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Post by Cranky on Jun 4, 2011 12:49:13 GMT -5
I can't believe the guy killed two raccoons and injured a third one when they destroyed his garden and took resident on his property. How DARE he commit such heinous crimes aginst those poor pretty little animals. The police showed the proper response by bringing SIX, yes, SIX police cruisers to arrest this mass murderer. Who knows what else that mass murdered can do besides killing raccoons. Sadly, we no longer have the death penalty to deal with such matters. I say we simply get together and hang him as a deterrence to any other stone cold 'coon killer. ~~~~~~ TORONTO . Criminal charges in the case of a backyard confrontation allegedly between a family of raccoons and a homeowner armed with a shovel have unleashed Toronto's frustration with the city's burgeoning raccoon population. Dong Nguyen, 53, was arrested after an alleged skirmish Wednesday morning in the yard of his home on Rankin Crescent near Bloor Street and Lansdowne Avenue in the west end. Just before 6 a.m., neighbour Roddy Muir ran into his backyard after hearing screams coming from next door. (The guy is called Dong? A ferrrigner? Does CSIS know about him?)"I climbed to the top of the fence to see what was happening and I saw tiny little raccoons cowering," he said. "One of them was absolutely smashed in and screaming horrifically." (Wow, a concerned citizen lept over the boards to witness this crime. What a hero!)Mr. Muir went inside to call police. The last he saw of what many consider a city pest was the mother raccoon was dragging her injured offspring over the fence to safety. (I'm touched. Con't you want to cry when you hear things like this?)"The babies were severely injured," said Constable Wendy Drummond. One of the raccoons was taken to a Toronto Animal Services shelter to be treated for a fractured right paw. Mr. Nguyen was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. He has been released and is to appear next in court on July 13. (DON'T WAIT! HANG HIM NOW!)His arrest has reopened a slow-boiling debate over how to deal with a city-wide nuisance. "I was shocked and appalled," says neighbour Nanette Lang. "I'm an animal lover, but even if I wasn't, this is barbaric cruelty, which has no place in our society or in this neighbourhood." She said she plans to make posters to put up in the area to let people know where the accused lives. (You go girl. Who cares about human poverty, murder, rapes. You're activism about pointing where you neighbor lives and trying to lynch him are truly heroic acts. I can clearly see statues erected in your name. )Imran Moursalien, 21, who has lived on the Rankin Crescent for nine years, said raccoons are plentiful -and annoying. "We don't know the whole story. Maybe the raccoon attacked him." (This Imran guy need to be waterboarded RIGHT NOW for not taking this seriously.)Staff Sergeant Blake Shreve of 11 Division said calls of this nature are rare for Toronto Police. (That's because police don't police every squirrel and raccoon. If they did , they would find out how much rape and violence is committed against them.)"You can't refute that there is a raccoon issue in the city, but there are more humane ways to deal with it," said Const. Drummond. "There are a number of professional services on the city website. Putting moth balls in the garden, for example, is one way of dealing with raccoons." (MOTHBALLS? That us so inhumane. Do we put mothballs in old people homes? Why raccoons?)The injured raccoon will be transferred to a rehabilitation centre and released into the city once the paw has healed. (Wow, a rehabilitation center for raccoons. that is so precious.)"He's a feisty one," said Fiona Venedam, supervisor at TAS North. She did not know the sex of the five-pound kit, who was from this year's litter, but said it was "in otherwise good health." Most young raccoons stay with their mothers for at least the first few months of life. "I would say he's at a slight disadvantage [having been separated from his mother], but I think once he's been rehabilitated, he will be strong enough to join another family," Ms. Venedam said. (Why can't we spend a few billion to support raccoon adoption agencies?)www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/charged+with+whacking+raccoons+yard/4877744/story.html |
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Post by Cranky on Jun 4, 2011 12:50:42 GMT -5
Braised Burgundian Raccoon Stew and Provençal Bread
Many of my cooking adventures take me to paths unknown, with herbs, spices, meats, seafood, vegetables and wines. Raccoon is a new meat for me. It has a very light gamey aroma, looks lean and is delicious! I decided to try a layering of herbs rather than spices and braising to infuse yet another layer into the dish.
I know the rule about red wine with meats and white with fish, but not here. With the combination of fresh and dried herbs, white wine, white beans and white broth, this adventurous dish came out a winner. The fresh-made bread and complementing wine made this a complete and delightful meal, game for everyone!
Braised Burgundian Raccoon Stew
Serves 8
Ingredients
4 raccoon legs (2 front and 2 back)
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh flat parsley
¼ cup fresh thyme, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons canola oil’
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence*
1 bottle white Burgundian wine (Macon-Villages, Petit Chablis….)
2 cups chicken broth
2 15.5 ounce can Cannellini Beans
Directions
Preheat oven to 225F
1. Salt and pepper raccoon and set aside.
2. Stir parsley, thyme, and rosemary in medium bowl to blend. Add olive oil and mix combined. Rub herb mixture all over raccoon; place in glass bowl and marinate 30 minutes.
3. Heat oil in large stockpot on high; sear raccoon legs on both sides; remove and set aside. Sauté onions, carrot, garlic and Herbes de Provence for 5 minutes. Add meat and juices, wine, chicken broth and simmer in oven for 3 hours. Begin bread recipe (below) here.
4. Remove pot from oven, remove meat from pot, cool and debone. Add one can of beans to stew and blend with immerse or blender. Add 2nd can of beans and deboned meat, simmer 20 minutes to heat through and serve.
Provençal Bread
Ingredients
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 envelope dry yeast
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 ½ cups white flour
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon lavender
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon lavender
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 400F
1. Mix water, sugar and yeast in a bowl, let dissolve for 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons oil, flour, rosemary, lavender and salt. Add more flour if needed. Knead on dough hook about 8 minutes. Let rise 1 hour in warm place with a covered damp towel.
2. Heat remaining tablespoon oil, sauté fresh rosemary and garlic for 2 minutes.
3. Punch dough down and roll out to about 2 inch thickness, brush on rosemary oil and then sprinkle with sea salt. Place on heated stone in oven and bake on bottom rack for 15-20 minutes.
4. Chef's note: Brush more olive oil on crust when it comes out of oven for a softer top.
*Herbes de Provence - you can buy it or use my recipe.
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon marjoram
1 tablespoon summer savory
1 tablespoon thyme
1 teaspoon crushed bay leaf
1 teaspoon lavender
1 teaspoon fennel
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Post by franko on Jun 4, 2011 21:16:26 GMT -5
Cranky, your recipe reminds me of  otoh, this is no laughing matter . . . after all, the man destroyed a family! |
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Post by Roggy on Jun 5, 2011 13:33:55 GMT -5
It's all a laughing matter to you, and while I'm no vegan tree hugger, there are humane ways to deal with things like this. Beating any animal with a shovel is just cruel.
When a teenager does something like this, it's considered a warning sign that there is something psychologically wrong, yet a adult should applauded?
Go get a cat trap, or hound the city to do it. The officer said something as simple as mothballs will keep them out, but beating and mutilating is the preferred method? Maybe he should take a shovel to some neighborhood kids on his lawn and let's see what happens, after all, raccoons are just a gateway animal.
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Post by franko on Jun 5, 2011 13:50:37 GMT -5
Roggy, for sure it was an over-the-top action and could have been handled in a much more humane manner. The reaction, though, was over-the-top. A bylaw officer issuing a fine -- a hefty one -- for sure. But the police out? Possession of a dangerous weapon? too much.
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Post by Roggy on Jun 5, 2011 14:10:51 GMT -5
Franko, when someone is beating your kid/dog/anything, do you call bylaw or the cops?When the cops see someone beating anything (which is against the law) with a shovel, are they supposed to charge him with possession of a shovel? When anything is used as a weapon, should be charged as such. A shovel is just as dangerous as a baseball bat, and plenty of people have been charged with possession when they use those as weapons.
Animal cruelty is a crime, like any other. If the courts deem the charges too excessive, then let them, but I don't feel bad that the guy got busted for it.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 5, 2011 15:35:34 GMT -5
True story follows. Not for the squeamish:
When I married Mrs Dis I also had to accept her love of animals ... every animal on the planet that is ... since we've been together there have been no less than two cats in the house at any given time.
Charlottetown, PEI, circa 1984-early 85. Backed with her diploma in animal care, Mrs Dis gets hired on by a local pet store. The first thing she notices is, how the animals are caged. Puppies and kittens are in wooden containers and cages, not metallic cages, which make it much easier to clean bacteria and the like. Conversely, you can wash wooden containers all you want, but they will still harbour all sorts of bacteria.
Mrs Dis wasn't there all that long, but while she was there she also noticed that the owner did nothing if a virus started going through the kennels. If one puppy had runny eyes, they all came down with it. Ditto, the kittens, cats and dogs.
The owner would also broadcast dinner time for the one boa constrictor he had. Mice were the flavour of the day.
It gets better ...
One morning Mrs Dis opened the store and noticed that one of the puppies had a broken leg. The owner had done nothing about it, so she took money out of the till and used it to pay for a cab that took she and the puppy to a local vet. She didn't get in trouble for it, but the owner made it a point to say, "... I don't know if you're good for business, or if you're going to put me out of business ..."
The puppy's leg was set but from that point, on, any future health problems the animals had were to be dealt with in a different way. The owner was caught by Mrs Dis euthanizing one of the diseased puppies by taking a ball peen hammer to it's head. The body, alive or not, was then thrown into a dumpster.
Mrs Dis quit. But it gets better ...
Less than a week later the CBC Atlantic cameras were in our house. They interviewed Mrs Dis about the goings-on at the pet store. She didn't rip him a new arse, but the lady before her, who worked for this guy in Halifax, did. Between she and Mrs Dis there was enough feedback that was used in getting him shut down.
Fast forward to our present home.
The lady who owned this house before we did was an unlicensed wildlife rehabilitater. She kept all sorts of animals in the house including about a dozen racoons. Once she knew she was moving, she took the animals about 5 km away. Well, they found their way back and did what they were used to doing. Holding their hands out to the neighbours hoping to get fed in this way. The lady then took them further away and they still found their way back. In the end she had failed to rehabilitate the racoons. They were too used to humans providing for them and they couldn't be left out in the wild. Unfortunately, she had to euthanize them.
I sincerely hope she found another line of work because, while she meant well, she really didn't know what she was doing in trying to rehabilitate her animals.
Cheers.
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Post by Cranky on Jun 5, 2011 17:00:02 GMT -5
It's all a laughing matter to you, and while I'm no vegan tree hugger, there are humane ways to deal with things like this. Beating any animal with a shovel is just cruel. When a teenager does something like this, it's considered a warning sign that there is something psychologically wrong, yet a adult should applauded? Go get a cat trap, or hound the city to do it. The officer said something as simple as mothballs will keep them out, but beating and mutilating is the preferred method? Maybe he should take a shovel to some neighborhood kids on his lawn and let's see what happens, after all, raccoons are just a gateway animal. Laughing matter? Nope. I think it's beyond pathetic to take a man away in handcuffs over a raccoon. As for someone using a shovel on a raccoon leading something more serious. Really? A gateway animal to killing children? Really? Is that suppose to be serious? If you want to elevate pests to humans, that's your choice, but to me, that line of thinking is just as troubling. When I bought a building that use to be used for food, it was overrun with rats, we used plenty of brooms and shovels to kill, well, shovels full of them. Or was killing rats too inhumane too? Maybe a mass arrest was in order? Or is there a pecking order to using shovels? What was inhumane was the pathetic level of infestation in a place were humans stored their food. As for the officer, he's full of mothballs. They do NOT keep raccoons away. That's simply an excuse to justify a stupid overreaction. Last but not least...... Try calling the city at 2 in the morning to haul away a pack of raccoons Good luck. ... |
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Post by Cranky on Jun 5, 2011 17:11:26 GMT -5
Roggy, for sure it was an over-the-top action and could have been handled in a much more humane manner. The reaction, though, was over-the-top. A bylaw officer issuing a fine -- a hefty one -- for sure. But the police out? Possession of a dangerous weapon? too much. Exactly. I have no problem with a fine. After all, aside from some in India, Asia and Africa does not have the animal "rights" embracer's that we have here. Pests are seen as FOOD. This guy is from Vietnam whee 'coon equivalent are on dinner plates. Here, they are on pedestals. I'm having yummy chicken tonight. And vegetables. |
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Post by Cranky on Jun 5, 2011 17:13:26 GMT -5
Franko, when someone is beating your kid/dog/anything, do you call bylaw or the cops?When the cops see someone beating anything (which is against the law) with a shovel, are they supposed to charge him with possession of a shovel? When anything is used as a weapon, should be charged as such. A shovel is just as dangerous as a baseball bat, and plenty of people have been charged with possession when they use those as weapons. Animal cruelty is a crime, like any other. If the courts deem the charges too excessive, then let them, but I don't feel bad that the guy got busted for it. Are you seriously equating children to animals? Think hard about it..... Sure, if the guy walks down the street and randomly kills animals with a shovel, then there is an issue. But killing a pest that is exploding in population and no longer has any natural enemies is not a "crime". It is a problem that the city wont do anything about because the endless "animals have human rights too" crowd. |
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Post by Roggy on Jun 6, 2011 9:11:22 GMT -5
Clearly my sarcasm doesn't come across as easily as yours. Obviously I don't equate children with raccoons, and don't believe there is such as thing as a gateway drug, let alone a gateway animal.
But, I do believe there are more humane ways of dealing with pests than multiple shovel blows. If you generally can't kill it with one shot, find a better way. Rats...yeah, one blow from a shovel should quickly end it's life and not leave it in agony trying to drag it's family to safety. One shovel blow to a raccoon breaks a bunch of bones and causes nothing but pain until a clear shot can be lined up for a killing blow, and that time difference for me is where it goes from humane to in-humane.
If things are as bad in the city as I've read, then there should be a huge pest control industry springing up. Traps and humane euthanization are all I'm asking for.
Also, from what I've seen this morning, the city's lack of action has nothing to do with the "Animals have human rights too" crowd and a whole lot more to do with there being no budget for it.
That's it from me, I'll certainly read any other responses, but as far as I'm concerned, multiple whacks from a shovel is the wrong way to deal with it and I won't be changing my mind.
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Post by Skilly on Jun 6, 2011 9:57:53 GMT -5
hmmmmm my post was deleted ... guess that's all from me too
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Post by clear observer on Jun 6, 2011 9:58:05 GMT -5
as far as I'm concerned, multiple whacks from a shovel is the wrong way to deal with it and I won't be changing my mind. My Remington loaded with a few slugs and that's all she wrote. |
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Post by clear observer on Jun 6, 2011 9:58:37 GMT -5
hmmmmm my post was deleted ... guess that's all from me too When was it posted? |
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Post by Skilly on Jun 6, 2011 10:00:54 GMT -5
Before this one Clearly my sarcasm doesn't come across as easily as yours. Obviously I don't equate children with raccoons, and don't believe there is such as thing as a gateway drug, let alone a gateway animal. But, I do believe there are more humane ways of dealing with pests than multiple shovel blows. If you generally can't kill it with one shot, find a better way. Rats...yeah, one blow from a shovel should quickly end it's life and not leave it in agony trying to drag it's family to safety. One shovel blow to a raccoon breaks a bunch of bones and causes nothing but pain until a clear shot can be lined up for a killing blow, and that time difference for me is where it goes from humane to in-humane. If things are as bad in the city as I've read, then there should be a huge pest control industry springing up. Traps and humane euthanization are all I'm asking for. Also, from what I've seen this morning, the city's lack of action has nothing to do with the "Animals have human rights too" crowd and a whole lot more to do with there being no budget for it. That's it from me, I'll certainly read any other responses, but as far as I'm concerned, multiple whacks from a shovel is the wrong way to deal with it and I won't be changing my mind. But after this one Are you seriously equating children to animals? Think hard about it..... Sure, if the guy walks down the street and randomly kills animals with a shovel, then there is an issue. But killing a pest that is exploding in population and no longer has any natural enemies is not a "crime". It is a problem that the city wont do anything about because the endless "animals have human rights too" crowd. |
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Post by clear observer on Jun 6, 2011 10:02:59 GMT -5
Before this one Clearly my sarcasm doesn't come across as easily as yours. Obviously I don't equate children with raccoons, and don't believe there is such as thing as a gateway drug, let alone a gateway animal. But, I do believe there are more humane ways of dealing with pests than multiple shovel blows. If you generally can't kill it with one shot, find a better way. Rats...yeah, one blow from a shovel should quickly end it's life and not leave it in agony trying to drag it's family to safety. One shovel blow to a raccoon breaks a bunch of bones and causes nothing but pain until a clear shot can be lined up for a killing blow, and that time difference for me is where it goes from humane to in-humane. If things are as bad in the city as I've read, then there should be a huge pest control industry springing up. Traps and humane euthanization are all I'm asking for. Also, from what I've seen this morning, the city's lack of action has nothing to do with the "Animals have human rights too" crowd and a whole lot more to do with there being no budget for it. That's it from me, I'll certainly read any other responses, but as far as I'm concerned, multiple whacks from a shovel is the wrong way to deal with it and I won't be changing my mind. But after this one Are you seriously equating children to animals? Think hard about it..... Sure, if the guy walks down the street and randomly kills animals with a shovel, then there is an issue. But killing a pest that is exploding in population and no longer has any natural enemies is not a "crime". It is a problem that the city wont do anything about because the endless "animals have human rights too" crowd. Do you have an approximate time? |
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Post by Skilly on Jun 6, 2011 10:09:36 GMT -5
Before this one But after this one Do you have an approximate time? If I was to guess ... I'd say it was about 7:30pm my time ... No biggie though. I just wondered why its ok to whack raccoons because an Asian is used to having it for food and they are a nuisance, and yet there is little support for "whacking" (although they are not whacked, the public is led to believe they are) seals and they are a nuisance that are eaten as a food source as well Now I didnt put it so nicely ... I think I said "and yet people don't view seals the same way" Perhaps someone thought it didn't fit the thread, or was too controversial, or perhaps when i posted it my connection timed out and I didnt realize. |
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Post by clear observer on Jun 6, 2011 10:11:36 GMT -5
Do you have an approximate time? If I was to guess ... I'd say it was about 7:30pm my time ... No biggie though. I just wondered why its ok to whack raccoons because an Asian is used to having it for food and they are a nuisance, and yet there is little support for "whacking" (although they are not whacked, the public is led to believe they are) seals and they are a nuisance that are eaten as a food source as well Now I didnt put it so nicely ... I think I said "and yet people don't view seals the same way" Perhaps someone thought it didn't fit the thread, or was too controversial, or perhaps when i posted it my connection timed out and I didnt realize. OK, thanks skilly. |
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Post by Cranky on Jun 6, 2011 10:50:03 GMT -5
Do you have an approximate time? If I was to guess ... I'd say it was about 7:30pm my time ... No biggie though. I just wondered why its ok to whack raccoons because an Asian is used to having it for food and they are a nuisance, and yet there is little support for "whacking" (although they are not whacked, the public is led to believe they are) seals and they are a nuisance that are eaten as a food source as well Now I didnt put it so nicely ... I think I said "and yet people don't view seals the same way" Perhaps someone thought it didn't fit the thread, or was too controversial, or perhaps when i posted it my connection timed out and I didnt realize. I didn't see anything. Did you actually read it on the board? If not, if I had a dollar for every post the internet gremlins ate.....I would be as rich as CO. There is an inherit hypocrisy in animal rights. You can kill a rat with a shovel, no problem, but not a raccoon or a squirrel. Why? No reason required other then hunamizing certain animals. This may come as a stunning surprise......I'm a hunter. From very young, I always ate what I killed OTHER then then crows and woodchucks which are pests. Or at least they were when I was more active hunting. I'm against wanton and random killing of animals as much as any PETA member. What I do not do is humanize animals or pick and choose a hierarchy of value based on cuteness. If it's food or a living or a pest or a danger and there is no question of putting the species at risk, it's all fine by me. Last but not least.......this "whacking" thing is kind of interesting. If I choose to hit something with a shovel, it's instant death. Period. It's as "humane" as it could possibly be. What I would have a problem with is someone who willingly chooses to injure an animal and then let it crawl away. If this guy Nguyen said that he wanted to teach it a lesson, I would have a huge problem with that. If he said he tried to kill it as fast as possible, then I would advise him to get a trap and don't do it again. It certainly doesn't warrant the utter stupidity six police cruisers and hand cuffs. . |
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Post by Cranky on Jun 6, 2011 11:09:29 GMT -5
as far as I'm concerned, multiple whacks from a shovel is the wrong way to deal with it and I won't be changing my mind. My Remington loaded with a few slugs and that's all she wrote. In the city? Do you want the SWAT team on your doorstep and branded a terrorist and a mass murderer? A long handle shovel is pretty effective and "humane" if someone your or my size yields it. If it was my wife trying to deal with it, she is better off renting a cage and taking the animal into the woods. If you can't kill it instantly or ambivalent about it, then don't. |
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Post by Roggy on Jun 6, 2011 11:11:58 GMT -5
I also didn't see Skilly's post, and lost one in this thread myself when I tried to respond from my Blackberry last night.
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Post by Polarice on Jun 6, 2011 12:01:17 GMT -5
as far as I'm concerned, multiple whacks from a shovel is the wrong way to deal with it and I won't be changing my mind. My Remington loaded with a few slugs and that's all she wrote. Living in the city you're not allowed to use firearms for pest control, if you want to kill them you have to beat them to death!! |
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Post by clear observer on Jun 6, 2011 12:15:49 GMT -5
My Remington loaded with a few slugs and that's all she wrote. Living in the city you're not allowed to use firearms for pest control, if you want to kill them you have to beat them to death!! LOL....yikes! In truth, I'd call pest control. |
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Post by Doc Holliday on Jun 6, 2011 12:54:26 GMT -5
I live in a rather rural area and we have pests, mostly groundhogs (siffleux), skunks and rodents. Whatever issues they might cause you, it is strictly forbidden to kill them (call the city or an exterminator, your local animal control office, what have you...). No matter what option you chose, going to town with a shovel on a family of raccoons and have the screams, howls and gore alert the whole neighbourhood isn't the way to go.
In winter there are deers that come out of nearby wood patch to eat cedar hedge... they can do some pretty nasty damage to your landscaping... But going at them with a machete to butcher them is not the proper way to deal with that issue either... Neither is leaving a bowl of poisoned cat food out because you're annoyed the neighbour cats poops in your flower patch.
As stated we don't really know if M.Nguyen acted this way to protect his life but if it's only a case of getting rid of common pest, that behaviour was not appropriate at all. Animal cruelty, sure, but some dose of common sense and minimal basic good citizenship too.
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Post by Polarice on Jun 6, 2011 13:13:36 GMT -5
I'm a country boy, and to be honest we shot pests all the time, whether it was crows in the garden or garbage, raccoons, ground hogs, squirrels, etc...we shot them. However, now I live in town, and I either live with the pests, or live trap them and take them out to my old family farm and release them. I can't imagine myself or one of my neighbours actually beating them to death with a shovel.
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