44TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 1999

REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO DIRECT THE APPROPRIATE INTERIM COMMITTEE TO STUDY OPTIONS FOR THE EFFECTIVE PREVENTION OF VIOLENT ACTS TOWARD WILDLIFE THAT RESULT FROM MALICIOUS, IGNORANT OR EVIL BEHAVIOR AND HAVE NO LEGITIMATE PURPOSE AND TO CONDUCT A STUDY TO SEE IF THERE IS A CORRELATION BETWEEN CRUELTY TO ANIMALS AND CRUELTY TO PEOPLE.

WHEREAS, New Mexico citizens, including the wild friends, are concerned about violence to wildlife resulting from malicious, ignorant or evil behavior; and

WHEREAS, threats to wildlife include violent and harmful acts with no legitimate purpose, and legitimate purposes include protection of humans and domestic animals, lawful hunting and fishing activities and other acts allowed by law; and

WHEREAS, violence that occurs towards wild life, especially to birds, fish, reptiles and small mammals, includes such cruel actions as burning animals alive, using animals for target practice, killing with firecrackers or other explosives, poisoning, beating, breaking bones or cutting off body parts, decapitation and electrocution; and

WHEREAS, youth who do violence to all kinds of animals often consider it just play or do it from bravado, and without education they may not know that what they are doing is wrong or even illegal; and

WHEREAS, people who habitually abuse wild and other animals also may abuse people; and

WHEREAS, the wild friends of New Mexico want to bring illegitimate and illegal violence to wildlife to public awareness; and

WHEREAS, many people are unaware of the seriousness of the problem of violence to wild life and need to be informed through such methods as public service announcements, brochures, posters and school or public lectures by guest speakers; and

WHEREAS, young people should be provided with positive activities after school and receive training and counseling for problems such as anger management and violence; and

WHEREAS, laws are created to make wrongful acts, such as poaching, illegal and to establish consequences for those acts, and certain state programs are created to prevent certain problems, such as violent behavior, from occurring and to help educate people; and

WHEREAS, both wild and other animals should be respected, cared for and appreciated for what they provide to humans; and

WHEREAS, the New Mexico department of game and fish should be recognized for its hunter education program, which has grown from a firearms safety program to a comprehensive program of wildlife identification, ethics, proper shot placement and care of game; and

WHEREAS, wild animals that are sick or injured should be rescued and rehabilitated or euthanized at a public facility, and wildlife rehabilitation organizations should be recognized and supported for their efforts; and

WHEREAS, people should be encouraged to report or have the right to stop an illegal act of violence to wild and other animals when they witness it; and

WHEREAS, the people of New Mexico want to stop the illegal killing of wild life, in part because orphaned young animals are left to suffer and die, which is a crime against the future of the species;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico legislative council be requested to direct the appropriate interim committee to examine laws against cruelty to wildlife and other animals to recommend improvements for the effective prevention of violent acts that result from malicious, ignorant or evil behavior and have no legitimate purpose; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee examine the implications of the possible link between habitual violence toward wild and other animals and violence toward humans, and consider requiring counseling and education for offenders; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee examine what state agencies are doing to educate children and adults about these issues; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the members of the New Mexico legislative council.