By Cindy Schroeder
The Cincinnati Enquirer

COVINGTON - Lions, tigers and bears will be prohibited under a new Covington law.

Also on the forbidden list are prairie dogs, African rats, alligators and poisonous or constricting snakes.

In response to concerns from some pet owners, however, Covington City Commission will likely exempt rabbits, gerbils and hamsters from the updated animal control law that it approved this week.

"I'm going to suggest that we make an amendment next month so that those types of animals are not prohibited under the ordinance," said Covington City Solicitor Jay Fossett. "We're not going to actively enforce the exotic animal ban until we make the changes."

Under the new law - modeled after an ordinance drafted by the Michigan State Bar Association - Covington residents who already own exotic animals also must get rid of them or face fines of $250 to $500. Current owners had to be addressed under the new law because courts elsewhere have ruled against local efforts to ban future exotic animals while letting existing owners keep them, Fossett said. "You can't just say that if you have them, you're fine," he said. "You have to go all or nothing."

Exempted from the ordinance would be police dogs, animals in zoos, circuses and public exhibits or shows, as well as animals kept by licensed veterinarians and those used for study or medical purposes.

Fossett said the changes were prompted, in part, by concerns about SARS and monkeypox viruses, which can be transmitted from animals to humans.

A committee that included Fossett, two police officers, Covington's animal control officers and the city's public works director originally just planned to toughen Covington's vicious dog ordinance, Fossett said. However, police and code enforcement workers continued to respond to complaints involving wild animals.

"I would not say our problem's any worse than other areas," Fossett said. "But there are a lot more exotic animals out there than people realize."

Specialist Kelly Kinman of Covington Police says the department has investigated complaints on everything from prairie dogs and rats to boa constrictors and a five-foot-long relative of the Komodo Dragon.

"We don't think things like gerbils, hamsters and rabbits are the problems," said Covington Mayor Butch Callery. "We're more concerned about things like boa constrictors, that could harm a child."

E-mail cschroeder@enquirer.com