# Innocent pets killed by LEO in Alabama



## Happyflowerlady (Apr 30, 2013)

I read this tonite , and it has just frosted me ! (I am not sure where to post this, so I am putting it here, in general discussion, but Mods feel free to move it, if it belongs somewhere else.)

Here is the story: a couple rescued two baby raccoons, here in Alabama, and were raising them until they were old enough to turn loose and live on their own. Apparently, it is illegal to do that where they live (or maybe all over Alabama),and the authorities came in with a search warrant, arrested the man, took the baby raccoons, and then KILLED the raccoons ! 
How can it be a crime to rescue a little animal and save its life, something that should be considered an honorable and right thing to do if you found an abandoned baby creature ?  
Raccoons have pretty well learned to live in and around towns, and it is not uncommon for a raccoon to be out in someone's yard at nite, prowling around and looking for dog or cat food, and they will even come and peer into the back screen door if the door is open; so it is not like they are one of the wild animals that would not be able to survive after captivity, like an animal that totally avoids human contact when possible.

To me, this is government misusing the powers that we have given it, and it is totally wrong. Wrong for the people who tried to help, and certainly wrong for the poor little raccoon babies that were killed.


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## SifuPhil (Apr 30, 2013)

Although I can empathize with the sadness of killing wildlife, especially when they're babies, I can also understand from a public safety perspective why this has to occur.

Is *this *the story you're referring to, or has there been another incident? If this is the story, then note how rabies comes into play - 20 people had to undergo rabies treatment. Note also that it IS an Alabama state law that you may not transport nor keep wild animals.

Or was it *this* story from Covington, where 2 "pet" raccoons, one of which was rabid, attacked a nine-month-old human baby?

See, the thing is that no matter how cute and cuddly a wild animal is - especially the babies - the fact remains that they're _still _wild animals. You can't just wish away or train away their natural instincts - they're _always_ going to revert to form. This has been found out by people that own exotics such as tigers and monkeys - you can go years with no problems and suddenly the jungle will come out in them.


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## rkunsaw (Apr 30, 2013)

It is illegal in Arkansas to release animals. Raccoons are the main cause in the decline of wild turkeys and ducks. We had three female ducks that were killed by racoons and their eggs were eaten. 

I've also had an entire corn crop wiped out in one night by a family of 'coons. 

They are cute but you've got to look at the whole picture. If you want cute get a puppy.

Besides that it's illegal to have them and we must put a stop to anything that is illegal. Are you listening President Obama?


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## TWHRider (Apr 30, 2013)

Having been raised on a dairy farm and still live on a "farmette", ditto everything above.

Even setting all that aside, unless a wild baby critter has actually been re-habbed to learn to live back in the wild, it's chances of survival amongst its own are slim and none.  It doesn't know how to defend itself against anything and would most likely end up dead anyway.

We had two horses and one mule die on the NW end my county from rabies, three years ago.  They all lived on separate farms, they all contracted rabies on their own farms as none of them had been taken off their properties. 

 How'd they do that?  Raccoon, opossum and rats love to visit barns and sometimes take up residence in them, using the horses' hay for a bed and a bathroom, and eating the grain drippings.  All a livestock has to do is inhale the saliva left behind by a rabid animal to contract the disease.  Watching livestock contract and die from rabies is a lot more tear-jerking and gut wrenching that when Old Yeller had rabies.

While I can really sympathize with your thoughts, I am very sorry but, I am on the side of humanely disposing of the little critters<----"humane" being the operative.

If you want to get on your soapbox about animal cruelty, get on your soapbox about this, and it's not a joke, it's not be "Photoshopped".  This is for real and all this big time trainer got was his hands slapped.  He's back in the news again.

http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2012/05/horse_soring_investigation_051712.html

I could tell stories that would make even the most hardcore, non-animal folks on this forum lose their lunch about these soring practices.  They are so well known in the horse world that oftentimes, I am looked at like I have three eyeballs because I own three Tennessee Walkers and people automatically assume if you own a Walking Horse, you are automatically a horse abuser.

These people are the one percenters of any venue, that will do anything for a win.  Money comes first, chest-pounding while holding up the trophy comes first behind the money - there's no such thing as second, where these types of "trainers" are concerned.


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## SifuPhil (Apr 30, 2013)

rkunsaw said:


> ... Besides that it's illegal to have them and *we must put a stop to anything that is illegal*. Are you listening President Obama?



I'm thinking of a specific instance where making something _legal_ would _solve_ many problems ...


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## That Guy (Apr 30, 2013)

I can understand the attraction to cute little baby animals and the outrage of government authority gone mad.  But, the control of raccoons is something we've discussed at length and they are a problem.  Not a good situation all around.

Yes, Phil, Legalize It!


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## SeaBreeze (Apr 30, 2013)

It's a sad story, even though I haven't read all the details.  It's true what others have said, that if you home a wild baby animal in need, they will not be able to survive in the wild.  They will likely keep returning to the home that rescued them, or someone elses home, and that may lead to attacks on children, other pets, etc.

If it were me, I would do my best to contact a wildlife rescue in my state, or a nearby state, and try to have them pick up the babies ASAP.  Places like that keep the animals in as natural of a habitat as possible, let them eat things that they would normally find in the wild, and limit the human contact aspect.  That is the only way that they can truly release these animals into the wilderness, and have them do well and survive.

I am an animal lover, but am completely against anyone keeping wild animals as pets, or even in their homes temporarily...the latter ususally leads to the former.


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## SeaBreeze (Apr 30, 2013)

That Guy said:


> Yes, Phil, Legalize It!



:iagree: ...there's enough REAL problems to solve, without making a problem from something that's not.


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## SifuPhil (Apr 30, 2013)

That Guy said:


> Yes, Phil, Legalize It!





SeaBreeze said:


> :iagree: ...there's enough REAL problems to solve, without making a problem from something that's not.



Glad to see I'm among like-minded souls! I might post a few things about seniors and The Demon Weed soon ...


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## Anne (Apr 30, 2013)

I'm with ya on legalizing it.....more damage has been done by alcohol than some other illegal substances, imo.

As for the raccoons, I don't see that the guy should have been arrested, but I can understand why one shouldn't take in wild animals.   Raccoons do carry rabies, and being in the country we have to watch for things like that.  I definitely wouldn't put food out for them, for sure.
They are cute, but so are wolves in a sense, but if you have livestock, you're not going to see 'cute' when they are killing your animals.


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## Ozarkgal (Apr 30, 2013)

Living in the middle of a forest gives one a whole different point of view on wildlife.  I love spotting the occasional animal, usually deer, coons, possum and wild turkeys.  I do not want them near my immediate living area, and do my best to discourage them. I would love to have chickens, ducks and have talked about getting guinea fowl to keep the insect and snake population down.  It is a catch-22 situation, as when you have these types of critters you are inviting predators and diseases and parasites they may carry into your living space.

There is a food chain and having domestic animals invites wild ones to prey upon them.  We have bob cats, coyotes, bear and mountain lions in our area, and I definitely do not want to provide them with easy pickings.   have the dogs and cats to worry enough about.


I don't know what the circumstances of the "rescue" of these baby coons was, but taking them in was not a good idea.  They would never successfully assimilate back into the wild, and they would not have a natural fear of humans.  They would not fit into either the domestic or wild life,  thus assuring them a bad end when they become nuisances.    

There is also a chance the mother was standing off watching the "rescue".  We had two babies last year that we spotted several times across the creek with no mother in sight, but she was likely in the brush watching their antics.

*TWH* ..I saw the video of the trainer beating and soring these Walkers when it first came out, when he was arrested.  When they were whipping the poor horse that was down and too sore to stand, if I had been there I guarantee the perps would have been too sore to get up either, for a very long time.  I wanted to throw up and cry at the same time.  However, as bad as it was, horrible abuse goes on every day in the high dollar training barns in every major horse  breed.  I could tell you horror stories of abuse in the Arabian barns and what goes on between midnight and 2:00 am, in the name of schooling on the show grounds, all for the sake of a blue ribbon.  

There is plenty of sorrow to go around for the abuse suffered for all species of animals at the hands of humans.


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## Knightofalbion (May 1, 2013)

Yes, if you find an 'abandoned' young bird or animal, it is best to leave them were they are and observe from a distance because they may not be abandoned at all - the parents may be in the vicinity, waiting for you to go. 

If after a period of time they are clearly abandoned then that's different. Taking the animal/bird to a registered animal sanctuary/animal rescue centre is probably the most sensible course of action (it certainly would have been in this case). 
Ringing for advice beforehand would be a good idea too, if practical at the time.


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## Knightofalbion (May 1, 2013)

Man and beasts: 

Everything has its place.

There's room for us all.


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## That Guy (May 1, 2013)

If you happen to see me lying on the ground helpless and hungry, please feel free to take me home and care for me.  I won't tell Johnny Law...


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## SifuPhil (May 1, 2013)

That Guy said:


> If you happen to see me lying on the ground helpless and hungry, please feel free to take me home and care for me.  I won't tell Johnny Law...



That's exactly how I met my fourth wife.

This morning my roomie made a comment about getting a collar for SnagglePuss so he could go outside, and I flipped out. I recounted that he isn't even fixed yet (as evidenced by the mournful howlings at all hours); that there are countless dogs wandering the neighborhood; and most importantly I said that he's going to end up with fleas and ticks at the very least, and die by misadventure at the worst.

I said he was a house-cat and HAS been since he first came here as a little bundle of fur - it wouldn't be smart to suddenly let him go feral.


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## Ozarkgal (May 1, 2013)

SifuPhil said:


> I said he was a house-cat and HAS been since he first came here as a little bundle of fur - it wouldn't be smart to suddenly let him go feral.



 Exactly right Phil. The little guy has no street smarts, and it's a jungle out there.


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## Happyflowerlady (May 2, 2013)

Well, ok, I read through all the posts, and also re-read the article, and thought about it a lot. Even though I don't like it, I know that all of you are right , but I also know that if I found a tiny animal like that, I would probably take it home and try to take care of it, anyway. It's just how I am. According to the second story I read about it, someone had shot the adult raccoon, and then found the babies under his front porch, and the other guy took them home to take care of them. It said there was no reason to think they had rabies, and they had not been around anyone else, or bitten anyone, but they were required  to be tested, and they kill them and take a brain sample to do the rabies test.

I am not a crusader, but I do not like to see any animal mistreated, or human, for that matter. And I have brought home my share of critters to feed, and rehome. 

Animals can be very destructive to gardens, and flowers, and our small livestock, or poultry, and I totally agree that wild animals do not belong around our houses, so I guess I needed to hear that from everyone, to get my balance back.


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## SifuPhil (May 2, 2013)

It's always an exquisitely painful process to balance out our native compassion with the needs of society. 

Some people, like OzarkGal, live in a place where probably no one will hassle them if they rescue a baby critter. Me, I live in an urban area under a very powerful microscope where everyone hangs out on their front porches from morning 'til night (read: unemployed, recovery, welfare families) and will know the moment you try to smuggle that little critter into your house, calling the cops and the shelters as they laugh.

Hearts and minds ... if they aren't balanced they're tearing each other apart.


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## That Guy (May 2, 2013)

It was definitely an over reaction by the "authorities".


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