New bill by Rep. Curt Oda gives free pass to animal abusers (Parowan: condo, homes)

[Ripley6174]

Utah bill would permit shooting feral animals

Representative Curt Oda is proposing to take the job of handling feral animal populations out of the hands of professionals and into the hands of the untrained general public. Instead of effective, proven and humane trap, neuter and release programs, this bill will instead allow people to kill them instead if they have 'reasonable belief' the animal is feral. That means your cat had better snuggle up to any strangers he meets, because running away will be 'reasonable belief' enough to send the bullets flying. If he's lucky, because even clubbing, drowning and decapitation will be allowed.

The only thing this bill will accomplish is letting any random hick go vigilante on animals without facing repercussions. In no way is this going to have any effect on feral animal populations and even if it did, it's not worth the suffering it will bring when there are better options available.

[WrathofHera]

Mr. Oda is seriously wrong-headed. Trap and Release programs have proven extremely effective in managing feral cat colonies. IN THE MEANTIME - cats, whether unowned, wild, or pets have a right to try and survive on God's earth. No one has the 'right' to cruelly kill feral cats. Oda's proposals demonstrate a mind that is lazy in approach to viable solutions to community issues, who elected this madman?

[UtahRoots]

Next thing you know, we'll have the right to shoot the neighbor's cat when it's in their back yard with their toddler - as long as you use the Utah State Gun – the Browning M1911 to do it. WHERE do we find these people and WHO elected them?!?!?

[ChrisC]

I don't condone shooting feral animals in general. But I'll bet most of you who are outraged by this would have a different perspective if you lived rurally. As a teen on my family's farm, we twice had most of our chickens and ducks killed by "feral," or otherwise roaming, dogs (at night).

Also, our own dog had a bad habit of wandering around the fields at night. Twice she was shot (once in the head) by one of the local farmers--she lived both times. At the time, it really upset me. I loved that dog. But, looking back on it, I understand why it happened. Most rural people don't like to see their income being slaughtered for sport by "feral" pets.

[UtahRoots]

It makes sense in rural areas. My husband used to work at the zoo, and when a pack of neighborhood dogs got into a fence pen with fallow deer (which are smaller than a lot of dogs) it was heart breaking for the crew who had to go in the next morning and clean up. But honestly, I think a bb gun or even a paintball gun would take care of the issue 9 times out of 10. I just don't think we need another excuse for people to be shooting bigger guns. I have a feeling that it would just give people a really awesome excuse for getting away with shooting their gun in a populated area. How would a police officer know the difference between somebody who shot at but missed a loose dog in their backyard and somebody who just wanted to show off their new gun to a buddy? All anybody would have to do is say "Oh, officer, you just missed the dog that was trying to kill my pet rabbit."

[cedarite]

Here in rural Utah, we have had people intentionally go pet hunting already in Parowan. There are a few, well, maybe more than a few, wackos in this state, particularly in the south and some of them are pretty aggressive. I would suggest that all southern Utahns keep their cats indoors, if only for the coyote problems let alone the psycho heavily armed neighbor problems.

[ChrisC]

Okay, there is a difference between "pet hunting" and shooting an animal in your chicken pen. There isn't much of an excuse for pet hunting. There is an excuse for shooting at a persistent threat to your livelihood (talking about ranchers and farmers right to defend their property and livelihood). Have any of you seen what a pack of otherwise "pet" dogs can do to cattle or horses? Or any other farm-based domestic animal/fowl?

Is this bill going to allow shooting of animals within city limits? Densely populated areas? I haven't seen it, but if so, it needs to be sent to file 13. On the other hand, if it's simply reaffirming a necessary reality out in the country that goes on already, well... that's a different song. Look at it this way: if you found a stray dog in your chicken pen and 25 or your chickens out of 30 slaughtered, what would you do? A farmer has every right to shoot in that case. Along the road? No. Around others? No. On his own property, with his cattle being run until they drop over dead--his money being flushed down the toilet because someone doesn't want to control his/her pet? Yes.

[UtahRoots]

Originally Posted by cedarite

Here in rural Utah, we have had people intentionally go pet hunting already in Parowan. There are a few, well, maybe more than a few, wackos in this state, particularly in the south and some of them are pretty aggressive. I would suggest that all southern Utahns keep their cats indoors, if only for the coyote problems let alone the psycho heavily armed neighbor problems.

On the other hand...I have to tell you a story about Sen. Stowell from Parowan. Last year, a bill came up that I was intensely interested in and impacted by. I wrote an email every single state senator and state representative. My own state senator and state representative responded with form letters. The senator sponsoring the bill called me (!) and we had a pretty good conversation. But Sen. Stowell from PAROWAN who had NOTHING to gain from talking to me had extended email exchanges with me for days and days and days, and then he acted on my concerns in the legislature and some good changes were made to the bill before it became law. So, you might have some wackos in Parowan, but at least you are not being represented by one of them. Sen. Stowell is the ONLY senator OR representative (except the bill's sponsor) who bothered to hear another side of the story before voting.

[arctichomesteader]

Given the damage to wildlife, including some endangered species, feral cats cause, while this may be distasteful to some urbanites, it's not a bad idea. The population needs to be cut down now, not in another decade or longer.

[UtahRoots]

Arctichomesteader, If you're still living in VT or even in AK, you could have a point about feral cats. Rural, in Utah, means desert. Feral cats wouldn't survive more than one night outside of a town in Utah. The coyotes or hawks would get them. Out here, it's packs of dogs that cause the problem. And it is a problem in probably more than a few Utah communities, but certainly not along the metropolitan area along the Wasatch Front where most of the state's residents live. So really, I think what the legislature is intending to accomplish is to make into law what all the ranchers in southern Utah do and have done for the past 150 years. The problem is that unless they narrowly define when and where it's legal, you'd have every wacko in every neighborhood shooting first and asking questions later. In the metro area, the problem is dogs pooping on your lawn not killing your livestock. But they'd get shot anyway.