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Did Humane Groups Betray Pigeons with New PA Cruelty law? SHARK (Showing Animals Respect and Kindness) Says YES and is Outraged!

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Pennsylvania’s new anti-cruelty statute, “Libre’s Law”, was a victory (not huge, in my opinion) signed into law earlier this year.   Activists celebrated because PA’s  outdated animal abuse law was finally upgraded and made  stronger.   Not all are exuding joy over the new law.   SHARK (Showing Animals Kindness and Respect,)  whose initial reaction was one of excitement,  now has turned into horror.
 SHARK says an amendment was added to the law that gave an exemption for, “Shooting activities not otherwise prohibited under this subchapter.”  “It is an absolute outrage that pigeons were sacrificed in order to pass an anti-cruelty law,” states SHARK President Steve Hindi. “We know that the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) misled legislators by telling them that pigeon shoots were already legal and the exemption maintained the status quo. This is wrong – pigeon shoots were illegal and we were working hard on a strategy to end shoots when we the exemption became law.”
SHARK has released a new video exposing this exemption and the role both state and national humane groups and the NRA played in it.
A letter is being sent to all members of the PA legislature and Governor Tom Wolfe by SHARK asking all to take immediate action to pass legislation banning pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania.

Excerpt from letter::

It is our understanding that you had been informed that pigeon shoots were already legal and that the exemption language maintained the “status quo.” Please understand that this is 100% false. Pigeon shoots were illegal under pre-existing law. 

Any confusion about the legality of pigeon shoots come from a PA Supreme Court decision from 1891 when the laws were very different from today. We published a detailed report on this which you can read on the following link: http://www.sharkonline.org/images/handouts/whypigeonshootsareillegal.pdf
To summarize our report, pigeons were neither covered under game code regulations nor were they exempted from the cruelty statute. Therefore, as an un-exempted “animal” they were a protected species. 
To see complete letter, read  SHARK letter.
 SHARK has pledged to re-double their efforts to fight and outlaw pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania especially in light of this amendment.    SHARK East Coast Director, Stuart Chaifetz says” the exemption makes what they do infinitely harder,” but they will not stop protecting pigeons in the Keystone state since they are the only active, frontline group documenting shoots and rescuing birds.
“The blood we have on our hands is from rescuing wounded birds. The blood the so-called humane groups have on their hands is from selling out pigeons just so they could claim a victory and fundraise off of it.
 Why would the HSUS lie about the illegal pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania?   Please share your thoughts in the comments section.  
Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein is a television talk show host, speaker, writer and is an unabashed  animal advocate.   Her love for animals and quest for the hard truth is what drives her passion for all things animals.   She hosts the show,  ” A Close-Up Look at Animal Welfare Issues.”    She adores her once-abused tripawd, Brody.   If you’d like Tina to talk to your group or have a story, please email her at tevangelistaepp@yahoo.com.   Like https://www.facebook.com/ACloseUpLookAtAnimalWelfareIssues and check out AnimalWelfareIssues.com for all the tv shows, articles,  and podcasts you may have missed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

  1. So many people asking for money!!!!! Let’s roll out the wet dog shivering in a feces covered small cage. Help the humane society help these poor abused animals. Even though the humane society has no shelters of their own! They pawn these dogs off on other shelters to do the actual care. But send your hard earned money to us so Wayne P. Can live up to his lavish lifestyle. Don’t be a Sucker anymore!!! Give to your local shelters and do a walk through first. To see what the hell your giving your hard earned money to.

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  3. I don’t believe this crap ?. HSUS is well greased money making machine. Shine a ?On this phony “animal rights ” group for who they truly are.

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  4. The HSUS is so crooked. I wish animal activists would wake the hell up! They’ve screwed other activists when they claimed bills were their own when they knew they were going to pass. People worked hard on their bills and the HSUS comes in, takes charge of it but pretends they’re helping the ones who wrote it and then when it passes, they take all credit and forget about the original people. Selfish, self-centered group. Can’t stand them! Crooked, crooked, crooked! All they want is your money. Wayne Pacelle doesn’t think you should have a pet dog. He said it in an interview in the 90’s. That’s the real him. It’s just like PETA. They want dogs to roam free or they’ll glad kill them for you. That’s what they do with most of the dogs and cats that people drop off at their shelter. They’re not about helping animals. How could you give money to these “anything but animal welfare/rights” groups?

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  6. The HSUS is a sell out organization. They are the richest lobbying group. They’re not an anima welfare group. People keep sending money while they already have millions. SHARK does the dirty work and barely gets any money. Give your money to SHARK! Money well spent.

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