Will Defenders of Wildlife, the nonprofit group that
compensates ranchers for livestock killed by wolves, also pay for
pets that become prey? Several private citizens and government
employees have raised that question since a hunting dog was killed
by a pack of wolves near Fishtail, Mont., last
December.
The answer is no, says Hank Fischer,
who administers the Defenders’ Fund in Missoula, Mont.
“Traditionally, our answer has been that the loss of a pet is an
emotional loss, not a financial one.” But the group might pay for
dogs that herd or guard livestock since they are considered
financial assets, he adds.
Since the group
started its compensation fund in 1987, it has paid out $20,000 to
25 ranchers for more than 40 cattle and roughly a dozen sheep.
Wolves reintroduced over the past two years into Yellowstone
National Park and Idaho have so far cost Defenders $200 after two
sheep were slaughtered north of the park, says
Fischer.
“People who live near wild places need
to be cautious of their pets,” he adds. “I don’t think we can
alleviate their pain by paying them for the loss of their pet.”
* Elizabeth Manning
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline No pay for pooches.
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