Wildlife Service kills family pets in Texas

[bdickens]

[
I really don't understand these people that want to kill an animal, especially one that is obviously someone's pet, just because it appears on their property. I find a dog running loose I don't assume that some irresponsible owner left him to roam, I assume that something happened that allowed him to escape and try to return him to his owner. Unless a dog is attacking you he is innocent of any wrong doing, he's just being a dog. I've returned several dogs and have yet to encounter one that was free because of an irresponsible owner. Many times, living in town, a yard guy left a gate open on a fenced yard. I've known dogs to slip a collar and get away from an owner who is desperately trying to retrieve him, or make a dash out the front door in a moment of distraction. When our children were little and had friends over one time the friends weren't careful enough and our dog ran out and got hit by a car. It was an accident and I don't blame the driver for that but I also don't think it would have justified shooting or poisoning him (fortunately he wasn't seriously injured). Out in the country now, a dog has followed my wife home, and other dogs have gotten away from their owner and wandered onto our property. Each time the owners were aware they'd gotten loose and came to get them; but even if they hadn't, I'm not going to kill a dog for being a dog or a cat for being a cat. I can't imagine deliberately poisoning an animal under any circumstances.

I agree completely with your sentiments.

However, I do understand what would motivate someone to want to kill an animal that is apparently someone's pet and it ain't pretty.

I was given my first cat more than 60 years ago, and have had hundreds of them since, not all at once of course, and I am not at all sure that one "owns" a cat.

Like all of God's creatures, they are subject to risks, of nature, weather, other animals, illness, old age, etc. but it requires a deranged and malignant soul to intentionally harm them.

[RiverCity.45]

Why should a cat be kept in the house. It is not against the law or even against courtesy where I live for cats to roam. We fixed our cat so he is not out making babies in this world. He has his shots. He stays generally in the area. Cats will do as cats do. Some cats are made to be indoor cats and some are not. If we kept our cat inside he would be monumentally unhappy. He hunts, catches things (mostly grasshoppers and spiders), enjoys his life.


Aside from that why are they setting dangerous traps where children could be? That is monumentally stupid and of course if someone got hurt they would claim some sort of govt shield from prosecution. Perhaps if govt officials were as liable as the rest of us they would be more careful.

In my town, no dog or cat is allowed to roam freely. They must be in an enclosure or on a leash. Citation possible for allowing pets to roam outside.

[jocat54]

Why should a cat be kept in the house. It is not against the law or even against courtesy where I live for cats to roam. We fixed our cat so he is not out making babies in this world. He has his shots. He stays generally in the area. Cats will do as cats do. Some cats are made to be indoor cats and some are not. If we kept our cat inside he would be monumentally unhappy. He hunts, catches things (mostly grasshoppers and spiders), enjoys his life.


Aside from that why are they setting dangerous traps where children could be? That is monumentally stupid and of course if someone got hurt they would claim some sort of govt shield from prosecution. Perhaps if govt officials were as liable as the rest of us they would be more careful.

In my town, no dog or cat is allowed to roam freely. They must be in an enclosure or on a leash. Citation possible for allowing pets to roam outside.

Not trying to argue, but I see you are from SA and all I could find on leash and control laws ect was pertaining to dogs http://www.aapaw.org/education/city-of- ... codes.html

Would be hard to leash a cat

[RiverCity.45]

Not trying to argue, but I see you are from SA and all I could find on leash and control laws ect was pertaining to dogs http://www.aapaw.org/education/city-of- ... codes.html

Would be hard to leash a cat

Technically, I don't live in SA. I live in an incorporated city within Bexar County that abuts SA's city limits.
http://www.universalcitytexas.com/index.aspx?NID=658 Item #4.

The ordinance:
Sec. 3-1-60. - Animals running at-large

All dogs and cats shall be kept under restraint with a leash or lead when the animal is exercised outside the animals' enclosure and shall not be allowed to run at-large or stray. The leash or lead shall be attached to a properly fitted collar or harness. If any such dog or cat is found running at-large in violation of this section, the dog or cat will be captured and impounded.

(Ord. No. 585-A-2010, Art. IV, § 4, 2-2-10)

[mamabearCali]

Why should a cat be kept in the house. It is not against the law or even against courtesy where I live for cats to roam. We fixed our cat so he is not out making babies in this world. He has his shots. He stays generally in the area. Cats will do as cats do. Some cats are made to be indoor cats and some are not. If we kept our cat inside he would be monumentally unhappy. He hunts, catches things (mostly grasshoppers and spiders), enjoys his life.


Aside from that why are they setting dangerous traps where children could be? That is monumentally stupid and of course if someone got hurt they would claim some sort of govt shield from prosecution. Perhaps if govt officials were as liable as the rest of us they would be more careful.

In my town, no dog or cat is allowed to roam freely. They must be in an enclosure or on a leash. Citation possible for allowing pets to roam outside.

Not in my town.....would be hard to do anyway. It would be like writing an ordinance that says all raccoons must be leashed, or they will be impounded (as there are more feral cats here than house cats). It is impractical and IMO unneeded.

[jmra]

Why should a cat be kept in the house. It is not against the law or even against courtesy where I live for cats to roam. We fixed our cat so he is not out making babies in this world. He has his shots. He stays generally in the area. Cats will do as cats do. Some cats are made to be indoor cats and some are not. If we kept our cat inside he would be monumentally unhappy. He hunts, catches things (mostly grasshoppers and spiders), enjoys his life.


Aside from that why are they setting dangerous traps where children could be? That is monumentally stupid and of course if someone got hurt they would claim some sort of govt shield from prosecution. Perhaps if govt officials were as liable as the rest of us they would be more careful.

In my town, no dog or cat is allowed to roam freely. They must be in an enclosure or on a leash. Citation possible for allowing pets to roam outside.

Not in my town.....would be hard to do anyway. It would be like writing an ordinance that says all raccoons must be leashed, or they will be impounded (as there are more feral cats here than house cats). It is impractical and IMO unneeded.

No worries. It would take an awfully good shot for a Texan to shoot one of your cats anyway.

[mamabearCali]

Yep, I think my kitty is safe eating the crickets and ground hogs. The curvature of the earth puts that one to rest!

[bayouhazard]

Not in my town.....would be hard to do anyway. It would be like writing an ordinance that says all raccoons must be leashed, or they will be impounded (as there are more feral cats here than house cats). It is impractical and IMO unneeded.

It may be different Back East but here in Texas what's impractical and unneeded is laws preventing land owners from dealing as they see fit with predators on their land.

[mamabearCali]

Not in my town.....would be hard to do anyway. It would be like writing an ordinance that says all raccoons must be leashed, or they will be impounded (as there are more feral cats here than house cats). It is impractical and IMO unneeded.

It may be different Back East but here in Texas what's impractical and unneeded is laws preventing land owners from dealing as they see fit with predators on their land.

You know it was in the South of San Antonio that I learned what an asset a benign predator (like a cat) is. It was on my grandfathers ranch, that I learned to appreciate both the cats that were cranky and those that were sweet. It was there I learned to respect the cowdog doing it's job in the field.

Y'all may love your bunny rabbits and your gophers, but where I lived they ate the food destined for my plate, and they dug holes which could easily break my grandfathers arm as he drove the tractor. The cats killed the rattlesnakes that could bite and kill me as a child. The guinea hens we kept were too fast for them to catch and the turkey's too big for us to worry about the cats with them. The chickens had more to worry about than cats as there were coyotes hanging about. Truly a small cat wandering about the bushes was a blessing not a curse. Now if one had taken a liking to the chickens (I never heard of one doing that--too much better easier prey about) I am sure we would have dispatched it. However shooting a stray cat on sight or leaving poison out to kill your neighbors pets is not right.

[bizarrenormality]

Some people might say shooting a stray snake on sight or leaving poison out to kill rats is not right.

[mamabearCali]

Some people might say shooting a stray snake on sight or leaving poison out to kill rats is not right.

Uh-huh.....well a rattler near the house is lethal to my kids and rats are pests (carry diseases, destroy things, etc etc) and why I keep a cat around. Now if it is a garden snake or a brown snake that is fine I don't kill those. I only kill snakes that are lethal threats to me and mine.


Now if you want to let a rattler live under your porch that is your business.

[jmra]

shooting a stray cat on sight or leaving poison out to kill your neighbors pets is not right.

When I lived just outside New Orleans growing up a woman down the street had dozens of cats. Then she died. Family came and collected the woman and all her stuff but left the cats. It didn't take long for dozens of cats to become hundreds of cats.
Ask a neighborhood of people that haven't slept for several nights in a row because 50 cats are in heat what is and isn't right. I bet their answer may defer somewhat from yours.
Everyone put up with it until someone bought the house. The next three day episode of cat love was the last. Don't know how he did it and don't care. I wasn't old enough to consume alcohol but from what I understand the new neighbor never paid for another drink.

[anygunanywhere]

Some people might say shooting a stray snake on sight or leaving poison out to kill rats is not right.

A squirrel is a rat with a bushy tail.

Anygunanywhere

[anygunanywhere]

Third rabies case confirmed in Kerr County.

Trapping feral cats.


http://dailytimes.com/news/local/articl ... f887a.html

Solid example of why cats are a hazard when allowed to go wild.

Anygunanywhere

[03Lightningrocks]

I understand setting non lethal traps. I don't think it is such a great idea putting out poisons and lethal traps near areas where humans can come in contact. The question of danger to pets or even wildlife could be debated from different angles but I would be worried about innocent kids stumbling across such devices.