A kangaroo bit an 11-year-old child in San Antonio — not in a zoo, not on a safari ranch, but in someone’s backyard. The kangaroo, named Bobby, had lived illegally within city limits for years. And it’s not an isolated case: over 160 citations have been issued for illegal exotic animals in San Antonio in just the past two years.

Right now, Texas has a patchwork of outdated, inconsistent laws that leave people confused and animals unprotected. In San Antonio, kangaroos are banned. But in neighboring Bexar County, they’re legal — if you get a permit. And across Texas, permits can still be granted for the private ownership of everything from foxes to elk to elephants.

This isn’t sustainable — or safe.

We are calling on Texas state lawmakers, the Bexar County Public Health Office, and the City of San Antonio to strengthen and standardize exotic animal laws statewide

• Ban private ownership of high-risk wild animals like kangaroos, primates, and big cats
• Tighten the permitting system to prevent backyard breeding, resale, and unsafe conditions
• Create a public registry of permit holders for transparency and emergency response
   

Texans should not be at risk from exotic animals in their neighborhoods — and wild animals should not be living in suburban garages or backyard sheds.

The law should protect both people and animals. Sign this petition to demand real policy reform — and close the dangerous loopholes in Texas’ exotic animal permitting system.