Hundreds of family pets, protected species killed by little known federal agency

Fox News ^ | March 13, 2013 | Cristina Corbin

[grundle]

Over the years, Wildlife Services has killed thousands of non-target animals in several states – from pet dogs to protected species – caught in body-gripping conibear traps and leg hold snares, or poisoned by lethal M-44 devices that explode sodium cyanide capsules when triggered by a wild animal – or the snout of a curious family pet.

The McCurtains, like many other families, were never informed that such deadly devices were placed so close to their home in grass near the edge of a pond where their young son kicks his soccer ball and their daughter catches turtles.

The traps, set on communal property owned by the neighborhood association, were meant to kill an infestation of nutria, rat-like pests that pose no danger to people but can be harmful to the environment. The only warning sign was a small placard in the grass that identified the device as government property and cautioned against tampering with it. The neighborhood association told the McCurtains it never would have approved such traps had it known they were so deadly.

"It’s unconscionable that anybody with an ounce of common sense would set these traps in an area frequented by the public and their pets," said Brooks Fahy, executive director of Predator Defense, a national watchdog group that advocates non-lethal predator control.

[Salamander]

And it’s not even morning, yet.

;D

[Brad’s Gramma]

LOL!!!

Yes, he got The Look, along with a few critical barbs....

[trisham]

I hope that the publicity from this forces them to discontinue this policy, and I would think that at least one pet owner might have sued by now.

It's horrible.

[Salamander]

Isn’t there some kind of law where the fedgov can’t be sued by citizens?

[Salamander]

I feel yer pain.

:)

[though I’d substitute “old buzzard hanging over my shoulder” for “supervisor”]

[Brad’s Gramma]

I WAS trying to be polite, you know.

[Salamander]

I’m too old and tired for “polite”....;)

[Brad’s Gramma]

No no! I was being polite on FR! Not in real life, no no no way Jose!

[Altariel]

Soverign imunity.

The Federal Tort Claims act allows you to sue federal employees acting within their official duties.

As you might expect, you, the private citizen, have to jump through a lot of hoops to do that much.

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/suing-government-negligence-FTCA-29705.html

[trisham]

I’m not sure how that works, but unhappy pet owners might be able to sue the HOA.

[NoGrayZone]

Thank goodness I only read the excerpt. Judging from the comments here, glad I didn’t “click”.

I’m certainly not googling cats in a trap!

[Fawn]

I just read all your coments and had to laugh because I had all of you pegged just right. First of all, my reply had nothing to do with animals and traps. I strickly responded to this one post, and this one post only:

the neighborhood association
That's where most problems begin.

You guys have so many problems with 'comprehension'.

So, if you wanna talk about animals and traps.....well, I have been on our HOA board for 11 years. We would NEVER have death traps. That is the most cruel thing you can do...and I think it's illegal in sane and civilized areas. I feed feral cats in our association and I have humane traps...and I trap ANY cat that crosses the yard and I get it fixed...then put it right back where I trapped it.