The case of the city treasurer in National City has surfaced a lot of opinions about what to do about the rodents and other critters that can drive a homeowner crazy.
He is facing charges of animal abuse and torture and could even be sentenced to a year in jail for what he did. And what he did is at the crux of the debate going on among many of us that deal with how to get rid of gophers, ground squirrels, raccoons, opossums, skunks and the like from our property.
It sometimes seems to be a never-ending battle against all the pesky critter that can tear up your yard, turn over your trash cans and get on your roof and can cause just a general nuisance.
Just visit the pest control section of any Home Depot stories where homeowners share stories of their battle against the bothersome animals as they search for the trap, spray or device that will finally help them get rid of the irritating and at times even dangerous critters.
The guy in National City, a city official there, is reported to have decided to get rid of the skunks in his yard by drowning them and saying it is no more cruel and no less legal than other methods that are used to get rid of skunks and other animal pests.
But with him facing charges now that could bring him jail time, a lot of homeowners may be thinking about the tactics they use to get rid of these critters in their yards.
Some may shy away from doing much at all if it means risking animal torture charges and time behind bars.
If that does happen because of this case in National City, we all better get ready for an invasion of all those gophers, raccoons and skunks that should really be the ones that are locked up.
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