Massive Blow To The Au Instigated By Peta

[Guest Gareth Rankin]

Quite unbelievable this PETA organisation are, lets hope they never come to the uk.

 

http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/2013/03/19/pigeon-racing-lawbreakers-face-felony-charges.aspx

 

The Loft Report has learned later today that formal charges will be filed against Karen Clifton, American Racing Pigeon Union (AU) Executive Director, Rick Mardis, owner ofContinental Breeding Stations (CBS) and James Steele in Oklahoma County District Court. Each will be charged with two counts of conspiracy to violate the state’s anti-commercial gambling act and commercial gambling.

The charges stem from a supposed undercover investigation by the animal rights extremist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) during the 2010 AU National Convention in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. PETA alleges that the AU promoted and profited from illegal gambling by requiring a percentage of the pools; Belgian pools (10-1 payout); board pools (pari-mutuel style wagering); and winner-take-all bets.

The AU has retained attorney Robert McCambell a longtime Oklahoma City defense attorney who served four-terms as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma and is listed as a Stakeholder and Director in the Fellers Snider Law Firm.

It is unclear if Rick Mardis or James Steele has retained council at this time.

The defendants are expected to each be arraigned in District Court later today. They each face up to 10 years in prison and or a fine of $25,000 or both if convicted.

The AU is expected to release a statement to its members on its website in the near future

[Delboy]

Terrible publicity for the pigeon sport....

 

Until PETA's investigation broke, the shadier aspects of pigeon racing had attracted little attention, but it's a blood sport that deserves to be as condemned as cockfighting or dogsled racing. In a typical race, 60 percent of the birds will never make it back to their lofts and mates because of extreme weather, predators, electric lines, foul play, and exhaustion.

 

Out of more than 1,500 baby pigeons shipped to Oklahoma City for just one event attended by the investigators, the 2010 American Racing Pigeon Union race, a little more than 1,000 birds survived training. Of those thousand birds entered into the final race, a mere 420 made it back from Arkansas by nightfall—and many of those who returned still likely had their necks wrung if they failed to finish "in the money." As one pigeon racer told investigators, when starting out in pigeon racing, "The first thing you have to learn—how to kill pigeons."

 

What You Can Do

 

There's nothing sporting about forcing animals to risk—and often lose—their lives so that someone can win a prize, a title, or some money. Please never attend or support these sadistic blood sports, and if you witness cruelty, never be silent.

[Pompey Mick]

Since when can Pigeon racing ever be classified as a 'sadistic blood sport'. Only in the minds of these carrot crunching activists wearing their cardboard shoes. The world they strive for is so far removed from the natural world as to be laughable. They rope a few fame seeking celebrities into their cause, chuck in a few naked bodies for good measure and optimum press coverage and there you have it, the lunatice are really taking over the world.

For all their pontification I don't see them facing up to the American Hunting Lobby, minority pastimes are their forte not the big boys.

The 'source' of most of their (mis)information on Pigeon Racing came from attending a convention with alcohol the main culprit for the misinformation they were fed.

I'm very surprised at the lack of reaction from Pigeonbasics members on this post,unfounded sensationalism in the extreme as it is.

[Fair Play]

I take it Oklahoma is a non gambling state and peta must be worth a mint to hire such a man for such a poor case will look good on his resume

[andy Burgess]

Since when can Pigeon racing ever be classified as a 'sadistic blood sport'. Only in the minds of these carrot crunching activists wearing their cardboard shoes. The world they strive for is so far removed from the natural world as to be laughable. They rope a few fame seeking celebrities into their cause, chuck in a few naked bodies for good measure and optimum press coverage and there you have it, the lunatice are really taking over the world.

For all their pontification I don't see them facing up to the American Hunting Lobby, minority pastimes are their forte not the big boys.

The 'source' of most of their (mis)information on Pigeon Racing came from attending a convention with alcohol the main culprit for the misinformation they were fed.

I'm very surprised at the lack of reaction from Pigeonbasics members on this post,unfounded sensationalism in the extreme as it is.

ive not responded Mick ,ive read it all before ,theyve been at it a few years .lets see what the out come is first .i dont honestly think it will wash .

[Ian McKay]

It's not just Oklahoma when pigeon fanciers spit out there dummy with the club they report them for gambling sad that a lot of there info comes from disgruntled fanciers

 

It's the same all over when some don't get there own way the self destruction in our sport is killing us :emoticon-0179-headbang:

[geordie1234]

All they need to do is look at a one loft race and how many are entered and how many are left for the final race then they have plenty ammo

 

They seem hell bent on bring us down