Pa. bill to ban live pigeon shoots advances for first time in a decade

A bill to end the practice of captive pigeon shoots — cruel contests that involve the slaughter of hundreds of birds at close range — cleared the state House Judiciary Committee on Monday.

Bill sponsor Rep. Perry Warren, D-Bucks County, called the legislation “progress” in addressing an issue that has been the subject of legislative debate and protest for decades.

“It’s a good bill, it’s good policy, it’s a long time coming,” said Warren, before the bill passed with bipartisan support 16-8, to the cheers of dozens of animal advocates watching the proceedings in the House committee room.

“Dog fighting, cock fighting and greyhound racing have already been prohibited in Pennsylvania,” he said. “In 2017 even possessing the implements to raise or train an animal for death in the name of gambling became illegal. Yet, pigeon shoots are presently exempted from Pennsylvania’s animal cruelty law.”

The ranking Republican on the committee, Rep. Rob Kauffman, R-Franklin County, voted against the bill, saying he feared it would be a “slippery slope” toward firearm restrictions.

The bill would make it a summary offense to organize or operate a live pigeon shoot. “It is limited in scope and would not touch on any current hunting practices,” said committee counsel, Tim Clawges.

“The polls overwhelmingly support ending live pigeon shoots,” said Rep. Melissa Shusterman, D-Chester County, a founder of the legislative Animal Protection Caucus. “It’s a misrepresentation of the long tradition of hunting in the state. Captive pigeon shoots have nothing to do with hunting.”

The Philadelphia Gun Club, located in Bucks County, is the last venue to hold scheduled pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania.

Pigeon shoots have a long history in Pennsylvania dating to the 19th century when famed cowgirl Annie Oakley participated in the contests at the Philadelphia Gun Club, through the late 20th century, when the Labor Day weekend pigeon shoot at Hegins in Schuylkill County became national news, drawing thousands of people, including animal rights protesters and Klansmen, and leading to hundreds of arrests.

“This is a first step, finally, to ending these barbaric contests in Pennsylvania,” said Heidi Prescott, senior vice president for companion animals for the Humane Society of the United States, who has lobbied to ban pigeon shoots for 30 years.

The last time the pigeon shoot bill had a vote in the state House was 2014, around the time the issue again gained national attention when TV game show host and animal welfare advocate Bob Barker spent $1 million on a campaign to stop the shoots.

The bill now goes to full House for consideration. Advocates are hoping to move it through the legislature before the summer break.