SENT: Monday, 8/3/2009 TO: FISH & WIDLIFE COMMISSION - COMMISSIONERS SUBJECT: WILDLIFE (FOX) PENNING ISSUES FWC Commissioners: I am the son of a landowner living next to a permitted fox pen. For the past 18 months, our family has had to deal with the incessant barking of hunting dogs at all hours of the night. Some days, the dogs have been turned loose for over 24 hours at a time. When the pen originally opened up, there were over thirty (30) coyotes present in the 100-acre parcel. The dogs would be turned loose, unsupervised, and would immediately go to work tracking down the coyotes. On numerous occasions, our family contacted FWC to help rectify the situation. FWC acknowledged that the pen was not permitted, but to “sit tight” while an on-going investigation was being conducted. Well, that went on for many months. In December of 2008, we got to witness the killing of a coyote at the teeth of the dogs right up against our fence. For over 20 minutes, the dogs continued attacking the coyote until the hunters finally showed up (too late, of course). My sister, who also lives next to my mother, immediately called FWC to let them know of the situation. She was told by the officer to, “put up a privacy fence.” First off, that is not only rude, it is inconsiderate. We have posted pictures of this attack on our website, www.EndTheHunt.org. Since that time, we understand that an arrest has been made of the original pen owner. However, earlier this year Mr. Mike Howington, the new pen owner, was granted a fox pen permit under the stipulation of running foxes only. We have continued to witness coyotes in the pen every night and have yet to see a single fox. The dogs are being turned out numerous times a week for countless hours every day. We have contacted FWC about the situation and have received very little response. I have several questions for all the commissioners. First off, why is fox penning permitted? There is a very fine line between fox penning and dog fighting. In the wild, animals have a free roaming space and are not confined to a mere 100-acre, fenced-in parcel. Foxes do not form packs and claim territories as large as 19 square miles which equates to 12,160 acres. So, you are now confining a fox to 0.8% of the space it would normally occupy in the wild. On top of that, you congest their territory with several other foxes (and coyotes), further altering what would occur naturally. To add salt to the wound, you then sick large packs of domestic dogs on the foxes 24/7. So, can you explain how fox penning is different than organized dog fighting? The mission of FWC, as stated on your website, is: “Managing fish and wildlife resources for their long-term well-being and the benefit of people.” The key in your mission statement is “their long-term well-being”. Can you explain how allowing packs of hunting dogs chasing penned animals helps the animal’s “long-term well-being”? We would really like to work together with FWC on this issue, but, you all have proven, time and time again, to be more of a hindrance than a helping hand. Maybe FWC should rethink their mission statement to, “Managing fish and wildlife resources for the long-term well-being and benefit of people.” FWC would only have to change a few letters to be able to say that you are in compliance with your mission statement. Foxes main predator is man. Other animals that would prey on the foxes in the wild would be panthers, bobcats and wolves. Since there are essentially no wolves left in Florida and very few panthers, that leaves bobcats and humans. When foxes are taken by panthers or bobcats, it is for one reason, survival. Foxes that get pinned into corners and ripped apart by hunting dogs is downright cruel and serves absolutely no purpose. At least in the wild, the animals have a fighting chance. So, can you elaborate on how wildlife penning is not animal abuse? FWC simply does not have the resources (time and personnel) to properly manage this “sport”. Consistent inspections to insure adherence to penning regulations is a must. Since this cannot be done on a regular basis, the “hunters” (I use that term very loosely), can freely import prey and block the escape areas from the wildlife to insure a longer “hunt”. The wildlife trade of importing foxes and coyotes caught in other states is also a management nightmare for FWC. There is no way for your organization to properly regulate this industry. By allowing the “no cost” fox pen permits, FWC is ultimately responsible for the on-going wildlife abuse you are governed to protect. I must ask, have any of you ever participated or watched the packs of hunting dogs chase foxes or coyotes? I have some pictures on the website that show a coyote being penned into a corner by two hunting dogs. This was taken last year in this very pen. Can you tell me how the coyote was supposed to escape this corner? You can see by some of the photos that the dogs did not simply “pen” the coyote, they attacked and killed it. On the LINKS section of the website, there are a couple of great TV reports from Fox Atlanta that went behind the scenes of some fox pens. I encourage all of you to watch these videos. After doing so, I’d like you to ask yourselves, “How can this sport be justified?” and "Do I want to be associated with such a cruel and inhumane activity?" With the state budget as tight as it is, how can your organization continue to manage this “sport”, having to inspect the initial permit, conduct on-going inspections, handle complaints like ours and manage the illegal animal trade all for a “no cost” permit? With zero revenue dollars coming into the state, FWC is doing a lot of taxpayer-paid-for work to regulate an industry that fosters wildlife abuse; simply amazing. By the way, since this is considered a form of “hunting”, why do these “hunters” not have to have a hunting permit to “hunt” inside the pen? Our effort to outlaw fox penning is, by no means, an effort to outlaw hunting or guns. We certainly support many forms of hunting and definitely agree with the right to bear arms. We are singling out a “sport” that should never be confused with hunting. Public awareness is the key to get this “sport” outlawed. Through community outreach efforts such as the website, distributing descriptive information via social networking sites, editorials, and newspaper and television stories, we intend to expose this “sport” for what it is, wildlife abuse. We wish to work with FWC in a positive manner that allows for the public to decide on whether or not this “sport” is permitted in the state of Florida. We feel strongly that if the public were made aware of this activity that we could turn the tide in our favor and get this “sport” banished. As the old saying goes, “if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.” We sincerely hope that FWC will be part of the solution. ------ NO REPLY TO DATE ------