1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

As a constituent who cares about the welfare of captive big cats, I strongly urge you to oppose H.R. 7159, misleadingly titled the “Protecting Local Zoos Act of 2026.” This bill threatens to undermine the strongly bipartisan Big Cat Public Safety Act (BCPSA) signed into law in 2022 – a humane, common sense law that keeps communities safe and protects big cats from the cruelty inherent in exploitative “cub petting” operations and the big cat pet trade. H.R. 7159 would do nothing to protect legitimate zoos. The only limitation the BCPSA currently imposes on zoos is prohibiting direct public contact with big cats, a restriction that has not impacted standard zoo activities. Instead, H.R. 7159 would open the door to those who wish to resume cruel cub petting encounters, import or export big cats from foreign entities, and sell big cats as “exotic animal dealers” – fundamentally weakening our country’s position as a leader in fighting the cruel and dangerous big cat pet trade. The Big Cat Public Safety Act has already benefited our country, with communities and first responders facing fewer dangerous encounters with privately owned big cats, stronger support for law enforcement, and meaningful progress in curbing wildlife trafficking at our borders due to restrictions on the big cat pet trade. H.R. 7159 is a reckless, shortsighted rollback that puts public safety, animal welfare, and years of progress at risk. I urge you to oppose this bill.