COLUMBUS: A federal judge upheld Ohio’s new restrictions on exotic animals Thursday after several owners sued the state over the law that was enacted after a man released dozens of his wild creatures last year before committing suicide.
U.S. District Judge George Smith in Columbus sided with the state, saying the court recognizes some businesses might be negatively affected and some owners might not be able to keep their beloved animals, but that the owners failed to prove constitutional rights were violated.
The court said the case came down to the public interest and protecting the public from potential dangers of exotic animals.
Ohio officials have defended the law as a common-sense measure to address the growing safety problem of private ownership of exotic animals.
