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Crisis
Center > Action Alert: >
2009
C.A.S.H. ACTION
ALERT
PLEASE CROSS POST
Committee To Abolish Sport Hunting
PO BOX 13815, LAS CRUCES, NM 88013-3815
(575) 640-7372
CASH@AbolishSportHunting.com
www.AbolishSportHunting.com
10/30/09
~~ ACTION ALERT ~~
HELP BAN LIVE BAIT DOG TRAINING IN INDIANA
YOUR VOICE NEEDED!
On November 17th, the Indiana Natural Resources Commission will consider
several formal petitions to prohibit the taking, killing and harassment of
coyotes and red foxes for “penning” purposes and as live bait in the wild.
Current loopholes in Indiana’s wildlife regulations allow the capture and
killing of coyotes and red foxes by dogs in the wild. Moreover, no rule or
law exists prohibiting the trapping and selling of coyotes and foxes in
state or across state lines to “penning” facilities where these wild canines
are then used to “train” hunting dogs in “running pens;” this practice is
allowed for five months of the year during the furbearer trapping season.
Operators of the running pens often charge a fee for individuals to “train”
their hunting dogs on the captive coyotes and foxes. This practice —
commonly referred to as “’penning” — violates the concept of “fair chase”
and runs counter to fundamental concepts of wildlife management.
Project Coyote and the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) strongly support a
ban on these practices. We have garnered the support of many prominent
scientists, wildlife biologists, veterinarians, and attorneys who have
joined us in urging the Commission to ban these practices (see
Project Coyote and AWI’s sign-on letter to the Commission).
Moreover, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (INDNR) has
acknowledged that there are ecological, ethical, and disease/health related
issues
associated with penning.
PLEASE VOICE YOUR SUPPORT FOR THESE PETITIONS! You do not need to be an
Indiana resident to voice your opinion but you do need to clearly state your
city, state, and country of residence for your comment to be officially
considered (see INDNR’s
rules about commenting). Please write a letter to the
Commission urging them to support these formal petitions to move forward
with the formal rulemaking process to prohibit the taking, killing and
harassment of coyotes and red foxes for “penning” purposes and as live bait
in the wild. LETTERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY NOVEMBER 17TH!
If you live in Indiana, please consider attending and testifying at the
Commission hearing on November 17th where they will decide whether to move
forward to preliminarily adopt these petitions and move forward with formal
rulemaking procedures. We need a good showing at this hearing! Details:
Date: November 17
Time: 10am (EST)
Place: Fort Benjamin Harrison - The Garrison (Fort Harrison State
Park) 6002 North Post Road., Indianapolis, Indiana
More info:
www.in.gov./nrc/2354.htm
Letters should be addressed as follows:
Indiana Natural Resources Commission
Indiana Government Center North
100 N. Senate Ave., Rm. N501
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2200
Sent via email:
jkane@nrc.in.gov
RE: Support for proposed rules to prohibit the taking, killing and
harassment of coyotes and red foxes for “penning” purposes and as live bait
in the wild
Dear Commission members:
As a concerned citizen who values wildlife, I strongly support the
proposed rules to prohibit the taking, killing and harassment of coyotes and
red foxes for “penning” purposes and as live bait in the wild. I strongly
urge you to move forward with the formal rulemaking process to end these
brutal practices.
POINTS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR LETTER (please personalize your letter and
use your own words as this will have a much greater impact):
ETHICALLY INDEFENSIBLE: Capturing, transporting, marketing,
and penning wild animals for dog training is inherently cruel and
should be banned for this reason alone. Pitting domestic canines
against their wild cousins is ethically indefensible. Legislators
have had the wisdom to ban dog and cock-fighting – largely on
ethical grounds – and “penning” parallels these abhorrent practices.
Penned wild coyotes and foxes are often mutilated in a cruel and
unconscionable way- as acknowledged by the Indiana Department of
Natural Resources.
ECOLOGICALLY RECKLESS: Transporting and marketing wild
coyotes and foxes for penning purposes is ecologically reckless. The
Indiana Department of Natural Resources explicitly stated these
concerns acknowledging that trade and transportation of wildlife is
one of the primary contributors to disease transmission and
historically has led to the spread of rabies and other diseases
dangerous to wildlife, domestic animals and people.
COUNTER TO SOUND SCIENTIFIC WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT: Coyote and
fox penning is not an effective method of coyote and fox control as
acknowledged by numerous and prominent scientists and wildlife
biologists. There is no scientific evidence to support the claim
that penning operations somehow help reduce coyote/fox populations
on a state-wide level or mitigate negative encounters with coyotes
or foxes. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has
acknowledged that there are ecological, ethical, and disease and
health related issues associated with penning. Moreover, the Midwest
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies passed a
resolution in 2008 urging the adoption of
state-by-state regulations prohibiting the importation or interstate
movement of foxes and coyotes for the purpose of stocking coursing
pens or for release and pursuit by hounds outside of coursing pens.
For these reasons, I urge you to support the proposed rules to prohibit
the taking, killing and harassment of coyotes and red foxes for “penning”
purposes and as live bait in the wild.
Thank you for your consideration of my comments. I look forward to
hearing from you.
Sincerely,
**FIRST & LAST NAME**
**FULL ADDRESS & COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE**
******************
Please also tell the Indiana tourist authority why this ecologically
reckless and ethically indefensible practice will affect your plans to visit
Indiana:
www.in.gov/visitindiana/contactUs.aspx
To view video clips and photos of this practice copy and
paste each of the following URL links into your browser.
(WARNING: disturbing and graphic
content):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9c0KaLjKrI
coyoteinfo.typepad.com
www.trainingnottorture.org
news.mync.com/site/news/video/6057/Fox_and_Coyote_Hunt_Ban
www.youtube.com/user/wildlifepenning
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNVMu8jSYD8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mom_wMCNshw
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gd94TA58Ag
&www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbb_nKIy_i4&feature=rec-LGOUT-exp_fresh+div-HM
THANK YOU FOR WRITING AND MAKING YOUR VOICE HEARD! FEEL FREE TO FORWARD
AND SHARE THIS ACTION ALERT WITH OTHERS!
MORE INFORMATION:
WWW.ProjectCoyote.org;
www.coyoterescue.org; and
banlivebaitdogtraining@yahoo.com.
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