Guidelines for the Police

A “Killing Guide” Outrages Animal Rights Activists in Lower Austria

The guidelines for the police are causing a stir. They describe in detail how injured animals are to be killed.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Helmut Niederwieser, Schiel Andreas, zVg)

Outrage among animal rights activists in Lower Austria: A guide for police officers on how to handle injured otters and beavers is sparking heated debate. In an emergency, the guide instructs officers to use their service weapons—while a trip to the veterinarian is prohibited.

A guide created by the state for police on handling protected wildlife—especially beavers and otters—is currently shocking animal rights activists in Lower Austria. The multi-page document prohibits officers from taking injured animals to veterinarians, rescue centers, or care facilities. “Overcrowded wildlife rescue centers are quickly overwhelmed by the specialized, labor-intensive care required,” it states.

The document prohibits police officers from taking injured animals to veterinarians. And it describes wildlife rescue centers as “quickly overwhelmed”...(Bild: Krone KREATIV/zVg)

Costs will not be reimbursed
Any costs for veterinarians or transportation would not be reimbursed to police officers. Instead, it is emphasized in bold that the death of animals in the wild is a completely natural process. Furthermore, it explains how to best use a service weapon to kill the animal quickly.

The fact that a document spans more than three pages explaining how to shoot an animal correctly represents a whole new level of lack of empathy.

Marcus Serringer, Tiermedizinisches Zentrum Teesdorf

Bild: Tiermedizinisches Zentrum Teesdorf

Marcus Serringer, director of the Teesdorf Veterinary Center in the district of Baden, came across the internal police document. “This is a whole new level of lack of empathy toward sentient beings!” he says, horrified by this “further massive setback for animal welfare in Lower Austria.” He is particularly struck by the implication that the many dedicated veterinarians and largely volunteer animal welfare activists and organizations are professionally incompetent.

“The state government is denying police officers—who, despite all adverse circumstances, want to help an animal as best they can—the support that is often essential for survival. They are forced to subject the animal to suffering that is often avoidable,” Serringer is convinced.

The executive branch’s handling of injured beavers is causing an uproar among local animal welfare advocates.(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

The relevant state department defends the guidelines, which are reportedly more than six years old. The service weapon is to be used only when rescue is objectively no longer possible and to prevent further suffering. The Animal Welfare Act also mandates this. Beavers, in particular, require very specific housing and care conditions. “They can develop an attachment to humans, and their subsequent successful reintroduction into the wild is extremely challenging,” the state agency states. The guidelines take into account the technical and animal welfare-related framework conditions.

No “Unsolicited” Transport
The executive branch simply states briefly that officers contact animal rescue services regularly anyway. This aligns with the state’s information: The guidelines do not generally prohibit assistance, but merely emphasize that protected animals should not be transported “uninvited” to overburdened shelters.