DALLAS, TX – At its annual Animal Care Expo Saturday in Dallas,
The HSUS will unveil what it believes is the future for urban
wildlife control. Featuring Brad Gates, president of the
successful Canadian firm, AAA Wildlife Control, the workshop
demonstrates that wildlife problems in our homes and
neighborhoods can be resolved without relocating or killing
animals.
Tens of thousands of animals die every year in the United
States for no more of an offense than having moved into an
attic or chimney to make their home. Relocation or euthanasia
is currently the most common approaches to wildlife control in
the United States.
“For us, this clearly represents the best possible future
for humane wildlife control,” said John Hadidian, director of
urban wildlife programs at The HSUS. Founded 20 years ago in
Toronto, Canada, AAA Wildlife Control has grown to include four
franchises and more than 45 service and support staff who
service over 12,000 homes a year, successfully and humanely
resolving conflicts with wild animals.
“Most often, we deal with raccoons or squirrels that have
decided to make homes in chimneys or attics,” said Gates “or
skunks living under decks.” The animals are evicted from the
structure using one-way doors or other hands-on techniques. The
young are removed and kept safely in specially built “reunion
boxes” that can be gently heated to keep them active until
mothers return to retrieve them.
By excluding the animals but not relocating them, the
homeowner’s problem is resolved. The animals stay in their
familiar home range, where they are able to quickly relocate
the family into a secondary den site, and they are able to
continue to find food sources to raise their young. “This makes
sense biologically,” said Hadidian, “especially by not creating
a void into which other animals would soon move. It is clearly
the most humane, and likely the most practical approach to
modern wildlife control.”
Gates will speak before an audience composed largely of
animal care and control professionals, many of whom respond to
hundreds of calls every year from the public seeking assistance
or advice with wildlife problems. Animal Care Expo is The HSUS’
annual trade and educational conference and is the largest
gathering of animal sheltering professionals in the world. The
growing number of urban wildlife problems, the public’s concern
for humane solutions, and the success of businesses such as AAA
Wildlife Control all combine to point to a potentially much
brighter future for both people and wildlife.
The HSUS is the nation’s largest animal protection
organization with over eight million members and constituents.
The HSUS is a mainstream voice for animals, with active
programs in companion animals and equine protection, wildlife
and habitat protection, animals in research and farm animals
and sustainable agriculture. The HSUS has protected all animals
through legislation, litigation, investigation, education,
advocacy and fieldwork. The non-profit organization, which
celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2004, is based in
Washington, DC and has 10 regional offices across the country.
