Utah Lawmaker Curt Oda, Wants To Pass A Law To Kill Feral Animals

Clearfield Republican Rep. Curt Oda says that undomesticated animals shouldn’t be protected by a state ruling that makes animal cruelty a felony crime.

Under House Bill 210, the humane murder of feral animals, vermin and rodents would be free from from the animal cruelty law. Oda says that would include any technique that kills the animal with a small amount of suffering. He says that includes clubbing, shooting or cutting off the heads of some animals.

Undomesticated animals are typically domestic species that are wild, such as pigeons, cats or dogs. They can pose threats through disease and predation to other animal populations, Oda said. Murdering them rapidly is often the best method of control.

Oda said.” I want to defend people from getting in trouble for doing the right thing.”

No-kill methods, such as transfer or catch, neuter and release, are less resourceful and more costly, Oda said.

The bill exclusively allows “the humane shooting or slaughter of an animal if the person doing the execution or slaughter has a levelheaded belief that the animal is an undomesticated animal.” It does not state that only cops are permitted to execute the animals. Instead, any person of the public may slay an animal they consider to be undomesticated, Weather it be an undomesticated cat or simply a family pet who likes to hang around outdoors. And how is it humane or tolerable to club, shoot or cut the head off any animal, let alone a cat or dog?

Animal Advocacy Alliance of Utah’s director Anne Davis says that undomesticated animals are deliberately protected by the current law.
Davis says there is no humane way for people to take the life of undomesticated animals. To manage populations, the animals should be fixed.

Help try to stop this bill. It is not humane and it is not the answer to Utah’s feral animal problem. You can sign the petition at Change.org by following this link http://www.change.org/petitions/view/say_no_to_the_killing_of_feral_animals