Please sign and share this petition on all media sites in an attempt to urge the Pittsburgh Law Enforcement to train zoo personnel methods of controlling unruly animals through tranquilizing or methods to subdue them and not harm or kill them. Police want to train zoo and aquarium employees how to use firearms in the event an animal poses a threat but we are asking that they choose other methods that will not kill or injure the animal.
Recent news surfaced, stating that the Pittsburgh police would like to train Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium employees how to use firearms in the event that an animal poses a threat to them or guests. In exchange for this program, the zoo personnel would teach officers animal behavior and proper animal handling, but it sounds like this plan would promote harm, danger and killing of the animals.
It is important for all concerned to be aware of animal behavior and how to handle any animal in an emergency situation, but killing them is not necessarily the answer in controlling the circumstances. Why is it necessary to shoot to kill an animal to stop something that the animal is only doing out of fear or natural extincts? There needs to be better methods of controlling animal without harming and killing it.
Training should prevent a police officer from having to destroy an animal that they perceive as posing a threat, but really isn't, in the same manner that a Zoo personnel who confronts the same type of situation. Both the police and zoo employees need to work together to develop menthods to safely and humanely subdue or tranquilize an animal rather than harm, injure or kill it. Help us achieve these goals by signing and sharing this petition on all media sites.
Pittsburgh Law Enforcement & Zoo/Aquarium Officials - It is an excellent idea to work together to implement and train in methods of handling animals in the event they become loose, aggressive and unruly. However, we urge and implore you to work on training methods that will subdue and tranquilize the animals in an emergency rather than shoot to kill, harm or injure.
