It's a freaking zoo here!

[take4roll10]

I love pigeons too with their silly walks and huge range of colours. I rescued one the other day - oh dear, I am daft

In NY, they are considered "rats with wings".

 

[SheepOfBlue]

...
If I chose to live in the country/rural area and saw what could possibly be a rabid animal, my children and pets would be taken inside and I would call a HUMANE wild animal trapper. There are humane ways to trap or kill an animal that is rabid or dangerous besides just shooting it!
...

You do know that if they trap a wild animal suspected of rabies the next thing is to kill it right

Oh and I still don't buy the raccoon was rabid. I have seen plenty of them during the day. Sure they are less common but they certainly come out (more so if they think they can beg, like in a park). The dude was just shagging a free meal of great food at Tux's expense.

 

[labgirl]

I love pigeons too with their silly walks and huge range of colours. I rescued one the other day - oh dear, I am daft
In NY, they are considered "rats with wings".

Oh we call them that here too. But I can't help loving them. We had one in the garden which had a poorly leg. I nicknamed it Limpy and watched out for it everyday.

I also adore seagulls because they are so 'in yer face'

 

[Fergusmom]

I also adore seagulls because they are so 'in yer face'

I don't think you would find them so adorable if you lived here. We are right on Lake Michigan and have a beautiful park. Some days you can't even have lunch there. The darn things will take your sandwich right out of you hands and food from the table if you're not careful.

 

[Smudge]

I don't think you would find them so adorable if you lived here. We are right on Lake Michigan and have a beautiful park. Some days you can't even have lunch there. The darn things will take your sandwich right out of you hands and food from the table if you're not careful.

So will seagulls. Don't even turn your head for a second or it won't be there when you turn around!

 

[Toffee's Mom]

I think common sense needs to be used. Would you really risk the health of a group of children (and MY pets) over one animal? Because that is what this post was about, although one or two people keep trying to stir it in another direction. If it had shown no signs of being rabid at all everybody would have left it alone. We live in Arkansas. If you can't handle wildlife here then you have two options - adjust or get the heck out.

It's a very PETA like argument when you begin to put the welfare of a rabid animal over the safety and well being over a group of children and people's pets.


Somebody had to kill the raw food you feed your dog. How is that any more destructive to send animals to a slaughterhouse than a neighbor killing a rabid raccoon so his children and the neighborhood pets would not get sick?


And, no, DON'T start on gun control, because that is off topic as well.

no, no, no... I didn't mean that I didn't understand your concern... Mayeb it didn't come across right, plus I imagine you know me well enough for now about joking about things like gun control!?

I AM surprised, because your reaction to Mr Moon is so different from any of my experiences in life and how I was brought up, etc. I seriously have NEVER heard anybody say they "were going to grab their shotgun" in my life. It's a bit of a shock to the sytem for people like myself? Same as when people talk about Pepper Spray on here, it shocks me because it is a completely foreign concept, to me... is all...

I grew up in Europe in the countryside... and there were no guns to grab, no wildlife to shoot (except only the very,very wealthy even hunt... its quite the privilege there)

So you saying that just struck my funny bone, and that we are a VERY diverse group of people with different mindsets , mentalities and experiences, and it IS GOOD! It should foster understanding and be celebrated... by no means was I throwing a PETA thing at you, and I hope I did not hurt your feelings...

 

[k9kreationz]

Oh man. So what was Smudge doing? Trying to get some free food too? And I'm assuming Tux is a cat? I hope it is.

I have had an encounter with a juvenile coyote. Scared me enough to never want to go running again (I live in the city, we rarely see wild animals, but I guess I moved close enough to "reserves" that they are there).
My hubby had an encounter with a bobcat, thankfully, it ran away.

I honestly would not know what to do in this case. Shooting would definitely be illegal. Especially since all I have is a 9mm. LOL.

Keep your pups safe, at least fluffy is smart to hide indoors, in her crate!

 

[Smudge]

Oh man. So what was Smudge doing? Trying to get some free food too? And I'm assuming Tux is a cat? I hope it is.

Tux is the neighbor's cat, which is why I don't understand why my mom was feeding him.

People who have never lived on a farm or who live in larger cities do not understand. We do not shoot everything that moves here, but there are times when you must use common sense and consider all the options. Some people may disagree (and that is your right and your own opinion), but I believe our neighbor made the right call.

In Arkansas we also have, as I am sure many people know, razorbacks. It is where we get the name for our football team. This last spring the massive amount of rain destroyed the razorbacks natural home. So now they are looking for a new home. Razorbacks are wild boar with very large, sturdy tusks when they are grown. These tusks can destroy a vehicle. In the local paper they have reported of where these razorbacks have destroyed cemetaries, and wiped out a farmer's rather large corn field. These razorbacks have been spotted where my grandmother lives. People are worried that since the rain waters have flooded their home in the spring that they are going to move into rural farms and rual homes - and they are.

How would you feel if this was in your yard one morning?
http://media.photobucket.com/image/arkansas razorback/mynana2009/tusk.jpg?o=40

 

[MisfitBrian]

So will seagulls. Don't even turn your head for a second or it won't be there when you turn around!

We even have seagulls here around Dallas. They stick around the landfills & such. But the Grackles are the worst! Those evil eyes & horrible racket they make is the worst. Luckily Max & Fred are tremondous bird chasers. Fred even found a grass snake yesterday morning. I hoisted it over the fence.

 

[Smudge]

We even have seagulls here around Dallas. They stick around the landfills & such. But the Grackles are the worst! Those evil eyes & horrible racket they make is the worst. Luckily Max & Fred are tremondous bird chasers. Fred even found a grass snake yesterday morning. I hoisted it over the fence.

We don't have seagulls here, but they had them in San Antonio and Padre Island when we went. I'm serious - you have to watch those things! They are very creepy!