(A) No person shall possess a dangerous wild animal on or after January 1, 2014.

Terms Used In Ohio Code 935.02

  • agriculture: includes farming; ranching; aquaculture; algaculture meaning the farming of algae; apiculture and related apicultural activities, production of honey, beeswax, honeycomb, and other related products; horticulture; viticulture, winemaking, and related activities; animal husbandry, including, but not limited to, the care and raising of livestock, equine, and fur-bearing animals; poultry husbandry and the production of poultry and poultry products; dairy production; the production of field crops, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, nursery stock, ornamental shrubs, ornamental trees, flowers, sod, or mushrooms; timber; pasturage; any combination of the foregoing; the processing, drying, storage, and marketing of agricultural products when those activities are conducted in conjunction with, but are secondary to, such husbandry or production; and any additions or modifications to the foregoing made by the director of agriculture by rule adopted in accordance with Chapter 119 of the Revised Code. See Ohio Code 1.61
  • Dangerous wild animal: means any of the following, including hybrids unless otherwise specified:

    (1) Hyenas;

    (2) Gray wolves, excluding hybrids;

    (3) Lions;

    (4) Tigers;

    (5) Jaguars;

    (6) Leopards, including clouded leopards, Sunda clouded leopards, and snow leopards;

    (7) All of the following, including hybrids with domestic cats unless otherwise specified:

    (a) Cheetahs;

    (b) Lynxes, including Canadian lynxes, Eurasian lynxes, and Iberian lynxes;

    (c) Cougars, also known as pumas or mountain lions;

    (d) Caracals;

    (e) Servals, excluding hybrids with domestic cats commonly known as savannah cats. See Ohio Code 935.01

  • Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Rescue facility: means a nonprofit organization as described in section 170 of the "Internal Revenue Code of 1986" 100 Stat. See Ohio Code 935.01

(B)(1) Except as provided in divisions (G)(1) and (2) of section 935.06 of the Revised Code, no person shall acquire, buy, sell, trade, or transfer possession or ownership of a dangerous wild animal on or after the effective date of this section.

(2) Notwithstanding division (B)(1) of this section, a person that operates a rescue facility may acquire, except by purchase, possession or ownership of a dangerous wild animal if one of the following applies:

(a) Prior to January 1, 2014, the person is authorized to do so by the director of agriculture in accordance with procedures adopted by the director.

(b) On or after January 1, 2014, the person has obtained a rescue facility permit under section 935.101 of the Revised Code.