Urgent! Speak Out Against Cruel Blood Sport in Virginia

Wikimedia Commons

BACKGROUND | SOURCE PETA

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) is drafting new regulations pertaining to the cruel “penning” of foxes and coyotes in Virginia. Penning involves trapping and trucking wild foxes and coyotes long distances, only to throw them into fenced enclosures, where packs of frantic dogs are released upon them. The terrified wild animals are chased repeatedly over the course of several days and weeks. Those who grow weary are mauled—often torn apart limb by limb. Animals who manage to escape the pens can spread disease to local wildlife. VDGIF staff members will submit their recommendations to the Virginia Board of Game and Inland Fisheries on March 20. Your voice is desperately needed!

Graphic videos of penning can be found on the Internet. Click here to see an example.


WHOM TO CONTACT

Bob Duncan, Executive Director
Virginia Department of Inland Game and Fisheries
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/contact/directory/send-message/?id=1

David Whitehurst, Director
Bureau of Wildlife Resources Virginia Department of Inland Game and Fisheries http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/contact/directory/send-message/?id=2


Please also reach out to the members of the Virginia Board of Game and Inland Fisheries and politely ask them to vote against all regulations that perpetuate fox and coyote penning operations. And then forward this message widely! Please copy and paste these e-mail addresses for the Virginia Board of Game and Inland Fisheries into your “To” box:

congressional.district1@dgif.virginia.gov; congressional.district2@dgif.virginia.gov; congressional.district3@dgif.virginia.gov; congressional.district4@dgif.virginia.gov; congressional.district5@dgif.virginia.gov; congressional.district6@dgif.virginia.gov; congressional.district7@dgif.virginia.gov; congressional.district8@dgif.virginia.gov; congressional.district9@dgif.virginia.gov; brent.clarke@dgif.virginia.gov; congressional.district11@dgif.virginia.gov


SAMPLE LETTER

To Whom It Concerns,

Penning involves trapping and trucking wild foxes and coyotes long distances, only to throw them into fenced enclosures, where packs of frantic dogs are released upon them. The terrified wild animals are chased repeatedly over the course of several days and weeks. Those who grow weary are mauled—often torn apart limb by limb. Animals who manage to escape the pens can spread disease to local wildlife.

Indeed, a brutal blood sport in which trapped coyotes and foxes are hunted and ripped apart by often-times medicated hounds, coyote and fox penning are horrific reminders of sanctioned barbarism. Non-human animals, including many obtained through illegal animal trafficking and acquisition across state lines, are brutally trapped in painful manners and used as bait in vicious competitive hunting games. These games, pitting trapped fox and coyotes against hunting dogs, typically end in bloody brutality, the animals prohibited from escape and ripped apart by doped hounds.

Please recommend a full ban on fox and coyote penning operations. This barbaric activity causes extreme suffering, harms local ecosystems, and is enjoyed only by small group of hunters.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this urgent appeal.

NAME

bloodlust never seems to end,
sadly on this we can depend.
that so many humans can find
joy in being vicious,
you are the only species that is
malicious,
so time manunkind chooses to
rewire his DNA,
and make cruelty like this
go away!

signed,
dogs, foxes and coyotes
who think your penning
game is disgusting

Karen Lyons Kalmenson