Rat law in DC

[cutterone]

No wonder we can't get rid of our politicians! There's a law in DC against killing rats - only relocating them!
Apparently there is a law - The Wildlife Protection Act of 2010 and it is against the law to kill rats.
According to Ken Cuccinelli, the attorney general of Virginia, said, "This law is 'crazier than fiction,' because it requires that rats and other vermin not be killed but captured, preferably in families; no glue or snap traps can be utilized; the rodents must be relocated from where they are captured; and some of these animals may need to be transferred to a 'wildlife rehabilitator' as part of their relocation process. The law does not allow pest control professionals 'to kill the dang rats,' Cuccinelli told CNSNews.com. 'They have to capture them -- then capture them in families.'" Now, how do you do that? Can I just ask, how in the world do you identify a rat family? No, seriously. But this is the law in the District of Columbia.

 

[Sandhusker]

Would it be safe to say that the local government in DC is liberal?

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Cutterone wrote"'They have to capture them -- then capture them in families.'" Now, how do you do that? Can I just ask, how in the world do you identify a rat family?

Start with the Kennedy's :lol: :lol:

 

[Sandhusker]

:agree:

 

[Steve]

At first I thought this was some sort of satire...

http://cnsnews.com/sites/default/files/documents/Wildlife%20Protection%20Act%20of%202010.pdf

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/va-ag-fears-dc-law-may-relocate-rat-families-virginia

it is not satire... , it is a case of a city not being able to deal with their problems so they want to dump city "wildlife" on their neighbor..

The law (Wildlife Protection Act of 2010.pdf) specifically says that wildlife "shall include any free-roaming wild animal, but shall not include: (A) Domestic animals; (B) Commensal rodents; (C) Invertebrates; and (D) Fish." Commensal rats include the House mouse (Mus musculus), the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), and the Roof rat (Rattus rattus).

Harrington further said, "I suspect once the Occupy DC protesters eventually leave there will be an overly aggressive squirrel population that has gotten too used to being fed by humans. Under the Wildlife Protection Act, the only legal method pest and wildlife management professionals can use to manage these squirrels will be to live-trap them. Since the squirrels will associate humans with food there is really no place to relocate them where they would not eventually become a nuisance."

The Wildlife Protection Act was sponsored by D.C. City Council Member Mary M. Cheh. It was introduced in 2009, passed in December 2010 and went into effect in March 2011.