven others have partial bans. Some states and cities have no laws regulating big cat ownership, he said.

Big cats are commonly sold at auctions and via the Internet for just a few hundred dollars, Pacelle said. A buyer can obtain a tiger kitten in just a few days, he said.

Often local veterinarians are not equipped or experienced to care for the animals. Owners frequently dump the animals on over-burdened sanctuaries, which then spend thousands of dollars a year to care for each cat.

Ensign said the legislation "protects the public but also ensures that the animals receive the best care possible from certified and trained owners."

Sen. James Jeffords, I-Vt., co-sponsored the Captive Wildlife Safety Act and Reps. George Miller, D-Calif., and Howard McKeon, R-Calif., are expected to introduced the bill in the House.