July 3, 2014
Randy Santucci, president of the Pennsylvania Unified Athletic Association, poses a loaded question in editor for Chambersburg Public Opinion. What are the practical, substantive, social or economic benefits of not shooting pigeons, he asked? And along with his disdain for the “animal rights enthusiasts” among us, he also doubts the involvement of a Pennsylvania Housing Bill It is forbidden to eat dog meat. A bill that just seems irrelevant to someone who doesn’t keep up Current events in Pennsylvania.
Just like the issue of eating dogs and cats, the need to explicitly ban pigeon shooting has arisen because of people who treat pigeons inhumanely. cannot be held responsible under Pennsylvania’s existing statues of animal cruelty. What is that Revision tied to House Proposition 1750 is all about.
But cruelty and suffering aside, the ban on shooting pigeons has good substantive meaning, even for those who are bothered by pigeons. Santucci complains about the tax stress that poisoned pigeons create, and he offers pigeon buds as a better solution to deal with their population. In reality, however, organizing the shooting of live pigeons actually makes matters worse because the missed birds flee into the surrounding area. Even if only 2 out of 10 birds go away, 1000 shooting birds will still release 200 pigeons into a new environment. This exacerbated the “nuisance” faced by farmers, hurting Pennsylvania’s agricultural industry more than it helped it. In fact, these events are economically harmful to both the centrally-run cities that pay for the removal of pigeons and the Pennsylvania landowners who unknowingly receive new birds later. when a local shooting takes place.
And since Santucci brought it up, poisoned pigeons didn’t reduce their numbers, it encouraged their breeding cycle. Pigeons breed according to the food supply, so killing a flock merely creates an opportunity for more birds to come and take their place. Communities trying to control pigeons through killing efforts only make it more profitable for pest control companies, since they have to come back to kill again once populations return. If Santucci really cared about taxes, he would encourage municipalities to consider more effective methods of limiting pigeon populations. Basel, Switzerland, building pigeonholesallowed officials to limit food supplies and eliminate eggs, halving the population in more than 2 years. Paris begins to install pigeon lofts throughout the city in 2008 as a measure to reduce the amount of pigeon droppings that damage buildings and monuments
And here’s another fact — despite the moniker “winged rat,” learn have shown that pigeons play a minimal role in the spread of diseases such as HPAI. Pigeons play such an insignificant role that Pennsylvania Game Commission and New York State Department of Health does not require reporting or rescuing dead pigeons and testing for influenza.I have submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention an investigation into whether pigeons or pigeon droppings pose a health hazard to the average person. They responded on June 30, saying that “normal contact with pigeons or their droppings (infrequently) with healthy individuals poses little risk.” Instead, the risk of disease from pigeons largely depends on factors such as the person’s immune status, the volume of droppings they are exposed to, and the ventilation of the environment where they encounter the droppings. So the reality is, the “disease-carrying aspects” of pigeons are largely overplayed.
But I think perhaps even more than the practical, substantive and economic benefits of NOT shooting pigeons, are the implications for American society. Especially with the 4th of July looming, treating these birds humanely and allowing them to live is a great way to honor thousands of pigeons have served in the US Army and saved Allied troops during World War II. Pigeons defy Nazi bullets to protect the American armed forces in the line of duty; Wouldn’t we be a better society if Pennsylvania banned shooting them as live targets?
