Animal advocates say school kids swung around dead cats (they'd shot) in front of them saying "meat, meat, meat"

NEWS AND VIEWS - NORTH CANTERBURY, NEW ZELAND: Animal advocates were present at the North Canterbury Hunting Competition in Wellington, New Zealand. You may have read about this competition in which adults and schoolchildren under the age of 14 go out and shoot wild animals including feral cats. The kids were offered a £100 cash prize for the most cats shot dead! Great.

There was uproar about schoolchildren shooting feral cats. The first problem is that it indoctrinates the children into believing that shooting animals for fun is a good thing. Secondly, you can never be sure that you are shooting a feral cat or a domestic cat; someone's pet.

Animal advocates say schoolkids swung around dead cats they'd shot in front of them saying "meat, meat, meat". Image: NZ Herald.

Because of the uproar, 'on the ground' and online, the people who made the rules about the competition said that children under 14 couldn't shoot feral cats in order, I guess, to appease the animal advocates who were protesting.

But the adult version of the events still took place. Adults still shoot feral cats and perhaps occasionally someone's domestic cat companion. There is a photograph online of what appears to be hundreds of animals piled up as the end result of this shooting competition. To an animal advocate it looks disgusting.

But the point of the article is that a group of six protesters at the event were taunted by children who began repeatedly chanting the word "meat" while swinging around dead cats presumably by the tail. Charming.

It's reported that before they did this the children told the animal advocates to go and eat carrots and grass. They added that the protesters were going to die from a lack of protein and iron.

One animal advocate, Sarah Jackson, said, "The first thing we saw when we arrived was children having relay races with the deceased bodies of animals. These included baby pigs, rabbits and possums."

The organisers of the fundraising event said that the protesters had provoked the children. And they justify the shooting of feral cats because of the devastating impact that they have on native species. Comment: that does not address the problem of indoctrinating children into accepting what most people regard as unethical and immoral behaviour. And it does not address the problem about shooting domestic cats by accident.

So, the conclusion from this story is that the children concerned are beyond redemption. The world has lost them to animal cruelty. They will be cruel to animals all their lives and people are going to have to accept it. They've been taught that by their parents and by the hunters and shooters of New Zealand who see nothing wrong with destroying sentient creatures to protect native mammals and marsupials.

There must be a better way. I'm sympathetic about protecting native species but to do it this way is very crude and cruel. And it doesn't really work except to entertain the people doing the shooting. You can't simply eradicate all the feral cats in New Zealand or in a certain area of New Zealand by shooting them. They come back; they breed. 

There has to be a far more sensible, efficient, practical and long-lasting solution and of course one which is humane and decent.

74-year-old man shoots and kills his neighbour's cat

NEWS/COMMENT: The information is skimpy but it comes from the police of Brookville, Pennsylvania, USA. Police were called to a home on Summit Street on Sunday after a neighbour had shot and killed his neighbour's cat. 

We don't have a photo of the man or the cat. Sorry. Photo of police are in the public domain.

It appears that the deceased cat was an indoor cat who escaped and which had made his/her way to inside a neighbour's porch. The neighbour, a 74-year-old man, tried to remove the cat from his porch using a broom. He tried on two occasions which appears to have aggravated the cat causing the cat to become aggressive to him which resulted in the man retaliating by shooting the animal. 

There is no more information. I feel I need to comment. There would appear to be some background antagonism in this story which is not been mentioned. There will also appear to be antagonism towards cats by the person who shot the cat. And, perhaps more importantly, the man who shot the cat aggravated the cat with a broom on two occasions to the point where the cat became aggressive. Yes, I know I am repeating myself but the point needs to be stressed. Although I am guessing as to the cause of the cat's aggression as the story is short on detail.

If I'm correct, and I are almost certainly am correct because domestic cats do not attack people willy-nilly without provocation, this is a case of animal cruelty under the local applicable laws which will not be applied in this instance because they really are.

Japanese man, Hirata, admits to killing over a hundred cats with an air rifle

Yachiyo, Chiba, Japan: I have made the presumption that he used an air rifle. The news media reports that he used an "airgun". In a country where, politeness, integrity, good manners and self-discipline is important (or at least that is how it appears to Westerners), it is surprising to read about 49-year-old Yuichiro Hirata. He is a part-time employee and he told the police: "I have killed approximately 100 cats."

 Japanese man, Hirata, admits to killing over a hundred cats with an air rifle. Photo: Twitter.

He had been previously accused of killing over a dozen cats but he came forward to admit his crimes on July 15. In respect of one cat which is shot in the leg, breaking the cat's leg, he said: "I felt like I had conquered a vulnerable cat."

Last December he was arrested for killing a cat with his airgun at a housing complex in Yachiyo City. He's been accused of violating the Animal Protection Law and the Swords and Firearms Control Law. Social media users are outraged with one suggesting that the state puts him down i.e. euthanize him just like cats are euthanised by people. Another said that he needs to be incarcerated and be mentally evaluated. He needs to be continuously monitored and receive lifelong treatment.

A lot of Japanese people are angry. Comment: I don't have any more information. The story was reported in The China Post. It kind of proves that this sort of casual, psychopathic cat cruelty and abuse is not confined to the West. 

We normally read about it in the UK or America. That's because it is reported more often in those countries but of course it happens in any country where there are stray cats which offer up a juicy target to miscreants who want to entertain themselves by shooting at something that moves.

This is the great problem with feral, stray and community cats; they are a moving target for people obsessed with guns, death and shooting things. Whenever there are guns in society there will be a desire to use them and on whom do you use them? You can't shoot people without being convicted of murder but she can shoot cats and get away with it. But for the fact that this man gave himself up, he'd probably be taking pot shots at cats today.

Hirata lives in Chiba City’s Wakaba Ward. In 2003, he became licensed to carry the air gun for hunting and other purposes. Does Japan need to re-evaluate their gun licensing regulations?

It would be a good test of Japanese law enforcement to see what kind of sentence he received on conviction.

33 cats dumped on the roadside with food then 15 of them shot dead

DUNN COUNTY, WISCONSIN, USA - NEWS AND COMMENT: In a heinous crime of great brutality perpetrated by a person or persons, 33 cats appear to have been abandoned on the roadside with a pile of cat food. Then somebody shot at them killing 15.

 33 cats dumped on the roadside with food then 15 of them shot dead. Photo: Humane Soc.

Jamie Wagner, Kennel Manager at the Dunn County Humane Society attended the scene which she said has left her haunted. She said: "I was not prepared for what I saw. I have been working here 15 years, I have seen a lot of things. It was very horrific."

She said that it appeared that somebody had abandoned 33 cats and 15 had been shot. They don't know the circumstances as to why someone would do this. Comment: I know the reason why they did it. It is because they are cat-hating, nasty, insensitive, psychopathic individuals who think they can treat cats as inanimate objects without any consequences for what they're doing.

UPDATE 4/30/21: The reward for information leading to the person/people responsible for this act has been raised to...

Posted by Dunn County Humane Society on Wednesday, April 28, 2021

In a Facebook post from the Dunn County Humane Society they provided an update on April 30 telling us: "The reward for information leading to the person/people responsible for this act has been raised to $5000. Please report any tips directly to the Dunn County Sheriff's Department!"

They follow it by stating: "This is not the type of post we enjoy putting up, but this is such an act of cruelty that we need to do everything we can to find the person/people responsible. Any information regarding this incident would be greatly appreciated."

The details to contact these people are as follows:

• Dunn County Humane Society (715) 232-9790
• info@dunncountyhumanesociety.org
• Dunn County Sheriff’s Office (715) 232-1348

Comment: I have been reading news media stories about this sort of cat abuse/cruelty in America and in other countries, let's be clear, for 14 years. To me, it is not surprising or shocking. I have seen similar acts of cruelty reported in news media before. This story stands out somewhat because of the numbers involved. And it is the first time I have read of cats being abandoned on the roadside and then shot at. 

It takes a particular kind of individual to do it. It seems that a person abandon the cats then stepped back and shot at them but it is entirely possible that there were two or more perpetrators namely the person who abandon the cats and then another person came along, saw them, and decided to shoot at them. Therefore the police may be searching for two or more people as the Facebook post indicates.

God willing they'll be caught. But don't hold your breath because there is invariably a lack of evidence. This probably occurred in a remote place. No cameras. No evidence.

Note: The embedded FB post may stop working. If that has happened I apologise but I have no control over it.

Ozzy Osbourne said that he likes to shoot cats to keep himself sane

I believe that Ozzy Osbourne and his family i.e. his wife Sharon and his daughter Kelly live in Los Angeles in a large house with extensive grounds which cost a fortune. Ozzy Osbourne is known for his outlandish behaviour and views. 

However, I don't think anything could be quite more outlandish or schizophrenic than his claim, in a radio interview reported in The Mirror newspaper, that he likes to shoot cats wandering into his extensive backyard with a rifle, I presume from inside his home. 

Ozzy Osbourne said that he likes to shoot cats to keep
 himself sane. Photo in public domain.

He said that it keeps him sane and implies that the coronavirus lockdowns have driven him to insanity combined with the fact that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's not long ago which leaves him concerned as to whether he will be able to walk.

His claim reminds me of Jeremy Paxman shooting squirrels from his toilet (sitting on the loo). That was a bizarre claim as well.

He also claimed that he shoots birds. He said that he was a lousy shot but by implication he appears to have improved his skills perhaps because of all the practice he has had in shooting cats! 

But, can this be true? He has featured on a poster campaign to stop declawing of cats organised by PETA, the animal welfare organisation. This clearly implies that he has animal welfare in mind. He should be concerned about animal welfare if he agreed to this campaign. 

Ozzy's poster against cat declawing.
Image: PETA.

And, of course, shooting what might well be domestic cat living with neighbours on his lawn is completely the opposite. That is why I have described his words and perhaps actions as schizophrenic.

If it is, indeed true, however, it must be a crime under California's animal welfare laws. And he can't be sure that he is shooting a feral cat. It is more likely that they are domestic cats wandering around from neighbourhood properties. I don't know the situation where he lives. Perhaps he has no neighbours or they are quite a distance away. Even if they are feral cats, I am convinced that shooting them for entertainment purposes is a crime in a state which is quite advanced in its attitude towards animal welfare and in its laws.

You Never See Bad People Helping Feral Cats

Stray cat and kittens. Photo in public domain.

It is a point that needs to be made and I'll make it briefly. You'll never see bad people involved in caring for feral cats in TNR programs or simply feeding them.

They are all good people with good hearts. However, you will see bad people trying to kill feral cats or harassing volunteers involved in TNR programs.

There is a notable divide in human personality traits. I am not saying that all people who dislike feral cats and TNR are bad people; far from it. However, there is quite a lot of bad human behaviour surrounding feral and stray cats such as throwing them against walls or into lakes, or kicking them, or shooting them, or poisoning them or making the lives of cat lovers intolerable. These are all crimes. They are bad ignorant people who commit them.

This is significant. It confirms to me that treating feral cats humanely is the only way going forward and that means TNR. It would be wrong to dismiss the actions of good people involved in caring for stray and feral cats as misplaced and the people delusional.

They realise that there is an ethical mandate to look after feral cats and to reduce their numbers slowly in an humane manner. The bad guys, the cat shooters and abusers, lack the education and sensitivity to understand the moral obligation to treat these cats humanely.

They are simply ignorant oafs. Stray and feral cats divide communities. They are argued over at council meetings. City councillors should be decent and wise people. They generally are which is why when they thrash out a strategy on how to deal with feral cats in the community they almost inevitably come up with a decision which leads to treating these cats humanely.

The wise know that TNR and decent behaviour towards these cats is the only way. Don't think culling cats is a sensible alternative. It's immoral and ineffective in the long term.

Woodsman001 aka Jim Stevenson - Feral Cat Hater - Bird Lover

Jim Stevenson aka Woodsman001

Woodsman is the notorious feral cat hater/shooter and internet troll. He professes to shoot feral cats in their thousands.  He is proud of it and he gets away with it. He considers it his duty because feral cats spread disease and destruction, he declares (frequently).

Jim Stevenson

Jim Stevenson

Jim Stevenson

He admits to using  a .22 calibre rifle. You may have heard about him.  He spends a lot of his time writing very long comments below Internet articles and they're all the same.  Everyone comment he writes is pretty much the same in basic content.  The tone of the comment is identical as well.  They are classic rants.  They insult people. They indicate that he has a lot of hatred for people who like cats and the cats themselves.

He likes to use the phrase “cat-licker".  This is reference to a cat lover and I think he got the idea from the picture of a woman who likes to lick her cat.  It stuck in his mind - his damaged mind - because believe me does have a damaged mind.  How do I know?  His comments strongly indicate it.

His hatred for the feral cat and indeed all cats that go outside, originates in his ornithological activities. He likes birds and birdwatching.  He is the founder of the Galveston Ornithological Society and his father (or mother) was/is an ornithologist.  It is in his blood. He is programmed! He is what we call a “twitcher". He is about 60 years of age, I believe.

Although I am not 100% sure that the pictures on this page are of Woodsman001, this notorious internet troll, I do believe they are and that his real name is Jim Stevenson.

He was outed when in 2006 he was spotted shooting a cat in Galveston County and ended up in the criminal court being prosecuted for it.  I believe a photograph was taken off him by the police. Because he went to court there was discussion about him and his activities.  A .22 calibre rifle was found in his white van which squares up with what we know about his activities shooting feral cats. He uses a scope on his rifle.  He likes to shoot feral cats and I'm sure he's very good at it. He calls himself a mobile abortion clinic or something like that, meaning he aborts the lives of cats. He wants to exterminate them all to protect birds.

On the occasion he was caught shooting a cat, we are told that it was because he wanted to protect a piping plover (a shorebird).  The cat he shot was stalking this bird.  That also squares up with what we know about Jim Stevenson.

He was on trial in Galveston, where he lives. His lawyer said:

"Six or seven people got struck because they thought it was the biggest waste of their time," Nelson said. "They couldn't believe they got called down to court to talk about a bird and a cat. Much of those people were more dog people than cat people. Some of the people on the jury have cats and are professed cat lovers. I don't think it comes down to bird versus cat. I think it ultimately comes down to the law."

The central question was whether he shot a pet or a feral cat. The latter is unprotected in Texas from being shot. The domestic cat is obviously protected. But if a person takes pot shots at cats in general they are open to killing a pet. Obvious. I don't know the outcome of the criminal trial. Can someone help in a comment?

For some time, I have wanted to know who Woodsman, the Internet troll was.  I think I have found out.  It is important to know who he is but now we need to make a direct and hard connection between his Internet troll activities and himself.  He uses a proxy servers and other fancy methods to avoid being detected as an Internet troll.

If we can build up evidence that Jim Stevenson, the ornithologist, is the notorious Internet troll that people know as Woodsman, it may be possible to prosecute him for these activities.  I don't know the law in America but in the UK to troll on the Internet the way he does is considered a crime and a number of people have been prosecuted in the UK for this sort of activity.

Jim Stevenson, if he is this person, has many Internet names and e-mail addresses.  You can see some of them on this page.

Anybody who reads this webpage curve further information about this person then please do so in a comment.  It would be great if we could stop him one day.

Finally I agree that cat populations need to be controlled - long overdue in fact. I don't like to see cats prey on birds. However, for a cat, birds are well down the list of prey items at about 6% of prey items. Small mammals are preferred because they are easier to catch. Cats don't decimate bird populations.

We have a moral obligation to control feral cat colonies and in a way that is humane and decent because the feral cat originates in the careless activities of people. At present TNR is the only humane way we know.

So I am not against the basic concepts of Jim Stevenson's thoughts. I am strongly against how he does things.