If you live in New Hampshire and were planning on letting a six-foot marsupial crash into your passenger cabin from below, scratch that.
A bill that would have allowed Granite State residents to own kangaroos and certain other animals as pets came after lawmakers raised concerns about the impact such wild animals would have on the state's animal shelters and public safety. failed to gain support.
Democratic Rep. Katherine Sofikitis of Nashua warned about kangaroos in a legislative committee this week, warning: “They can take the crap out of someone.” “It's not just a small item you take with you when you go to the movies.”
The bill, which would also allow private ownership of monkeys, raccoons, foxes, otters and skunks, drew opposition from the Humane Society, the Animal Welfare Society, the North American Primate Conservation Alliance and Boston's Franklin Park Zoo, among others.
Democratic Rep. Peter Bixby, Dover, said witnesses testified that these animals would not make good companions in a home.
“They are essentially wild animals, and they haven't had the necessary domestication to make them viable as pets for people who don't have enough training or background.” he says.
Under New Hampshire law, there is already a path in place for people to prove their ability to care for such animals and obtain exhibitor permits.
“If we open up ownership of these things to people who just want them because it's a cool idea, we're going to end up with our shelters dealing with kangaroos and short-tailed monkeys that people decide they can't handle after a while. It could be,” Bixby said. We don't want to put such a burden on shelters. ”
The bill's lead sponsor, Republican Rep. Tom Mannion of Pelham, told the House Environment and Agriculture Committee last month that kangaroo ownership is allowed in 13 other states, three of which do not allow it. He said he hopes New Hampshire will maintain its recognized status as a kangaroo. A haven for those seeking freedom.
“I don't like to see other states outperform New Hampshire,” he said. “We have been ranked as the freest state in the nation for many years, but as evidenced here, there is always room for expansion.”
While it's true that West Virginia, South Carolina, and Wisconsin don't require a state permit to own a kangaroo, that doesn't mean they can fly around anywhere in those states. In Wisconsin, for example, bringing a kangaroo into the state requires permission from the owner, and local governments impose their own regulations.
Mannion, who moved from Massachusetts to New Hampshire in 2020 amid frustration over pandemic-related restrictions, said the idea for the bill came from social media.
“This bill started life as a Twitter request for a pet monkey and quickly expanded into a wishlist for a cute furry friend,” he said.
The committee voted 19-0 Tuesday to recommend putting the proposal out to pasture. It is up to the entire House to decide whether to accept or reject the committee's recommendations.
Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com.follow him @reporterreporter.
