Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Philadelphia Gun Club Fights Pigeon Shoot Citation
Gun club fights pigeon shoot citation
By: JAMES MCGINNIS
Bucks County Courier Times
March 28, 2009
A member of the historic Philadelphia Gun Club in Bensalem faces being fined for allegedly shooting pigeons on the banks of the Delaware River once again.
Just after the club opened, another member was found guilty of animal cruelty. That was 140 years ago.
The more recent citing came Wednesday, when township police summoned gun club president Leo Holt for alleged animal cruelty and violations of the township's anti-hunting ordinance. The total fine would be about $160, according to court records.
The Holt incident stems from an alleged pigeon shoot on March 14, police said. The attorney for the gun club, John VanLuvanee said the organization "has every right to do what they are doing.
"We are hopefully that the citations will be withdrawn by the township," he said.
The National Women's Humane Society said it alerted Bensalem officials to the pigeon hunting. The society said it received a tip that the club had quietly resumed pigeon shoots sometime last year.
Bensalem said it issued a cease-and-desist order against the shoots in 2002, after videos sent to the newspaper showed pigeon hunting apparently at the gun club off State Road.
VanLuvanee denied that any official cease-and-desist order had been issued. He also questioned whether the township had legal authority to shut down the pigeon shoots.
Township officials cite local and state laws against such hunts, but the gun club has argued that its organization predates all such legislation. Pigeon shooting is legal in Pennsylvania.
Chartered in 1877, the gun club guestbook contains the name of writer Ernest Hemmingway, according to group's Web site. "The clink of many glasses and the whiff of not a few Havanas [cigars] linger there too," the Web site said, noting that the club currently has about 60 members.
In 1890, a Bucks County judge ruled that gun club member A. Nelson Lewis was guilty of animal cruelty.
According to a Jan. 27, 1890, report in the New York Times, Lewis "fired with a gun upon certain pigeons, liberated from a trap, killing one and wounding another.
"The bird so wounded alighted upon a tree, and as soon as its wounded condition was discovered, it was killed," the report said. "The birds so killed were immediately sold for food, according to the rule and custom of said club."
The Pennsylvania Legislature is considering a ban on pigeon shoots. There were two attempts for a statewide ban in 1999, but both failed.
Holt's citations were filed at the office of District Judge Len Brown. No hearing has been scheduled.
James McGinnis can be reached at 215-949-3248 or jmcginnis@phillyBurbs.com.
Related article in the National Post.
By: JAMES MCGINNIS
Bucks County Courier Times
March 28, 2009
A member of the historic Philadelphia Gun Club in Bensalem faces being fined for allegedly shooting pigeons on the banks of the Delaware River once again.
Just after the club opened, another member was found guilty of animal cruelty. That was 140 years ago.
The more recent citing came Wednesday, when township police summoned gun club president Leo Holt for alleged animal cruelty and violations of the township's anti-hunting ordinance. The total fine would be about $160, according to court records.
The Holt incident stems from an alleged pigeon shoot on March 14, police said. The attorney for the gun club, John VanLuvanee said the organization "has every right to do what they are doing.
"We are hopefully that the citations will be withdrawn by the township," he said.
The National Women's Humane Society said it alerted Bensalem officials to the pigeon hunting. The society said it received a tip that the club had quietly resumed pigeon shoots sometime last year.
Bensalem said it issued a cease-and-desist order against the shoots in 2002, after videos sent to the newspaper showed pigeon hunting apparently at the gun club off State Road.
VanLuvanee denied that any official cease-and-desist order had been issued. He also questioned whether the township had legal authority to shut down the pigeon shoots.
Township officials cite local and state laws against such hunts, but the gun club has argued that its organization predates all such legislation. Pigeon shooting is legal in Pennsylvania.
Chartered in 1877, the gun club guestbook contains the name of writer Ernest Hemmingway, according to group's Web site. "The clink of many glasses and the whiff of not a few Havanas [cigars] linger there too," the Web site said, noting that the club currently has about 60 members.
In 1890, a Bucks County judge ruled that gun club member A. Nelson Lewis was guilty of animal cruelty.
According to a Jan. 27, 1890, report in the New York Times, Lewis "fired with a gun upon certain pigeons, liberated from a trap, killing one and wounding another.
"The bird so wounded alighted upon a tree, and as soon as its wounded condition was discovered, it was killed," the report said. "The birds so killed were immediately sold for food, according to the rule and custom of said club."
The Pennsylvania Legislature is considering a ban on pigeon shoots. There were two attempts for a statewide ban in 1999, but both failed.
Holt's citations were filed at the office of District Judge Len Brown. No hearing has been scheduled.
James McGinnis can be reached at 215-949-3248 or jmcginnis@phillyBurbs.com.
Related article in the National Post.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Pennsylvania Council of Churches Endorses Legislation to Ban Pigeon Shoots
The Pennsylvania Council of Churches endorsed HSUS- sponsored legislation to ban the use of trap-released or tethered animals for targets, which includes banning pigeon shoots in the Commonwealth.
The Council's director of public advocacy cited support for the bill based on its environment policy which states: "We believe creation belongs to God, and that we are called to act as stewards of creation on God's behalf. our stewardship makes us stakeholders. We envision a Commonwealth that honors the integrity of God's good creation and acknowledges our dependence upon and solidarity with creation." Read more about Pennsylvania's pigeon shoots from The HSUS Wildlife Abuse campaign.
The Council's director of public advocacy cited support for the bill based on its environment policy which states: "We believe creation belongs to God, and that we are called to act as stewards of creation on God's behalf. our stewardship makes us stakeholders. We envision a Commonwealth that honors the integrity of God's good creation and acknowledges our dependence upon and solidarity with creation." Read more about Pennsylvania's pigeon shoots from The HSUS Wildlife Abuse campaign.
Monday, March 23, 2009
PA Sen. Roy C. Afflerbach's: Optimistic Comments re Pigeon Shoots
We have received the following encouraging reply from Pennsylvania Sen. Roy C. Afflerbach in response to our recent email alert.
Dear Anna:
Thank you for this information concerning New York law. I will see that it is distributed to Pennsylvania legislators. As has been the case for the past two sessions, we are close to ending pigeon shoots is PA, but not quite there. We hope to pass a prohibition through the House of Representatives before the end of June.
Sen. Roy C. Afflerbach, Ret.
Email alert:
As you are aware, Pennsylvania is the last state that still shoots down pigeons as "sport". While the 2008 legislature did not pass legislation to ban this egregious form of animal cruelty, we hope a bill will be passed in 2009 that will end this inhumane practice.
In the meantime, pigeons are being baited, netted and trapped from NY streets and transported over state lines into Pennsylvania for the pigeon shoots. As you can see on the Pigeon Politics blog, Council Member Helen Sears has provided the statutes of law which may make the act of pigeon netting a felony crime. I suggest that everyone cross post the laws concerning pigeon netting to all animal message boards, blogs and websites so that everyone can be informed as to what the law is. If you see pigeons being netted, please make a note of all information such as license plates, make of cars, etc. and if possible take pictures of the criminals and their vehicle. Please pass this information on to your council member with a cop y of the law. We should not give up until Pennsylvania pigeon shoots are history and those who bait and net pigeons are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for their crimes.
NY State Agriculture & Markets Law Section 353 makes it a misdemeanor to torture or injure animals. Section 353-a makes this a felony if the circumstances demonstrate aggravated cruelty; and Section 362 makes it a misdemeanor to "throw, drop or place any substance that might wound, disable or injure any animal." NY State Environmental Conservation Law Section 11-1101 prohibits the netting of any wild bird.
Anna Dove
New York Bird Club
Dear Anna:
Thank you for this information concerning New York law. I will see that it is distributed to Pennsylvania legislators. As has been the case for the past two sessions, we are close to ending pigeon shoots is PA, but not quite there. We hope to pass a prohibition through the House of Representatives before the end of June.
Sen. Roy C. Afflerbach, Ret.
Email alert:
As you are aware, Pennsylvania is the last state that still shoots down pigeons as "sport". While the 2008 legislature did not pass legislation to ban this egregious form of animal cruelty, we hope a bill will be passed in 2009 that will end this inhumane practice.
In the meantime, pigeons are being baited, netted and trapped from NY streets and transported over state lines into Pennsylvania for the pigeon shoots. As you can see on the Pigeon Politics blog, Council Member Helen Sears has provided the statutes of law which may make the act of pigeon netting a felony crime. I suggest that everyone cross post the laws concerning pigeon netting to all animal message boards, blogs and websites so that everyone can be informed as to what the law is. If you see pigeons being netted, please make a note of all information such as license plates, make of cars, etc. and if possible take pictures of the criminals and their vehicle. Please pass this information on to your council member with a cop y of the law. We should not give up until Pennsylvania pigeon shoots are history and those who bait and net pigeons are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for their crimes.
NY State Agriculture & Markets Law Section 353 makes it a misdemeanor to torture or injure animals. Section 353-a makes this a felony if the circumstances demonstrate aggravated cruelty; and Section 362 makes it a misdemeanor to "throw, drop or place any substance that might wound, disable or injure any animal." NY State Environmental Conservation Law Section 11-1101 prohibits the netting of any wild bird.
Anna Dove
New York Bird Club
Saturday, March 21, 2009
NYC Pigeon Netting Laws
NY State Agriculture & Markets Law Section 353 makes it a misdemeanor to torture or injure animals. Section 353-a makes this a felony if the circumstances demonstrate aggravated cruelty; and Section 362 makes it a misdemeanor to "throw, drop or place any substance that might wound, disable or injure any animal." NY State Environmental Conservation Law Section 11-1101 prohibits the netting of any wild bird.
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