OLYMPIA — Gov. Chris Gregoire has signed a bill expanding the use of dogs in cougar hunts.
Under the measure, a pilot program allowing cougar hunts with dogs is extended another three years, on top of the four years it has been in place. The bill also allows all counties to join the program, instead of just the five currently enrolled.
Gregoire says the measure addresses safety threats that cougars pose to people and livestock.
Animal-rights activists contend using dogs is cruel and unfair, and that the big cats’ population is declining.
Voters banned the practice in 1996, by passing Initiative 655. [here]
March 14, 2008 | Topic: Latest Wildlife News
March 14th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Conservationists are concerned that this bill will give the public a false sense of security. There is no evidence that the random killing of mountain lions increases public safety. As a matter of fact, some researchers state that the random killing of mountain lions does nothing to improve public safety or to decrease depredation. Read the report at www.pumaconservation.org for more information.
March 14th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
PumaConservation.org is a project sponsored by the Mountain Lion Foundation here:
http://www.mountainlion.org/index1.asp
The Mountain Lion Foundation Board of Directors is here:
http://www.mountainlion.org/board.asp
The the Mountain Lion Foundation Board of Directors include Merrill Lynch Inc. employees, a former Program Director of National Issues, Defenders of Wildlife, a former pro-bono counsel for Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, the current Director of Environmental Law, Sierra Club, a former Chief of Staff for Democratic Leader of the California State Assembly, a recipient of several “Man of the Year” awards, and the President of the Conservation Endowment Fund who is also a Board Member of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).
Someone named Karen Cotton is “Director of Outreach.”
We provide this information in order to be usefully informative.