Raleigh leaders move forward with plan to ban wild animals as pets
Almost a year after a venomous zebra cobra escaped in a North Raleigh neighborhood, making national headlines, city council met on Tuesday to discuss a ban on dangerous and wild animals inside city limits.
Posted — UpdatedThe council voted 5-3 to move forward with the Dangerous Wild Animal Ordinance – with another vote planned for July.
The ordinance would ban residents of the city from owning lions, tigers, wolves, monkeys, hybrids or crossbreeds, and medically significant venomous snakes like the zebra cobra.
City residents who currently own animals subject to the ban would be allowed to keep them, 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. They'll also have to reimburse the city for all costs of caring for, housing and relocating their animals.
The group "North Carolina Association of Reptile Keepers" has said this ordinance punishes responsible owners and puts a burden on police to enforce it.
Although several people had signed up ahead of the council meeting to speak against the ban, none of them showed up on Tuesday.
This is the first time council has taken this ordinance up since February.
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