ALBANY, NY (August 13, 2002) – The Fund for Animals praised Gov. George E. Pataki and the state legislature for passing a bill to provide licensing and mandatory humane education for “nuisance wildlife control operators” (NWCOs). The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will now provide training for NWCOs, which will include non-lethal methods of resolving common nuisance wildlife problems, such as the use of frightening devices, repellents, one-way door exclusion, habitat modification, and live trapping. The bill, A9599b was introduced by Assemblyman William Magee.
“The increasing frequency of human/wildlife conflicts has led to a rise in the private industry of NWCOs,” said Dora Schomberg, New York Coordinator for The Fund for Animals. “But consumers are unaware that some NWCOs use cruel and inhumane methods during and after removal of skunks, raccoons, squirrels, and other wildlife from homes and other areas where they are unwanted.” Schomberg stated that homeowners might be easily duped into paying for services that do not solve the problem permanently, or services that are advertised as “humane” but result in a “behind-the-scenes” death of the animal by drowning, injection with commercial solvents such as acetone, or other inhumane methods of killing.
“This bill will help to provide truth in advertising for the NWCO industry,” added Schomberg. “Now when the public wants wildlife conflicts solved humanely, the NWCOs will have the skills to do so. The consumer, of course, should verify this, and should know that removing animals does not provide long-term solutions to problems, as neighboring animals will soon fill the vacancies. Humane, long-term, inexpensive solutions are available.”