The Times first reported in Sunday’s paper about an alleged illegal trapping incident at the depot site that resulted in the death of a family’s dog, Molly Rose, an 8-year-old yellow Lab. She was being walked on a leash when a trap was triggered around the dog’s neck. The trap had been set in a hole cut at the base of the site’s fence in the town of Varick.
In a press release sent by the DEC, the arrests were announced:
Conservation officers charged James W. Brown, 80, of Seneca Falls, and Clint K. Moosman, 53, of Seneca Falls, with multiple counts of setting body-gripping traps larger than six inches and failing to identify traps as required by law.
A total of 12 tickets were issued to the two men. The maximum penalty for each ticket is a $250 fine and/or 15 days incarceration. Since their traps had been set over a distance that spanned two different townships with different jurisdictions, the men are scheduled to appear in Varick Town Court at 7 p.m. on Feb. 10 and in Romulus Town Court at 10 a.m. on Feb. 12 to answer the charges.
Brian Jensen of Romulus and his family owned the dog that was killed.
When I spoke with him yesterday he had just gotten off the phone with two radio show hosts and was pretty fired up about the situation. He is disappointed that no animal cruelty charges have been issued. He feels those who gave the men access to the depot site are equally responsible for what happened to Molly Rose. He doesn’t feel like there will be any justice for his beloved pet.
Since there is no animal control officer in Seneca County, Jensen reached out to Joe Hoffer, Senior Investigator/Animal Control Manager for the Tompkins County SPCA, to get his thoughts.
After reading Sunday’s Times column Hoffer said: “It sounds as if the local DEC office should be the prosecuting party. Unfortunately, we are only authorized to investigate cruelty claims within the county of Tompkins. I am unfamiliar with DEC regulations regarding trapping and what fines/charges may be imposed but I would also argue that, in their negligence setting the traps, those responsible would also be in violation of Article 26 of the New York Ag & Market’s Law — sections 353, 361 & 362 (if the incident occurred on public property).”
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| THIS COYOTE IS STILL ALIVE: Three days after Molly was killed, Brian Jensen found a coyote trapped along the depot fence. The coyote, still alive, was caught in the same kind of body-gripping trap, though a larger type, a Conibear 330. The coyote was euthanized after Jensen called a DEC officer |
“The two men involved in this situation are known to NYSTA [but] are not members, their [alleged] actions and methods in this situation make them not trappers but criminals. NYSTA works diligently year-round in conjunction with our DEC to ensure humane and safe trapping practices to prevent incidents such as this.”
So Von E. Straham is distancing himself and his group from these men claiming they're not legitimate trappers, who are what? Humane? Responsible? Tell me what's humane and responsible about trapping and animal and leaving it for days to suffer, to die of exposure and dehydration, to chew its own limbs off in an attempt to escape, to possibly be attacked by another animal because it cannot get away, to possibly be tortured and abused by the trapper's dogs?
Trapping is barbaric and cruel and should be outlawed in the United States.
(FL Times - Jan 23, 2016)
Earlier:
Who is Clint K. Moosman?
Originally from Preston, Idaho, Clint Moosman moved to the Finger Lakes region. He and his wife, Debbie Moosman, breed cattle and call themselves the 50/50 Chance Ranch. There is a nice article about them here, proving that animal abusers can "seem normal" to the rest of us - until they get caught and are exposed.
Interestingly enough, what is NOT mentioned is that Clint Moosman is currently the Nuisance Animal Control Officer for the town of Seneca Falls - and has been since at least 2008. I found that out here on this forum. Do you think this is why he wasn't charged with animal cruelty?
According to the Seneca Falls Town board regular meeting minute notes from June 3, 2008, "The motion made by Tim Snyder and seconded by Duane Moore to accept the bid of Clint K. Moosman for Nuisance Animal Control Officer, said bid for services is $50.00 per animal, was carried 5 ayes, 0 nayes". So Moosman got paid by the carcass.
If, after 7-8 years of killing animals, Moosman had eradicated most of the "nuisance wildlife" within the town of Seneca Falls, that would cut into his paychecks he receives from the town. Is a dead raccoon, opossum or skunk worth $50 to a private trapper? I don't know. But it's definitely worth $50 to the town of Seneca Falls. After all, he's not paid on a sliding scale (squirrels $5, raccoons $10, skunks $25, coyotes $50)... he gets paid PER DEAD BODY.
Moosman wants that $50 so he begins branching out, setting traps outside Seneca Falls, retrieves the bodies (bludgeoning to death the trapped animals that are still alive - dumping the dogs and cats that he's 'accidentally' caught), presents the wildlife carcasses to his supervisor under the premise that they had been caught and killed within the town's jurisdiction, collects his $50 and lets the town leaders think he's doing a great job of "catching all them critters" within the town of Seneca Falls.
If by chance he catches something that he can sell for more than $50, he keeps it for himself and sells the pelt privately - putting all the money in his pocket.
If by chance he catches something that he can sell for more than $50, he keeps it for himself and sells the pelt privately - putting all the money in his pocket.
It all makes sense now.
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