BROADCASTS.com

In neighborhoods all over the United States, there are homes with large predators, venomous snakes, and wild animals from every country on the planet. The desire to own and \u201cmaster\u201d some of the worlds most dangerous creatures, from lions to wolves to pit vipers, started to boom in the 90s \u2013 mostly because of reality TV. It\u2019s big business and it\u2019s very legal in many parts of the country.

Not only is it incredibly dangerous for humans \u2013 the owners as well as the first responders who get the call when something goes amiss; but, it\u2019s also cruel and leads to a miserable existence for the animals. No wild animal is better off living in some ones backyard, basement, or living room. There have been numerous situations where things have gone awry, situations like Travis the Chimp in Connecticut and the tragedy in Zanesville, Ohio where Terry Thompson turned 56 predators loose on the city and all of the animals were killed.

Tim Harrison is a retired Ohio police officer, fire fighter, and paramedic and he is a leading specialist when it comes to dealing with the exotic pet trade. He has been fighting to get these animals out of people\u2019s homes and into sanctuaries for over 40 years. He started out on what he calls \u201cthe dark side\u201d of the trade. He owned lions and wolves and a menagerie of wild pets (that he\u2019d rescued from the trade) until he made a trip to Africa and saw what wild animals in the wild looked and behaved like. Ever since, he\u2019s been leading the mission to change the laws and get these animals to safe and sane environments.

Tim is also the director of Outreach for Animals and he was the subject of the documentary, The Elephant in the Living Room \u2013 an award winning film made by Michael Webber that explores this growing trend of people owning dangerous exotics as pets. Only after I saw it did I understand just how terrifying and incredibly sad the American exotic pet trade is. It\u2019s something that shouldn\u2019t exist in the first place but until the laws change and more people get on board, wild animals will continue to be trafficked and live in small cages in suburbia. If you haven\u2019t seen it, watch it. You will be floored.

Tim\u2019s stories of fighting this trade while rescuing hundreds of animals are absolutely incredible. He and I met a few weeks ago in Ohio and he shared quite a few of them. Please listen to this episode and then, get behind the Big Cat Public Safety Act and help get these animals out of the trade.