Maybe she should camp outside Washington State Governor's office until he answers why he cause her and Gooey this bereavement!
Posted on 08/20/2005 10:30:03 AM PDT by greydog
In the state of Washington, you can eat as much roasted duck as you please.
You can shoot the occasional duck, provided you follow certain rules.
But you can’t possess a wild duck — a fact that Diane Erdmann didn’t fully grasp until two state Fish and Wildlife officers showed up at her Auburn workplace Friday demanding her pet duck Gooey.
What ensued that afternoon was a bizarre altercation, the seizure of Gooey the duck and two separate criminal investigations. Fish and Wildlife is looking into Erdmann for unlawful possession of wildlife, and the Auburn Police Department is investigating the officers, one of whom allegedly struck Erdmann as he snatched the duck away from her.
Erdmann supplied police with security-camera video, which she said proves her case.
But state Fish and Wildlife officials insist the officers were only doing their job. Nonetheless, they’re looking into Erdmann’s claims to determine whether the officers may have been overzealous.
One thing is clear: just about everyone at Northwest Territorial Mint, where Erdmann is a manager, had grown attached to Gooey.
“It’s a very spoiled little duck,” said company owner Ross B. Hansen.
Erdmann had gotten Gooey from a friend 11 weeks ago, after the duckling had been injured by a crow, she said. An animal lover since childhood, she feared he would die. She bought a book on raising ducks, explaining that she ignored the last two chapters, which were about “butchering and recipes.”
Erdmann kept Gooey under heat lamps, feeding him chicken food and vitamin supplements until he was back in shape. She found a Web site that sold custom-made duck diapers and had a pair fitted for Gooey. And she brought him to work every day.
“People went out of their way to see Gooey,” she said. “They would ask how he was doing, saying, ‘my, hasn’t he grown.’
Erdmann watched as Gooey had his first solo flight on July 26. She even had a commemorative coin made at Northwest Territorial for the occasion.
Life for Gooey was good.
That all changed when the officers showed up in the lobby asking for Erdmann.
Kristin Donovan, assistant to the president, heard the commotion.
“I heard a very loud, very booming, very aggressive-type voice,” she recalled. “He said, ‘give me the duck.’ I heard a pause, then, ‘If you don’t give me the duck, I’m going to arrest you.’
Arrest? Donovan scrambled to call Hansen, who was out of the office but said he’d race back to help.
Meanwhile, Hansen gave very clear orders: No search warrant, no duck.
The officers didn’t see it that way.
“It’s a situation that we run across every year,” explained Fish and Wildlife Capt. Bill Hebner. “People find sick or injured wildlife they believe to be orphaned and they take it into captivity and make pets out of them.
“The agency does not support that concept. We believe wildlife is wildlife and pets are pets and there’s a strong distinction between the two.
Under certain circumstances, people can possess wildlife, but they need a permit and must meet other requirements.
When Erdmann declined to hand Gooey over, she said the officers became more stern. One of them showed her his handcuffs. As she cradled Gooey in her arms, the other one lunged at her and grabbed the duck, striking Erdmann on the chest, she said.
Erdmann filed a complaint with Auburn police, who said they would forward their report to the city prosecutor to decide whether charges should be filed.
Meanwhile, Erdmann and her colleagues are still stunned by how ridiculous it all seems.
“There are a million ducks in Washington,” Hansen said. “It’s not like this is an endangered duck.” And Gooey? A spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife said he is alive and well and living in a rehabilitation center, the location of which will not be disclosed. After all, Hebner said, the center might not want the attention.
There. Fixed it.
Spend thousands of dollars of taxpayers money over a duck?
Similar thing happened here in South Texas a few years back with "Bubba," a pet javelina (wild peccary). They actually make good pets, and he was a very loved and spoiled pig, but the Texas Wildlife people came and took him and released him into the brush. It most likely died fairly soon thereafter, since it didn't have a clue as to how to survive out on its own.
But hey! Government knows best, right? Sure they do...
Fish & Wildlife tend to have the most lunkheads. Caught one a few years ago trying to impress his girlfriend by bossing us civvies around. I told him off in no uncertain terms. Total fascist jerkoff.
WHAT A PACK OF LIVING, BREATHING A$$HOLES!!!!!!!!!!!! If the duck were being abused I could understand this, but the duck plainly was happy. If Gooey had wanted to leave, he would have done it under his own steam. WHERE IS PETA WHEN YOU NEED THEM???? THEY SHOULD DEVOTE THEIR TIME TO INCIDENTS LIKE THIS INSTEAD OF THROWING PAINT/BLOOD ON FURS WORN BY PEOPLE.
Welcome to America, home of the not-so-free and not-so-brave.
If I've said it once, I've said it a million times, If we don't exterminate these dangerous criminals like Diane Erdmann, the terrorists are gonna win, I tell ya.
Title 18, U.S.C., Section 242) Deprivation of rights under color of law:
Whoever, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or to different punishments, pains, or penalties, on account of such person being an alien, or by reason of his color, or race, than are prescribed for the punishment of citizens, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if bodily injury results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.
"Duck season"
"Rabbit season"
"Duck season"
"Rabbit season"
"Rabbit season"
"Duck season"
>BLAMMMMM!!!!!<
wubbawubbawubba
It sounds like she's SOL with respect to 18 USC 242 if she is a white anglo-saxon.
She got the duck back, on the condition that she release it when its ready to fly.
Duck goes home:
http://www.kingcountyjournal.com/sited/story/html/215334
So who was the "good samaritan" that turned her in? How absurd, so Gooey is in a rehab center? Gooey probably misses his real caregiver.
Already posted here (with recipes):
Owner bereft after state takes away her pet duck
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1465492/posts
Ahhh, the 'undisclosed location'. Cheney's fault! The VP has Gooey!
One day the "authorities" are going to hassle the wrong person.
That is sickening. Good grief these jack booted thugs are out of control!
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