Thompson Getting Animals Back

A Muskingum County woman is getting back her five surviving exotic animals from the State of Ohio.  Monday morning the Ohio Agriculture Department announced their decision at a hearing in which they were to defend the State’s authority to quarantine the animals on suspicion of infectious disease.  It’s unclear when the animals would be released to Marion Thompson.  Ohio’s agriculture Director is expected to lift the quarantine later today.  Thompson’s husband, Terry Thompson, released dozens of exotic animals from their Kopchak Road farm on October 18th before killing himself.  Muskingum County Sheriff’s Deputies were forced to shoot 48 creatures to keep the public safe.  Three leopards, two primates and a bear survived and have been held at the Columbus Zoo.  One leopard later had to be euthanized.  The Ohio Department of Agriculture says Mrs. Thompson has indicated that she intends to take the animals back to her Kopchak Road farm and place them into the cages which they inhabited prior to the October 18th tragedy.  The O-D-A says this raises concerns, as she has indicated the cages have not been repaired, and has repeatedly refused to allow animal welfare experts to evaluate if conditions are safe for the animals and sufficient to prevent them from escaping and endangering the community.  Unfortunately, current law gives enforcement powers to local authorities not the state.
The O-D-A says while repeated appeals have been made to local authorities to seek a court order to inspect the Thompson party to ensure the safety of the animals and the public, so far, no such local action has been taken.
 The O-D-A added that hopefully legislation pending in the General Assembly will be completed soon so that new, broader, tougher rules can go into effect to better protect the public from dangerous wild animals and ensure these kinds of animals are kept under the care of veterinarians and in enclosures that are clean and adequate. Until then the O-D-A says it can only hope that local officials choose to act to prevent another tragedy.