Profound Sadness!

[Birdman666]

Ran into a friend of mine over the weekend, and older gentleman who is retired military, and had a 25 year old companion B&G. His family had this bird all of its life. It was very much the pampered go everywhere macaw, much like Maggie. And he was the light of this old man's life.

I came to find out a few months ago, the bird was outside in his outdoor flight, in his own back yard, and the neighbor's kids used him for target practice.

They did prosecute the kids, but the comment at sentencing was "I'm sorry about your bird, but boys will be boys." They got off with nothing more than six months probation...

These same kids were recently arrested again for breaking into a house down the street... what did they steal? More guns!

Boys will be boys... !

Things like this cut me to the core... I can't even imagine killing someone's cherished pet just to watch it fall, especially someone who served this country...

I've wanted an outdoor flight for my birds for many years. Now?! I'm not so sure...

 

[JerseyWendy]

Oh my!!!!!

Mark, I am genuinely so very sorry! More so I'm really, truly biting my tongue here over how this was handled by the (reliable) court system.

I'd best stop here before I have to end up censoring myself.

 

[ruffledfeathers]

Omg this makes me sick. And the lack of remorse is chilling actually. (Not only to not feel for the animal you killed but at minimum to understand the profound loss of someone's companion.)
"Boys will be boys" is a poor excuse.
Makes me sick. I can't imagine if someone did that to one of mine......

 

[Birdman666]

Omg this makes me sick. And the lack of remorse is chilling actually. (Not only to not feel for the animal you killed but at minimum to understand the profound loss of someone's companion.)
"Boys will be boys" is a poor excuse.
Makes me sick. I can't imagine if someone did that to one of mine......

I CAN'T EITHER, and that's the thing. Him losing that bird, would be like me losing Maggie...

Except he only had the one bird, and the one dog.

This hits very close to home. (And not too many subdivisions over from mine.) And neither the parents, nor the court system, are doing anything about it except making excuses for them...

 

[Hawk]

Ran into a friend of mine over the weekend, and older gentleman who is retired military, and had a 25 year old companion B&G. His family had this bird all of its life. It was very much the pampered go everywhere macaw, much like Maggie. And he was the light of this old man's life.

I came to find out a few months ago, the bird was outside in his outdoor flight, in his own back yard, and the neighbor's kids used him for target practice.

They did prosecute the kids, but the comment at sentencing was "I'm sorry about your bird, but boys will be boys." They got off with nothing more than six months probation...

These same kids were recently arrested again for breaking into a house down the street... what did they steal? More guns!

Boys will be boys... !

Things like this cut me to the core... I can't even imagine killing someone's cherished pet just to watch it fall, especially someone who served this country...

I've wanted an outdoor flight for my birds for many years. Now?! I'm not so sure...

That's just sad ... and Not right. I asume the sentencing judge was not an
animal or parrot lover.

As for the " Boys that will be Boys" ...What comes around goes around.
They'll get theirs in time. The watchers are always watching.

 

[Birdman666]

To me: Kids using neighborhood pets for live target practice sends up one of the largest red flag there is.

These kids lack respect for their elderly neighbor who served this Country...

They lack empathy for other living things...

They have no respect for other people's property...

First of all, I don't think teenagers should be playing with guns, in residential neighborhoods, unsupervised, in the first place...

Second, when their toys are taken away from them, they turn right around, violate probation, and steal more guns, presumably to go back to playing with them in residential neighborhoods again... and they're still OUT?!

These stupid teenagers are a danger to more than just the neighborhood pets!

 

[RavensGryf]

My jaw is on the ground. My blood is boiling. I can't even imagine. This is SO hard to read !!

This poor beloved, loving and intelligent long term companion to this gentleman, your friend, who served his country. Then our justice system, don't get me started. I have no words strong enough to express truly how I feel or how sorry I am to hear about this. It's probably good I have no words right now or my post would need moderation. I'll just say those kids need to be used for "target practice ".

Shame this isn't taken more seriously not only for obvious reasons, but also for the reason (even people who don't love animals should know) that it's a known fact that violence against animals is a red flag and precursor to violence against humans and society.

 

[OOwl]

Mark, can you call and talk to the prosecutor in your area and see if what you were told is true? Maybe if enough of us contacted him/her with alarm, concern, outrage, disgust it might change things? Animals are so beloved, I think if this situation were more public, the outcome might be different than "boys will be boys." Those boys need to receive the counseling and consequences that fit the crime (surely the court system won't just do nothing). Harming animals at a young age is a warning sign of dangerous behavior to come as adults. I hope they get the care they need to turn them around. I don't want to live next door to one of those boys someday.

And I'm very concerned about that elderly gentleman. Having a trauma like that and subsequent sadness, it could affect his physical and mental health. Have you made contact with him? Maybe spending time with him with your birds might be a good idea, depending on how he's dealing with his loss.

Forgive me, but when something like this is posted, I just want to do SOMETHING. Is there anything you think any of us could do?

 

[Weezerj]

I can tell you this, if I were that guy I would be handing out $20 bills to any of the "other" boys in the neighborhood to kick some ass.....

 

[GreatBlue320]

I am in tears over this. I can't believe kids have such disrespect for life. Your friend must be absolutely devastated. I'm so sorry.

 

[Allee]

Mark, I am so very sorry to hear this. It's always heartbreaking to loose a beloved pet but when the loss is due to senseless cruelty, it's even more horrifying. Your friend must be heartbroken.

It's very disturbing the teens faced no consequences for what they did.

 

[Minimaker]

I think a damages lawsuit would have been the next course of action if that had been me. Hit them in the pocketbook. THEN they care if it costs them. Maybe then their parents will reign in their little darlings and hold them accountable for their actions instead of letting them run wild hurting and stealing from other people.

Years ago my neighbor's dog ran into my yard (he was always loose) and bit my dog who was outside with us on a chain while we worked in the yard. They had been asked multiple times to keep him out of my yard because my dog was so much smaller than theirs. My dog was ok because I boxed the other dog a good one and he let go right away, mine had minor bite marks that didn't require anything other than cleaning and medicating but that's not the point. We didn't let our dog run wild and hurt neighborhood pets and they did. I called the police who were unconcerned and did nothing. So I marched over there and screamed down the whole neighborhood so loud and scary that a neighbor a block away called us to make sure everything was ok. They were so upset by the altercation, red in the face, nervous and sweating and we literally never saw their dog run loose again. Sometimes you have to use verbal scare tactics. I'm sure I sounded completely psychotic and I meant to in order to buffalo them. Sometimes that works like nothing else does. And it did, never had another incident again. My dog was safe from attack when we were out in our own yard, their dog wouldn't get hit and killed by a car and I felt that was a win/win situation whether they were smart enough to recognize it or not

 

[Hawk]

To me: Kids using neighborhood pets for live target practice sends up one of the largest red flag there is.

These kids lack respect for their elderly neighbor who served this Country...

They lack empathy for other living things...

They have no respect for other people's property...

First of all, I don't think teenagers should be playing with guns, in residential neighborhoods, unsupervised, in the first place...

Second, when their toys are taken away from them, they turn right around, violate probation, and steal more guns, presumably to go back to playing with them in residential neighborhoods again... and they're still OUT?!

These stupid teenagers are a danger to more than just the neighborhood pets!

I agree, and I want to add something here.

They let Kids at the age of 10 have a gun and hunt (supervised)
with their parents. I think that age is wrong.

I was shot by a 14 year old while deer hunting, One bullet hit my leg,
another my hand, and another grazed my chest just inches from my
heart. Still, I managed to walk/Drag my body out of the woods
a 40 minute trek, to get help. The 14 year old panicked and went the opposite direction for help.

Bottom line is, they let them drive at 16, drink at 21,
Married at what, 18, but give them a gun at 10 to 14 years of age.
What the heck is wrong with this country?

I don't hunt any more, Quit that many years ago
but I am a sharp shooter.

Look at the teen from Texas that they say was too "Rich"
to know right from wrong, or even care for that matter
and gets a slap on the wrist for killing what, 4 people and
injuring a few more? There is NO justice anymore.
I give it 1 to 3 years and people across America will
begin taking the law in their own hands. It's coming to that.
And that's a scary thought.

 

[Hawk]

I think a damages lawsuit would have been the next course of action if that had been me. Hit them in the pocketbook. THEN they care if it costs them. Maybe then their parents will reign in their little darlings and hold them accountable for their actions instead of letting them run wild hurting and stealing from other people.

Years ago my neighbor's dog ran into my yard (he was always loose) and bit my dog who was outside with us on a chain while we worked in the yard. They had been asked multiple times to keep him out of my yard because my dog was so much smaller than theirs. My dog was ok because I boxed the other dog a good one and he let go right away, mine had minor bite marks that didn't require anything other than cleaning and medicating but that's not the point. We didn't let our dog run wild and hurt neighborhood pets and they did. I called the police who were unconcerned and did nothing. So I marched over there and screamed down the whole neighborhood so loud and scary that a neighbor a block away called us to make sure everything was ok. They were so upset by the altercation, red in the face, nervous and sweating and we literally never saw their dog run loose again. Sometimes you have to use verbal scare tactics. I'm sure I sounded completely psychotic and I meant to in order to buffalo them. Sometimes that works like nothing else does. And it did, never had another incident again. My dog was safe from attack when we were out in our own yard, their dog wouldn't get hit and killed by a car and I felt that was a win/win situation whether they were smart enough to recognize it or not

Oh I agree with you on that...

 

[Scott]

I cannot imagine how distraught your friend must be over the despicable beyond belief crime committed against his beloved macaw.

I am normally very mellow but would become white-hot incendiary with rage if someone did that to a pet of mine.

 

[Flboy]

For me, this is horrific, for two reasons, 1, the obvious, it is horrible!
2.. I was one of those kids, 50+ years ago, but never caught! In no way can I excuse what they did, just understand, good people do very bad things that are hard to understand!

 

[Hawk]

I cannot imagine how distraught your friend must be over the despicable beyond belief crime committed against his beloved macaw.

I am normally very mellow but would become white-hot incendiary with rage if someone did that to a pet of mine.

Me too....I would loose a temper big time if an idiot did that to one of my
pets. Hold me back...eye for an eye.

 

[Terry57]

Mark, I am so sorry for your friend's horrific loss. Reminds me of poor Ozzie that we lost last year due to teens cruelty. There needs to be stronger laws in both our countries for kids who kill animals. I just wish the lawmakers would listen.

 

[mh434]

Unfortunately, at least in Canada (and, I suspect, in the US), pets are just "property" legally, like a toaster. Until they're recognized as having higher status, this kind of thing will continue.

What makes it worse is how common it is these days to not teach kids a sense of right and wrong. I was a police officer for about 30 years, and watched the decline in parent-taught ethics that resulted in a steady increase in crime. Instead of teaching what was right and wrong (and real consequences for the latter), they seemed to be teaching kids that "it's only wrong if you get caught". I didn't raise MY kids that way, and they're model, moral, productive citizens I'm immensely proud of.

These kids are lucky, indeed, that I'm not one of their parents...or one of the police officers working in their area.

 

[Birdman666]

Unfortunately, at least in Canada (and, I suspect, in the US), pets are just "property" legally, like a toaster. Until they're recognized as having higher status, this kind of thing will continue.

What makes it worse is how common it is these days to not teach kids a sense of right and wrong. I was a police officer for about 30 years, and watched the decline in parent-taught ethics that resulted in a steady increase in crime. Instead of teaching what was right and wrong (and real consequences for the latter), they seemed to be teaching kids that "it's only wrong if you get caught". I didn't raise MY kids that way, and they're model, moral, productive citizens I'm immensely proud of.

Exactly! I honestly don't understand how parents can abdicate basic, this is right. This is wrong. We don't treat people this way. If it doesn't belong to you, don't take it. These are their pets. We don't hurt them. This man is your neighbor, and your elder, you respect him.

And it's worse in a place like Texas that has a very active hunting/gun culture. And a "somewhat" Macho take on things... NOTHING WRONG WITH SHOOTING A BIRD JUST TO WATCH IT'S FEATHERS EXPLODE! HELL, IT'S FUN! I'VE BEEN DOING THAT SINCE I WAS HIS AGE... Maybe if you tree huggers would shoot a few more birds, YOU WOULDN'T ACT LIKE SUCH PUSSIES! Crying over a bird... y'all are soft!

Never mind that the guy whose bird it was served in the Marines and was a combat veteran...

The gun culture here really is somewhat extreme...