Save our Peacocks! Demand an Ordinance to protect them from Animal Cruelty!

South Middle River is blessed with the presence of many exotic animals, one being the Peafowl that were released into our area several years back. We noticed, 8 years ago that at times the population of the peafowl dwindled down it seemed by itself, but that was not the case. Since the Peafowl are not protected in the state of Florida because they do not fall into the category of "wildlife" or "domesticated", this fact has allowed those that would profit from these animals an easy way to subject them to Animal Cruelty. Witnesses can verify that one such person that has been trapping our peafowl for years confessed to "tying their legs" and "putting them into a truck" to be released in a farm shelter that does not exist! Witnesses have also seen a male Peacock being assaulted and left with one feather as the criminal could not catch the bird and left it behind, ravaged. We will No Longer sit back and allow this Animal Cruelty to continue in our neighborhood!
These birds are harmless, do not carry rabies as ducks or other feral animals do, and never heard of them attacking people or hurting people.
There are endless ways to keep peafowl away from your property that are humane and cost effective. There have been threats made of poisoning the birds in our area, this would cause a chain reaction as other animals may feed off of the dead peafowl and also become poisoned and die. It could lead to environmental disaster as well as cause infections diseases and increase the presence of mosquitoes which as we know can carry the Zika Virus.
We ask that Broward County adopt an Ordinance, as Miami-Dade County has, to protect the Peafowl in our area. We are aware that Miami-Dade county has had problems with the peafowl as a few people complain about basic damages done to their property, but we are also aware of the many ways residents in our area can keep the peafowl away from their property in humane ways. We are tired of the abuse heaped on these beautiful and harmless birds. We are tired of having to see these animals brutally assaulted by criminals that are not even registered trappers in our area!
This is the Ordinance in effect in Miami-Dade County and we demand such an ordinance in Broward County to protect the peafowl.
Sec. 5-16. - Taking of peafowl prohibited.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to take any peafowl.
(b) As used in this section, "take" means taking, attempting to take, hunting, molesting, capturing, or
killing any peafowl, their nests or eggs, by any means, whether or not such actions result in obtaining
possession of peafowl or their nests or eggs.
(c) Exceptions.
(1) The prohibitions of this section shall not apply on property zoned for agricultural use and
used for a bona fide agricultural purpose.
(2) Nothing in this section shall prevent a property owner from removing peafowl from his or her
own property in a manner that does not physically injure the peafowl.
(Ord. No. 08-10, § 1, 1-22-08) "
Please adopt such an ordinance in Broward County and help us keep criminals that are harming our peafowl, assaulting them, keeping them crammed in sheds for over a week at a time, tied up at the feet, then thrown into a truck to be taken into the wild which is illegal to do to other animals but not the peafowl.