USDA’s Wildlife Services - a “service” wildlife can do without

Wildlife Services is a program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that spends millions of taxpayer dollars annually to kill thousands of apex predators—coyotes, wolves, bears, cougars, and many others—as a subsidy for the livestock industry. The animals are shot, poisoned, gassed, snared, and caught in leghold traps - methods that are indiscriminate, ineffective, cruel, and also hazardous to humans and pets.In recent years, Wildlife Services has branched out to increase its programs to remove wildlife from urban areas - killing animals for eating flowers and pet food, digging in gardens, frightening people, and other concerns that could easily be addressed by nonviolent methods.

 This is the agency that has been contracted to eliminate coyotes and mountain beaver numerous times in Lake Forest Park.

The Humane Society of the United States Commends City of Lake Forest Park for Humane Wildlife Management Plan

The Humane Society of the United States applauds the city of Lake Forest Park, Wash., for taking a positive step toward humanely addressing conflicts between people and coyotes. The city council recently accepted a wildlife management plan that focuses on humane methods for resolving conflicts with coyotes and other urban wildlife.