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Minutes for SB269 - Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources
Short Title
Prohibiting the sale, slaughter and acquisition of live dangerous regulated animals, including nonhuman primates and wolves as dangerous regulated animals and requiring sufficient distance and barriers between dangerous regulated animals and the public.
Minutes Content for Wed, Mar 24, 2021
Chairperson Kerschen opened the hearing on SB269.
Tamera Lawrence of the Revisor of Statutes Office provided the committee with a memorandum which summarized the bill.(Attachment) 1
Midge Grinstead testified in support of the bill. She told the committee that animal health professionals agree that wolves and non-human primates, such as apes and monkeys, should not be kept as pets. Regardless of training and handling, these animals will always be unpredictable and inherently dangerous wild animals. People should not have these animals as pets.(Attachment 2) (Attachment) 3)
Jack Laurie spoke in favor of the bill. He believes that wolves and non-human primates are just as dangerous to public safety as bobcats, cougars, and other animals that are named in the Dangerous Regulated Animal Act. No training for law enforcement is provided in how to handle these animals. In addition, many communities in Kansas do not have animal control officers.(Attachment 4)
Brandon Sokol spoke as a proponent of the bill. He shared several instances over the years of difficulties the animal control officers had experienced in dealing with exotic animals that had been privately owned. Based on these experiences, he believes that ordinary members of the public and their jurisdictions do not have the tools, equipment, and resources necessary to adequately safeguard the public from the risks associated with having these animals in their communities.(Attachment 5)
Amber Bowlby testified in support of the bill. She believes that the changes in this bill are necessary to help prevent private ownership of currently unregulated dangerous animals within the state of Kansas; specifically wolves and non-human primates. There is no logical reason to own one of these animals because of the physical dangers of aggressive animals as well as the diseases that these animals may carry.(Attachment 6)
Nika Orebaugh spoke in favor of the bill. She shared an experience that animal control in Wichita had with a hybrid wolf that came into their shelter. She believes that wolves are not pets and even though they look like dogs, they do no exhibit normal dog behavior. A state law prohibiting private ownership of exotic animals to include wolves and non-human primates would help alleviate this problem.(Attachment 7)
Written Proponent testimony was provided by:
Tam Singer-Great Plains SPCA-(Attachment 8)
Brittni Davis-veterinarian in Edswardville, Illinois (Attachment 9)
Deborah Watkins- RVT Animal Services, Manhattan (Attachment 10)
Katie Barnett-Lawrence Humane Society(Attachment 11)
Written Neutral Testimony was provided by Secretary Brad Loveless, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism(Attachment 12)
Matt Fouts testified in opposition to the bill. He explained to the committee that while he supports prohibiting dangerous animals and adding wolves and wildlife class 1 primates like chimpanzees and gorillas, he believes that the bill would promote an extremist ideology under the guise of public safety. In his opinion, the purpose of this bill is to regulate the pet trade, drive a wedge between people and the natural world by banning public contact, and control breeding at zoos and other legal private institutions.(Attachment 13)
After some discussion, Chairperson Kershen closed the hearing on SB269. With no other business before the committee, he adjourned the meeting at 9:20.
