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Editor:
On March 17, my family suffered a tragic loss. One of our pets was violently killed by a black bear. My life has not been the same since. I have watched the media have a free-for-all with this. I have watched other people react, and now I feel I must speak.
Many people are supportive and sympathetic. Many are not. The people who have not been there for me are the people I have supported all my life — the animal rights groups and bear activists. They have called it a “phony pony story” and called me a liar. They have said something else killed him and we “set up the poor bear.”
You people disgust me. You did not see the four large tooth holes in my horse’s neck, where he was grabbed so his neck would break. You did not see the four large tooth holes through his skull. You did not see his ear ripped off, his abdomen ripped open where his stomach and intestines were partially eaten. You did not see his testicles ripped off. You did not follow the drag marks and see where the bear stopped to begin feeding, and then continue to follow the drag marks now soaked with fresh red blood. You did not see the huge bear paw prints surrounding Phantom’s poor, mutilated body.
None of you were there. None of you heard my screams when I found him. None of you were there that night when the bear returned, looking for his kill. None of you panicked in horror as he looked into my horses’ stalls and tried to break in that night before the police arrived.
Do not say it didn’t happen. It did.
I have been involved in wildlife rehabilitation since 1976 and continue to do so. I have been a registered veterinary technician since 1982. I have devoted my life to animals, wild and domestic. I have supported animal rights groups my entire life, and it makes me sick to know that in my time of need and support you turned against me. I will no longer support any of you ever again.
You don’t want the bear hunt. I am not sure about it at this point, but I do know the facts. There are more than 3,000 adult bears in the state, and this year there were 700 cubs counted. That is a lot of bears. Open land is being swallowed up by developers and there is nowhere for bears to go; there will be less and less food available to them.
You animal rights groups har [no swearing please] people and complain incessantly. Come up with an alternative plan to the hunt and fund it. Put your money where your mouth is. I am positive the state would comply with a spay/neuter program. Cubs are handled every year and could easily be spayed and neutered at that time; they do it to 6-week-old puppies and kittens now — fund it. Come up with a relocation program and fund it. I am positive the state would be happy to approach the bear problem with an alternative to the hunt if someone would fund it. Again, put your money where your mouth is.
My horse was killed without a doubt by a black bear. Those of you who truly believe a bear is not capable of such an act are simply ignorant. If you know anything about animal behavior, you know an animal as large as a bear would do this if driven by hunger. The bear is driven by instinct; we are not talking about Gentle Ben or Yogi Bear. Any animal, when starving, will kill. Stop saying it never happened, because it did.
Our family will never be the same. You would think much differently than you do today if one of your beloved pets was killed. Think about that.
Judy Burns
Andover Township
On March 17, my family suffered a tragic loss. One of our pets was violently killed by a black bear. My life has not been the same since. I have watched the media have a free-for-all with this. I have watched other people react, and now I feel I must speak.
Many people are supportive and sympathetic. Many are not. The people who have not been there for me are the people I have supported all my life — the animal rights groups and bear activists. They have called it a “phony pony story” and called me a liar. They have said something else killed him and we “set up the poor bear.”
You people disgust me. You did not see the four large tooth holes in my horse’s neck, where he was grabbed so his neck would break. You did not see the four large tooth holes through his skull. You did not see his ear ripped off, his abdomen ripped open where his stomach and intestines were partially eaten. You did not see his testicles ripped off. You did not follow the drag marks and see where the bear stopped to begin feeding, and then continue to follow the drag marks now soaked with fresh red blood. You did not see the huge bear paw prints surrounding Phantom’s poor, mutilated body.
None of you were there. None of you heard my screams when I found him. None of you were there that night when the bear returned, looking for his kill. None of you panicked in horror as he looked into my horses’ stalls and tried to break in that night before the police arrived.
Do not say it didn’t happen. It did.
I have been involved in wildlife rehabilitation since 1976 and continue to do so. I have been a registered veterinary technician since 1982. I have devoted my life to animals, wild and domestic. I have supported animal rights groups my entire life, and it makes me sick to know that in my time of need and support you turned against me. I will no longer support any of you ever again.
You don’t want the bear hunt. I am not sure about it at this point, but I do know the facts. There are more than 3,000 adult bears in the state, and this year there were 700 cubs counted. That is a lot of bears. Open land is being swallowed up by developers and there is nowhere for bears to go; there will be less and less food available to them.
You animal rights groups har [no swearing please] people and complain incessantly. Come up with an alternative plan to the hunt and fund it. Put your money where your mouth is. I am positive the state would comply with a spay/neuter program. Cubs are handled every year and could easily be spayed and neutered at that time; they do it to 6-week-old puppies and kittens now — fund it. Come up with a relocation program and fund it. I am positive the state would be happy to approach the bear problem with an alternative to the hunt if someone would fund it. Again, put your money where your mouth is.
My horse was killed without a doubt by a black bear. Those of you who truly believe a bear is not capable of such an act are simply ignorant. If you know anything about animal behavior, you know an animal as large as a bear would do this if driven by hunger. The bear is driven by instinct; we are not talking about Gentle Ben or Yogi Bear. Any animal, when starving, will kill. Stop saying it never happened, because it did.
Our family will never be the same. You would think much differently than you do today if one of your beloved pets was killed. Think about that.
Judy Burns
Andover Township
