ranger kills dog

A Searcy County man says a ranger with the National Park Service shot and killed one of his beagles when it strayed inside the boundaries of the Buffalo National River last month.Kevin Manes said a park ranger turned on his blue lights as Manes and Garan McDaniel drove inside the park for a third time looking for a 10-inch tall beagle named Peewee.
Manes said the ranger asked if he was looking for a dog, and when he replied yes, the ranger said, “I just shot your dog and have your collars here (obedience and name plate collar).”When Manes asked why the ranger shot his dog, he said the officer replied, “It had deer hemmed up and running them in circles. I love dogs but can’t stand to see a dog harass deer.”Manes said the ranger said he wouldn’t write him a ticket but asked to see his license.Middle Buffalo District Ranger Kevin Moses said in an e-mail Wednesday, Feb. 24, that federal misdemeanor laws enforced on park lands are listed under Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (36 CFR).
He said 36 CFR Section 2.15 (5)(c) states: “Pets or feral animals that are running-at-large and observed by an authorized person in the act of killing, injuring or molesting humans, livestock, or wildlife may be destroyed if necessary for public safety or protection of wildlife, livestock, or other park resources.”He added that the National Park Service’s laws governing actions of commissioned law enforcement rangers dealing with “Destruction of Animals By Commissioned Personnel” states: “Pets or feral animals killing, injuring, or molesting humans, livestock, or other wildlife may be destroyed.”Manes said he, Mike Grinder and Garan McDaniel had turned loose beagles owned by Grinder and Manes in the Tomahawk area about 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 23. By 11:30 a.m., they had caught all of Grinder’s beagles and all but one of Manes’ beagles.They heard a dog barking in the distance and decided to drive around until they found the dog. Manes said he and McDaniel made three trips to the North Maumee landing to look for the beagle, and they were stopped by the ranger on the third trip.Sunday morning, Manes said he and McDaniel drove to Buffalo Point to locate his dead beagle. The ranger eventually called and asked why he wanted to know where the dead dog was located.“I told him it was a family pet and we want it so we can bury it and not lay out there for the wild animals to eat,” Manes said.Manes said he followed the ranger’s directions and found the dog where it had been thrown in a briar patch.Manes said it is legal to run beagles on the Buffalo National River during rabbit season, except during deer rifle season. He said Jan. 23 was open rabbit season and it was not on park land illegally. He said a spokesman at the park service’s office in Harrison told him Monday, Jan. 25, that it was a law for them to kill a domesticated animal on park land if it’s harassing or endangering the life of any wildlife.“I am still trying to be convinced that a 10-inch beagle would be endangering a deer, because when I found my dead dog, there were no fences or anything else that would have hemmed the deer up and caused it to not be able to get away from a beagle.“So to tell me that you were justified in killing my dog because it had a deer hemmed up is not making sense to me.”By press time Wednesday night, Feb. 24, the Park Service had not returned a phone call seeking input on its actions.