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Shooting Dogs in the Streets?

January 02, 2009, 6:53PM MT

By Jennifer S Hayes

Ferris, TX authorizes the use of shotguns to kill feral canines

Ferris, TX authorizes the use of shotguns to kill feral canines

If someone were to tell you that your local police department was given authorization to shoot dogs in town, undoubtedly you would question such actions, both for the lack of safety and compassion. However, that is what recently happened in Ferris, Texas, after City Manager David Chavez handed down a policy which would permit officers kill feral dogs utilizing shotguns.

Chavez claims that their town has become a dumping ground for unwanted pets. Approximately one stray dog is found daily, with many more feral dogs evading capture by the town’s one Animal Control Officer. The Ferris Police Chief, Frank Mooney, additionally noted that the policy was instituted for public safety.

Not surprisingly, animal welfare advocates are horrified at the city’s decision and encourage other humane methods such as trapping or punitive measure for those people found to be dumping animals.

Animal Connection of Texas board member, Niloofar Asgharian, spoke to the The Dallas Morning News on the topic. She had just returned from a town in Iran, where she met with the mayor about alternatives to the villagers shooting stray dogs. She finds it “unfathomable” that Ferris has authorized a population control method typically utilized only in “Third World countries.”

Fortunately, according to news reports they have not shot any dogs – yet. Let’s make sure it continues that way.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

? Contact Ferris City Manager David Chavez with humane options; such as live trapping of the stray dogs, public education on responsible pet guardianship, and the importance of spaying and neutering of companion animals.

David T Chavez
City Manager
100 Town Plaza
Ferris, TX 75125
Phone: 972-544-2110

If you live in the Ferris area, please consider attending the next City Council meeting (held the first and third Mondays of the month), to speak out against the new policy.

Date: Monday, January 5
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: City Hall
100 Town Plaza
Ferris, Texas

? Help give them the incentive to choose humane options by supporting their local shelter. If you are looking for a companion animal, please consider adopting from City of Ferris Animal Control.

For more information:
• Policy allows killing of wild dogs in N. Texas town
• Wild dog shooting policy in Ferris draws criticism
• New Policy Allows Ferris Cops To Shoot Feral Dogs

By Jennifer Hayes, Best Friends staff
Photo credit: taken by Jennifer Hayes

Comments

Posted January 05, 2009, 8:18PM by cambridgeratmom

This is Texas, but aren't we a more civilized nation than to shoot stray dogs on sight. I'm glad I don't live there.

Posted January 07, 2009, 12:19PM by Whitosu117

i agree with all of the comments that have been previously posted. I am a dog owner and an advocate for the life of all animals big and small. Although, It is very unfortunate that the state of Texas is getting a bad rep for this. I live in Texas and I can assure you that this is not the policy for all cities. I will be attending the next city council meeting to do my part to try and get this policy changed. Slaughtering dogs is definitly not okay no matter where you live. I just find that it is very unfortunate that the state as a whole is getting a bad rep for the very poor decision making of Ferris. Dont blame Texas, blame Ferris.

Posted January 06, 2009, 10:27AM by bear1

I pulled up the site too and got the same thing...zero adoptable dogs. Makes me want to take a road trip this weekend and see what is going on out there.

Posted January 06, 2009, 4:22PM by summerlomba

Gotta get this on the news. The quickest way to stop it. Some way we have to stop using labels like "feral". I can't count the number of times peope have said to me "it should be killed its just a feral cat". Even cat owners have said this. Let's drop the "F" word.

Posted January 05, 2009, 1:5AM by taffeydiane

THis is Outregous!!! Surely we have come further than the 1960`s, when as a little girl I witnessed grown men with rifles waiting until several stray dogs where released and then they where shot as they were running, confused and afraid. It was like a sport to the men, laughing and joking, but to a little girl of eleven it was devastaing. I will NEVER forget this. It was very tramatic and I as sure one of the reasons that I ( a ranchers daughter) has become a lover of animals and a staunch animal humane advocate. We have alot of work to do in Texas,we need to help these people understand that there are alternatives to this drastic step and that they have alot of people watching what they do and that there are consequences to (public humiliation)what they do.Let us with our voices make them aware!

Posted January 08, 2009, 7:18PM by mimi

Actually, I think it might be very helpful to blame Texas. Summerlomba suggested that putting pressure on Ferris through the news media would be helpful in getting Ferris to rethink their policy. I think putting pressure on them through the outrage of other Texans who don't want to be "painted with the same brush" would be helpful, too. Of course, other Texans aren't responsible for the cruelty of Ferris, but I bet they have more leverage there than those of us who live in Illinois or Florida or Connecticut.

Posted January 05, 2009, 3:14PM by mimi

Click on the "City of Ferris Animal Control" link and you go to their Petfinder page which shows NO adoptable dogs. None, zero. These are apparently people who would rather shoot dogs than give them even a chance at adoption. Nice going, Texas.

Could Best Friends just declare this situation "Hurricane Ferris" and send in the rapid response team to round up the dogs while the town imposes harsher penalties for future dumping? Yes, this might encourage other towns to adopt the same "shoot 'em down" policy in hopes of having BF come and clean up their problem, but at least it would help us put together a model program for addressing the same situation in other places. With the economy the way it is, this problem isn't going away any time soon. Those poor dogs are in at least as much danger as if they were surrounded by rising flood waters, through no fault of their own.

Read the "so what?" tone to some of the comments on the news story, and it's pretty scary.

Posted January 05, 2009, 1:3PM by bear1

This makes me SICK! I don't live really close to Ferris, but I am close enough that I might be able to get to a meeting if I arranged to get off work early.

I know that parts of TX can be so backwards, but this is just cruel.

Lisa

Posted January 04, 2009, 2:12PM by slipper75

Thanks for posting this story, Jennifer.I wish I could say something more but this story speaks for the people of TX., none of it good. When did we quiit caring about our animals? It makes me sad to see the lack ofcompassion in this world.

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