Mascot fight goes down to the wire

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

A high-school football team that has featured a tiger cub at games for decades might kick off the season without its beloved mascot because of rules implemented after a suicidal man released dozens of dangerous animals in 2011.

Boosters typically lease a cub called Obie each year to play the mascot of Massillon’s Washington High School Tigers.

Ohio began requiring owners to register exotic animals after authorities killed nearly 50 animals that were released by their owner. The law includes one limited exemption – the Massillon school.

The boosters have been asked to prove that the school’s tigers will live at an accredited facility when they’ve outgrown their job as mascots and that the school ensures they’ll be cared for throughout their lives.

The state Agriculture Department, which oversees permits for exotic animals, hadn’t received such documentation as of Tuesday, spokeswoman Erica Hawkins said.

The team’s season starts Thursday.