A couple days ago, I was contacted by a resident on Lake Doster in Plainwell, Michigan. They were very upset, shocked, and angry, because, on Friday, 04/26/24, while they sat, ate breakfast, and watched the swans as they do most days, the two docile mute swans on the lake were shot and killed right in front of her.
The first swan was run over by the killer's speedboat and then shot 2 to 3 times. There is no video of this one because the resident couldn't believe what was happening. The video of the second swan is below. It may be hard for some to watch, but it is important that it gets shared for all to see.
This is a private lake with an association. Despite the resident's previous communications with the HOA Board notifying them that there must be a vote by the members to remove or kill swans , they refused to discuss the matter. They also did not notify the members that the killing was happening, creating a dangerous situation in which one member was on his dock only feet from the shootings.
He was shocked and horrified. They are upset that they were never given a vote on this, as required by the DNR. The swans had never attacked a person or an animal. This HOA Board of Cowards has done everything Illegal with these swan killings. They gave their residents no vote or even any discussion on the matter. According to the DNR protocol, they have to have 70% of the lakefront homeowners signatures before any killing or removal of birds can occur. So, they had to have misled the DNR in order to get their permit. I know for a fact that the DNR does not verify permits. They believe what the applicant states on their permit application is true and correct. The DNR needs to be held accountable as well. They should not be approving applications for permits without checking to make sure they are legit, especially when it involves killing our wildlife.
The HOA members, by law, should have been notified a couple weeks in advance that someone would be using a firearm to kill swans on the lake.
Alledgedly, Mr. Giffels, who is in charge of the HOA, received the permit from the DNR, and has put the residents on Lake Doster in danger by allowing these people with guns to come on the lake and shoot the swans from their boat at a pretty good rate of speed. The members still do not know who did the killing. Mr. Giffels and the HOA board never gave their fellow HOA members any warning that these people with guns were going to be shooting the swans on the lake.
If Mr. Giffels is responsible for the permit to shoot these swans, he should be prosecuted the full extent of the law, for misleading the DNR, for animal cruelty for killing this non-combative pair of swans for no good reason, for the emotional well being of the lives of his fellow HOA members who witnessed these horrific swan killings, and for jeopardizing the lives of the people who could have very easily been hit by a bullet or bullet fragment while out on their dock or elsewhere on their property.
These "Good Ole Boys" who get on these HOA boards and think they can do whatever they want without any repercussion are sadly mistaken, especially when they are putting humans lives at risk and are killing animals unjustly. The DNR Mute Swan "Management" Plan and HOA laws in Michigan for sure need to be seriously reviewed in our state.
HOPEFULLY THIS IS THE LINK FOR THE VIDEO. WARNING : IT MAY BE HARD FOR SOME TO WATCH
https://www.facebook.com/karen.stamper.77/videos/1151142509659195
I will post more info as I receive it.
PLEASE CONTACT THE MICHIGAN GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND TELL HER TO MAKE THE DNR STOP THESE SENSELESS KILLINGS AND HOLD THE LAKE DOSTER HOA ACCOUNTABLE FOR LYING ON THE APPLICATION FOR A PERMIT AND FOR NOT GIVING THEIR HOA MEMBERS A CHANCE TO SPEAK UP AND FOR NOT TELLING THEM THAT SHOTS WOULD BE FIRED ON THEIR LAKE .
Contact the Governor
Mail:
Governor Gretchen Whitmer
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, Michigan 48909
Phone Message:
517-335-7858 (Constituent Services)
https://somgovweb.state.mi.us/GovRelations/ContactGovernor.aspx