By Joe Hathaway on Thursday, January 4th, 2024 in Northeastern Oregon News Northeastern Oregon Top Stories

BOISE – A federal judge in Idaho is set to hear arguments about whether to ban the trapping of wolves to protect grizzly bears.

In 2021, thirteen conservation groups sued the state of Idaho, challenging its wolf-trapping rules. They argued that these rules facilitate the slaughter of Idaho’s gray wolves and also pose a risk of injuring or killing grizzly bears.

The lawsuit says continued and expanded wolf trapping and snaring will injure and kill federally protected grizzly bears, and the loss of even a few of these could significantly hamper their recovery in Idaho and violate the Endangered Species Act.

Idaho allows year-round trapping of wolves in private property, as well as special hunting seasons for wolves.

Idaho Fish & Game estimates there are about 80-100 grizzlies in the state and more than 1,300 wolves. The federal court will hear the lawsuit on Thursday, January 4 at the federal courthouse in Boise.

by: Katelyn Harlow

Posted: Jan 3, 2024 / 04:18 PM EST

Updated: Jan 3, 2024 / 04:24 PM EST

SHARE https://www.wric.com/news/tidewater/man-facing-animal-cruelty-charges-in-connection-with-killing-of-three-hunting-dogs-in-king-and-queen-county/

KING AND QUEEN COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A man has been arrested and is facing charges in connection with the killing of three hunting dogs that occurred in King and Queen County.

A spokesperson for the Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) said Eric Gregory Ripper — the owner of the land on which the dogs were shot — was arrested on three felony charges of cruelty to animals, including the killing of a companion animal — as well as two misdemeanors of removing electronic collars from a dog.

This comes after Robbie Shackleford — board member of the Newtown Sportsman Association — spoke out about the incident, called the killing of the dogs “gruesome” and “cold-blooded.”

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According to officials, Conservation Police Officers were initially notified at 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 29 of an incident where a hunting dog had been shot on a property located off of Indian Neck Road in King and Queen County.

When officers arrived, they were met by King and Queen County deputies who advised that two dead hunting dogs had been found on the property.

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Officers then found another dog and determined that all three dogs had been shot, after which an investigation was launched and evidence was collected, leading to the arrest.