Following are 5 sample letters you can send to your state representative and senator in support of legislation to end live pigeon shoots. Please feel free to edit into your own words and thanks for your help!
Dear Representative XXXX,
As your constituent, I am asking you to please support all bills or amendments that will end live pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania. I would like to draw your attention to a recent poll in Pennsylvania about public attitudes to end this cruelty. I think you will agree that it is long past time to address these cruel contests.
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Dear Senator or Representative,
Live pigeon shoots are cruel, archaic contests that have no place in a civilized society, and recent polls show that the majority of Pennsylvanians oppose these cruel contests. Please do whatever you can to help pass a bill this year that will help end these cruel shoots. It is long past time to end this barbarism. Thank you and please let me know how you will be following up on this request.
Sincerely,
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Dear Representative XXXX.
I am writing to encourage you to help outlaw live pigeon shoots in our state. These shoots do not remotely resemble traditional hunting. The pigeons used have been captured, held in confinement, placed in tiny boxes, and then propelled into the air. These disoriented birds are then shot in competitions where gunners compete to see who can kill those most pigeons. Yet the same sport can be done with clay pigeons.
Many of the birds are not killed outright, but are wounded instead. The injured birds either fly onto neighboring properties and die a slow death, or they have their necks broken by staff hired by the shoot organizers.
What is the point of this? Why should this cruelty be allowed to continue in Pennsylvania? I hope you will support SB. 612 and also help get this bill get the vote it deserves.
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Dear Senator or Representative,
As your constituent, I am writing about a matter of concern to me and thousands of other Pennsylvanians. PA bill which has been introduced by Sen. Pat Browne, would ban live pigeon shoots. Pigeon shoots are a cruel and heartless bloodbath that have nothing to do with “sport” or “hunting.” The majority of Pennsylvanians abhor cruelty — yet it continues to this day because of a tiny minority of special interests.
If you are not familiar with live the shoots – you can view it first-hand here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfPHvSJLuPc
I am confident that after viewing this video, you will agree that this barbarism has no place in a civilized society. I deeply appreciate your attention to this very important matter, and look forward to your reply and working with you to end these cruel contests.
Sincerely,
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Dear Representative XXXX:
I was disturbed to recently learn about the horrific details of what takes place at live pigeon shoots. It is an embarrassment to our state and our legislators need to step in and stop this cruel practice.
As many as 1,000 pigeons are used during a one-day shoot. Many of the birds are shipped from out-of-state and must endure harsh travel conditions just to make it to the shoot alive. The surviving birds are released a mere 30 yards from shooters where the majority (70%) are only wounded and not killed outright. Some of the injured birds manage to make it to the nearest tree limb, but can suffer for days before dying; others fall to the ground where their heads are snipped off with garden shears, or, sometimes, tossed into trash bags to suffocate with the dead ones.
I fail to see how anyone, in particular a state legislator, could possibly support this activity. A bill to stop pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania long overdue.
Sincerely,
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Dear Senator or Representative,
A a society that sanctions events that causes animals to suffer and die needlessly, is a society that denies the inherent dignity of living creatures. Most hunters would argue that they hunt for food, not simply to kill for the fun of it. To say that we can do whatever we want with animals, just because we can, is to lack mercy, compassion and boundaries. Any civil society must draw lines on what is morally justifiable to do to animals and what is not. Using living creatures as nothing more that living targets in a contest seems a good place to draw that line. Please support Senator Browne’s bill to end live pigeon shoots.
Sincerely.
Humane PA 