Rural Charm Does Not Involve The Recreational Shooting Of Horses

To the Editor:

The Indian Summer glow of this past Columbus Day weekend was incredible and I enjoyed spending the weekend outside with my dog and horses.  Unfortunately, two incidents marred this wonderful weekend and I wanted to share them with the readership of the Chronicle.

Incident One:

I live on Snyder Pond Road in West Copake and my family has been in residence there since the 1960s.  The road has changed over the years through development of new houses, farms being shuttered and fields being replaced by houses.  It’s always been a quiet road; however, the Brown’s Dam bridge closure has brought marked and unpleasant changes.  First, it was the increase in traffic.  Apparently, our little road has become the direct line to the Copake Transfer Station.  Saturdays around here become a regular autobahn and people have little to no respect for the residents of our once quiet street.  People in their haste to get the trip to the dump over with hurtle down the street with little care for the pedestrians, wildlife, bicyclists and equestrians that are out enjoying the peaceful and quiet nature of the road.  While outside with my dog, I began to notice that things were not right on my little road.  First, there was the McDonald’s bag, its contents strewn along the side of the road, and then there was the six pack of empty beer cans dumped out together, the three vodka bottles, candy wrappers, clothing and other refuse.  I was sick to my stomach.  Since when did it become okay, appropriate, common place and accepted to use the side of the road to dump your garbage out of your vehicle? 

Rather than complain, I went back to the house and got a couple of garbage bags.  My dog Benjamin and I walked both sides of the road and collected garbage:  other people’s garbage for ¼ mile.  I would have gone farther, but my bags were full and my heart heavy.  I felt like the American Indian in the commercial from the 70’s riding a horse along a freeway littered with debris and garbage and a tear in his eye. As a child I truly believed that that would never, could never happen here in a small town like Copake, I was so wrong.  People the next time you go through the fast food drive through or pick up a drink at a convenience store, do me a favor and wait until you get home to dispose of the litter.  The side of my road (or any road) is not where it belongs.  It is unacceptable to expect others to clean up after you and if you are “adult” enough to drive a car, then do me a favor and be adult enough to throw your trash away in a trash can. 

Incident Two:

Facebook has indeed become the preferred way to keep in touch even in the small little town of Copake, New York.  So I was especially interested to see that my friend Heather White’s status on Monday, October 11, 2011, was regarding one of her horses, Luna.  There was a beautiful shot of Luna in a lovely field of spring grass, underneath the caption read, RIP Sweet Luna.  This horse was young, just nine years old.  How could she possibly be gone?  Heather owns Rocky Meadow Farm on Yonderview Road in Copake.  I was shocked to learn that on Sunday, Luna was found dead in the pasture adjacent to Yonderview Road.  Heather bought Luna last December as a birthday present to herself at the Heritage auction in Massachusetts.  Heather fell in love with the black and white paint horse and when her price did not rise above the meat buyers’ price, she knew she had to save this mare.  Although slaughter is no longer legal in the United States, horses are routinely purchased by kill buyers who ship the horses to Mexico and Canada where they are slaughtered for human consumption in Europe and Asia.

Luna had been grazing in the front pasture all weekend with three or four other horses.  It is believed that sometime on Sunday between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm, someone shot the horse with a rifle.  Luna did not struggle and apparently died where she was shot.  It was not an accident.  It was a deliberate and criminal act motivated by god only knows what.  This was not a hunting accident.  It is duck season, which requires a shotgun and birdshot.  Luna was shot intentionally, with malice and with the motivation to kill a horse. 

We live in Copake, New York, the land of rural charm.  Well, I’m here to tell you that part of the rural charm does not involve the recreational shooting of horses, pets, cows, sheep, goats or any other animal.  People should be able to turn their horses out without fear that they may come home to find them dead in their field or merely wounded by someone on a thrill seeking mission to shoot and kill something.  I am not a gun owner, yet I would never deprive a responsible person from owning and shooting a gun.  Responsible people do not kill harmless and defenseless animals for sport.  

Friends of Heather White have banded together on Facebook and other outlets to fundraise for a sizable reward to hopefully bring Luna’s killer to justice.  The reward is growing as we get the word out there.  In just one day, it has grown to $1350 from the generosity of people, many of whom do not know Heather White or Luna.  If you would like to pledge money toward the reward, please email Kate Thurlow at srfrescue@aol.com. 

The reward will be given to the person or people who come forward with information leading to the arrest of the Luna’s killer.  If you have information regarding this crime, please contact the Copake Police Department at 518-329-2727.

I truly hope this criminal act was an isolated incident and not a sign of the times.  I was truly touched by the outpouring of contributions to Luna’s reward fund.   As a final note, I wanted to share a quote, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” —Mahatma Gandhi

I want to thank Bob Sacks for providing the Copake Chronicle as a means to disseminate information in our small town. 

Sincerely,

Hilarie L. Thomas

It Is The Old Boys Club in Copake

Dear Commissioner Nayer:

I see lots of bluster and no admission of guilt in your letter. Has there or has there not been any public minutes for the Police commission? I believe that there has not been any, because I looked on the town’s web site. There is no excuse and you can’t blame anyone else but your commission.  To do so is ridiculous.

You did or did not hire a commissioner’s son for the Copake Police force and didn’t tell anyone. In your letter in the Columbia paper you admitted that you did.  There is no excuse and you can’t blame anyone else but your commission.  I hope the public understands what has happened here. It is the old boys club that has been in existence since I was born here.  I have never liked it and I hope we finally see a change in this town.  It is time for Copake to wake up and smell the stagnation. 

Joan Keller

Wildlife, Cars and a Quiet Rural Setting

Dear Bob:

I wish to bring to the attention of your readers a particular concern of mine: wildlife and cars.  As a 20 year veteran wildlife rehabilitator, it pains me each and every time I find a wounded or dead wild animal at the side of the road.  This is hardly necessary in such a lovely and quiet rural setting as we are blessed to live in.

 

At this time of year, and in the weeks to come, there are several "wild" behaviours that motorists should be aware of.  Squirrels, bluejays, chipmunks, and other small animals will be dashing across roads to collect the harvest of wild nuts and some berries that fall upon these death-ways.  Please, take your time getting to your destination and watch for these animals darting hither and yon.  They are, essentially, grocery shopping - you wouldn't want to be run down by a maniac driver at Shop Rite, would you?  Additionally, in weeks to come, hunting season will be in full swing.  Many deer flee from the sound of guns, and flee they do over our roads, please be aware of areas where they commonly cross the roads, and try to slow down in those areas.  Also, as the buck deer begin their rutting season, let's just say they are blinded by love (and hormones) and not always aware of traffic.  A buck deer flying into your windshield can seriously harm you and other drivers.  BE AWARE.  Also at this time, animals like opossums, raccoons, and smaller game are foraging and trying to store up enough fat for the winter.  Try to be kind, and not turn them into road kill.  Migrating birds at this time of year rarely cause traffic interactions, but some do take off low from the sides of the road, so try to be aware of your surroundings as you drive.

Finally, we come to the predators: the coyotes, bobcats, bear and mountain lion (yes one has been spotted in Philmont!)  Do NOT leave out cat and/or dog food, and don't leave these out either on a screened-in porch.  A hungry predator will not stop at a "barrier" such as your front door if there is the smell of food about.  If you feed feral cats, try to move the location to a more clandestine area away from your front or back door.  And be aware if you allow your dog(s) and/or cat(s) to roam free: they could become someone's lunch.  These predators are not doing anything that we, also predators, don't do: they are trying to survive, but now they are doing it in a world more and more inhabited by these strange two-legged beings who apparently, don't like or trust them.  BE AWARE and PLEASE CARE about wildlife.

Finally, if you have a wildlife emergency or problem, do not assume that there is no help to be had: there are many rehabbers in our area, and you can get a list from the DEC.  If you accidentallt hit an opossum and it isn't dead, the answer is not to run it over two or three more times!!  That is cruel and inhumane.  BUT - you can call a rehabilitator.  If anyone needs my help, please contact me at 325-1415, but please also get the DEC list in case there is someone closer to your location.  If you get my machine, leave a message.  I am always here, but cannot always get to the phone in time.  Injured animals should be approached with caution - and it help if you call a rehabber and stay at the scene so we can find you on a dark night.  If you have a blanket in your car, you can throw it over the injured animal for warmth and to protect from shock and stressful eye contact.  Again, for more info, feel free to give me a shout.  Hoping this is useful to folks out there.

 

Very Drooly Yours,
Morgana Washington