Cast your ballot in favor of pigeon reduction. - Animal welfare advocates express worries.
Following the majority decision to cull pigeons in Limburg, animal rights activists have voiced their disapproval. The Limburg Pigeon Project's Facebook page stated, "We're completely dumbfounded. We're stunned." The day when citizens, through a referendum, voted to implement a city council resolution reducing the pigeon population was described as "a tragic day for animal rights."
The majority of Limburg voters have effectively sentenced the pigeons to death with their vote, criticized Thomas Schröder, President of the German Animal Welfare Federation. If the animals are indeed killed, he has threatened to file a criminal complaint. In November, the Limburg city council decided, in the majority, that they would hire a falconer to tackle the pigeon issue. During the discussion, mention was made of killing the pigeons by snapping their necks.
Limburg's Mayor Marius Hahn (SPD) had announced the day before that the citizens had now decided that "the pigeon population should be reduced by a falconer who incapacitates and kills animals in the next two years." Simultaneously, he made it clear that a legal review was forthcoming. The Hessian Administrative Court, to which the city refers, linked the killing of pigeons to various conditions in a 2011 decision, including appropriate population levels, health concerns, and damage to buildings. The corresponding permit granted by the district to kill pigeons at two falconers also considers these factors. Therefore, "in light of the review of legality, particularly proportionality," it needs to be verified if the necessary prerequisites are met should implementation occur.
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Animal rights activists in Hesse also expressed their concerns, expressing their dismay on Facebook. They viewed Sunday's vote in Limburg as a setback for animal rights, referring to it as a "dark day for animals." despite the majority decision, animal welfare organizations are prepared to challenge the legality of the pigeon culling, citing the conditions set by the Hessian Administrative Court in a 2011 decision. These conditions include appropriate population levels, health concerns, and damage to buildings, which must be considered before implementing the cull. Local municipalities across Germany also closely monitor animal welfare issues, with some municipalities, like the one in Limburg, implementing measures to reduce pigeon populations using falconers.
