Dog Shooting Mayor of Walnut Grove, MO has to Go - Round 2
- by: Lynn Otoole
- recipient: Walnut Grove City Officials and citizens
An earlier petition was circulated on this issue and gathered over 3000 signatures but unfortunately, the City Council of Walnut Grove, Missouri has chosen to ignore this tragic situation. Now let's see if far more signatures gets their attention. This type of cruelty cannot be ignored. The mayor has to go.
In October, 2014, a stray female Border Collie with 6 week old puppies was traumatized by Mayor Jim Cole and police officers of Walnut Grove, Missouri. Her puppies were grabbed, she was chased, tasered by the police and the mayor shot her with a shotgun. As she lay in agony, the mayor finished her off with a handgun. A well respected and licensed rescue had offered to take the dog and her puppies. A local vet offered to capture the dog with a tranquilizing dart gun.The mayor had numerous humane options such as using a catch pole, a humane trap or a net. None of these humane options were utilized.
Attempting to defend his actions, the mayor claimed the dog was vicious. The dog was not vicious. She was a mother dog attempting to protect her puppies. She had been dumped and was afraid of people. However, humane methods were available to the City of Walnut Grove to capture her. Given the chance with an experienced rescue person, the dog could have been socialized. Rescues do this type of rehab work every day. Why would a mayor decide to brutally shoot a dog instead of saving it and why would he use a shotgun to cause as much pain and suffering as possible? Clearly, Mr. Cole needs to find a different vocation.
Please take a moment to both email and call Walnut Grove City Hall, demanding the resignation of the mayor immediately. His term does not end until 2016 and this is intolerable. Ask them to come up with a written and humane animal welfare policy for the city. Ask them to work with licensed rescues in the area who have offered to assist with stray animals at absolutely no cost to the city. Let them know you will not be spending any money in Walnut Grove until this matter is handled.
Walnut Grove City Hall: 417-788-2596 Email: cityofwg01@mchsi.com (The Humane Society of Missouri has been contacted in this matter but your phone calls and emails will be helpful.) Please be polite and professional.
Dear City Council of Walnut Grove, Missouri,
I am writing to demand the resignation of Jim Cole, Walnut Grove mayor who brutally shot a mother dog with a shotgun in October of 2014. Mr. Cole had a humane trap, a catch pole, a licensed rescue offering to accept the dog and a local vet offering to capture the dog with a tranquilizer dart gun. Cole chose the most inhumane way possible to kill this poor animal. His actions are not acceptable and your inaction is also unacceptable. You are responsible for his actions by continuing to keep him in office, refusing to work with a licensed rescue which has offered to assist with stray dogs at absolutely no cost to the city, and also refusing to develop a very basic, written, humane animal welfare policy for your city.
Do the right thing. It is inappropriate for Mr. Cole to remain in office for another year until his term is up in 2016. It is unacceptable for any civilized city to not have an intelligent, humane, written animal welfare policy. It is shocking that a city would refuse free assistance from a licensed animal rescue which is willing to provide FREE assistance including vaccinations, spays and neuters and rehabilitation for stray dogs.
Please make the effort to become a kinder, gentler community.
http://www.greenecountymo.org/about/contact_form.php?id=73
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