READ OUR LATEST UPDATE ON THIS ACTION ALERT (4.22.10)!

READ OUR UPDATE ON THIS ACTION ALERT (3.05.10)!

ACTION ALERT

HELP BAN COYOTE & FOX PENNING IN INDIANA

YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED!

This past fall, we asked you to express your support of two citizen petitions before the Indiana Natural Resources Commission (INRC) that would disallow running pens in Indiana and stop the killing of foxes and coyotes by dogs. Your letters and efforts made a difference. The INRC responded by directing the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) to conduct a comprehensive review of hunting and trapping regulations as they pertain to coyotes and foxes- including the controversial practice of “penning.”

“Penning” involves the trapping, trading and selling of live coyotes and foxes to hound hunting training facilities. The captured wild canids are then released into pens and used to “train” hunting dogs. Considered “sport” – and legal in many states across the Southwest and Midwest – one coyote or fox may be pitted against packs of hound dogs who are released into the pens to pursue the wild animals- domestic canine pitted against wild canine. This practice parallels dog and cock-fighting – activities made illegal in all U.S. states in the last twenty years. Many penned coyotes and foxes are literally torn apart by the dog pack.

Project Coyote and the Animal Welfare Institute strongly condemn coyote/fox penning as both ethically indefensible and ecologically reckless and seek to ban this practice nationwide. Moreover, transporting wild animals for penning purposes has directly led to the spread of rabies and other diseases. See our letter to the INRC supporting a ban on this practice, signed by over 60 scientists/biologists, ethicists, veterinarians, and attorneys.

The IDNR will report on their findings and offer recommendations pertaining to citizen petitions and the overall practice of penning at their March 16, 2010 meeting. Your voice is needed again in support of these citizen petitions PRIOR TO MARCH 16TH!

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. PLEASE VOICE YOUR SUPPORT FOR THESE PETITIONS! You need not be an Indiana resident to voice your opinion, but you do need to clearly state your city, state, and country of residence for your comment to be officially considered. Please write a letter to the INRC urging them to support these formal petitions to move forward with the formal rulemaking process to prohibit the taking, killing and harassment of coyotes and red foxes for “penning” purposes and as live bait in the wild. LETTERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MARCH 16TH:

   Indiana Natural Resources Commission
   
Indiana Government Center North

   100 N. Senate Ave., Rm. N501
   
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2200
   
EMAIL: jkane@nrc.in.gov

2. Please also contact Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and urge him to direct the Indiana Natural Resources Commission to bring an end to this ecologically reckless and barbaric practice:

   Office of Governor Mitch Daniels

   200 W Washington St # 206
   
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2731
   
Email: mdaniels@gov.in.gov
   
Phone: 317-232-4567

   Or go to the Governor’s website:  www.in.gov/nrc  - on the home page, over on the right is a Public Comment that you can click on to submit online comments.

3. If you live in Indiana, please consider attending and testifying at the Commission hearing on March 16th in Indianapolis where they may decide whether to move forward to preliminarily adopt these petitions and take action with formal rulemaking procedures. We need a good showing at this hearing! Details:

   Date: March 16th

   Time: 9am CDT
   
Place: Fort Harrison State Park Inn - the Roosevelt Room, Indianapolis, Indiana 

   More info: www.in.gov./nrc/2354.htm