A city ordinance in Lorain, OH (located west of Cleveland) prohibits
residents from owning animals that may be dangerous to people (including
wolves, bears, wolverines, boas, etc, but with dogs and cats excepted), or
other wild carnivores such as ferrets.  I discovered this by way of a local
newspaper article on the white wolf, Diablo, who was finally captured after
running about loose for 3 weeks.
 
Diablo's owner was not very cooperative is helping to capture the wolf, and
seemed unconcerned for his welfare, so animal control officers had turned
Diablo over to a couple that owned several other wolf and wolf/dog hybrids.
And now after all the news coverage, Diablo's owner wants him back.
 
The city safety director, however, doesn't want the wolf returned, and
threatens to enforce the ordinance. (Note: the wolf never threatened or even
growled at anyone, even when captured.)
 
I called his office, and the very helpful woman who answered the phone read
the ordinance to me and is mailing me a copy.  I asked what needed to be
done to change the ordinance.  She said she would find out and call me back.
A few minutes later she called, and said the safety director said it was up
to the City Council to change the ordinance.  So I called the Council
office, and the clerk said I would need to get one of the councilors to
sponsor a change.  She gave me the names of the 3 At-Large councilors.
(Note: I do not live in the city.) So I will make some more phone calls, and
see where I get.
 
Meanwhile, Bev is calling the county Animal Protective League to see if she
can get their support.
 
 
Linda Iroff
North Coast Ferret Shelter
Serving Northeast Ohio
http://www.oberlin.edu/~liroff/ncfs.html
[Posted in FML issue 1729]