Monday November 9, 2009, 10:20 pm
YOUR VOICE NEEDED!

On November 17th, the Indiana Natural Resources Commission will consider several formal petitions to prohibit the taking, killing and harassment of coyotes and red foxes for “penning” purposes and as live bait in the wild.

Current loopholes in Indiana’s wildlife regulations allow the capture and killing of coyotes and red foxes by dogs in the wild. Moreover, no rule or law exists prohibiting the trapping and selling of coyotes and foxes in state or across state lines to “penning” facilities where these wild canines are then used to “train” hunting dogs in “running pens;” this practice is allowed for five months of the year during the furbearer trapping season. Operators of the running pens often charge a fee for individuals to “train” their hunting dogs on the captive coyotes and foxes. This practice — commonly referred to as “’penning” — violates the concept of “fair chase” and runs counter to fundamental concepts of wildlife management.

Project Coyote and the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) strongly support a ban on these practices. We have garnered the support of many prominent scientists, wildlife biologists, veterinarians, and attorneys who have joined us in urging the Commission to ban these practices (see Project Coyote and AWI’s sign-on letter to the Commission). Moreover, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (INDNR) has acknowledged that there are ecological, ethical, and disease/health related issues associated with penning.

PLEASE VOICE YOUR SUPPORT FOR THESE PETITIONS! You do not need to be an Indiana resident to voice your opinion but you do need to clearly state your city, state, and country of residence for your comment to be officially considered (see INDNR’s rules about commenting). Please write a letter to the Commission urging them to support these formal petitions to move forward with the formal rulemaking process to prohibit the taking, killing and harassment of coyotes and red foxes for “penning” purposes and as live bait in the wild. LETTERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY NOVEMBER 17TH!

If you live in Indiana, please consider attending and testifying at the Commission hearing on November 17th where they will decide whether to move forward to preliminarily adopt these petitions and move forward with formal rulemaking procedures. We need a good showing at this hearing! Details:

Date: November 17
Time: 10am (EST)
Place: Fort Benjamin Harrison - The Garrison (Fort Harrison State Park) 6002 North Post Road., Indianapolis, Indiana
More info: www.in.gov./nrc/2354.htm

Letters should be addressed as follows:

Indiana Natural Resources Commission
Indiana Government Center North
100 N. Senate Ave., Rm. N501
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2200

Sent via email: jkane@nrc.in.gov

RE: Support for proposed rules to prohibit the taking, killing and harassment of coyotes and red foxes for “penning” purposes and as live bait in the wild

Dear Commission members:

As a concerned citizen who values wildlife, I strongly support the proposed rules to prohibit the taking, killing and harassment of coyotes and red foxes for “penning” purposes and as live bait in the wild. I strongly urge you to move forward with the formal rulemaking process to end these brutal practices.

POINTS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR LETTER (please personalize your letter and use your own words as this will have a much greater impact):


ETHICALLY INDEFENSIBLE: Capturing, transporting, marketing, and penning wild animals for dog training is inherently cruel and should be banned for this reason alone. Pitting domestic canines against their wild cousins is ethically indefensible. Legislators have had the wisdom to ban dog and cock-fighting – largely on ethical grounds – and “penning” parallels these abhorrent practices. Penned wild coyotes and foxes are often mutilated in a cruel and unconscionable way- as acknowledged by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

ECOLOGICALLY RECKLESS: Transporting and marketing wild coyotes and foxes for penning purposes is ecologically reckless. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources explicitly stated these concerns acknowledging that trade and transportation of wildlife is one of the primary contributors to disease transmission and historically has led to the spread of rabies and other diseases dangerous to wildlife, domestic animals and people.

COUNTER TO SOUND SCIENTIFIC WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT: Coyote and fox penning is not an effective method of coyote and fox control as acknowledged by numerous and prominent scientists and wildlife biologists. There is no scientific evidence to support the claim that penning operations somehow help reduce coyote/fox populations on a state-wide level or mitigate negative encounters with coyotes or foxes. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has acknowledged that there are ecological, ethical, and disease and health related issues associated with penning. Moreover, the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies passed a resolution in 2008 urging the adoption of state-by-state regulations prohibiting the importation or interstate movement of foxes and coyotes for the purpose of stocking coursing pens or for release and pursuit by hounds outside of coursing pens.
For these reasons, I urge you to support the proposed rules to prohibit the taking, killing and harassment of coyotes and red foxes for “penning” purposes and as live bait in the wild.

Thank you for your consideration of my comments. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
**FIRST & LAST NAME**
**FULL ADDRESS & COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE**

******************

Please also tell the Indiana tourist authority why this ecologically reckless and ethically indefensible practice will affect your plans to visit Indiana:

www.in.gov/visitindiana/contactUs.aspx

THANK YOU FOR WRITING AND MAKING YOUR VOICE HEARD! FEEL FREE TO FORWARD AND SHARE THIS ACTION ALERT WITH OTHERS!

To view video clips and photos of this practice see the following links (WARNING: disturbing and graphic content):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9c0KaLjKrI
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu1ImXnMbMc (filmed in Indiana)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MhNRwOtJNQ&feature=related
coyoteinfo.typepad.com
www.trainingnottorture.org
news.mync.com/site/news/video/6057/Fox_and_Coyote_Hunt_Ban
www.youtube.com/user/wildlifepenning
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNVMu8jSYD8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mom_wMCNshw
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gd94TA58Ag
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbb_nKIy_i4&feature=rec-LGOUT-exp_fresh+div-HM

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 12:02 am
Thanks for this story, Simone.

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 8:33 am
Done ,thanks Simone.

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 12:27 pm
All done, thanks Simone.

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 1:11 pm
Thanks Simone

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 6:19 pm
I put this on Twitter.

Wednesday November 11, 2009, 5:28 pm
Thank you, Simone!