Commission approves exotic animal regulation changes - FOX5 Vegas - KVVU

Commission approves exotic animal regulation changes

The Clark County Commission Tuesday unanimously voted to approve changes regulating exotic animal ownership within the county.

After hearing a report on current regulations the commission voted 7-0 to make some changes, including:

• Requiring special use permits for the keeping of exotic animals be approved by the Clark County Commission as opposed to the appointed Clark County Planning Commission, which is the current practice
• Requiring that applicants provide adequate justification to have the animals
• Requiring that the resident or owner of the property where the animal is kept also be the owner of the animal
• Requiring that the animals be provided shade along with an adequate enclosure and that cages may not be stacked
• Verifying that the owner have expertise in keeping the animals
• Requiring that the special use permit granted by the County be renewed regularly and that the property be inspected annually

Specific language spelling out regulation changes will come back to commissioners at a future Clark County Zoning Board meeting. That meeting could come as soon as Wednesday, Sept. 5 according to Erik Pappa, the Clark County Director of Public Communications.

Clark County began reviewing exotic animal regulations after two chimps escaped from a home on the city's northwest side in July. Las Vegas Metro police shot and killed one chimpanzee and tranquilized another.

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