The act directs the Division of Animal Health within the Department of Agriculture to enforce the provisions of the act by establishing procedures for identification of such animals, the standardization of owing and breeding these animals, insuring the humane treatment of the animals and protecting human life as it relates to interaction with these animals.

The act directs anyone owning, breeding or transporting a large carnivore to apply for a permit for all such animals with the division. The permit requirements are laid out in the act. The act prohibits the issuance of permits to anyone under the age of twenty-one, or any person who has been convicted of any law pertaining to the neglect or mistreatment of an animal, or any felony within the previous ten years.

Any owner of a large carnivore once permitted, shall have the animal's identification number placed in the animal via microchip, to be paid by the owner and performed under the direction of a licensed veterinarian.

Requirements for anyone legally owning a large carnivore are laid out in the act; some include posting signs on the property in which the animal is kept informing people that such an animal is housed there, the provision of a safe and humane environment must be made for the animal, the prohibition from tethering such animals to a chain or leash or allowing the free roam of such an animal is made clear, and notification within ten days of the death of any large carnivore must be made to the department.

The law allows a law enforcement office to kill a large carnivore under certain circumstances, all of which are laid out in the act.

The act assigns civil liability to an owner of such animal in the event that a person is injured or killed by the animal or for any property damage caused by the animal. The act also assigns liability to an owner of such an animal in the event that such an animal escapes; all costs associated with the capture of the animal shall be the responsibility of the animal's owner. The act directs any owner of such an animal to maintain liability insurance in an amount no less than two hundred fifty thousand dollars.

Penalties for violations of the act are laid out and range from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class D felony. Any owner of a large carnivore that is found to have violated any of the provisions of the act may be subject to the civil forfeiture of any or all large carnivores owned.

There are exceptions to the act described and some include, animal shelters, zoological parks, any veterinarian in possession of such an animal temporarily, any circus or to the University of Missouri-Columbia College of Veterinary Medicine.

MEGAN WORD