Coyote Slaughter Canceled After PETA Files Lawsuit

Plan to Harm, Kill Native Wildlife Was Approved Without Environmental Impact Assessment

For Immediate Release:
April 5, 2017

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

In response to a lawsuit filed by PETA and Arcadia resident Sarah Rosenberg, the Arcadia City Council voted on Tuesday to rescind its prior resolution to use cruel neck and leg snares to trap coyotes and then kill them.

In the lawsuit, PETA alleged that because the city council voted to approve the plan on February 21 without first considering the impact on the environment, which is required under the California Environmental Quality Act, its decision was illegal.

“Coyotes are an important part of the ecosystem, and we have to learn to live alongside them in peace,” says PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange. “The Arcadia City Council’s decision to rescind its cruel extermination plan should make other California municipalities think twice before delivering a death sentence to coyotes and their orphaned pups.”

As PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—pointed out to the mayor and city council, coyotes suffer when caught in painful snares, which could also indiscriminately harm companion animals and nontarget wildlife. The vast majority of city council meeting attendees opposed the plan to slaughter “nature’s dogs,” who are an integral part of California’s ecosystem. In addition to eating vegetables and fruits, as predators, they help keep populations of smaller animals such as squirrels and rats in check.

Nonlethal means of living together with coyotes include informing the public about deterring them through habitat modification and repellents as well as strictly prohibiting feeding wildlife. It’s also important to ensure that companion animals are supervised and cats are kept indoors.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.