| luciedove |
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Reply with quote | #1 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2008
Reward Nabs Pigeon Poacher in New York City
In Defense of Animals' Reward Gives Formerly Homeless Tipster A Fresh Start
New York, N.Y. - In Defense of Animals (IDA) announced today that the $2,500 reward IDA offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone netting pigeons in New York City has been claimed. "We are grateful to the tipster who will be receiving the $2,500 reward, and also to our New York City members whose donations made both the arrest and the reward possible," said IDA's East Coast Director Valerie Sicignano.
The reward was claimed by Desi Stewart. Stewart is a formerly homeless street sweeper employed by the Doe Fund, a charity that employs homeless New Yorkers to clean city streets. Stewart had read IDA's Reward Poster for Pigeon Netters in the morning and then, later that same day, witnessed a man spreading bird seed on the ground and netting a large number of pigeons on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He immediately called The Department of Environmental Conservation who dispatched an officer to the scene. Officer Buckey arrived within moments and arrested the pigeon poacher.
The Brooklyn resident named Isaac Gonzalez pleaded guilty in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday June 26th, 2008. He will have to pay three fines including one for pigeon netting.
Anyone witnessing a pigeon netting in the five boroughs of New York City should call New York State DEC Officer Joseph Pane at (718) 482-4941. The DEC is the lead Agency in New York City in regard to the pigeon netting investigation.
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In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization located in San Rafael, Calif. dedicated to protecting animals' rights, welfare, and habitat through education, outreach, and our hands-on rescue facilities in Mumbai, India, Cameroon, Africa, and rural Mississippi.
Related article:
The Gothamist
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| Eve |
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Reply with quote | #2 |
Quote: Originally Posted by luciedoveFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2008
Reward Nabs Pigeon Poacher in New York City
In Defense of Animals' Reward Gives Formerly Homeless Tipster A Fresh Start
New York, N.Y. - In Defense of Animals (IDA) announced today that the $2,500 reward IDA offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone netting pigeons in New York City has been claimed. "We are grateful to the tipster who will be receiving the $2,500 reward, and also to our New York City members whose donations made both the arrest and the reward possible," said IDA's East Coast Director Valerie Sicignano.
The reward was claimed by Desi Stewart. Stewart is a formerly homeless street sweeper employed by the Doe Fund, a charity that employs homeless New Yorkers to clean city streets. Stewart had read IDA's Reward Poster for Pigeon Netters in the morning and then, later that same day, witnessed a man spreading bird seed on the ground and netting a large number of pigeons on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He immediately called The Department of Environmental Conservation who dispatched an officer to the scene. Officer Buckey arrived within moments and arrested the pigeon poacher.
The Brooklyn resident named Isaac Gonzalez pleaded guilty in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday June 26th, 2008. He will have to pay three fines including one for pigeon netting.
Anyone witnessing a pigeon netting in the five boroughs of New York City should call New York State DEC Officer Joseph Pane at (718) 482-4941. The DEC is the lead Agency in New York City in regard to the pigeon netting investigation.
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In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization located in San Rafael, Calif. dedicated to protecting animals' rights, welfare, and habitat through education, outreach, and our hands-on rescue facilities in Mumbai, India, Cameroon, Africa, and rural Mississippi.
Good, good, GOOD!!! YA-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-Y!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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| Lily |
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Reply with quote | #3 |
Anybody knows where can I print the IDA reward poster? It would be great to distribute them around and maybe ask store owners to post them. It is a good incentive for people, specially those working on the street and early in the morning.
It is great they caught this guy, hopefully the first one of many more.
But if the punishment is only to pay fees, it is not a strong deterrent for other netters to stop their illegal activity. The private pigeon shooting clubs in Pennsylvania probably pay a lot of money for the pigeons. I guess that if they actually catch a netter crossing state lines with the pigeons inside the car the punishment would be more severe.
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| luciedove |
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Reply with quote | #4 |
I understand the fines totalled just about $1,000. Pigeon advocates hope to make pigeon poaching a felony crime some time in the future and the criminals will serve hard time in jail.
Please contact IDA for the posters @ eastcoast@idausa.org
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| zren | |
| Anntelope |
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Reply with quote | #6 |
Hoooray for this. Only one thing which concerns me is the making public of
the informant's name. God forbid that pigeon netter comes or sends someone
else to beat him up. Let us please remember that we are dealing with some
very wicked and evil people. If they could do what they do to a helpless and
defenseless animal what do you think they might do to a person? ESPECIALLY
a person who gets in the way of their money. We OWE IT to anybody who helps
pigeons in any way to protect them. Especially this fellow - he's homeless and
obviously broke. How could he defend himself if this pigeon netter happens to be
part of a bigger ring?
I'm going to pray for that man and I hope somebody could explain to IDA that as
wonderful as it was for him to stop the netting, and although I realize they want him
to receive the praise he deserves, it's too dangerous and shouldn't ever be done
again. I mean no harm and I hope everybody understand what I'm saying. I just think we have to remember that not ever person who lurks here is a bird lover.
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| maria brullo |
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Reply with quote | #7 |
Quote: Originally Posted by EveQuote: Originally Posted by luciedoveFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2008
Reward Nabs Pigeon Poacher in New York City
In Defense of Animals' Reward Gives Formerly Homeless Tipster A Fresh Start
New York, N.Y. - In Defense of Animals (IDA) announced today that the $2,500 reward IDA offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone netting pigeons in New York City has been claimed. "We are grateful to the tipster who will be receiving the $2,500 reward, and also to our New York City members whose donations made both the arrest and the reward possible," said IDA's East Coast Director Valerie Sicignano.
The reward was claimed by Desi Stewart. Stewart is a formerly homeless street sweeper employed by the Doe Fund, a charity that employs homeless New Yorkers to clean city streets. Stewart had read IDA's Reward Poster for Pigeon Netters in the morning and then, later that same day, witnessed a man spreading bird seed on the ground and netting a large number of pigeons on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He immediately called The Department of Environmental Conservation who dispatched an officer to the scene. Officer Buckey arrived within moments and arrested the pigeon poacher.
The Brooklyn resident named Isaac Gonzalez pleaded guilty in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday June 26th, 2008. He will have to pay three fines including one for pigeon netting.
Anyone witnessing a pigeon netting in the five boroughs of New York City should call New York State DEC Officer Joseph Pane at (718) 482-4941. The DEC is the lead Agency in New York City in regard to the pigeon netting investigation.
###
In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization located in San Rafael, Calif. dedicated to protecting animals' rights, welfare, and habitat through education, outreach, and our hands-on rescue facilities in Mumbai, India, Cameroon, Africa, and rural Mississippi.
Good, good, GOOD!!! YA-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-Y!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Absolutely terrific NEWS! It's about time! Whoo Hoo! 
Marie B.
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| Sheila | |
| Jean |
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Reply with quote | #9 |
As someone who tried unsuccessfully to get park police/urban park rangers/anyone to help when I saw someone poaching goldfinch and cardinals in a local park, I am glad that this was taken seriously and someone was rewarded for reporting it.
Jean |
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| luciedove |
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Reply with quote | #10 |
New York Times article
Pigeons may be reviled by many and adored by a few. Love them or hate them, those plump gray and white cooing birds are considered property of the state, and it is illegal to harm them.
Thus pigeon-napping is considered a crime (though giving them birth control is not). Two months ago, a formerly homeless street sweeper tipped off law enforcement officials about a pigeon poacher, Isaac Gonzalez, who was spreading vast amounts of seed on the Upper East Side. Mr. Gonzalez was convicted last week in Criminal Court in Manhattan, and the street sweeper, Desi Stewart, is poised to receive a $2,500 reward offered by an animal advocacy group, In Defense of Animals. Pigeon poaching has become a big New York problem, as pigeons are netted and taken over the state border to be used for sport and food. In Defense of Animals says it has received more calls about pigeon poaching than any other issue. Mr. Stewart saw a poster advertising the reward when he was sweeping one morning during his job with the Doe Fund, which employs homeless individuals as street sweepers, said Valerie Sicigano, the East Coast director of In Defense of Animals. Later that same day, Mr. Stewart witnessed a man spreading bird seed on the ground and netting a large number of pigeons on the Upper East Side. He called the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation, which sent an officer to the scene and arrested the pigeon poacher. Although there are fines for pigeon poaching, the financial penalties are not excessive. “Right now we really would like to toughen up the law so that the fines that people pay are a deterrent,” Ms. Sicigano said. |
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| I.C. |
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Reply with quote | #12 |
This Gonzales guy works with family and friends. I was told 2 addresses in Brooklyn were linked to him -- one is his mother's. The information was retrieved via the internet. This guy has a prior in 1999 -- again -- he will do it again. Fines are factored in as a business expense and just paid, then continue as usual. So he must be watched and caught again. But you will have to qualify the stalking laws and not violate. At some point, it must be brought to the court's attention that this is repetitive and while fines and punishments are intended to stop a recurrence, clearly it is not working and the punishment should be more severe to be effective. Might as well have him pay for a hunting license! |
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| Lily |
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Reply with quote | #13 |
Quote: Originally Posted by I.C.This Gonzales guy works with family and friends. I was told 2 addresses in Brooklyn were linked to him -- one is his mother's. The information was retrieved via the internet. This guy has a prior in 1999 -- again -- he will do it again. Fines are factored in as a business expense and just paid, then continue as usual. So he must be watched and caught again. But you will have to qualify the stalking laws and not violate. At some point, it must be brought to the court's attention that this is repetitive and while fines and punishments are intended to stop a recurrence, clearly it is not working and the punishment should be more severe to be effective. Might as well have him pay for a hunting license!
Good points mentioned by this poster. If we know who this Gonzales character's family and friends are, maybe a group of pigeon advocates could pay them a visit or just hang around their neighborhoods with signs and fliers. Maybe somebody can even take their pictures and post them where a lot of people can see them, specially their neighbors.
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| Samson |
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Reply with quote | #14 |
EXCELLENT, TERRIFIC, LET THE OTHERS BEWARE. IDA AN ORG. THAT I MUST JOIN. AND BRAVO TO THE TIPSTER. VERY VERY GOOD.
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