Beginning in 2011, when a Zanesville man let loose his dozens of exotic animals before killing himself, lawmakers moved toward solidifying Ohio's laws about exotic animals.
October 2011: Incident at Thompson farm in Muskingum County spurs legislators to take a harder look at wild animals laws.
June 2012: Gov. John Kasich signs the Ohio Dangerous Wild Animal Act, which is the state's law regarding dangerous animals ownership.
September 2012: The state begins to phase in its Dangerous Wild Animal Act. The law regulates ownership of certain animals, and the buying and selling of dangerous animals becomes prohibited.
November 2012: A deadline for owners to register their dangerous wild animals, a first-time Ohio undertaking.
March 2013: The Ohio Department of Agriculture completes its Dangerous Wild Animal Temporary Holding Facility completed. The facility will hold animals seized by the state or forfeietd by owners.
October 2013: Ohio Department of Agriculture begins providing application packets to registered animal owners.
January 2014: The state begins requiring private owners of dangerous wild animals to have permits issued by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
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