UPDATE 1/7/25: The final vote was postponed because Mayor Lockhart and the Council want to ensure they write a sound ordinance. USARK President Phil Goss attended and spoke for responsible reptile and “exotic” animal owners. Since only a few species would fall under the proposed definition of domesticated animal, USARK wants to make certain changes were made. Even though Ashley is a small town, bad ordinances can spread quickly. USARK appreciates that the Ashley lawmakers want to do it right the first time without unintended consequences.
The Village of Ashley is considering a ban on all “exotic, “wild,” and livestock animals, along with a pet limit. This would ban almost all animal species, including fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, and any animal that is not native to Ohio (except some commonly recognized domesticated animals). The only grandfather provision applies to people with more than three dogs. Local residents need to show up and speak up! Sample letter below, too.
What it does:
- Bans all species “foreign and not native to the local area” and all species “not normally domesticated.”
- Creates a pet limit that allows no more than three dogs or three cats.
- Bans all livestock animals unless kept on a farm.
- Allows that animals found to be in violation may be “removed from the Village or be humanely destroyed.”
The definitions are vague and open to interpretation. Depending on the enforcement officer, animals could be considered domesticated or exotic.
Please note that the Mayor and Council likely are unaware of the sweeping ban on tens of thousands of species. They need to be properly informed. Be civil and professional! Emails and sample letter are below.
Next meeting and final vote: 7:00 PM on Tuesday, January 7, at 3 N Harrison Street, Ashley, Ohio, in the Council Chambers.
Read the proposed ordinance at https://usark.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24-ashley-oh.pdf. It is posted on the city website at https://www.villageofashley.org/.
Sample Letter: (Be professional and civil. Please edit and personalize)
(Google “copy/paste” and this will only take a minute!)
email to: dlockhart@villageofashley.org, jsanchez@villageofashley.org, cfriend@amfincorp.com, gfloyd@villageofashley.org, kwinbourne@villageofashley.org, jvotaw@villageofashley.org, dmosier@villageofashley.org
Subject line: NO to animal bans and pet limits
Ashley Mayor Lockhart and Council,
As an Ashley resident and responsible animal owner, I find the proposed animal ordinance troubling. While being pitched as an “exotic and wild animal” ban, this is so poorly written that it bans common pets like tropical fish, geckos, tortoises, and thousands of other common pets. While that may not be the intent, the definitions of “exotic” and “wild” animals clearly ban the pets kept in nearly 1/3 of U.S. households. This proposed ordinance is rife with unintended consequences.
If you are unaware, 29% of Americans own fish, birds, reptiles, small mammals, and amphibians. That means in our small town, almost 400 people may have animals that would be considered exotic or wild. The draft does not allow people who currently own “exotic,” “wild,” or livestock animals to keep them, and most people would never realize that their pets are illegal.
Also, the pet limit is arbitrary. Someone may be able to keep five dogs better than someone else can keep one. Any law should focus on the problem rather than the collective punishment of good citizens. Surely, this overreach is not what Ashley lawmakers seek to do. Please reconsider this proposal and do more research. Thank you for your time, and have a good day.
YOUR NAME
