by Anonymous (PoC Admin removed the name for his or her protection)
(Riverton, Wyoming)
In Wyoming, USA, it is legal to shoot all feral cats, and according to the sheriff in our county does not think it is a problem, even if the cat is belonging to someone. The owners fault because the cat left the property or house and crossed over to where he could get shot.
Cats fall under the nuisance animals under the Game and Fish legislation of the State of Wyoming. The same as skunks. Target practice.
My neighbor has shot EVERY cat he comes across. Along with squirrels, owls, crows, dogs, anything he can draw a bead on, including me, which he misses just to watch me scramble.
Our sheriff, Fremont County Wyoming personally told me that it was HIS practice to shoot cats all the time, he didn’t see a problem with it.
I placed a no trespass on the neighbor, been there for 4 years. He has broken that consistently, with no consequences.
I finally had to put out a violence (peace bond) order against him, which in Wyoming there is none to speak of unless you are the spouse.
He has shot several cats since….but not at me. Still no charges. I suggest ANYONE who thinks they would like to live in WY to first check the laws and then go somewhere else where the law enforcement ACTUALLY works for the tax payers that pay the wages.
OR if you WANT to commit suicide, go ahead and move here. My place is for sale, and no buyer yet.
Anonymous – Michael (Poc Admin) has made this person Anonymous although (s)he did leave a name. This is to try and protect the person.
Hi… I am shocked. I added a title. I hope you are OK and will remain alright.
People who are as disgusted as I am can contact this bloody awful so called “sheriff” on this page and give him a piece of your mind:
Fremont County Sheriff’s Office (new window)
If he is shooting cat companions – domestic cats kept by people – he is engaged in criminal activity and his superior and then that person’s superior should be told and he should be prosecuted and sacked.
Of course in the real, raw world of lawless Fremont County that is unlikely to happen.
Living in Europe, it seems like the wild west of John Wayne to me.
It is worth saying that it is cruel and heartless to shoot feral cats and indeed any wild animal in a wanton, reckless and pointless manner by shooting. It is horrible to decent minded people. It is base, vulgar and ignorant behavior of the worst kind.
Your sheriff is an a** h**l*. He needs to be stopped and he needs to be forced to enforce the bloody law and not ride roughshod over it.
As for your neighbour, he is mad and bad and I can understand why you wish to leave. When he shoots in your direction surely that is a criminal act? He is putting you in fear of serious injury. “Criminal threatening (or threatening behavior) is the crime of intentionally or knowingly putting another person in fear of imminent bodily injury.” (Wikipedia)
“A person commits the crime of menacing if, by any threat or physical action, he or she knowingly places or attempts to place another person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury. Menacing is a class 3 misdemeanor, but, it is a class 5 felony if committed: (a) By the use of a deadly weapon or any article used or fashioned in a manner to cause a person to reasonably believe that the article is a deadly weapon;…” (United States Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit – UNITED STATES v. MELCHOR MECENO)
If you love your precious cats. Keep the damn things home! If they are your companion animal they aren’t doing their job if they are at your neighbors house shitting in their flower beds! Prove you love your animals and keep them home! I don’t want cats, I don’t have cats, and I won’t take care of your cats!!! A home owner , I feel is well within their rights to shoot your cat if you don’t take care of it! You wanted it they didn’t! Grow up and face up to your responsibilities.
Well, you deliberately keep anonymous because what you are suggesting – shooting pets – is a crime. But I agree that all cat owners need to take responsibility for their cats and how they affect neighbours. My message to you is: don’t be cruel. Don’t be too obsessed with your backyard and respect the sentience of all animals. Thanks for commenting.
Guarantee that a cat wont kill a bird and I will let it be in peace. Otherwise…
Ridiculous and stupid. If you want to kill a cat who kills a bird you should kill a dog that kills a cat or a human that kills a cat. They are all species of animal. You are an animal racist. You practice speciesism. You rate birds higher than cats. Tell me how you rank all the major species. Where do tigers rank? If a puma kills a bird, would you want to kill the puma? Admit it you just hate cats for some illogical reason. And humans put cats there. We domesticated them. Don’t shoot the messenger.