Need your advice - nothing to do with babies

Hi there,

We live in the Country and have a field at the back of the garden. Over the last year we have encountered a few problems with rats so we have purchased an air rifle and dealt with 3 little friends that seem to like our garden. Mark does the horrid deed and makes sure that they do not suffer.

Now, 3 doors down the man of the house has purchased an air rifle...... we know this as he has erected a target practice in the field to shoot at. Since then, we have encountered an injured pigeon next door which died in the garden and tonight there is another maimed pigeon at the front of the house with a hole in its wing. This has really upset me as whilst I recognise pigeon are vermin (the same as rats) why shoot at something and let it suffer. I want to go to this house and let them know how I feel but on the other hand I feel hypocritical as we shoot rats..........

Mark and i have had an argument tonight re this but I cannot let living things suffer if they have been shot - at least put it out of its misery...

What should I do - have a word with the neighbour..?

Cannot help being a softie even if it is a pigeon - we have some nesting in our tree (called Mack and Mabel) .....

Natalie xx

p.s. told you - nothing to do with babies !

Set my dad ontp your neighbour!!

my dad shoots things but makes sure they do not suffer.. my dad found out that a farmer he knew would put traps down in the fields and not check them and all sorts of animals suffered.. my dad went nutty at him!

I am

not sure about the pigeon Rat debate, but just wanted to say that a friend of mine has actally recently been prosecuted for posessing an air rifle! It was a pretty big one, but apparently he was supposed to hav it liscenced, I am not sure if thats coz we're in Northern Ireland and its different but just though I'd let ya know!
I think it'd be different if th neighbour was not letting the birds suffer, poor things, and to be fair... If you shoot a warning shot to a pigeon then they'll fly away anyway so he has no need to actually shoot them. I understand how its makin you feel hun! I hope you get somethin sorted!
nik x x x x x x

Hiya

its not an offense here to own an air rifle however what I object to is animal suffering. There is no proof that the man with the new target practice is maiming birds but it is coincidence.........

Perhaps it is a stupid pigeon........

Anyway, I will have a strong word if it persists!

Thanks
Natalie x