PETA Offers Franklin Lakes Homeowners Cash to Fix Treacherous Spiked Fences

New Ban on Building Spiked Fences Praised, but More Needs to Be Done to Make All Borough Fences Safe for Deer and Kids

For Immediate Release:
March 17, 2014

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Franklin Lakes has just banned the construction of new spiked fences, but nearly 150 of these fences—which cause the impalement and deaths of unsuspecting deer and also pose a risk to children who attempt to climb them—are still in place. PETA has a $10,000 plan to change that: The group has sent letters to all spiked-fence owners in Franklin Lakes encouraging them to replace the fences, cut off the spear-like tops, or curve the tops. To help, PETA will give between $200 and $400 to each homeowner who requests financial aid for replacing or changing a fence.

“Franklin Lakes’ ban on spiked fences will spare deer a painful death, but as long as the old, dangerous spiked fences remain, so does the danger to wildlife and children,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA will help homeowners who replace or modify their spiked fence so as to prevent any further deaths and injuries.”

As PETA points out in its letter, deer can easily snag a hoof on a fence top when attempting to jump over them. Ensnared or impaled, they may languish for hours—or even days—and their pain and suffering intensify as they thrash to free themselves. Simple and inexpensive remedies include removing the spikes, covering the spikes with round caps, or installing a bar along the fence top to provide a flat, smooth surface. The fences can also be removed entirely or replaced with 10-foot-tall deer-proof fences.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.