Raleigh advances plan to ban dangerous wild animals as pets :: WRAL.com

UNDER A LEVEL ONE STORM THREAT. AND NEW TODAY AT 4 O’CLOCK WITHIN THE LAST 45 MINUTES, RALEIGH CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BAY AND ON DANGEROUS AND WILD ANIMALS KEPT AS PETS. THANKS FOR JOINING US. I’M LENA TILLETT AND I’M DAN HAGGERTY. THIS COMES ALMOST EXACTLY A YEAR SINCE THE SEARCH FOR AN ESCAPED ZEBRA COBRA IN A NORTH RALEIGH NEIGHBORHOOD. >> BECAME NATIONAL NEWS WRAL’S MATT TALHELM IS LIVE OUTSIDE THE RALEIGH MUNICIPAL BUILDING DOWNTOWN. >> WITH HOW THIS WILL AFFECT ANIMAL OWNERS IN OUR CITY THAT. >> DAN, AND WE KNOW THIS DANGEROUS WILD ANIMALS ORDINANCE WILL BAN PEOPLE FROM OWNING THEM IN THE FUTURE CITY COUNCIL STILL MEETING INSIDE HERE JUST WITHIN THE LAST 45 MINUTES. THEY VOTED 5 TO 3 TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS BAND. NOW THE LIST OF DANGEROUS WILD ANIMALS INCLUDES LIONS, TIGERS, WOLVES, MONKEYS, HYBRIDS OR CROSS BREEDS. AND MEDICALLY SIGNIFICANT VENOMOUS SNAKES LIKE THAT. ZEBRA COBRA CURRENT OWNERS ARE GRANDFATHERED IN FOR THE LIFE OF THE ANIMAL, BUT THEY MUST REGISTER WITH ANIMAL CONTROL AND PAY A FEE OWNERS WHO VIOLATE THE ORDINANCE WILL HAVE THEIR ANIMALS IMPOUNDED BY POLICE AND PAY A $500 PENALTY. WE’LL ALSO HAVE TO REIMBURSE THE CITY FOR ALL COSTS. CITY COUNCILORS WHO SUPPORT THIS THEY DON’T WANT TO SEE ANOTHER SITUATION LIKE THAT. ZEBRA COBRA THAT SNAKE, WHICH SPITS POTENTIALLY DEADLY VENOM GOT AWAY FROM ITS OWNER 7 MONTHS BEFORE IT WAS DISCOVERED ON A PORCH IN THE BRITTANY WOODS NEIGHBORHOOD. UP UNTIL THE DAY. >> THERE’S BEEN NO STATE LAW OR LOCAL ORDINANCE PREVENTING HIM FROM ALSO OWNING A LION. MAYBE 3 LIONS. THE TIRE. MAYBE 5 TIGERS, THE CHIMPANZEE. MAYBE TO CHIMPANZEES. >> THERE WAS NEVER ANY REAL THREAT. AND I WANT FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE’S OLD. THERE’S A LOT OF THINGS WERE AFRAID OF. AND MANY OF THEM WE SHOULDN’T BE AFRAID OF. THERE’S A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON IN OUR CITY RIGHT NOW THAT NEED OUR ATTENTION. AND I DO NOT THINK THIS IS ONE OF THEM. >> A LOT OF THAT COMES DOWN TO COSTS FOR THOSE COUNSELORS WHO DON’T SUPPORT THIS. THE CITY ESTIMATES THE REGISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT WILL COST TAXPAYERS ABOUT $865,000. THAT INCLUDES 3 NEW ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER POSITIONS. SO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? WHAT ALL OF THIS WILL HAVE TO COME BACK TO CITY COUNCIL IN HERE FOR A VOTE ON JULY 5TH FOR THAT FINAL ORDINANCE, THEN THE BAN WOULD GO INTO EFFECT 60 DAYS AFTER THAT. ANY OWNERS WERE GRANDFATHERED INTO THAT WOULD HAVE TO REGISTER THEIR ANIMALS BY JULY. FIRST OF NEXT YEAR