Fw: First Internet Hunting Death Fires Up Humane Society

[Guest guest]

Fw: First Internet Hunting Death Fires Up Humane

Society, ENS 3-10-05

 

 

 

-----Forwarded Message-----

 

First Internet Hunting Death Fires Up Humane

Society, ENS

3-10-05

 

First Internet Hunting Death Fires Up Humane Society

 

WASHINGTON, DC, March 10, 2005 (ENS) - Internet

hunting has fired its

first shot and claimed its first victim, but the

Humane Society of the

United States (HSUS) is not taking this news lying

down.

 

The organization is calling on state lawmakers and

Congress to ban the

remote slaughter..

 

The scheme operates like a computer game where a

person can point and

shoot a rifle via remote control, though the rifle is

real and so is the

killing of animals in what amounts to a video-

monitored canned hunt.

 

The desktop hunter pays several hundred dollars or

several thousand,

not including taxidermy and shipping of his trophy.

 

" What started as a depraved idea has apparently become

a sickening

reality, " said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The

HSUS. " This is a

snuff film scenario in which animals will be

senselessly killed for the

voyeuristic pleasure of someone sitting at a keyboard.

It is pay-per-view

slaughter. This remotely delivered cruelty should be

shut down and

outlawed immediately. "

 

Pacelle says that in addition to animal welfare

concerns, Internet

hunting raises important questions for public safety

and homeland security.

" With the recent news reports of terror suspects on

federal watch lists

having easy access to firearms, why would we make it

even easier for

these people to inflict their terror by experimenting

with the idea of

remote shooting with the aid of the Internet? "

 

According to the Fort Worth " Star-Telegram, " a San

Antonio hunter used

his home computer to fire a remote rifle and kill a

wild boar, becoming

the first online customer of a 220-acre Texas canned

hunt stocked with

captive exotic animals.

 

The Internet hunting site received nationwide

attention when the plan

was announced last November, but at the time the

remote system was not

yet operational for shooting live animals.

 

Since then, the Virginia legislature has passed the

first bill banning

Internet hunting (HB 2273 and SB 1083), which awaits

the Governor's

signature, and similar bills are pending in Alabama

(SB 302 and HB 557),

California (SB 1028), Hawaii (SB 1424), Maine (LD 50),

Michigan (HB

4465), New York (S 2822), Oregon (HB 2528, SB 389),

Tennessee (HB 1268, SB

1505, and SB 1895), Texas (HB 391), and West Virginia

(HB 2890).

 

The HSUS is pushing the introduction of bills in other

states, as well.

 

Texas is believed to be home to the most canned

hunting operations in

the United States. Clients pay large sums of money to

participate in

canned hunts, which take place in a confined area from

which the animal

cannot escape.

 

Most of the targets are non-indigenous animals,

including several

varieties of goats and sheep; numerous species of

Asian and African

antelope; deer, cattle, and swine; and bears, zebra,

and big cats.

 

The HSUS estimates there are more than 1,000 canned

hunting operations

in at least 25 states.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Fw: First Internet Hunting Death Fires Up Humane

Society, ENS 3-10-05

 

 

 

-----Forwarded Message-----

 

First Internet Hunting Death Fires Up Humane

Society, ENS

3-10-05

 

First Internet Hunting Death Fires Up Humane Society

 

WASHINGTON, DC, March 10, 2005 (ENS) - Internet

hunting has fired its

first shot and claimed its first victim, but the

Humane Society of the

United States (HSUS) is not taking this news lying

down.

 

The organization is calling on state lawmakers and

Congress to ban the

remote slaughter..

 

The scheme operates like a computer game where a

person can point and

shoot a rifle via remote control, though the rifle is

real and so is the

killing of animals in what amounts to a video-

monitored canned hunt.

 

The desktop hunter pays several hundred dollars or

several thousand,

not including taxidermy and shipping of his trophy.

 

" What started as a depraved idea has apparently become

a sickening

reality, " said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The

HSUS. " This is a

snuff film scenario in which animals will be

senselessly killed for the

voyeuristic pleasure of someone sitting at a keyboard.

It is pay-per-view

slaughter. This remotely delivered cruelty should be

shut down and

outlawed immediately. "

 

Pacelle says that in addition to animal welfare

concerns, Internet

hunting raises important questions for public safety

and homeland security.

" With the recent news reports of terror suspects on

federal watch lists

having easy access to firearms, why would we make it

even easier for

these people to inflict their terror by experimenting

with the idea of

remote shooting with the aid of the Internet? "

 

According to the Fort Worth " Star-Telegram, " a San

Antonio hunter used

his home computer to fire a remote rifle and kill a

wild boar, becoming

the first online customer of a 220-acre Texas canned

hunt stocked with

captive exotic animals.

 

The Internet hunting site received nationwide

attention when the plan

was announced last November, but at the time the

remote system was not

yet operational for shooting live animals.

 

Since then, the Virginia legislature has passed the

first bill banning

Internet hunting (HB 2273 and SB 1083), which awaits

the Governor's

signature, and similar bills are pending in Alabama

(SB 302 and HB 557),

California (SB 1028), Hawaii (SB 1424), Maine (LD 50),

Michigan (HB

4465), New York (S 2822), Oregon (HB 2528, SB 389),

Tennessee (HB 1268, SB

1505, and SB 1895), Texas (HB 391), and West Virginia

(HB 2890).

 

The HSUS is pushing the introduction of bills in other

states, as well.

 

Texas is believed to be home to the most canned

hunting operations in

the United States. Clients pay large sums of money to

participate in

canned hunts, which take place in a confined area from

which the animal

cannot escape.

 

Most of the targets are non-indigenous animals,

including several

varieties of goats and sheep; numerous species of

Asian and African

antelope; deer, cattle, and swine; and bears, zebra,

and big cats.

 

The HSUS estimates there are more than 1,000 canned

hunting operations

in at least 25 states.