Buck Shot

… Solon employed professional sharpshooters for four years to thin its herds. It was costly at $345 to $570 per deer…

…An initiative headed for the town's ballot this November, organized by a vocal national activist group*, calls for a total repeal of Solon's culling ordinance…

…The Metroparks spent nearly half a million dollars over five years experimenting with a contraceptive vaccine but concluded it was not effective enough and it was difficult to deliver to free-ranging herds in large numbers.

Nonsense, says Lane Ferrante, Ohio state director of the League of Humane Voters. Her organization is largely responsible for this November's "Solon Deer Preservation Act" — the ballot initiative against lethal deer culling in Solon — and an initiative that repealed Broadview Heights' culling ordinance last year. She thinks Ohio should pursue deer birth-control methods and calls Cleveland Metroparks' concern about over-browsed vegetation threatening other wildlife habitats "a bunch of propaganda."

Ferrante doesn't believe there's an overpopulation problem. At the same time, she insists that deer culling results in a "rebound effect" that actually increases herd sizes…

…"Urban hunting is about backroom deals between hunters and the Department of Wildlife aided by legislators," says Ferrante…

…Ferrante's group was Broadview Heights Mayor Samuel Alai's worst nightmare…

…"They ran a great campaign; I'll hand it to them," Alai says…more

* Note: The League of Humane Voters of Ohio is a chapter of a national registered nonprofit 527 political action committee, not an “activist group.”  Membership is open to animal lovers and currently free for Ohio residents.  Click here to join!

Bird activists present petition to Ohio officials

On Tuesday, 2News learned the birds taken from a condemned home would be returned to owner, Doug Ratcliff…

Activists with Garuda Aviary presented a petition to Ohio officials with more than 1500 signatures of people from Ohio and around the world who want the birds out of Ratcliff's possession.

The Maryland based group took a copy of the petition, as well as photographs of the birds to Governor Kasich's office in Columbus. The group then traveled to Troy, where they left the same documents with the mayor, city commissioner, and county prosecutor…see video

Exotic birds found in house relocated

…Union Township Trustee Phil Mote - the jurisdiction under which the house is located in - said the trustees have not received a formal complaint about the property, which would cause them to investigate the property.
"In the last four years since I have been a trustee, we have not had any complaints about the property," Mote said. "We haven't had a complaint from a township resident. But, in the last few days we've had emails from people all over the country."
Mote said in order to look into the conditions of the property, a Union Township resident would need to make a written statement - signed with their contact information - about the condition of the property. He said the three trustees, likely accompanied by the Miami County Health Department, would then visit the property and make a decision on the property's condition…more

BIRD CLUB MOVES TO MIAMI COUNTY Group expands its role to rescuing birds and providing assistance to owners

Rescued macaws with Kim Seitz, a longtime Troy area pet sitter who also owns a number of exotic birds, is an officer of the Miami Valley Bird Club that is expanding its role to include bird rescue.

For information on the Miami Valley Bird Club and Rescue, contact Seitz at kseitz63@frontier.com or (937) 308-2509, or (937) 440-0016

TROY — One of Kim Seitz’s best friends Teka, a blue and gold macaw, came to her from a condemned house in Dayton 13 years ago…more