Ask the Government of Ontario to pass stronger exotic animal regulations following tragic tiger mauling in Ontario

Letters urgently needed in response to tragic tiger mauling, please send a letter - now.

You may have heard that an Ontario man was mauled and killed by his pet tiger earlier this year. This tragedy is all the more unfortunate as it could have been prevented had the Province only followed WSPA's recommendation to strictly control the keeping of exotic wildlife, limiting the ownership of these animals to licensed zoos and sanctuaries which meet professional standards.

In many municipalities throughout the province companion animals like pet cats and dogs require a licence. However, you don't need a licence, qualifications, or training to keep a tiger or any other exotic species — putting yourself, your family and your neighbours at risk.

Not only is this a severe public safety concern but the animals involved are often deprived of opportunities to behave naturally and often show signs of psychological disturbance, boredom and frustration.

When questioned about the tragedy and WSPA's recommendations, Ontario Premier, Dalton McGuinty said he would ask his Ministers but thought it should be left to municipalities to deal with. That is why we are calling on you to write letters to the Ministers to tell them that this is a provincial issue that must be dealt with. Municipal by-laws just push the problem to another neighbourhood.

WSPA believes that nobody should be keeping exotic wild animals — like tigers — as pets, and the province must step in to make this happen. As with native wildlife species such as raccoons, deer or wolves, the keeping of these animals should be restricted to zoos and sanctuaries. If you agree please send a letter to the Minister of Natural Resources and the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Your letter will be automatically copied to your MPP.

Let them know that you support stronger regulations to protect the welfare of wild animals as well as the public's safety.

We have prepared a template letter but please take time to personalize it as personalized letters are more effective.

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Your letter will be sent to:

The Hon. Linda Jeffrey

The Hon. Rick Bartolucci

Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services

The Hon. Linda Jeffrey
Minister of Natural Resouces
6630 - 99 Wellesley St. W, 6th Floor, Whitney Block
Toronto M7A 1W3

Please remember to PERSONALIZE your letter.

Dear Ministers,

Subject

I was shocked to learn that you don’t need a licence or any professional qualifications or training to keep a tiger or any other exotic wild animal in Ontario. The tragic death of an Ontario man, killed by his pet tiger should signal that it’s time to ban the keeping of dangerous animals as pets.

Wild animals don’t make appropriate pets. Aside from the serious public safety risk they may pose, many wildlife species - have very specific welfare requirements that are often not easily met in captivity. And many of the owners of these animals don’t have the time, knowledge or resources to look after these animals humanely and safely.

I was pleased to learn of the commitment you made to take a look at regulating exotic wildlife but discouraged by your suggestion that this is perhaps a matter best left to municipalities. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources requires a licence to keep native wildlife in a zoo and prohibits keeping them as pets. Shouldn’t the same regulations apply to exotic wildlife?

In fact, Ontario is the only province that still allows the possession of exotic animals without a licence.

Licensing is a pro-active way to prevent animal abuse and public safety problems. It would ensure that unqualified people are not acquiring wild animals. In other provinces, applicants are required to submit a business plan, proof of training and expertise to care for the species they possess, liability insurance and an emergency plan in case of an escape, accident or the zoo’s unforeseen closure. This transfers more responsibility onto the animal owners to prevent or address animal welfare and public safety problems.

I respectfully urge you to address this problem before another tragedy occurs.

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