Posted on 04/13/2007 8:33:45 AM PDT by BradtotheBone
GALVESTON After devoting much of his life to protecting wild creatures, a prominent naturalist here now faces trial on a felony charge of cruelty to animals.
Jim Stevenson, 53, a well-known bird-watcher and founder of the Galveston Ornithological Society, was indicted this week by a Galveston County grand jury on charges that he killed a feral cat Nov. 8 with a .22-caliber rifle.
"What really bothers me, this cat was down there killing endangered species of birds and others protected by law," Stevenson said in an interview Thursday. "Feral cats are not protected by law, and I stopped a cat from doing that and I get arrested."
Assistant District Attorney Bill Reed declined to discuss Stevenson's view of the law.
"All of those issues, I'm sure, will be flushed out in court," Reed said.
Stevenson, who has lived on Galveston Island since 1996, has traveled the world studying birds and published four books, including the Wildlife of Galveston. and publishes the Galveston Ornithological Society's quarterly newspaper, Gulls N Herons.
Despite his deep involvement with nature, or perhaps because of it, he has been accused of an aversion to feral cats because they prey on the birds he has studied.
Stevenson said the cat he is accused of killing had previously been captured and would have been euthanized had it not been spayed and and released.
Stevenson believes that there is no law protecting feral cats.
An official with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has said the law is unclear.
Although he admitted in a 1999 Internet posting to killing two dozen feral cats near his island home, Stevenson told the Houston Chronicle in November that he is fond of cats.
His arrest last year surprised and saddened many environmentalists.
"Jim Stevenson is not a bad man," Dori Nelson, chair of the Seabrook Eco-Tourism Committee, told the Chronicle soon after his arrest.
The arrest came after a toll-booth worker at the San Luis Pass Bridge told police that he heard two shots fired, then saw a white van speed away with Stevenson at the wheel.
One of the toll-booth employees, who had been feeding several feral cats and considered them pets, found the dead cat and pursued Stevenson. The employee said the cat already had a limp from an earlier bullet wound.
Stevenson is free on $10,000 bail. If convicted, he faces from six months to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
You can say that again. Cat's kill millions of songbirds every year. Cat's should not be allowed to wander around. You should keep him in the house or yard just like dog owners have to.
Please refer to post 160. House cats will never be native, they are considered a domesticated species.
When a "Guest Worker" bill passes.
*snerk*
I think I just swallowed a whole pretzel. I'm suing
In a bizarre juxtapositional coincidence, I have been blasting endangered birds with a 12ga shotgun to feed the army of feral cats I’ve been raising.
At what point does a non-native species become native?
When a “Guest Worker” bill passes.
Hillarious!
Welcome to FR, Mr President.
That's 'Cats'.
No apostrophe necessary, Hound of the Baskerville's.
People's pet cats should be in the house not wandering onto other people's property. Our neighbor's cat comes onto our property hunting birds and rabbits. Makes me mad. If I can let my dog run around wild outside there should be the same rule for cats. Put it on a leash to take it outside.
So a domesticated species cannot be native? Before they were domesticated weren't they native to someplace? I guess we need to start shooting cockatoos in the wild in Australia.
can = can’t
I bet the county ordinances have a poor view of people firing from vehicles while on a roadway as well.
Awww, it was just sitting there. ;-)
“Getting”?
OK — I can conclude from your posts that this guy popping cats is not a problem for you.
I repectfully disagree.
Selfish though it may be, I prefer cats to birds. I had a discussion recently where I postulated that if some one bought into Darwinistic Theory completely, that the most successful adaptation an animal can have nowadays is value to people. If an animal is delicious, pretty, has useful or decorative skin/fur, or is just cute and cuddly than it will not go extinct. People will make an effort to keep that species going. Just the opposite effect will happen for an animal that competes for with people for food, eats us or the animals we eat, stinks, looks ugly, or otherwise pi$$es us off — that animal will be exterminated at any opportunity.
Perspective is what wins I suppose — I have been jammed up for donations by people that want to “save the elephants” and I have talked with people that have elephants living near to them that believe they are the scourge of the earth and should be killed on sight. < shrugging >
I like cats better than birds. But I know that Chickens and Ducks will never be endangered and I would further state that if I depended on chickens for my livelihood, I would probably not want cats in the vicinity.
Well if you can't shoot them stab them.
Sorry, but I cannot even contemplate your reasoning! If a tiger escapes from a zoo, should we just allow it to roam free and eat people? It is only doing what an animal does! Here are just a few of my list to get rid of in North America.
Feral Cats (never happen but keep trying)
Nutria (possible)
Brown trout (never happen but keep trying)
Common Carp (never happen but keep trying)
Kudzu (never happen but keep trying)
These are just a few that are non-native to North America.
Meet Jim Stevenson: Founder of the Galveston Ornithological Society, admitted cat sniper, dweeby half-queer introverted bird lover, and defendant in a case looking at two years in a Texas slammer with dangerous felons who probably don't like dweeby half-queer introverted bird lovers.
Not at the point when it is on my property. Why should pet cats be allowed to wander on to my property?
If you were attacked, you either spooked it or it was sick. Ever been attacked by your friendly neighbors puppy dog?? My sister was...nice german shepard puppy....got loose and bite her a few times. Also ate her pet duck. Is that dog WILD?
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