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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 16, 2019 10:25 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Daylin Leach |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Banning “Guaranteed Kill” Hunts of Tame Exotic Animals in Enclosed Spaces |
| Soon I will reintroduce legislation that would prohibit the unsportsmanlike practice of shooting tame animals in enclosed spaces for the sake of amusement. The term “canned hunt” refers to the shooting of exotic animals on game farms or hunting ranches that are in the business of breeding or buying exotic animals so that “hunters” can pay for a guaranteed kill. This unsportsmanlike practice is not hunting. Shooting animals in confined areas ignores the hunting ethic of “fair chase,” where wild animals must have a reasonable chance to escape. In these facilities, animals have absolutely no chance of eluding hunters or surviving. To make matters worse, most have been hand-raised and are accustomed to humans, so they have lost their instinct to flee from people. Oftentimes these animals are slaughtered as they gather at their feeding area or move towards a familiar person or vehicle. Some facilities have even permitted customers to remotely murder animals via the internet. This lack of sportsmanship has led hunting organizations to condemn these facilities. This cruel and brutal activity is ethically wrong and contributes to the problem of overbreeding of captive exotic animals. For example, surplus zoo animals are sold at exotic animal auctions to canned hunting facilities. The existence of these facilities creates a financial incentive to overbreed these exotic animals. This bill was previously known as Senate Bill 292 during the 2017-2018 session. It was cosponsored by Senators Sabatina, Tartaglione and Killion. Please join me in supporting this important legislation. If you have questions about this legislation, please don’t hesitate to contact me. |