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The Animal Welfare Cause
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Loading...Bear Baying: Chaining Animals For Sport
Undercover video captured “bear baying,” a practice so cruel that animal advocates thought it had been outlawed since the 1800’s. Hunters in rural South Carolina are popularizing the activity.
Bear baying or “bear baiting” is the act of chaining a defenseless bear to a stake while a pack of dogs are released to attack the animal.
Bears are either declawed or have their claws filed down and are defanged or have their teeth pulled. Activists compare the “staged fights” to those in the Roman Colosseum.
The Associated Press released news about the resurgence of bear baying with undercover video shot at four separate events by the Humane Society of the United States. HSUS is using that video to pressure South Carolina’s Attorney General, Henry McMaster to outlaw the practice.
South Carolina is the only state that allows bear baying and animal fighting when it is used as a method of dog training. Hunters in the state say the practice helps prepare their dogs about what to do if they encounter a bear during hunting season.
But the videos filmed by HSUS show that more than training is going on at these events. Hunters have turned bear baying into a weekend sport with cash prizes and trophies. Events are attended by hundreds of spectators and the bear attacks go on relentlessly for hours.
What Happens At Modern Day Bear Baying Spectacles
The HSUS video shows an adult black bear tethered to a short chain which is attached to a wooden fence. The animal is enclosed in a chain linked pen.
A team of 3 hunting dogs are released into the pen where they lunge, swat, show teeth and sometimes bite the defenseless bear.
The goal is to make the bear stand up on its hind legs and the team that makes this happen in the shortest amount of time, wins the contest.
Hunters want a bear to stand upright because it makes the animal easier to shoot and kill when they are encountered in the wild.
However the bears used in the contest are not wild.
They are part of a small group of animals that came as part of a limited one time permit process in 2005 where 38 bears were released to private owners as pets or for small zoos.
These bears also came with an exception to the law that allowed them to be used in bear baying events, as long as there was no “repeated contact” between the animals.
The HSUS video shows clear violations to that clause as the bear suffers from bites and gashes in her effort to escape the teams of dogs. The events filmed went on for 4 hours while nearly 100 teams of hounds attacked the bear.
HSUS representatives expressed concern over the “psychological trauma” this imposed on the bear.
And to make matters even more depressing, the same kept showing up at each bear baying spectacle filmed by HSUS. Records show that her name is Mandy.
The HSUS blog said, “The bear…may endure this treatment every weekend throughout much of the year.”
Michael Markarian of HSUS said, “At least eight other animals are used for baying in the three counties where bear hunting is permitted.”
Attorney General McMaster issued a statement saying “he views the practice as illegal under the state’s animal cruelty law.” But State Rep. David Hiott of Pickens County, where bear baying is legal said, “It’s unlikely the Legislature will revisit a ban on bear baying.”
HSUS doesn’t plan on giving up. If they are unable to change the minds of lawmakers, the group plans to address the problem with wildlife managers. They hope to revoke all of the captive bear permits that were issued in 2005.
Click Here to sign the petition to stop bear baying in South Carolina and to watch the undercover video from HSUS.
Read more: animal welfare, bear abuse, bear baiting, bear baying, hunting dogs
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307 comments
+ add your ownThis is crazy, only nuts can practice cruelty like this
What´s that. They sould be send at the moment to the madhouse.
Why not really MEN can show their power to stop that mads.
That cannot be true how much maniacs are free.
Thanks
Tourism, all products, all shipments from North Carolina must be ban until legislation is created and approved to totally ban bear baying. Those doing these events must be imprisoned, not for two weeks but 10 years, they may never be allowed to own another animal and they must pay heavy fines. It is incomprehensible that such cruelties continue. Where are humans, these kinds of things are what create wars.
why not put one of those hunters in the place of the bear? he would see what it's like!
scumbags!
This is horrible abuse of an animal, but what about fox hunting in England?
I always thought it was a bit of overkill to have scores of hounds and riders run down a small, defenseless animal and kill it - sport??
I was shocked to read this; blood sports such as this are outlawed in the UK (where I live - thank God). Unlike other contributors (who I guess are US nationals) I see the US as one country, a country that I had always thought was beyond such acts of barbarity. To see that anypart of the US actually allows such things to continue stuns me.
You know, I expect this in the south. Men down there marry their own damn brothers, so why expect normal behavior from these inbreds! This country just keeps surprising me with the cruelty that is running rampant. The treatment of animals is disgraceful at best. Training dogs, my ass. Just another excuse for men to show their supposed superiority over another being. I don't understand why people have to be this way. Why do you have to prove your manhood by hurting and maiming animals? Do you treat your wives and children the same way? No respect for anything.
“As long as man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower livings beings, he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love.”—Pythagoras
This happens in Pakistan as well and it is a popular sport - but America ???? goodness and you call yourselves a first world country ? Isn't S.Carolina one of the states where many puppy mills thrive - what's wrong with them there ? I hope to goodness all you other Americans give them hell and lobby for a complete ban - I've never been to the Unuited States but it puts me off ever going to any Southern States.
This unacceptable practice should be ended. I am not necessarily against bear hunting, but I am certainly against removing an animal's teeth and/or claws, and I am against confining or restraining anything to allow dogs to harass it.
And what is wrong with the authorities and the good people of the region, stand up and make your voice heard. BOICOT any business which supports, this activity, either by hiring people who do it, owners by participating and if possible by supplying those who do. It is difficult, I know, especially since I am far away, but even a little, by a lot of people, will eventually do a lot.
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