Woodpecker-Saving Daughter Costs Mom $500, Possible Jail Time (year in jail)

WUSA TV | August 2, 2011 | Kristin Fisher

[CedarDave]

Even though it was US F&WL, it sounds like the VA Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries.

Apparently they do that a lot and its a sensitive issue. The article update concludes with:

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries did not participate in the inquiry."

[VRWCtaz]

Without publicity, this woman would have been sunk.

Also the fact that she had the brains (and guts) not to accept the citation.

[proud American in Canada]

Now I’m going to have the Woody Woodpecker song stuck in my brain for the rest of the day!

Now it's stuck in my head, too! LOL.

[fireman15]

My wife was driving in a rain storm. There was a slow down. People were driving slowly around a squirrel that had been hit and was flopping around in the road. She stopped and despite a bunch of people yelling that it was going to bite her and give her rabies... she picked it up wrapped it up and took it home. When she got it home we realized that the squirrel was paralized. She called the wilderness vet and they told her to bring it in to have it put down.

We had a weiner dog that became paralized after jumping off of our John Deere track loader and he got better after a couple months so she asked about giving the squirrel a chance to get better first. Immediately she got a whole bunch of threats and was told that she was breaking the law The person sounded over the phone like she was frothing at the mouth herself. She started yelling and saying they were going to track her down through the the caller ID. She said that we were illegally harboring an injured squirrel and that unless we surrendered it... we would be facing a huge fine and jail time.

My wife hung up. We decided to take our chances, and took care of the squirrel until it recovered enough to fend for itself a couple months later. It lived behind our house for a couple of years after that. It’s tail never got better so she was easy to identify. I think one of the neighbors’ half a dozen cats finally got the better of it.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“Now it’s stuck in my head, too! LOL.”

Pass it on! I did!

[EDINVA]

“...they ticketed me anyway.”

Sure they did .. gotta meet those quotas they will swear up and down don’t exist. And then wonder why we don’t trust government.

[Truth29]

And how much pain, suffering and legal cost did the family endure before the Agency backed down with that weasel worded mistakes were made statement?

[DoughtyOne]

And people ask where we can make cuts...

[CedarDave]

Oh, I don’t know. Once we start getting lax with our woodpecker laws it’s a slippery slope to all hell breaking loose!

Comments on the TV's website generally follow those on here -- bureaucratic overreaction, over regulation, no common sense, good candidate for budget cut etc. One humorous one with more than a grain of salt:

Learn from this. Next time you see one of these birds injured on your property hit it with a shovel and bury it.

[Ditter]

We used to have a house right on Galveston Bay. One day when the boat and jet ski traffic was just awful, I saw a baby turtle trying to keep from being run over. Thinking it might be an indangered Ridleys Sea Turtle, I got a long handled net and caught it. I called the Texas Fish and Wildlife Dept and asked if someone could come over and get it and take it to a safe location and turn it loose. The man was very polite and told me if he came, and if it turned out to be a Ridleys, I would be arrested. So much for my good deed for the day!

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Impy.

Update: According to the website, F&WS this p.m. now says its all a big mistake and citation should never have been issued and is sending an apology.

The F&WS-hole needs to find something more rewarding to do with ITS time.

[bigheadfred]

I see a cat with a wood pecker I’m a leavin’ ‘im the ‘ell alone.

[okie01]

Upon speaking with the subject, later identified as Alison Capo...

Allison Capo: Single mother, Fredericksburg, VA resident, probable government employee, likely liberal voter.

Until now.

If this incident hasn't converted her to conservatism, nothing will.

[headsonpikes]

“HeeheeheeHA!who”

[SunkenCiv]

“Look mom! The cat’s got a Woody!”

“Whaaaattt?!? Oh, yes, get the cage.”

[campaignPete R-CT]

impy! you got too much time on yer hands if youra startin a bird ping list.

[bigheadfred]

“Whaaaattt?!? Oh, yes, get the cage.”

Terrible to half to treat your daughter that way. But sometimes it's the only way to be sure.

[Impy]

Lists are for the birds, I just ping people off the top of my head. ;d