Bear Abuse Prevention Law Considered

The practice of bear baying, an activity where a defenseless defanged and declawed bear is chained while dogs bark and sometimes bite it, is coming under fire in South Carolina — the only state where it is still legal. It has been defended as training for dogs that will be used to hunt bears, but critics have countered that dogs hunting bears will bark when they encounter one naturally, and attack it without training.

Critics have also pointed out that during bear baying, the bears suffer and those who attend these secret gatherings view them as entertainment, not unlike cockfighting or dog fighting. In other words, saying bear baying is an educational experience really is just a lie to try justifying the cruel and unnecessary treatment of bears for entertainment.

A Humane Society of South Carolina representative said, “This is going on right in our back yard. We found out that people are coming from West Virginia, Ohio, Georgia and Tennessee to participate because they know they won’t get arrested.” (Source: Groupstates.com)

The bear baying meetings are organized by the National Plott Hound Association. Plott hounds are dogs bred just for hunting bears, and other large predators. They have a reputation for fearlessness and persistence that lasts for days when on the hunt. A witness who attended a bear baying event said, “Although he estimates that some 300 Plotts hurled themselves at a staked bear over the course of a day, the result was that ‘the bear got chewed on a bit, and the dogs got cuffed around.’” (Source: Slate.com) If hundreds of dogs in small groups are going after the bear in a bear baying, that means the defenseless bear is on a short chain or tether being barked at and bitten for hours at a time. The damage to the bear would not be limited to just being chewed up a bit. The bear obviously would be terrified and greatly stressed, especially because it can’t move away or defend itself, and would have some recognition of its inability to deal with hundreds of dogs coming at it.

Republican Senator Glen McConnell has proposed Senate Bill 253 to ban bear baying. The proposed legislation would also ban the keeping of bears as pets, which is clearly another hazard both to people and to the bears because large predators sometimes revert back to their wild behavior and attack people or people harass and attack the bear. Of course, keeping a large mobile animal in a small cage or chained in a backyard is also cruel. There are 21 bears kept as pets in backyard cages in the state.

New York was the first state to ban bear baying (sometimes also called baiting), having done so in 1856. An online petition to ban bear baying in South Carolina has been created.

Image Credit: KenThomas.us

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Sandy G.

2:29PM PDT on Aug 1, 2011

Unbelievable to me that this actually goes on here and even worse, is legal!!! Bear baiting is a long and treasured culture of certain Pakistani, Afghan and Muslim Indian groups. Wonder how these rednecks would feel knowing that they are in the same moral boat with people that they love to despise . . . for their religion!! As if the Christian God would be ok with the torture and abuse of any beings he put here to coexist with us on earth.

send a green star

Michele W.

9:56AM PDT on Jun 18, 2011

There is no way that bear baiting should still be happening! It is nothing more than cruelty, and such abuse should have been stopped long ago.

9:55AM PDT on Jun 18, 2011

9:54AM PDT on Jun 18, 2011

Gianna M.

1:38PM PDT on Jun 17, 2011

What is there to consider? It is not only a crime but if you look a bit into the lives of those who indulge in this barbarious activity yu will undoubtedly find abusers (wives, children, elderly) and other crimes.

Sonny H.

2:08AM PDT on Apr 6, 2011

Make abuse of animals a CRIME!

Yvonne S.

12:44PM PDT on Mar 29, 2011

I agree with Peggy Peters, and I can't for the life of me understand why there is any need to "consider" this law - it should be passed immediately.

Amelia C.

1:45PM PST on Feb 5, 2011

Tormenting, torturing, abusing... This is just wrong no matter how you look at it. It's archaic and it needs to be retired. Just because some 'good ol' boys' get their jollies by this does not mean you should LET them! You know it is abuse and it needs to stop.

Eternal G.

5:38PM PST on Jan 31, 2011

Considering??? Come on, this can be done better!