Toledo, OH Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

Section 935.02 | Possession of dangerous wild animal prohibited. (A) No person shall possess a dangerous wild animal on or after January 1, 2014. (B)(1) Except as provided in divisions (G)(1) and (2) of section 935.06 of the Revised Code, no person shall acquire, buy, sell, trade, or transfer possession or ownership of a dangerous wild animal on or after the effective date of this section. (2) Notwithstanding division (B)(1) of this section, a person that operates a rescue facility may acquire, except by purchase, possession or ownership of a dangerous wild animal if one of the following applies: (a) Prior to January 1, 2014, the person is authorized to do so by the director of agriculture in accordance with procedures adopted by the director. (b) On or after January 1, 2014, the person has obtained a rescue facility permit under section 935.101 of the Revised Code. (C) "Dangerous wild animal" means any of the following, including hybrids unless otherwise specified: (1) Hyenas; (2) Gray wolves, excluding hybrids; (3) Lions; (4) Tigers; (5) Jaguars; (6) Leopards, including clouded leopards, Sunda clouded leopards, and snow leopards; (7) All of the following, including hybrids with domestic cats unless otherwise specified: (a) Cheetahs; (b) Lynxes, including Canadian lynxes, Eurasian lynxes, and Iberian lynxes; (c) Cougars, also known as pumas or mountain lions; (d) Caracals; (e) Servals, excluding hybrids with domestic cats commonly known as savannah cats. (8) Bears; (9) Elephants; (10) Rhinoceroses; (11) Hippopotamuses; (12) Cape buffaloes; (13) African wild dogs; (14) Komodo dragons; (15) Alligators; (16) Crocodiles; (17) Caimans, excluding dwarf caimans; (18) Gharials; (19) Nonhuman primates other than lemurs and the nonhuman primates specified in division (C)(20) of this section.