Outrage over female vet who shot feral cat

[Dragan N.]

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/vet-posts-pic-of-cat-she-killed-with-arrow/ar-AAbgjlA?ocid=iehp

This article showed up on my homepage and I even think I read a blurb about it on the local news. Now I maybe missing something here but I really don't understand what people are so outraged about and it shows how far removed some people and a lot of animal rights activists are from reality.

1. Feral cats can quickly become way overpopulated and are a serious threat to the native wildlife. They kill lots of wild birds and other small animals and are quite destructive to the environment. They are pests and any sound conservationist or person who cares about the environment as a whole would want them to be controlled.

2. If you go down through the comments section many people just flat out call for her to be killed. Very few people have actually stated their own personal experience with how problematic feral cats are and that they understand the need to kill them. The animal rights crowd typically responds that instead of killing them these feral cats should be neutered. So by this they admit that these animals are an overpopulated pest, which does not belong in this environment, or why else would you want to sterilize all of them? Secondly I also think it shows how a lot of these animal rights advocates are probably form rich families who really don't have an appreciation for money and what is financially feasible and what isn't. The cost of sterilizing feral cats would be enormous (hundreds of dollars per cat I would assume-as it would require a veterinarian, anaesthesia etc... in order to be humane by their criteria) and far more than what a bullet costs. Secondly neutering them only partially solves the problem as while they won't reproduce and create a new generation these sterile cats will still continue to kill birds and other native wildlife for the duration of their lives. So not only is it a lot more costly but their solution also only partially solves the problem.

3. Only a dozen people as per the article signed a petition supporting her and thousands joined a group that is attacking her and demanding justice for the feral cat. It really shows that people really don't understand what is best for the environment and have a poor understanding of nature.

Now I might be wrong but this is my .02 and how I see it. All right rant over lol.

 

[bluey]

ohh don't you know , its so much more civilised poisoning feral animals and letting them die slowly and painfully , than the quick death by a bullet or arrow.......

as for the comments s, last week my daughter commented on a lovelly giraffe that was posted on fagbook , and some conservationist ,pacifist whorebag , threatened to shoot her in the face , for not joining the hunting the hunters club

 

[BRICKBURN]

This should help the vets defense.

American Veterinary Medical Association Guidelines.

They even provide pictures.


"M3.5 GUNSHOT

A properly placed gunshot can cause immediate insensibility and a humane death. Under some con- ditions, a gunshot may be the only practical method

of euthanasia. Shooting should only be performed by highly skilled personnel trained in the use of firearms and only in jurisdictions that allow for legal firearm use. The safety of personnel, the public, and other ani- mals that are nearby should be considered. The proce- dure should be performed outdoors and in areas where public access is restricted.

In applying gunshot to the head as a method of euthanasia for captive animals, the firearm should be aimed so that the projectile enters the brain, causing instant loss of consciousness.166,335,342–345 This must take into account differences in brain position and skull conformation between species, as well as the energy re- quirement for penetration of the skull and sinus.332,343 Accurate targeting for a gunshot to the head in vari- ous species has been described.343,344,346 For wildlife and other freely roaming animals, the preferred target area should be the head. It may, however, not be possible or appropriate to target the head when killing is attempted from large distances (missed shots may result in jaw fractures or other nonfatal injuries) or when diagnos- tic samples of brain tissue are needed for diagnosis of diseases (eg, rabies, chronic wasting disease) important to public health. The appropriate firearm should be se- lected for the situation, with the goal being penetration and destruction of brain tissue without emergence from the contralateral side of the head.130,347 A gunshot to the heart or neck does not immediately render animals un- conscious, but may be required when it is not possible to meet the POE’s definition of euthanasia.348

M3.5.1 Basic Principles of Firearms

To determine whether a firearm or type of ammuni- tion is appropriate for euthanizing animals, some basic principles must be understood. The kinetic energy of an object increases as the speed and weight or mass of the object increase. In reference to firearms, the bullet’s kinetic energy (muzzle energy) is the energy of a bul- let as it leaves the end of the barrel when the firearm is discharged. Muzzle energy is frequently used as an indicator of a bullet’s destructive potential. The heavi- er the bullet and the greater its velocity, the higher its muzzle energy and capacity for destruction of objects in its path.

Muzzle energy (E) can be expressed as the mass of the bullet (M) times its velocity (V) squared, divided by 2.349 However, to accommodate units of measure com- monly used in the United States for civilian firearms, energy (E) is expressed in foot-pounds. This is calcu- lated by multiplication of the bullet’s weight (W) times its velocity in feet per second (V) squared, divided by 450,450. The International System of Units expresses muzzle energy in joules (J).

Representative ballistics data for various types of firearms are provided in Table 1. The muzzle energy of commercially available ammunition varies greatly. For example, the difference in muzzle energy gener- ated from a .357 Magnum handgun loaded with a 180 grain compared with a 110 grain bullet may differ by as much as 180 foot-pounds.349 Velocity has an even great- er impact on bullet energy than bullet mass. Selection of an appropriate bullet and firearm is critical to good performance when conducting euthanasia procedures."




https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Pages/Euthanasia-Guidelines.aspx

 

[bhedge]

Now I maybe missing something here

Yeah - clearly NOT feral.

It's the fourth sentence in the article, its right there, up the top. The picture in the article even shows a split screen with a family snap of the cat.
You guys bothered to write all this, without even bothering to read the article??? From the groomed state of the cat in the uncensored version of the original picture you can surmise that this wasn't a feral cat.

weird :/

 

[bluey]

unblock the photo of the girl holding up the bowshot feral cat ,so we can see this ........

 

[bhedge]

unblock the photo of the VET holding up the bowshot FAMILY cat ,so we can see this ........

FYI FTFY

I didn't block it dude, MSN did, Im not MSN. Just go to one of the many other newsites showing this. It's quite clearly a well kept family mog!

 

[bluey]

can you put up a post to these other sites, please ......

 

[bhedge]

can you put up a post to these other sites, please ......

REALLY? https://www.google.com/#q=kristen+lindsey&tbm=nws
There you go mate, that should bring up about 300 odd news sources reporting it.

 

[bluey]

thanks

 

[bhedge]

You know Bluey, I came to this website to see what this community's reaction might be to another current news-story. I won't go into that story here, since its not my style, I would not have made a post regarding it, I was merely here to "gauge the feeling of the room", as it were. You know, I try to see as many possible aspects to an issue/concern and not just the dogmatic knee-jerks that most of us fall back on.

However while here, I saw this post and felt I had to, indeed, sign up and make this correction for the OP and, more importantly, any other readers.
The OP and your subsequent post both pivot on this same misinformation, namely the cat was feral and therefore something which needing "controlling".

What's your opinion now you know this is probably a family pet? And by many accounts, this individual might even be that family's vet!

 

[bluey]

looking at the pictures ,that you so nicely supplied the links ,to
there is definately a question mark there , that these cats may be the same animal......
one of the stories al read said that the pet cat had been missing for a couple of weeks , id like to know how far the place where the girl shot her feral cat is away from the place where tiger ,called home ....
if this cat has been living off the land for a couple of weeks ,its groomed itself and catered to its own needs very well

but , coming from an area where there is lots of feral cats, I know how they affect the local native wildlife , and ive seen some of the prettiest ,and well groomed feral cats in our bush ,that you would think just came out of the cat door, but will scratch your eyes out if cornered.
if theres been a mistake , then the girl needs to stand up and say so ......
but on the same token , I don't believe she went out hunted her neighbors cat ......
no one would kill a tame cat ,then post it on fag book ,

 

[bhedge]

Yes, the internet certainly has several versions of the story, from it went missing 2 weeks ago, right up to last seen on Wednesday, apparently about the time of the killing. I suppose as the US wakes up and the media continues to get involved, we may find out more about this and get to the truth. And yeah, likewise, I don't know about the locations, since we don't know about any of it, but "apparently", they live on the same street.
That said, the question of the cat's nature is moot. In Texas, regardless of its ownership, an unwarranted killing of a cat or dog is a felony. There's simply no question mark in the eyes of the law. It's covered explicitly by the Texas Penal Code regarding cruelty to non-livestock animals and specifically names feral cats as well as stray dogs as both protected. It is incredibly cut and dried. As a vet, she will have known this.


As for people killing things and making posts on social media about it - THIS IS THE ISSUE... you know, I think if an ordinary joe had done this, it possibly wouldn't have gotten any time of day. Maybe a local news story but nothing more than that. If it hadn't happened, we would not be discussing it! In fact, you know, I know this is true... there was a local story about some "individual" around where I live who had done much the same around xmas just gone... it was dealt with, that's that... no media storm, just a local news story about some feckless, challenged cretin who did a crime, then literally got himself arrested and sent before the judge.

What makes THIS an internationally reaching news story, though is that this individual is a vet - I won't call her a girl - she spent 8 years in university to become a vet, she's in her 30's, she definitely ain't no girl. But also, as such pertinently, has sworn an oath to protect animals. This individual, through hubris, has (again regardless of the cat's nature) decided to put that oath and its profession behind her own vanity and ego. THAT is what makes people sickened and infuriated by this.

I think one thing everyone can agree about regardless of any of the minor details (because that is all these details are... ownership, location, all very minor - as stated in the Texas Penal code and mentioned above, the law is the law is the law is the law...) - posting this on social media is incredibly misjudged for anyone. Posting this on social media WHEN you are a vet is just beyond nuts???!!! She will be lucky to be able to ever use that 8 year long college diploma after this dies down, let alone keep ownership of the pets I suspect, as any vet does, she no doubt owns. Like I say, beyond nuts... utterly bizarre. If it's true, as some of the "internets" say that her parents actually own the practice that she has just been fired from, then she is also probably in the process of putting them out of business too... Brenham is only a small town and people do love their pets.

That said, the more I'm thinking about this story, I do start to wonder if she isn't merely desperately trying to justify her mistake and indeed, is maybe fronting it out in order to try to use "pest control" as an excuse.
However I'm also trying not to think too hard about the dodgy semantics in her post... "My first bow kill... lol." - it does make me wonder exactly how many other cats are roaming the streets of Brenham, Texas with arrows sticking out of the them???

 

[TokkieM]

We just had the opposite happen here in Sweden. Woman that runs a rehabilitation centre managed to find a grown Fox with a badly injured leg, took it to the Vet and paid to have the leg amputated and off course nurse him back to health and make him a resident at the rehab centre. Now Nature Conservation here in Sweden has charged her with breaking the hunting regulations and insist she should have shot it.

 

[bluey]

well I obviously havnt read all the news reports about this incident , like you have .
I only read a couple of them to satisfy your , first post .

if there was any feral cats running around any town anywhere , wounded ,with arrows sticking out of them it would be noticed ,and publicised , being an avid bowhunter , im well aware when any animals are seen and reported running around with arrows and bolts sticking out of them .

and you are right , the law is the law , and on here we are all legal and ethical, in our hunting practices.
if this girl has broken any laws or penal codes ,whether on purpose or not , once proven ,she will have to face the concerquences, of her actions.
even vets are allowed to hunt .......legally and ethically.....

and also lots of people that hunt ferals have pets, me and my family included.......
if this was someone else that is accussed of this incident , the law is still the law , and social media is and always will be social media , so im pretty sure that all the faceless henchmen and women hero folk would still be trying to lynch the accussed. Hell if they didn't have a direction to out source and release their own anger and pent up frustrations , of everyday life , they may well do something , that would put them on the receiving end of the other, haters in there own insecure hate groups.

 

[bhedge]

We just had the opposite happen here in Sweden. Woman that runs a rehabilitation centre managed to find a grown Fox with a badly injured leg, took it to the Vet and paid to have the leg amputated and off course nurse him back to health and make him a resident at the rehab centre. Now Nature Conservation here in Sweden has charged her with breaking the hunting regulations and insist she should have shot it.

That again, on the face of it, sounds fairly cut and dried... shouldn't the vet have advised appropriately and taken action as necessary... after all, the vet is the expert.

Knowingly taking money for a service such as this and then also putting the animal through that unnecessary trauma? Who are "Swedish Society for Nature Conservation" (I'm assuming) actually "charging"? And can they "charge" anyone? They seem to be a charity concerned with lobbying for the environment??? Not sure they are a legal authority as such?? They could maybe bring a civil case? Either way, a by-standing layman bringing a sick animal to a vet should never be prosecuted, it would be an appalling and ridiculous and potentially destructive precedent to set, I cant imagine any reasonable judge giving it more than a few seconds.... can you?

 

[bluey]

We just had the opposite happen here in Sweden. Woman that runs a rehabilitation centre managed to find a grown Fox with a badly injured leg, took it to the Vet and paid to have the leg amputated and off course nurse him back to health and make him a resident at the rehab centre. Now Nature Conservation here in Sweden has charged her with breaking the hunting regulations and insist she should have shot it.

that's what l would ve done .shot the feral, they don't deserve to suffer either ...

about a year ago a bloke that lives about 3 kms away from us ,had a horse break its front leg ,when it ,and his 6 other horses freak out in a thunder storm wiith some fairdinkum lightening strikes
and asked my son to come out and put the animal out of its misery ,
when he got there the fellas wife said no way and called the vet to come out and inject the animal .
when the vet got there he had alook at the horse , said to my son what firearm did you bring with you .
so kody got my 30.06 out of the ute , and vet shot the horse in the head , ending its suffering .
the wife was happy, the animal was not hurting any more , the farmer sold the carcass to the knackery . which almost covered half the vets bill for doing what kody would've done just as humanely but 3/4 of an hour sooner,for free.

 

[bluey]

what does FYI FTFY, mean ?

 

[TokkieM]

No idea bluey, but years ago you could get clobbered for saying stuff like that

 

[TokkieM]

The Swedish Department of Nature Conservation is a part of the government charged with laws and regulations regarding all matters Fauna & Flora in Sweden. They make the laws.
Years ago a hunter shot a cyclist by accident, guy was cycling in the hunting area, cyclist was killed and the hunter charged. Same year a guy shoots a wolf off his hunting dog, wolf dies guy phones the police and reports it. Also gets charged. Guy who shot the cyclist gets 5 years,guy who shot the wolf gets 10!!!

 

[bhedge]

well I obviously havnt read all the news reports about this incident , like you have .
I only read a couple of them to satisfy your , first post .

if there was any feral cats running around any town anywhere , wounded ,with arrows sticking out of them it would be noticed ,and publicised , being an avid bowhunter , im well aware when any animals are seen and reported running around with arrows and bolts sticking out of them .

and you are right , the law is the law , and on here we are all legal and ethical, in our hunting practices.
if this girl has broken any laws or penal codes ,whether on purpose or not , once proven ,she will have to face the concerquences, of her actions.
even vets are allowed to hunt .......legally and ethically.....

and also lots of people that hunt ferals have pets, me and my family included.......
if this was someone else that is accussed of this incident , the law is still the law , and social media is and always will be social media , so im pretty sure that all the faceless henchmen and women hero folk would still be trying to lynch the accussed. Hell if they didn't have a direction to out source and release their own anger and pent up frustrations , of everyday life , they may well do something , that would put them on the receiving end of the other, haters in there own insecure hate groups.

I didn't read all... don't be daft! I read enough (maybe 4? 5? the MSN one was prolly the 6th???) to be able to tell that the story isn't yet consistent enough to be able to make any clear judgment based on THOSE given details. But like I say, those details appear to be wholly irrelevant in the eyes of the law, on which we agree. I dunno man, whenever I make a post on a forum, I always try to be informed... like I said way back when in that first post to the OP and yourself... ITS IN THE 4th SENTENCE of the ORIGINAL POSTED LINK! The one you both commented on about being a feral cat, when the 4th sentence clearly says its not feral.

Hunting ferals is fine if your law permits that.... you might wanna check before posting any pics publically though
And yeah, I already know you don't do that, so don't worry... I'm being facetious!

As for this chip about faceless henchmen and women hero folk... dude, cmon, its the internet, we are all faceless. That said, I would hope the sincerity is obvious. We are all old enough and ugly enough to be able to spot it when we see it. You surely know and appreciate that a person in a position of power/authority abusing that position is one of the most hated and vilified things in society... whether it be murderous medics, corrupt police, greedy bankers, duplicitous politicians... etc, so on and so forth. So yeah, a vet doing this will ALWAYS receive a much stronger reaction than some "random". As I said, its not really the act in itself... its the breaking of the oath and the hubris that leads to this being posted and joked about. THATS THE ISSUE.

that's what l would ve done .

Again it's all about context. The "fellas wife" clearly felt she needed some other form of consent, than her husband or you... the outcome is the same, certainly for the horse, and maybe to you... but to HER, its slightly different... she maybe felt she wanted consent and I can understand that. Most often the human foibles around life and death of pets/charges isn't always about them, but about us and our relationships with them - hey, it's why a vet needs to be a trusted and trustworthy individual, yeah? That's a big responsibility, right?

what does FYI FTFY, mean ?

FYI = For Your Information
FTFY = Fixed That For You