Target: Tom Vilsack, United States Secretary of Agriculture
Goal: Stop U.S. Wildlife Services from excessively killing wildlife using inhumane traps and snares.
Last year alone, over 1.75 million animals were killed by the Wildlife Services, an agency within the US Department of Agriculture. This means that the federally funded wildlife management program killed a shocking 200 animals per hour. The Wildlife Service agency claims that these ruthless killings are out of necessity, and that their killing of these innocent animals protects human health and livestock for agricultural output, as well as to preserve the environment from invasive species.
These animals– which include native species like gray wolves, bobcats, and black bears– are hunted down from helicopters overhead, and are forced to run for their lives as people shoot at them from above. Declines in predator populations pose serious threats to the ecosystems of which they are a part, allowing other invasive species to flourish in their absence.
Many of the methods the Wildlife Services employ are cruel and downright inhumane. For example, they commonly use poisoned bait, leg hold traps– which are banned in around 80 countries across the world–, and neck snares, all of which result in extremely painful deaths. Since these methods are often non-discriminatory in who they kill, animals that are not part of “the problem”, including dogs, bears, and foxes, and even the endangered animals– like bald eagles– they claim to protect, become carnage. This agency also nearly drove the critically endangered Mexican gray wolf to extinction.
There are much more humane solutions to this problem. We have no right to kill hundreds of thousands of animals– like red-winged blackbirds, cormorants, and cougars– simply because they pose a threat to crops and livestock. There are other measures we can take. Sign this petition to encourage Wildlife Services to stop glorifying the brutal killing of these majestic animals, and demand they find alternative solutions.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Secretary Vilsack,
Wildlife Services kill an overwhelming number of wildlife each and every year, with last year’s total nearing 1.75 million animals. That is roughly 200 animals killed for every hour in the day. While the agency claims that this mass culling is out of necessity, many of the animals killed are targeted simply for tampering with farmers’ profits.
Animals ranging from black birds to the near extinct Mexican gray wolf die agonizing deaths, as extremely inhumane methods of slaughter are employed. For example, animals are tricked with poisoned bait, caught in leg hold traps– which are banned in around 80 countries across the world– or neck snares. Others, still, are shot from helicopters as they run afraid for their lives. These killings have a tremendous effect on American ecosystems, and pose a threat to other non-target animals that might get caught in traps or ingest the poisoned bait.
There are alternative solutions to this problem that do not involve killing millions of innocent animals. We are asking you, Secretary Vilsack, to please take other measures to protect our livestock, and to stop killing these beautiful creatures.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: dalliedee
As someone who served for three years as a Committee appointee by Secretary Vilsack I know from experience that this is the most HATED public agency in the U.S.
I have personally witnessed Eggregious slaughtering of our vanishing wildlife simply at the request of a farmer or rancher.
This is no longer the 1800s. Wildlife Services is an archaic brutal offshoot of the USDA
This agency needs to be updated to 2022 – why are animals being slaughtered? No reason for this!! I think Biden needs to re- vamp this agency or just totally eliminate it!!
I would not have stayed so long without protesting and objecting until a change was achieved, and if not, I would have made their bloodthirsty methods public and then started a campaign against them and their atrocities.
The USDA and it’s wildlife service is nothing but a toady for special interests which are counter to the public good and public opinion.
It needs an “extreme makeover.”
Stupid=evil
This is absolutely sickening what there doing to these poor animals. They were here first not us!!! In actuality the real animals are the HUMANS!!!
Death to anyone and their families for condoning this agency …
It never ceases to amaze me that our own government agency that is meant to protect animals kills more then all other sources combined. HOW SICK IS THIS!!!
I really thought when Deb Haaland was put on the Biden administration to oversee these agencies that deal with the environment and wildlife that this useless and inhumane slaughter of animals important to our ecosystem would stop. Guess I was wrong. When will we stop letting ranchers and farmers dictate what species has to be killed off? Grow a couple Biden and Haaland and stop this MURDER!
She is definitely a huge disappointment and a traitor to her heritage. Don’t even start me on her inaction to protect wild horses from cruel BLM round ups.
The brutality of this agency is on par with BLM. Two agencies that are supposed to protect wildlife are the worst perpetrators of this vile inhumane sh*t. I would rather live under a bridge than with anyone who did this for a living.
There is absolutely NO JUSTIFICATION for the killing of these innocent animals! They deserve to live their lives in peace – they are part of Nature…part of what remains of the shrinking wild places in this country and this murder and decimation of precious habitats for human so-called benefit and profits must stop immediately! Get rid of this inhumane “service” along with the bloody BLM!
Elise – YES, let’s get rid of this inhumane “service” along with the bloody BLM!
Both are rogue agencies in my opinion and Deb Haaland is a disappointment.
Can you imagine that the US Government was responsible for cruel and inhumane methods of killing wildlife last year. The number as reported in this petition was 1.75 million animals. This should be yet another reminder of the EVIL that exists within our own Government. The USDA does more killing than protecting. These Evil entities of the World love to invest in the killing and destruction of other living species. Even more Evil is their methods of Killings.
THIS IS ABSOLUTE INSANITY!!!!
SLAUGHTERING WILDLIFE IS NOT THE ANSWER, BIRTH CONTROL IS THE WAY TO GO AS IT IS SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE.
LET’S MOVE INTO THE 21st CENTURY WITH STRATEGIC CHEMISTRY.
100%
Yes, birth control for humans. Wildlife aren’t the ones upsetting the balance and breeding like locusts.
Tom Vilsack, United States Secretary of Agriculture
STOP the U.S. Wildlife Services from slaughtering animals at will! Does your evil have no bounds! Man has destroyed most of their habitats and then kills them torturously on top of it!!! All you are doing will come back to you with a vengeance. You are destroying God’s beautiful creatures!
Have you not heard of relocation, birth control, compassion…
Fish & Wildlife is just as evil – and they will actually follow and spy on animal welfare groups and try and record your meetings, so beware of any public meetings you may hold. This is definitely a fascist country and most of the victims of these sick fascists on our payroll are innocent animals.
And I had such high hopes for Deb Haaland. Like all others in government, she quickly became subservient to Big Ag. Ranchers are all powerful … but if those of us who care about wildlife stopped eating meat, at least we would not contribute to their obscene earning. Wildlife Services … thugs, cowards. They just like to kill.
Absolutely unacceptable! Build our wildlife up NOT tear it down!!!
Animals have exactly the SAME RIGHT to this planet as humans.
We are all EARTHLINGS!
STOP the HOLOCAUST of wild animals!!!
Stop destroying the ecological balance of the Earth! We are all ONE!
Dear Secretary Vilsack,
Wildlife Services IS AN AGENCY MADE UP OF COWARDLY AND SADIC PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO COMPASSION IN KILLING HELPLESS ANIMALS THAT HAVE DONE NOTHING TO THEM – NO ONE WHO IS NORMAL WOULD LOOK FOR A JOB THERE
Can you have mercy on all those defenseless beings and put a stop to those cowardly methods of eliminating the animal kingdom?
Thank you!
Each and every vile,mentally deranged scumbags involved in the mass killing of wildlife must be exterminated!!!! Slow and agonising death for each evil cretin is essential!! OH YESS!!
STOP KILLING ALL WILDLIFE IMMEDIATELY INCLUDING ALL WILD ANIMALS AS WELL AS DOMESTICATED ONES TOO!!! ANIMAL CRUELTY!! STUPID CRUEL HUMANS SHOULD BE THE ONES KILLED INSTEAD OF ANIMALS WILD AND TAMED!!!!!!