Urge Congress to vote "no" on the misleading Protecting Local Zoos Act of 2026

These loopholes will harm big cats: Oppose this dangerous and misleading bill >>

The Protecting Local Zoos Act of 2026 (H.R. 7159) may sound harmless—even supportive of local wildlife facilities—but the title is intentionally misleading. The bill weakens hard‑won protections for big cats and puts both animals and communities at greater risk.

Here’s what’s at stake:

In 2022, the bipartisan Big Cat Public Safety Act (BCPSA) was signed into law, effectively protecting big cats like lions and tigers and from the cruel exotic pet trade and from exploitative "cub petting" operations. The law also protects communities, first responders, and even captive big cats’ wild counterparts. The BCPSA has been highly effective since its enactment, reining in the cub petting industry and bolstering efforts to combat wildlife trafficking.

The BCPSA was a historic and hard-fought win for animal welfare and public safety.

But now this landmark law is under attack, as the misleadingly named “Protecting Local Zoos Act” (H.R 7159) would undermine the BCPSA’s key provisions. H.R. 7159 would create major loopholes in the BCPSA’s restrictions on cub petting and pay-to-play exhibits, allow non-zoological entities to buy and sell dangerous and imperilled big cats, and even remove all protections for snow leopards and clouded leopards.

IFAW is working to stop this dangerous bill from moving through Congress, and we need your help. IFAW supporters played a critical role in ensuring that the BCPSA became law—and we hope you will join us in speaking up to defend it. Please contact your U.S. representative today to keep big cats protected.

Protecting Local Zoos Act (H.R 7159) undermines the highly effective Big Cat Public Safety Act (BCPSA) that was enacted with bipartisan support in 2022.

Urge Congress to vote "no" on the Protecting Local Zoos Act of 2026 and to uphold the BCPSA.

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{contact_data~salutation},

As your constituent, I urge you to oppose H.R 7159, the misleadingly titled “Protecting Local Zoos Act,” which would undermine the highly effective Big Cat Public Safety Act (BCPSA).

The BCPSA, enacted with strong bipartisan support in 2022, established historic protections for captive big cats across the U.S. It effectively reined in the deadly trade in “pet” lions, tigers, leopards and other big cats, and prohibited dangerous public contact with big cats. The BCPSA had endorsements from not only animal protection advocates, but also law enforcement leaders and other first responders who were all too familiar with the dangers of allowing such deadly animals to be held in residential neighborhoods, handled by the public, excessively bred and freely traded. The BCPSA has been highly effective; it has not only ensured the health and welfare of U.S. captive big cats but also curbed direct contact exhibits and the speed-breeding that drives them, shrunk the market for dangerous “pet” wildcats, and strengthened our nation’s ability to combat wildlife trafficking. It is a success story for community safety, animal welfare, and trafficking prevention.

H.R 7159 would undermine this success for the benefit of those who wish to profit from dangerous wildlife encounters—at the expense of community protection, first responder safety, and animal welfare. The bill does not “protect local zoos”; indeed, the BCPSA, which H.R. 7159 aims to undermine, was widely endorsed by U.S. zoo.

Rather, H.R. 7159 would create major loopholes in the BCPSA’s restrictions on cub petting and pay-to-play exhibits, allow non-zoological entities to buy and sell dangerous and imperilled big cats, and even remove all protections for snow leopards and clouded leopards.

There is no justification for undermining the highly effective BCPSA, which would harm people and animals alike. H.R. 7159 has already received a hearing in the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries, which was met with strong opposition from zoos, sanctuaries, and law enforcement. Please vote “no” on the Protecting Local Zoos Act of 2026 to uphold the bipartisan BCPSA. This is critical for public safety and animal welfare.

Sincerely,

{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}

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