When the news broke that Chicago Alderman James Cappleman
had allowed an Indiana "farmer" to trap and take hundreds of pigeons from
the streets of Chicago, SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) feared
the worst - that these birds were going to be used for one of the most
heinous and vile forms of animal cruelty - a live pigeon shoot.
Cappleman refused to answer questions about who the supposed farmer was or
what the fate of the birds would be. He probably thought no one would be
able to find out what had happened and hoped this issue would fade away.
That was not something SHARK was going to allow, so we issued a reward for
$1,000 for any tips, and we got one. SHARK Investigators then followed up on
the tip and we were able to confirm that the person who took the birds was
no farmer, but a notorious Indiana pigeon shooter named Herbert (Bud) Govert,
Jr. Govert lives in Lake County, IN and he owns the white pickup truck that
was seen in the 4800 block of North Broadway earlier this month. Herb is one
of the two men that captured hundreds of pigeons in nets during their four
round-ups, then hauled the pigeons away to be used at pigeon shoots in rural
Indiana.
By claiming these birds were going to some farm, Cappleman
mislead the public about the horrific fate these birds faced, and he broke
Illinois humane laws by sending them to a pigeon shoot.
SHARK has posted
a video about Alderman Cappleman's enabling of illegal animal abuse. As an
elected official, Cappleman's assistance in violating Illinois State Law is
particularly disturbing.
Chicago Alderman Aids, Abets Cruelty
In the story
by Brad Edwards of CBS2 Chicago,
Indiana Department of Natural
Resources Lt. Jerry Shepherd said Govert admitted going to Chicago to trap
the pigeons and bringing them back to his farm for pigeon shoots, although
he did not have a permit to import the pigeons.
Indiana officials
will not seek any criminal action against Govert.
