Monday, April 26, 2021 | 2 a.m.
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With so much disagreement along political party lines these days, it’s encouraging when we see Democrats and Republicans come together to support an issue. This time, it’s the Big Cat Public Safety Act, HR263, which seeks to stop the trade in using big cats as pets, including breeding animals for photo opportunities in exchange for money.
The operators of private enterprises that exploit wild animals are often under investigation for violating animal welfare and anti-wildlife trafficking laws. In order to continue making money, they must repeatedly breed animals so they have cubs to provide for the public to handle. These creatures live miserable lives in captivity, experiencing deprivation, fear and physical punishment when they don’t comply. Once the animals become too big, they become a liability for the owners, a hazard to public safety, and costly to the sanctuaries that are often forced to take them in.
The Fraternal Order of Police, the National Sheriff’s Association and numerous law enforcement agencies have endorsed the Big Cat Public Safety Act because they understand all too well the implications when private owners are permitted to own and exploit wild animals for financial gain. Many thanks to Nevada’s own representatives, Dina Titus and Steven Horsford, for co-sponsoring this important bill.
