animals
Louisville bat found with rabies. Here’s how to protect yourself and pets.?
LOUISVILLE — The Louisville health department says a bat found in the East End was positive for rabies, a rare but deadly viral disease.? This is the first rabies case in Jefferson County this year, Ciara Warren, environmental health manager at the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness (LMPHW), said Thursday.? “It is […]
In a win for dogs like Ethan, first offense animal torture now a felony in Kentucky
Legislators and advocates who pushed for years to make dog and cat torture a felony on first offense gathered in the Capitol Rotunda Tuesday to celebrate a new Kentucky law that does just that.? House Bill 258, also called Ethan’s Law, allows a person to be charged with a Class D felony the first and […]
Help biologists monitor, conserve Kentucky’s wild turkey population by reporting sightings online
State fish and wildlife agencies are conducting scientific research to shed more light on the status of turkey populations — and need the public’s help, according to a news release from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The department is encouraging anyone who observes wild turkeys in Kentucky during July or August to […]
Will the lightning bug show go on?
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. It is republished with permission. Sign up for their newsletter here.? Every year in late June, Peggy Butler and her husband, Ken, welcome visitors to rural northwestern Pennsylvania for the chance to glimpse the rare […]
Please, don’t shoot the wild pigs. It only makes them more elusive.
FRANKFORT — Because an “educated” pig is harder to track or trap, Kentucky is taking steps to prevent the hunting of feral hogs known to damage crops, woodlands and potentially spread disease.? Kentucky wildlife management officials are finalizing a ban on the hunting of wild pigs in an effort to more easily capture them. Under […]
Kentucky Senate confirms four of Beshear’s five appointees to Fish and Wildlife board
FRANKFORT — The GOP-dominated Kentucky Senate confirmed nearly all of Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s appointments to a board governing the state’s wildlife management department following pushback from sportsmen’s groups over the Senate failing to do so in past years. Senators in the final hours of this year’s legislative session Monday confirmed four of the five […]
Group alleges ‘hidden-camera’ video reveals ‘cruelty’ in chicken production in Kentucky?
An animal protection advocacy group released footage from a “hidden-camera investigation” Monday of what it says is cruel treatment of chickens being transported from poultry operations in Kentucky — an investigation the group says would be criminalized under a bill recently approved by the Kentucky legislature. Mercy For Animals, a California-based nonprofit which describes its […]
Politics swirl around who will oversee Kentucky Fish and Wildlife
FRANKFORT — Thomas Ballinger, an Army veteran and Butler County beekeeper, wanted to make sure veterans have a voice on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission, so he threw his hat in the ring for one of the nine seats. Anyone who holds a hunting or fishing license is eligible to vote at meetings in […]
Ethan’s Law passed by Kentucky legislature?
FRANKFORT — Celebrity dog Ethan was in the Kentucky Capitol Tuesday to see senators pass a bill named after him, which would allow a person to be charged with a felony the first time they torture a dog or cat.? House Bill 258 is now nearly law, having passed the Senate 31-5 with one member […]
Sweeping surprise overhaul of horse racing, gambling regulation sails out of Senate
FRANKFORT —?Senate Republican Floor Leader Damon Thayer’s late-breaking plan to form a new government corporation to oversee horse racing and charitable gaming is on the move in the Kentucky General Assembly.? With only a handful of days left to pass bills, Senate Bill 299, which began as a “shell” bill, was heard in a joint […]
House passes restrictions on filming food production, farming operations
After rejecting protections for whistleblowers and accidental violations, the House on Tuesday approved Senate Bill 16 restricting drone photography of food production plants and animal feeding operations. Democratic Rep. Al Gentry of Louisville offered an amendment protecting whistleblowers who film violations of safety or health laws.? Overbroad bill risks turning food plant workers, government inspectors, […]
‘Power grab,’ says Beshear of bill to move Fish and Wildlife to agriculture department
LOUISVILLE — Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear on Monday called a Republican-backed bill that would move the state’s wildlife management agency from his administration to the agriculture department an unconstitutional “power grab.”? Beshear also called out Senate Republicans for refusing to confirm his appointees to the Fish and Wildlife Commission.? “It’s time for them to stop […]