A rescued pigeon retrieved from the Delaware River following last Saturday’s shoot-one of the few lucky ones.
Last Saturday (March 30th), yet another live pigeon shoot was held at the Philadelphia Gun Club located in Bensalem, PA. Not only was SHARK ,aka Showing Animals Respect and Kindness, participating in retrieving the wounded birds that fell into the Delaware River via boats but the Delaware RiverKeeper Network was also out in full force collecting evidence for a federal lawsuit they filed against the Gun Club last Friday.
The Delaware RiverKeeper Network filed a suit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of PA against this gun club alleging it “allows the discharge of pollutants into the Delaware River in violation of federal and state environmental laws.”An attorney for the gun club denied the allegations.
According to the Delaware RiverKeeper Network, the Philadelphia Gun Club allows the discharge of pollutants including, but not limited to, lead shot and fragments, steel shot and fragments composed of other metals, as well as the bodies of birds that are either killed or injured, and later subjected to drowning during the events. The Philadelphia Gun Club does not hold a National Pollution Discharge Elimination permit in violation of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act) and PA’s Clean Streams Law.
Maya Rossum, of the Delaware RiverKeeper Network, states “This is a case of illegal water pollution, pure and simple, but for many it is a moral issue over how we value and treat the health of our River and for how we are treating defenseless birds who are subjected to unspeakable cruelty as a result of the ongoing events.”
SHARK was able to rescue four wounded pigeons that had been abandoned on the river, says, Steve Hindi, president of the group. He continues to say they were taken to a veterinarian and are now in the care of a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
SHARK was able to retrieve 17 additional pigeons who were shot, fell into the river but unfortunately did not survive.