Posted on 07/11/2004 11:23:12 AM PDT by freedom44
A new British animal welfare law that will offer slugs and snails the same protection as cats and dogs has been condemned as absurd.
Legislation to be announced this week will give courts the power to impose fines of up to £20,000 ($A51,600) and 12 months' jail on people found guilty of mistreating animals. Anyone under 16 will be banned from owning a pet.
Gardeners could be fined for killing worms, slugs and snails if scientific evidence proves they have suffered pain and distress. Ministers say the law is needed to protect animals from abuse. But horticulturalists said the plan was excessive and rejected the idea that they could be guilty of cruelty.
"Hundreds of slugs and snails are being slaughtered in gardens up and down the country," one gardener said.
RSPCA inspectors could enter without a warrant any vehicle carrying animals.
If entering a private home without a warrant they would need to be accompanied by police.
A spokesman for the Countryside Alliance said: "The law could be taken too literally . . . in theory a man could be arrested for having a depressed dog."
Just goes to show that lawmakers don't have enough to do.
And the world keeps getting wackier every day.
I just put out some poison to kill fire ants.
I guess if I lived in England I could go to jail for hurting the poor ants.
Where is it going to stop?
Yeah, it's not like they have any Muslim problems, terror threats, or social issues to deal with. Must be nice.
A little heavy-handed on the satire, but PETA would love it.
I know! Take the snails' guns, that will make things right! /sarcasm
Coming soon: A hate crime law that makes saying "damn snails" a criminal offense.
Police: 'Hands up. all your snails are belong to us.'
If this happened in Frogland; their economy would grind to a halt... Wait... it already has.
"I like snales, Ere sluggo, have some more BEER!"
My dad used to take an extension cord, cut the power lead off the female end and solder it to a 1/8" rod, wrap heavy tape around the end for a handle and poke worms out of the ground to go fishing with.
I guess people will have to resort to the old reliable pans of beer for slug control. Kills 'em but they die happy, nothing cruel about that.
FMCDH(BITS)
Must be the Nazi in you seeping out. (kill the little bastards anyway)
Collect 'em and sell 'em to the Frogs
So I guess that using a can of hair spray and a cigarette lighter to burn out a nest of tent caterpillars is totally out of the question?
I kill them here at the nursery & garden center, by the hundreds. The nesting bird population loves them.
I'm afraid the Brits are mad as hatters, and don't have enough to do enforcing real immigration laws, to protect themselves from the muslim hordes.
Ship all caught snails to the Frogs, for dinner. They do resemble each other.
Outlaw slug abuse... and only outlaws will have table salt.
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