WAAG Responds To Finger-pointing Over Festival of Hawks Vandalism, Abduction:

09.22.2008

     [Shortly after these crimes were committed, WAAG was contacted by a reporter from the Windsor Star and asked to address the issue of the claim that Animal Rights activists were responsible. We expand here on what appeared in the resulting article.]

     We, as a whole, condemn senseless vandalism; the acts committed were not educational and did nothing beneficial for any animal whatsoever. We are about outreach and education, to give the facts and counter the disinformation and deceitful tactics employed by those who profit from exploiting others.

     The work done at the Holiday Beach Migration Observatory is beneficial to wildlife and provides valuable information which is intended to help the animals they study, there would be no reason for AR activists to target and harm this organization and would only do harm to the movement, and subsequently the animals, in this region.

     Obviously healthy birds do not belong in cages as pets, commodities or possessions in general, but this hawk, as well as all the other animals at the Erie Wildlife Rescue, does not fall into these categories as he and the others are rehabilitated to be released back into the wild - in other words, they are not prisoners.

     Many of our members volunteer with WECHS, JazzPurr, ResQme, WINGS and other groups in and around Windsor - including the EWR (as well as human specific animal welfare organizations). Moreover, ALL of the above listed organizations, and many more, have been promoted by, as well as had a representative from each interviewed on our radio show, Animal Airwaves.

     We sympathize with the heartache that the members are feeling at the loss of finally being able to see their long-term feathered patient fly free back into the wild since suffering the injuries during last years' storms. The timing was most cruel for all who had invested emotion with this wonderful creature, but for a thief looking to make a profit, this would be their last opportunity to acquire the valuable bird.

     However, we here at WAAG hope that these acts were indeed those of simple vandals and that the hawk was set free rather than taken to be sold -or worse. So while some may want to insinuate that WAAG (or any of its members) might have played a role in this crime, we law-abiding citizens urge the community to be on the watch for the actual culprit(s), whoever (s/he or they) may be.

Anyone with any information in the case is asked to call Const. Viktor Burany at [519] 736-8559.
     We forgive the organizers for what was obviously an off-hand, knee-jerk comment derived from emotions which were understandably running high and we extend an invitation to them to contact and get to know us, or check out our weekly, multi-award winning radio show Mondays at 4-5pm on cjam 91.5FM.

Please note: cjam is now 99.1FM and Animal Airwaves is from 4:00-4:30pm.