Glad to see that animal cruelty is finally a Federal crime.
However, the fresh legal protections will probably not prevent the continuing release of hounds to their deaths in known Wisconsin wolf activity areas because the new Federal law, as reported in Washington Post piece above, has exemptions for "recreational activities," including hunting, and other "animal management activities," as indicated in the above Washington Post story.
Needless to say, the hundreds of bear-chasing hounds that have been thrown into fatal jeopardy by their owners in recent decades did not find their violent deaths a matter of recreation or sound animal management.
Not to mention the damage regularly inflicted on wolf dens which nurture the highly-structured wolf packs - - that, in turn, help cull weak or sick deer and otherwise contribute to healthy forests, science has shown.
And additionally left in place: the stress on bears being harassed, chased and treed by packs of bear hounds running free during legal, bear-hunt 'training.'
Also see this updated WI DNR website, then the FAQ [Frequently Asked Questions] tab.
And while the dead hounds' Wisconsin owners get paid routinely and handsomely by the state (us) for their (dogs') trouble, it's worth asking again if this only-in-Wisconsin dead-hounds-for-cash plan is a matter of sound fiscal management, too:
However, the fresh legal protections will probably not prevent the continuing release of hounds to their deaths in known Wisconsin wolf activity areas because the new Federal law, as reported in Washington Post piece above, has exemptions for "recreational activities," including hunting, and other "animal management activities," as indicated in the above Washington Post story.
Needless to say, the hundreds of bear-chasing hounds that have been thrown into fatal jeopardy by their owners in recent decades did not find their violent deaths a matter of recreation or sound animal management.
Not to mention the damage regularly inflicted on wolf dens which nurture the highly-structured wolf packs - - that, in turn, help cull weak or sick deer and otherwise contribute to healthy forests, science has shown.
And additionally left in place: the stress on bears being harassed, chased and treed by packs of bear hounds running free during legal, bear-hunt 'training.'
Also see this updated WI DNR website, then the FAQ [Frequently Asked Questions] tab.
And while the dead hounds' Wisconsin owners get paid routinely and handsomely by the state (us) for their (dogs') trouble, it's worth asking again if this only-in-Wisconsin dead-hounds-for-cash plan is a matter of sound fiscal management, too:
2 more WI hounds thrown to wolves. Total DNR reimbursements to owners will exceed $800k
The number of hounds killed in this homegrown, state-sanctioned and subsidized fashion is well over 300, and counting, according to this DNR reimbursement chart - - with more wolf-dog encounters sure to kill more hounds because this year's bear hunting 'training' season runs through Aug. 31.
That's a lot of hunting dogs who had no say in the matter, and $800,000+ in public funds not available for public purposes.
And while the state encourages these fatal wolf-dog fights and pays off the hounders, dog-on-dog fighting statewide is a felony.
What kind of sick double standard is that?
Both of the most recent subsidized kills were Redbone hounds, perhaps like this one: