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Fire Department To Host “Squirrel Slam” Killing Contest

February 20, 2015 by Leave a Comment


The News

A fire department whose motto is to “save lives” is hosting a shocking event to end them.

On February 28th, the Holley fire department in upstate New York is hosting its ninth annual “Squirrel Slam,” a squirrel hunting contest that raises funds for the fire station. Hunters who kill the heaviest squirrels win cash and other prizes.

Hunter carries dead squirrels to the weigh in

Hunter carries dead squirrels to the weigh in

Hunters hang dead squirrels on hood of truck and out the window

Hunters hang dead squirrels on hood of truck and out the window

The “Squirrel Slam” is nine years old, but animal right activists only learned about it two years ago. In 2013, Friends of Animals (FOA) offered to host an alternative fundraiser that would raise more money that the squirrel hunt, but the fire department turned them down. In 2014, FOA staged a demonstration that attracted 60 people. Video shows hunters and their supporters taunting, harassing and, in a couple of cases, threatening the protesters.

Activists have also been working to cancel the hunt online and in court. For the Love of Alex, a charity that provides veterinary care to pets in urgent need, sent a letter to the Mayor of Holley offering to pay the fire department to call off the hunt:

“We, as citizens, look to our government, police and fire officials to set examples of conduct and decency, of fairness and compromise. For a fire department to sponsor and organize the mass slaughter of innocent living beings in the name of fun is really the wrong message to send your constituents and our children, who you have invited to participate. We implore you to consider permitting our 501c3 org to donate to the Holley Fire Dept. the amount equivalent to last year’s net proceeds from the event, which we understand to be the sum of $4,000, in exchange for cancellation of the event.”

Squirrel_slam_2014_protest

About 60 people protested Holley’s 2014 “Squirrel Slam.” The 2015 slam is being held on 2/28

On the legal side, an area resident filed a lawsuit to block the hunt on the grounds that it violates the State Environmental Quality Review Act, which prohibits the destruction of large quantities of vegetation or animals in a confined geographic area. On February 19th, a county judge heard arguments and dismissed the case.

Counter-protesters support the hunters during 2014 Squirrel Slam

Counter-protesters support the hunters during 2014 Squirrel Slam

When activists brought the squirrel hunt to the attention of state lawmakers, several introduced legislation to outlaw all killing contests in New York. At a press conference announcing the bill, Senator Tony Avella said, “Running a contest in which participants must kill as many small and defenseless animals as possible to win prizes, including guns, is a disgrace. What kind of message are we sending to our youth, especially in light of the increasing gun violence in this country.”

FOA's Edita Birnkrant & State Senator Tony Avella announce bill to ban wildlife killing contents

FOA’s Edita Birnkrant & State Senator Tony Avella announce bill to ban wildlife killing contests

Your Turn

1. Sign the petition to the Mayor of Holley and to the Holley Fire Department asking that they cancel the 2015 “Squirrel Slam”

2. Sign the petition to State Lawmakers to support the legislation to end wildlife killing contests in New York.

3. If you live in New York, please ask your state legislator to support the legislation prohibiting wildlife killing contests.

4. Call the Mayor of Holley, NY and explain why the “Squirrel Slam” should be cancelled. Dial 585-638-6367 and press 5 to reach a live person or leave a message.



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TheirTurn.net Comments

  1. Charlene says:

    What is wrong with you people????? How many of you are vegans? Do none of you eat meat or animal byproducts? The quotes that I like the most are the ones that you nonviolent people would like to inflict harm to ,or worse, death to the hunters!!!! By the way, the last sentence was dripping with sarcasm….. Take your own advice and get a life

  2. did our native americans hunt deer rabits raccoons beaver etc ? Do we eat chicken turkey duck pork beef veal ? I noticed most ojecters were female.???? how about aborted babies ? human babies . girls grow up .

  3. M Hunter says:

    This is disgusting and cruel!!!!! There are tons of other ways to raise money…. try using your brains to come up with some!! Going after poor defensive animals is really sad! Try something physical like a bike run or bake some cookies…..

  4. Bill Zardus says:

    Grey squirrels are a growing menace in this country because so few people
    are trapping them and most of their predators have become extinct or
    are an endangered species . I suspect there are more than 200 million
    grey squirrels across the US alone.

    As you can see from the link below, this problem has become so obvious
    and costly to insurance companies that they are adding an ambiguous
    clause to power plant insurance policies that allows them to avoid paying
    for damages caused by “arcing”. but the real purpose of this ambiguous
    clause is not usually discovered until policy holders (ie Power companies)
    file claims for damages that are denied.

    2016-11-09-Court case: City of West Liberty VS. Employers Mutual Casualty Co.
    (319) 627-2814 = Jacob Lane · Wednesday, November 9, 2016 “Well, on
    Nov. 7, 2014,
    around 11 a.m. a squirrel crawled into the city’s electrical substation, came into
    contact with the main transformer and caused a city-wide power outage.
    The result was a small explosion, witnessed by many community members.
    The transformer went up in a bright light and black smoke poured into the
    sky. After all was said and done,
    EMC neglected to pay $213,524.76 in damage to the transformer due to
    an “arcing” clause in the original policy. Specifically: “[EMC does] not pay
    for loss caused by arcing or by electrical currents other than lightning.
    But if arcing or electrical currents results in fire, “we” cover the loss or
    damage caused by that fire.” “Arcing” occurs when a strong discharge of
    electrical current jumps a gap or medium between two electrodes.”
    http://www.westlibertyindex.com/article.php?viewID=6841

    Squirrels are easy to trap and then send to “squirrel heaven”.
    I have permanently removed almost 70 squirrels from our small suburban
    property in less than 2 years. I then leave them for a fox that lives in a
    nearby woods. Win-Win

    There are never EVER any squirrel headlines that anyone in their “right mind”
    would consider to be positive. They almost always involve some sort of
    horrible tragedy.
    -News.GoogleSearch
    squirrel+fire+-propane
    https://www.google.com/#q=squirrel+fire+-propane&hl=en&tbm=nws
    If you google for squirrel stories every 2-3 weeks you will be surprised
    at the problems they are causing around the country.

    (Some nitwit burned down an apartment house cooking a squirrel
    with a propane torch but the link above will cause google
    to ignore those stories.)

    There are videos on Youtube that explain how to make your own trap.
    But the #1 problem I have with commercial traps is that birds can easily
    steal the bait without setting off the trap.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTLxM0cAhkk
    This one seems like the best and easiest to make

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2kH1IM1HSo

    Small towns should offer a small bounty to people willing to trap squirrels
    in my opinion.

    I have some other tips for people wanting to trap squirrels.

    Bill Z
    Folsom, PA
    devilsadvacat at gmail.com

  5. hi there nic website like it

  6. LINDA JETTER says:

    THESE SO CALLED HEROS ARE THE POOREST EXCUSE FOR A MAN I HAVE EVER HEARD.MY GOD GROW UP AND GROW BALLS TO PROVE YOUR MANHOOD BECAUSE RIGHT NOW YOU AINT LOOKING TO GOOD

  7. Karen Knies says:

    Killing squirrels is an event?? Don’t you have anything better to do the go around and kill squirrels?? Grow up and stop this nonsense.

  8. Darlene says:

    These sick f,,,,,,,s are nothing but cowards. COWARDS!!!!!! they are not man to enough to pick on something or someone who can fight back. These men must be dickless, because they don’t have the balls to pick on someone their own size.

  9. Judith Dawkins says:

    The more you kill the bigger the prize?? Really? What a lesson for our young people!!!

  10. Natalie Coulter says:

    Why? Just why? Makes no sense to behave so appallingly and to inflict horror on innocent animals. Save one breed and sacrifice another for fun and sport? So disappointing.

  11. Michael Burke says:

    Are you a bunch of moronic barbarians? There’s no cause for this unruly event, and encouraging kids to participate is beyond belief. Put a stop to this immediately.

  12. You should be ashamed of yourself. This is sick

  13. . SQUIRRELS DON’T HARM ANYONE. THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL AND WILDLIFE SHOULD BE PROTECTED. THIS IS ANIMAL CRUELTY AND SHOULD BE BANNED!

    1. Nereida Gonzalez says:

      AMO LA NATURALEZA Y NO ME GUSTA PARA NADA ESTA CRUELDAD”LAS ARDILLAS SON AMIGABLES Y JUGUETONAS ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

  14. THIS IS AN INHUMANE AND CRUEL EVENT THAT NEEDS TO BE STOPPED NOW. SQUIRRELS DON’T HARM ANYONE. THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL AND WILDLIFE SHOULD BE PROTECTED. THIS IS ANIMAL CRUELTY AND SHOULD BE BANNED!

    1. lisa lakomski says:

      Exactly

  15. Killing a living animal is not good for anyone and is not teaching morals to ourselves or our children. Stop the slaughter of innocent animals.

  16. carol delahoyde says:

    Shame on you & your city. Cruel and disgusting!! Cannot believe the fire department is doing this. An excuse for crazies to kill.

  17. lisa lakomski says:

    Firefighters yet !! That’s just sick can’t find something more productive ya know “normal” to do

  18. sedna says:

    http://www.dmgd.org
    New Research Finds Long-Suspected Link Between Hunting and Small Penis Size

  19. Thought you were civilized?

  20. Erika says:

    Come on this is totally ignorant

  21. Susan Boyd says:

    you damn hypocrites you need to learn to treat animals with respect
    You don’t have to do this people will give you money for who you are
    These poor creatures have done nothing to you
    Please stop it !!!!!’

  22. Marilyn Wilson says:

    A holes!

    Signed shared!

  23. allison says:

    This is just awful…. Find something else to keep yourselves busy other than terrifying, torturing, and murdering defenseless innocent creatures… This must stop… We cannot treat beings this way and expect to have a peaceful nonviolent society… This is my world too… And I don’t agree to this kind of treatment of our wildlife… They have a purpose here and they have a right… Under the real God… They feel pain and fear just the same as we do… Stop harming our wild life… And find something more productive to do like helping the homeless or something… I don’t want this to continue, its wrong and its cruelty and that’s not the human way…

    1. John says:

      Get a life, You people are pieces of shits

  24. Brian J Slease says:

    THIS BARBARIC ACT OF ‘SQUIRREL SLAM’ BY FIREMEN IS DESPICABLE AND SHOULD BE OUTLAWED IMMEDIATELY!!! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ONE OF GOD’S CREATURES!! SHAME ON YOU HOW WOULD YOU LIKED TO GET SLAMMED AND I’LL SLAM YOUR ASS!

  25. Patricia Solomon says:

    2015….morons and hillbillies still procreate to result in this…how igorant, stupid, cruel, inhumane, lacking of empathy, morals and compassion can you be? Leaves you standing with no good qualities….sounds like the mentality of those people who set their own fires to places and things so they can “save” a structure and find themselves some attention and medals. Any community that allows this crap to continue, in this day and age, is holding back their citizens from EVOLVING. Change your city name to NEANDERTHALVILLE!!

  26. Ole Frank says:

    These are the typical arguments on the shields “abortion” vs “wildlife” and “liberals”

  27. beverly says:

    You people are disgusting !!! Stop this cruel shit NOW !!!! What the hell is wrong with you? This is so cruel , this has to Stop ! Ignorant Ass Hillbillys !!!!

  28. Diane says:

    Richard Brummel has been in court twice trying to challenge the event, yesterday and today and both times the case has been dismissed. Many people are working actively on Facebook to stop this thing. He’s been on the local news and if you google his name you can see all that he has been doing. We could use everyone’s help to keep fighting.

  29. Meredith buist says:

    I have never heard of such ignorance in my life. a respected community organization such as a fire department should never partake in such cruelty. these are the very people whom we call upon to help animals from time to time. absolutely disturbing!

    1. Nereida Gonzalez says:

      NO LO PUEDO CREER….Q PERSONAS SON ESTAS Q NO TIENEN CORAZÓN PARA CON LOS ANIMALES….DIOS ….ESTO tiene q parar, Da Vergüenza y después personas mayores…Por favor q ALGUIEN haga algo por defender estas pobres ARDILLAS…..

    2. John says:

      your a whore

  30. JOSSIE MORAN says:

    THIS EVENT IS ANIMAL CRUELTY AND SHOULD BE BANNED ONCE AND FOREVER.

  31. JOSSIE MORAN says:

    THIS IS AN INHUMANE AND CRUEL EVENT THAT NEEDS TO BE STOPPED NOW. SQUIRRELS DON’T HARM ANYONE. THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL AND WILDLIFE SHOULD BE PROTECTED. THIS IS ANIMAL CRUELTY AND SHOULD BE BANNED!

  32. Norma Whittaker says:

    These vile humans . How would they like to be treated like this? Frankly I would prefer less people like this in the world . Aborting an unwanted child has nothing to do with animal abuse. How many unwanted children are adopted by these assholes?

  33. Mitzi Ocean says:

    Shame on the USA that there need be a petition begging the government to outlaw such a backward, barbaric and idiotic thing. The USA must find their ethics and morals and evolve.

Comments are closed.