Raccoon killing draws interest of animal welfare group (Update)

Athens Banner-Herald ^ | 12/31/03 | Lori Johnston

[Holly_P]

ATHENS, Ga. — The Humane Society of the United States is asking for a thorough investigation into a report that three University of Georgia fraternity brothers beat, skinned and ate a raccoon.

"The senseless killing of a raccoon is certainly a crime in Georgia. It's a violent crime," Ann Chynoweth, a lawyer for the animal welfare group, said Wednesday. "We want it to be investigated."

The men had spotted the raccoon behaving erratically outside the Phi Kappa Psi house on Dec. 12. One hit it with construction pylon and shot it with a pellet gun in the fraternity's parking lot, Athens-Clarke County Animal Control officials said. Another skinned the raccoon, and a third cooked and ate some of its meat.

At least one fraternity member was treated for possible exposure to rabies, which can be fatal if left untreated.

No animal cruelty charges have been pressed against the men. Athens-Clarke County Solicitor General Ralph Powell, who will determine whether or not to file charges, did not return a phone call Wednesday seeking comment.

The three members involved will go before the fraternity's grievance committee after UGA's spring semester begins, said Larry Bales, fraternity president. They face possible sanctions from reprimands to expulsion from the fraternity.

"It was an isolated incident that happened to happen on our property," Bales said Wednesday. "Three members were out in the back parking lot acting foolish. We don't condone that type of activity."

The Humane Society has written a letter to UGA Interfraternity Council saying that those involved in killing the raccoon should be expelled from the fraternity, at the very least, Chynoweth said.

"The boys-will-be-boys excuse ... is certainly not a defense to animal cruelty," Chynoweth said.

A UGA Greek system official did not return a phone call Wednesday seeking comment.

[ozzymandus]

Don't try to blame the US beef growers for one sick Canadian milk cow. The RAT media is already doing that for you.

[flying Elvis]

It's a violent crime,"

How does one non-violently kill a crazy raccoon?

[76834]

You misunderstand:
I am not blaming anyone, just stating the fact that that is the way it is done.

[Darksheare]

State of New Jersey late 80's early 90's, a farmer beat a rat to death with a broom handle.
Farmer was charged with animal cruelty.
They had a circus over it.
Rat turned up positive for rabies, but that didn't matter to the prosecution.
Case thundered onward until public outcry got to an appropriate level.
Farmer was let go with the warning that they'd be "keeping an eye on him."

[Senormechanico]

"What about rats or flies?"

Do yo mean rats or RATS?

Come to think of it, same difference.

SM

[skip2myloo]

If one were to stand outside the Phi Kappa Psi house for awhile, I imagine they would see a fair amount of erractic behavior, and not just from the raccoons either.

[ladyrustic]

Yes, pretty darn stupid to taste a racoon that was acting funny...rabies is running rampant these days.

Slightly off topic but somehow pertinent, I just read that the USDA just passed a law (yesterday?) making it illegal to butcher for meat any cow that is unable to stand on its own. That's a law a little late in coming.

I can't believe I've been eating steaks from sick animals all these years... You pay $6 a pound for a steak you really hope it's prime beef- not the remains of some poor critter that was dying of some wasting disease...

[Pontiac]

This was surprising to me as well. I was unaware that the FDA routinely allowed sick cattle to be butchered for human consumption. Seems like a poor public health practice to me.

I can only guess that there are few known diseases that can be transmitted from beef to humans through cooked meat.

As a hunter, I would never eat a sick animal. Why take the risk of contracting a disease.

One should be especially wary of a known rabies carrier like a raccoon.

[E.Allen]

I'm A small town LEO in PA, we have standing orders if raccoons are out during the day (goofy for normal racoon) to blast them and dispose of body where other animals can't get at them (so rabies can't spread).

[vetvetdoug]

I would tell the Humane Society of the US to go pound sand. I have donated greater than $100K worth of services to the local HS but I wouldn't give the National Bloated bunch of hypocrites a plug nickel. The HS of the US is a bunch of money grabbing sensationalizing bunch of unrealistic tree huggers.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Possum is rather tasty with potato, okra, and collard greens on the side, with fried cornbread.

Ohhhhh. We were overrun by possums this year. Their habitat was destroyed when a field was plowed up to build $500,000 homes. They were coming into the house and eating the cat's dry food. My son scrounged up a cage, and caught 4 of them nesting in the garage. We named them, the kids went online and researched their food preferences. Then my older girl came down with the baby, so we let them go. I didn't want the baby to stick her fingers into the cage. They carry rabies.

I don't think I could eat one after having them for pets.

[76834]

I didnt know that either. But I am not worried about it. Figure that is the main reason you cook meat, to kill all the bacteria. I dont plan to change my eating habits a bit, in fact I am going to fire up the bbq grill and do a couple of T-bones tonight. Some things you dont really want to know too much about and one of them is how food is processed

[WackyKat]

Killing a raccoon is now a crime in Georgia? What about rats or flies?

You don't know what you're talking about.

Raccoons are a game animal, and are protected as such.

They can be killed only during legal hunting season and hours, and in specified manners.

[najida]

I wouldn't reccomend even small sips after seeing xrays of some moonshine drinkers in Bartow County, Georgia. About 8% of the lead poisoning cases in Atlanta hospitals is from moonshine.

Same with the swampers around the Okeefenokee. Lots of dialysis patients there.

[Bonaparte]

"I find this all rather ironic, because if there were a dead, rotting animal-rights protester lying in a ditch somewhere, it would most SURELY attract the attention of a number of raccoons."

LOL! Well said!

This animal was obviously suffering, probably from distemper, and the boys put it out of its misery as quickly and efficiently as possible, using what was on hand -- same thing local animal control would have done if they'd been notified. Even the Humane Society is not naive enough to think the county would dump its resources into the hospitalization and treatment of every dying raccoon. Moreover, had this animal been permitted to roam the campus until animal control could respond and retrieve, it would have posed a potential threat to others who might have approached it. Kids or pets could have been bitten.

That said, the mirth making and public skinning of the carcasse is only tasteless, at the very worst. I think the university is going to bow to the politically correct crowd, as they almost always do, but only by applying mild discipline. Since the object wasn't to torture this creature, but rather to dispatch it by judicious application of brute force, nobody can make a case for "animal cruelty."

[ArcLight]

I grew up eating coon. It was a delicacy in my house. I'll never forget picking the shotgun pellets from between my teeth as I chowed down.

Wish I had some now. Mmmm-mmmm1 Coon is good eating!

[Conspiracy Guy]

Never had coon, but squirrel and dumplings I'd kill for!

[nothingnew]

'coon is good eating...tastes like a chicken with two black eyes, is all.

FMCDH

[76834]

I read somewhere that anything, with a few exceptions, that has a backbone is edible, if you are hungry enough.

That includes rats, cats, dogs, snakes, coons, humans etc etc

When I was a kid daddy would go hunting and most of the time would come back with rabbits or squirrels and we had them for supper.

[righthand man]

whats all the fuss , racoon(coon and baked sweet taters) taste about like dog its good,