Victory! We are all thankful this hunt has been cancelled.
If anyone would like to foster any of these abandoned domestic rabbits, Rabbit Advocates can catch them and spay or neuter them and help with placing them into a loving home. Please sign up at www.rabbitadvocates.org - Washington State.
I WOULD LIKE TO CLEAR UP ANY QUESTIONS OR MISUNDERSTANDINGS.
Despite hearsay being circulated; the KATU News Story was not a fake story. Due to valid complaints; there was an investigation with Animal Services and Fish and Wildlife who were looking into whether the hunt was legal. It is not legal to hunt and kill domestic animals.
This petition was posted on facts from news interviews with the Cimarron HOA President, the neighbors and also confirmed with a letter copy from the HOA sent to all neighbors about keeping their pets indoors on the 22nd for the scheduled hunt, that letter included the Falconer’s information. It was very clear in the KATU news video dated 9/13/2019 that the rabbits were domestic.
After the letter was sent to neighbors to keep their pets indoors the day of the kill there were no updates in the news or from the HOA President about cancelling the scheduled kill. It is the responsibility of news investigators to update articles if the facts change. Further, it was the responsibility of the Falconer to have ensured the rabbits were not domestic before committing to hunt and kill them and his responsibility to have made a personal press release immediately on his own if the event was cancelled to alert the public.
9/17/2019 Animal Services Manager Susan Anderson and I discussed the animal cruelty laws and she confirmed there were no laws that allowed domestic animals to be hunted and Police will be in the area. Susan Anderson confirmed Fish and Game were called in and an investigation was ongoing to "determine if the hunt was legal. Ms. Anderson stated Animal Control Services was notified by Falconer John Prucich the hunt was cancelled on the evening of the 16th, 2019.
The Falconer’s Facebook page posted a statement the following day on Sept 17th, 5 days before the scheduled killing of abandoned pet domestic rabbits. At that time I contacted the page and (John Prucich) with questions and asked for a credible statement directly from him to post the cancellation update; because it is my responsibility.
It is a shame if there was miscommunication between the News, HOA President and the Falconer to the public. At no time was this petition out of line and the truth and the facts were presented and credible. Moreover, it is against the law to hunt and kill domestic animals and why Animal Control and whomever necessary were contacted to file complaints.
It is because of your continued support, along with phone calls, emails and sharing, combined with my complaints to the authorities that we can continue to keep making a difference for the animals that have no voice.
The focus now needs to be on the rescue of the abandoned rabbits that are becoming a nuisance to the HOA, they deserve to be rescued, given Vet treatment and a forever home.
You are reading update 3
Original petition here- Read the news article and interviews with the HOA and neighbors.
Update 1 here- Letter HOA sent out warning owners to keep their pets inside the day of the hunt.
Update 2 here- Cancellation statement from John Prucich.
John Prucich stated (to several rabbit advocates) his birds would not go after domestic rabbits because they look "weird", in my opinion that is a blatant lie and factually untrue. However; at the same time he instructed the HOA/neighbors to keep all pets indoors during the scheduled hunt to kill rabbits.
As of 9/20/2019 Currently, John Prucich has removed all questions comments from rabbit rescues and has blocked us from his Facebook page.
For The Rabbits,
Linda Sue