1501:31-25-03. Rehabilitators permit

(A) It shall be lawful for a person with a rehabilitators permit to rehabilitate orphaned or injured wild animals for the purpose of releasing the wild animals back to the wild. It shall be unlawful to rehabilitate any wild animal without first obtaining a category I or category II rehabilitators permit.

(B) Rehabilitator permit applicants must be eighteen years of age or older.

(C) Rehabilitator permit holders shall provide proper facilities for all animals in their care. All persons applying for a rehabilitators permit shall meet the cage and holding requirements specified on the permit application form.

(D) Category I rehabilitators permit applicants shall have completed a division of wildlife approved rehabilitation course or a course established by the Ohio wildlife rehabilitators association and approved by the division of wildlife and provide documentation that they have a veterinarian's assistance when needed.

(E) Persons holding a category I rehabilitators permit may rehabilitate orphans, except deer, raccoons, weasels, skunks, mink, opossums, badgers, beaver, raptors, canids, bats, mute swans and state or federal endangered species.

(F) Persons that have at least three years of rehabilitation experience as a category I rehabilitator or equivalent may apply for a category II rehabilitators permit. A category II rehabilitators permit will allow the individual permit holder to rehabilitate all species of wild animals except deer, coyote, mute swans, or state or federal endangered species unless otherwise approved by the chief of the division of wildlife. Category II rehabilitators shall provide documentation that they have veterinarian assistance and the ability to properly care for wild animals that are diseased, injured, or need rehabilitative care.

(G) Persons holding a rehabilitators permit shall comply with all provisions and conditions set forth in the permit and any of the Ohio division of wildlife minimum standards for the care and welfare of animals.

(H) All rehabilitators permit holders shall keep a record of all animals by species which are held for rehabilitation. Records shall include where the animal was found, the date the wild animal was received, the reason the animal needed rehabilitation, the date and location where the wild animal was released, or its final disposition. Provided further all of the aforementioned records shall be held on file for a period of two years and shall be open for inspections by any division of wildlife personnel.

(I) Failure to comply with any provisions or conditions of the rehabilitators permit, this rule, or any other division of wildlife rule shall result in the revocation of the rehabilitators permit.

(J) Any wildlife officer may remove any wild animal which is being improperly cared for and provide written notice to the holder of a the rehabilitators permit that his or her permit is being revoked until such time as the conditions of the facility or the care and handling deficiencies are corrected.

(K) All definitions set forth in rule 1501:31-1-02 of the Administrative Code shall apply to this rule.

Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 07/19/2016 and 07/19/2021
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 1531.06, 1531.08, 1531.10, 1355.08
Rule Amplifies: 1531.06, 1531.08, 1531.10
Prior Effective Dates: 10/30/1995, 11/01/1997, 07/01/2010

Prior History: (Effective: 07/01/2010
R.C. 119.032 review dates: 01/29/2010 and 06/30/2015
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 1531.06, 1531.08, 1531.10, 1533.08
Rule Amplifies: 1531.06, 1531.08, 1531.10
Prior Effective Dates: 10-30-95; 11-1-97, 9-24-02; 9-24-07 )