Thursday, May 12, 2011

Penning (Warning: may be disturbing to some)

Unfortunately, I am not referring to this type of penning:


I am actually referring to the penning of wild animals that will become the target for training hunting dogs to kill. There are those out there that live trap raccoons, rabbits, fox and coyote and sell them to secluded, illegal "training" facilities.
Live trapped coyotes waiting to be sold to a facility.

In turn, a hunter will pay a fee to the guy who has the illegal set up to have his hound dogs "trained". A wild animal is released into a confined/fenced area where it cannot escape and the dogs are set loose. The wild animal is run to exhaustion and then is then ripped to shreds by the dogs. So, let me be clear here: Someone traps the animals and gets paid for them. Someone gets paid for allowing someone to enjoy watching how well his dogs are trained based on how they run an animal and rip it apart. Did I mention that this activity is illegal? Money makes the world go 'round. Wildlife penning has the same underground culture as dog fighting. Sigh.

As a wildlife advocate, I not only find this cruel and disgusting, I find it deeply disturbing and creepy. What kind of person thinks that this activity is acceptable? Wildlife penning is a blood sport and is just wrong, plain and simple. Indiana is currently considering legalizing penning. I would urge anyone who would like to work towards putting an end to penning in the U.S. to sign the petition below or, if you live in Indiana, contact your state representative and tell them you want this blood sport stopped.

http://www.change.org/petitions/urgent-help-ban-the-brutal-practice-of-penning-of-coyotes-foxes-indiana

I guess you can tell I am worked up. :-) Sorry for the non-horse post, but education is key in having these types of activities stopped. Thanks in advance for supporting wildlife!!! My next post will be happier, I promise!!!

14 comments:

  1. This is SICK!

    I tried to sign the petition but the page did something weird and I got an error message :(

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  2. Shannon - It really is. There have been periodic problems, I understand, with the page. Please try again and thank you so much for your support.

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  3. I signed! Got a confirming email. I didn't even know this went on, but it's horrible! Very much like the safaris in Africa where the animals can't escape. Horrible that it's happening on our own soil too!

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  4. Thanks, Marissa! You are not alone in not knowing about this kind of activity. Educating the public is so important.

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  5. This is disgusting. Trapping wild animals for sport and then having them ripped apart is very unsportsmanlike to me and I think all the people who do this are a bunch of jackasses. It reminds me of the "big game" hunters who will shoot a lion or bear etc. that's chained to a tree for the trophy.

    I've got a real problem with these people and the BLM and how they are eradicating the wild mustangs from our West. Money is the root of all evil in these cases. Anyway, I will sign the petition after I'm done ranting!

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  6. Petition signed. I didn't even know about this atrocious practice. Thank you for writing about it, Wolfie.

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  7. Thanks, Muddy K! Using our voice can make a difference, one person at a time. :-)

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  8. Signed. Some people are sicker than words can describe...

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  9. Appreciate it, CFS. And, yes, it is disturbing that there are those that enjoy blood sports.

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  10. Thank you for posting this, though it's difficult to stomach it. This really is an atrocity.

    Petition signed and passed on via FB.

    Thanks!

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  11. You are so right, Detroit Dog...it is an atrocity. Thanks for your support and for spreading the word via FB.

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  12. while i abhor that practice, it's hardly different from so-called 'people friendly' zoos... crits taken from the wild and expected to behave 'normally'... what's 'normal' about a herd of zebras, for instance, who smell a pride of lions a few hundred feet away, but have nowhere to run? how are they supposed to know they are 'safe' in their pens? consider their lives of full-time stress! GRRRRRRRRRR :(

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  13. Laughingwolf - I totally agree with you. Living in a compound cannot be considered "normal". However, because of human encroachment, some of these facilities are required to ensure that breeding stock is saved for endangered species. :-(

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  14. Blogger problems have not restored my comment to your comment, GHM. Money really is the cause for so much pain and suffering whether it's illegal or not. "Land management" unfortunately means that wildlife suffers in some form or another here in Ontario.

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