Request that the New Mexico legislature examine education programs about, and laws against, wildlife and other animal cruelty to recommend improvements for the effective prevention of violent acts toward wildlife that result from malicious, ignorant or evil behavior and have no legitimate purpose and recognizing that there is a correlation between cruelty to animals and cruelty to people..

WHEREAS New Mexico citizens, including the Wild Friends, are concerned about violence to wildlife resulting from malicious, ignorant or evil behavior;

WHEREAS, threats to wildlife include violent and harmful acts with no legitimate purpose (legitimate purposes include protection of humans and domestic animals, lawful hunting and fishing activities and other acts allowed by law);

WHEREAS, violence that occurs towards wild and other animals, especially to birds, fish, reptiles and small mammals, includes such cruel actions as burning animals alive, using animals for target practice, killing with firecrackers or other explosives, poisoning, beating, breaking bones or cutting off body parts, decapitation, electrocution, etc.

WHEREAS, youth who do violence to all kinds of animals often consider it just play or do it from bravado; without education they may not know that what they are doing is wrong or even illegal;

WHEREAS, people who habitually abuse wild and other animals also may abuse people;

WHEREAS, the Wild Friends of New Mexico want to bring illegitimate and illegal violence to wildlife to public awareness;

WHEREAS, many people are unaware of the seriousness of the problem of violence to wild and other animals and need to be informed through such methods as public service announcements, brochures, posters and school or public lectures by guest speakers;

WHEREAS, young people should be provided with positive activities after school and receive training and counseling for problems such as anger management and violence;

WHEREAS, laws are created to make wrongful acts illegal, such as poaching, and to establish consequences for those acts, and certain state programs are created to prevent certain problems from occurring, such as violent behavior, and to help educate people;

WHEREAS, both wild and other animals should be respected, cared for and appreciated for what they provide to humans;

WHEREAS, the New Mexico Dept. of Game and Fish should be recognized for its hunter education program which has grown from a firearms safety program to a comprehensive program of wildlife identification, ethics, proper shot placement and care of game;

WHEREAS, wild animals that are sick or injured should be rescued and rehabilitated or euthanized at a public facility, and wildlife rehabilitation organizations should be recognized and supported for their efforts;

WHEREAS, people should be encouraged to report an illegal act of violence to wild and other animals when they witness it;

WHEREAS, the people of New Mexico want to stop the illegal killing of wild and endangered animals, in part because orphaned young animals are left to suffer and die which is a crime against the future of the species;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico legislative council be requested to direct the appropriate interim committee to examine laws against cruelty to wildlife and other animals cruelty to recommend improvements for the effective prevention of violent acts that result from malicious, ignorant or evil behavior and have no legitimate purpose; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico Legislature examine the implications of the link between habitual violence towards wild and other animals and violence towards humans, and consider requiring counseling and education for offenders; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico legislature examine what state agencies are doing to educate children and adults about these issues.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the New Mexico legislative council.