Thursday, October 27, 2016

Petition I Regretfully Decline to Sign

In New Jersey, a bear hunt killed a disabled bear called Pedals. Pedals wasn't considered dangerous; his use of his forepaws was limited, he depended on humans for help, and although he was nobody's pet, people living near him considered him a gentle animal who shouldn't have been targeted by hunters.

I'm sorry to read that Pedals was shot. But I maintain: bears do not belong outside of sturdy cages or well isolated nature preserves. They can be gentle. They can be pets. They can also kill humans, pets, and livestock, and if they're allowed to infest human-populated areas most of them will.

So, no signature for this petition from this web site...although by sharing the petition I'm enabling those readers who feel differently to sign it. The position of this web site is that no bear should ever roam around a city, suburb, rural community, farm, or even an unfenced nature park.

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Petitioning New Jersey State Senate, New Jersey State House, Chris Christie

Pedals the Bear didn’t have to die -- End the Bear Hunt

Petition by Jackie Murtha
Hackettstown, New Jersey
37,801
Supporters
Pedals was a black bear that had adapted to having two injured front paws by walking upright. He was thriving and healthy. He was a beloved icon in New Jersey. He was never a threat or a nuisance. On the contrary, the sight of Pedals would fill people with awe, wonder and joy. NJ residents are heartbroken over his cruel demise at the hands of a bow hunter. It was the first such hunt in 4 decades -- We want it to be the last.
Pedals' killer should not be allowed to hunt bears any more. But we shouldn't stop there. The tragedy shows we should get rid of the hunt altogether in New Jersey. The New Jersey Legislature is considering ending the bear hunt, and we need your support to make sure they do.
Pedals was a gentle animal with a handicap that was cruelly and inhumanely killed. And Pedals wasn’t just a bear to the community, he was seen as a member of the community. So many feel strongly the hunter should never be able to hunt again after such an egregious act. Unfortunately, such cruelty is deemed legal by the state. That is why we must end the bear hunt in New Jersey.
Pedals is not a unique case. The black bears of New Jersey don’t need to be hunted down. They need to be protected. The only way to do that is to end the hunt.
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