A new bill, HB 629, will exempt previous registration requirements for owners of wild animals, which are required to register wild animals with the local animal control authority and send a copy of the registration certificate to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
If HB 629 passes, the pulbic and law enforcement will not know who owns wild animals such as lions, tigers, cougars, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, bears, coyotes, hyenas, jackals, baboons, gorillas, etc.- or where the animals are kept. The bill will exempt the facilities such as roadside zoos, certain private animal collectors, and substandard wildlife sanctuaries where the vast majority of dangerous wild animals are being kept.
Keep the Dangerous Wild Animal Act and oppose HB 629 which does not have the public's best interest in mind; but caters to a handful of people with special interests who want to be exempt from registration. Since the passage of the DWAA, the public has been protected and there have been no known attacks on the public. Prior to the Dangerous Wild Animal Act, there were numerous maulings and deaths.
Oppose HB 629 and require owners to register their wild animals.
SOURCE: http://www.examiner.com/article/remember-zanesville-let-s-make-sure-that-doesn-t-happen-texas
Chair, Ryan Guillen
Tel: 512-463-0416; Fax: 512-463-1012
Email: ryan.guillen@house.state.tx.us
Vice-Chair, Dawnna M. Dukes
Tel: 512-463-0506; Fax: 512-463-7864
Email: dawnna.dukes@house.state.tx.us
Jimmie Don Aycock
Tel: 512-463-0684; Fax: 512-463-8987
Email: jimmie.aycock@house.state.tx.us
John Kuempel
Tel: 512-463-0602; Fax: 512-463-5896
Email: john.kuempel@house.state.tx.us
Lyle Larson (Bill Sponsor)
Tel: 512-463-0646; Fax: 512-463-0893
Email: lyle.larson@house.state.tx.us
Poncho Nevarez
Tel: 512-463-0566; Fax: 512-463-0220
Email: poncho.nevarez@house.state.tx.us
Wayne Smith
Tel: 512-463-0733; Fax: 512-463-1323
Email: wayne.smith@house.state.tx.us
