While this does not belong directly into my diary about our feral pigeons here in Munich I am again disgusted and shocked about the behaviour of humans who continue to think that our wildlife fellows have no rights. I also feel that you cannot talk about the “nice” things solely when you write about birds and other wildlife.
A couple of days ago I received a letter from Anne Dove from the New York Bird Club with the following context:
As you are aware, Pennsylvania is the last state that still shoots down pigeons as “sport”. While the 2008 legislature did not pass legislation to ban this egregious form of animal cruelty, we hope a bill will be passed in 2009 that will end this inhumane practice.In the meantime, pigeons are being baited, netted and trapped from NY streets and transported over state lines into Pennsylvania for the pigeon shoots. As you can see on the Pigeon Politics blog, Council Member Helen Sears has provided the statutes of law which may make the act of pigeon netting a felony crime. I suggest that everyone cross post the laws concerning pigeon netting to all animal message boards, blogs and websites so that everyone can be informed as to what the law is. If you see pigeons being netted, please make a note of all information such as license plates, make of cars, etc. and if possible take pictures of the criminals and their vehicle. Please pass this information on to your council member with a cop y of the law. We should not give up until Pennsylvania pigeon shoots are history and those who bait and net pigeons are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for their crimes.NY State Agriculture & Markets Law Section 353 makes it a misdemeanor to torture or injure animals. Section 353-a makes this a felony if the circumstances demonstrate aggravated cruelty; and Section 362 makes it a misdemeanor to “throw, drop or place any substance that might wound, disable or injure any animal.” NY State Environmental Conservation Law Section 11-1101 prohibits the netting of any wild bird.Anna DoveNewYork Bird Club
(with cortesy of Anna Dove)
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I think while there are uncountable organizations and projects to save and care for exotic wildlife, animals which easily catch the attention of press and media. Yet in the meanwhile people forget to realize the suffering of our own animals, domestic creatures, the ones we see every day and which do not attract the attention of the broad public. There are so many things in disorder still.
It is always the same – we look into foreign countries, we travel around the world, making a lot of noise because of all the injustice and torture that is taking place somewhere on this planet but we do not realize what’s happening just in front of our own door!
