Shoot To Kill?
A directive that allows Ferris police officers to shoot dangerous feral dogs is drawing criticism from animal welfare advocates. The policy handed down by City Manager David Chavez last week allows officers to use shotguns to kill the potentially violent dogs. As more owners dump their dogs or let them loose in the Ellis County town, the population increases and the threat becomes greater, said Mr. Chavez. "A lot of people come here in the country and let them go because for some reason they don't want to keep them any longer," he said. "They think they're doing something humane, but they forget these dogs don't have any food." Instead, they breed and form packs that roam the town for food.
Three cruelties for the price of one. First cruelty: shooting dogs with a shotgun. You kill birds with shotguns. You kill larger animals with a rifle, otherwise they might just be wounded and run off and die a slow miserable death. Second cruelty: letting a dog go to let it fend for itself in the wild. Third cruelty: letting feral dogs run loose. Feral dog packs are dangerous to other animals and people, and dogs can pass on rabies to people. There's got to be a better way, eh?
A directive that allows Ferris police officers to shoot dangerous feral dogs is drawing criticism from animal welfare advocates. The policy handed down by City Manager David Chavez last week allows officers to use shotguns to kill the potentially violent dogs. As more owners dump their dogs or let them loose in the Ellis County town, the population increases and the threat becomes greater, said Mr. Chavez. "A lot of people come here in the country and let them go because for some reason they don't want to keep them any longer," he said. "They think they're doing something humane, but they forget these dogs don't have any food." Instead, they breed and form packs that roam the town for food.
Three cruelties for the price of one. First cruelty: shooting dogs with a shotgun. You kill birds with shotguns. You kill larger animals with a rifle, otherwise they might just be wounded and run off and die a slow miserable death. Second cruelty: letting a dog go to let it fend for itself in the wild. Third cruelty: letting feral dogs run loose. Feral dog packs are dangerous to other animals and people, and dogs can pass on rabies to people. There's got to be a better way, eh?
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