Sunday Discussion: Alabama Animal Rehabilitation Under Attack

By Nathan Young on October 13, 2013

As some of you may know, I am an avid animal lover. I have done my share of rescuing and taking care of animals who need the help. For example, I helped a possum get of the train tracks before the train came through. Yes, I grabbed it by the neck to get it off the tracks. I also rescued a dog in Ragland and took it to the animal shelter before a car hit and killed the dog. Here’s video of that!

Now, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is giving animal rehabilitators the evil stare look and are telling all people who take care of animals some horrible news. As of September 1st, the government department is no longer issuing permits for injured or orphaned foxes, skunks, bats, coyotes, opossums, raccoons or wild pigs. The department instead wants people to leave them where they are or bring them somewhere to be immediately euthanized. Yes they did say to kill those animals either with a bullet or at the hand of a veterinarian.

Keep in mind, Alabama has had a horrible history with animal welfare. Cockfighting is only punishable with a misdemeanor and some people still does it. And dog fighting is still going on in Alabama. Not too long ago, a major dog fighting ring was busted in Alabama. And raccoons don’t have a good fate in Alabama. Hunting associations can legally keep up to 10 raccoons in a cage to train coon hounds. And since the 1950s, the state has offered permits for an event called coon on the log.

So when I heard of this crazy news from the Alabama Government, I just shook my head. Are we wanting to make Alabama the animal laughing stock of America? The state already has a rotten history over animal welfare. And these rules are going to make things worse. And you say there is a overpopulation of these animals. But what about deer, dogs, or cats? There is a huge deer population. And there are dogs and cats that are roaming the streets. You want to put a bullet in them too?

Alabama has had this hunter-first mentality for a long time now. No, I am not against hunting. If people hunt the right way for deer, turkeys, or other wild animals. It’s a good way to balance the animal nature chain. But other animals have been hunted in Alabama. From roosters hunting and fighting each other in the ring, dogs hunting and fighting each other in a ring, to this new crazy rule to put in a bullet in certain injured animals. The people of Alabama needs to get over this hunter-first mentality and actually care for the abused and injured animals just like many people from other states. What will be next? Let’s kill all ages, all animals, because they might hurt the wonderful humans in Alabama. We need to show compassion for all of God’s creatures.

All this rule is going to do is drive animal rehabilitation underground, and that’s a bad thing. The less human interaction with a wild animal is a good thing. So when an average person finds an injured or orphaned animal, people will try to care for animals themselves, instead of taking them to trained rehabilitators, which could also increase the risks for spreading diseases. Wild animals who are injured or orphaned should be healed, then released back into the wild. Not killed with a bullet in their heads. So if I ever find an injured animal that the state of Alabama wants killed, sorry, I am going to make sure that animal gets to heal!

Sign petitions to overturn this rule at: http://www.change.org/petitions/alabama-department-of-conservation-and-natural-resources-stop-the-euthanization-of-orphaned-wildlife-in-alabama#

And: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/359/820/809/alabama-dont-ban-rehab-of-injured-and-orphaned-wildlife/