Posted on 11/17/2006 1:04:55 PM PST by kiriath_jearim
LOS ANGELES -- One balmy summer night, Larna Hartnack awoke to the cries of her dog Charlie and, to her horror, found the Dalmatian in a battle for her life -- pinned by a gang of raccoons that tore into her flesh and nearly gnawed off her tail.
Charlie survived. But recurring raccoon attacks on dogs and other creatures have unnerved people along the Venice Canals, a funky, well-to-do beach neighborhood packed with ardent dog lovers, many of whom are now afraid to walk their pets at night or leave them alone in the back yard.
Communities around the country are plagued by destructive or aggressive raccoons, and many of them routinely trap, remove and even kill the animals. But this being California, the city's animal-control agency is instead urging people to try to get along with the raccoons -- a notion that strikes some as political correctness gone wild.
"What we're trying to inculcate in the L.A. community is a reverence for life. If we have more reverence for life, it translates into all our programs -- for women and infants, the elderly and everybody in our community," said Ed Boks, the head of Los Angeles Animal Services.
"As we develop these programs that demonstrate our compassion for creatures completely at our mercy, it makes for a more compassionate society all the way around."
Wildlife experts are commending the city for resisting demands to remove the raccoons. No-kill policies are rare among animal-control agencies in the U.S., and most apply only to dogs and cats. In Los Angeles, rabies in raccoons is not as big a threat as it is in other parts of the country, and there may be more sympathy for wildlife.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
Just wait around a bit, and distemper will take care of the raccoons.
Tell that to the Crips. ;)
If this guy were talking about babies instead of raccoons they'd call him a right wing nut.
Oh, make me puke.
They just need to hold hands/paws with the raccoons and sing kumbaya, and the universe will be in perfect harmony.
And abortion under any and all circumstances translates into reverence for life how, exactly?
Un-frieking-believable.
Maybe one of those laws outlawing wearing masks on the street will help.
Last week a coyote planted himself in front of my house waiting for me to put my dog out. His hide now graces the wall of my woodshed.
Too bad Ed didn't publish his address. I'd know where to dump all those raccoons we have once we trap them.
Can't we all just get along. (Rodney King)
So you took him to the woodshed then?
Here ya go coonie, Fred sez: "Attack this!!!"
/jasper
It was quite disquieting to hear the dang thing run back and forth across the ceilings in the bedrooms at night.
The landlord finally fixed the roof after a heavy rainstorm managed to dump a gallon of water an hour into the kitchen.
My clymer of an ex-father-in-law had a problem with red squirrels in his attic. He had a hav-a-hart, some peanut butter
and apples, and a nearby river.
OK, you've got me. What breed/breed mix is he? He's a great looking dog.
"Momma always use to chase coons away under the porch with a broom".
any dog that fears a coon deserves to die
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.