Voices for Animals of Western Pennsylvania

Tuesday, August 7, 2007
City Council Meeting: Vote on City Wildlife Contract
10:00 AM

City Council will vote Tuesday on transferring the task of killing wild animals trapped in the city to Triangle Pet. VFA is working towards getting the city to change its inhumane, antiquated wildlife policy to a nonlethal, humane program with an emphasis on public education and coexistence with wildlife. If the City is locked into a long-term contract with Triangle Pet, it will dramatically impact our efforts to introduce a humane wildlife policy. It is imperative to attend the City Council meeting Tuesday to speak up for Pittsburgh wildlife, show resistance to the contract, and stop the killing of thousands of healthy wild animals trapped in the city: 5th floor, City County Building, 414 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

In response to the slaughter of North Park geese, VFA volunteers gathered up trash and discarded fishing gear at North Park, knowing that fishing tackle doesn't just kill fish, but that it is also harmful and deadly to other animals living at the park, such as Canada geese and other birds. We found a huge amount of lead sinkers, hooks, and monofilament fishing line, and presented it (with the bags of trash also picked up) to the media just to show how much of a huge hazardous mess of it was collected in a short amount of time, and to point out to the public that North Park has a much bigger, serious, and more harmful problem on their hands than geese feces.

Following the clean up, the night was ended on a more solemn note with a candlelight vigil walk. Over 30 people turned up for the vigil in memoriam of the 272 geese who were killed. With a banner leading in front stating “RIP North Park Geese”, each person holding a candle followed behind in a slow procession around the lake.

Over 25 people came out to peacefully protest at Dan Onorato’s church to protest his order to have 272 Canada geese in North Park rounded up and killed. With signs proclaiming Hey Onorato! Thou Shall Not Kill and Hey Onorato! Thou Shall Not Bear False Witness, and a banner stating Stop The Killing-Let Canada Geese Live, we let Dan Onorato’s fellow parishioners know about his moral hypocrisy and his deceitful and highly unethical behavior.

Animals used in circuses live miserable lives of deprivation, confinement, and violent training. Voices For Animals protested against the abuse and exploitation of animals in the circus outside the opening night show of the Shrine Circus at the Mellon Arena downtown on March 30th. For more information on the cruelty inherent to using animals in circuses visit www.circuses.com

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