COMMENTARY | According to the Illinois Dangerous Animals Act of 2012, Senate Bill SB3264, prairie dogs, ball pythons, and an absurdly long list of innocuous creatures are dangerous. Not only is this bad for animals, this restrictive bill is insulting to animal lovers and an attack on science classroom pets across the state.
The Illinois Dangerous Animals Act of 2012 does include some legitimately dangerous animals. Illinois residents who do not have a Dangerous Animal Permit or Limited Entry Permit are not allowed to keep lions, tigers, or bears. These animals were already illegal to own in the previous law. The broad scope of the newly included animals in this bill is causing concern, especially among reptile owners.
Is a toad really more dangerous than a dog because the dog could get sick if it ate the toad?
The specifically named Marine Toad is considered an invasive pest in Florida, but some may wonder how this staple of elementary science classrooms would be considered dangerous in Illinois. The Marine Toad secretes a toxin as a defense against predators. If a small dog, which is one of the few animals not considered dangerous, ate a Marine Toad they could get sick or die. For that reason Marine Toads are being included as a dangerous animal in the Illinois Dangerous Animal Act of 2012.
I am a dog owner and I am not suggesting that dogs are added to this list of dangerous animals. I do have to ask, do Illinois lawmakers really believe a toad is more dangerous than a dog?
Where is the data showing these animals are dangerous?
In Chicago within the last six months, falling TVs have killed four children. This is a heartbreaking tragedy, but there has not been a movement to ban televisions in Illinois. There is an understanding that televisions are generally safe and although they can be harmful, that is rare and usually due to misuse. The same view should be taken for the majority of animals listed in the Illinois Dangerous Animals Act. I was not able to find any recorded deaths from a ball python, yet they are included on the list of dangerous animals and will be banned if this bill becomes law.
One of the most concerning parts of the bill is the power given to law enforcement to decide whether an animal is dangerous or not, even if they are not included in this already long list of creatures. This bill bans “any individual animal identified by an authorized law enforcement officer, which is not specifically listed but deemed dangerous by the Circuit Court based on the actions of the animal and that poses a thread to human safety.”