Habitat for Humanity Gasses Prairie Dogs

by Sherry Morse

After several weeks of working to relocate a prairie dog colony, Habitat for Humanity officials in Greeley, Colorado ordered its destruction.

The decision surprised animal rights groups that had been working with Tom Chagolia, Habitat for Humanity's Greeley director, to move the animals.

Jessica Sandler, a volunteer with Rocky Mountain Animal Defense, said, "Everyone is completely outraged and dumbfounded. A lot of people put a lot of work into saving these animals."

Houses for 60 families will be built on the land, which until now was the home of 175 prairie dogs.

Chagolia said the animal rights groups had originally been given until October 15 to remove the prairie dogs, but that date was extended when final city approval of the development took longer than expected.

According to Chagolia's account of the situation, the animal rights groups missed several deadlines to remove the animals after the initial date, and in mid-November Habitat started gassing the animals when it looked like they were not going to be moved.

The gassing was stopped when the company hired to do the job ran out of poison.

A private five-acre property then became available as a possible location to which the remaining 90 prairie dogs could be relocated.

Chagolia said at the time that he was relieved the animals would be spared.

"This is something we wanted to do in the first place because it's the most humanitarian thing to do," he said.

An application was filed with the Division of Wildlife, but the process takes about a month to complete. Habitat claims that when the city finally issued the construction permit, it had run out of time to relocate the animals.

Once a construction permit was issued, Chagolia said his organization decided to go ahead and eliminate the animals, in order to "remain in compliance with city code."

He added, "We probably went over and above what was necessary to help find some property and get the prairie dogs relocated. But, unfortunately we ran out of time."

Habitat had previously tried to relocate the animals to federal lands, but that is not allowed in areas with wildlife management plans like those in place at Pawnee National Grassland.

There was no open space in the county for the animals unless a private land owner offered to take them, but nobody offered until the mid-November extermination began.

Judy Enderle, vice-president of Prairie Preservation Alliance in Denver, said that government officials should do more to educate developers about their responsibilities to wildlife.

"Developers don't want to make a bad name for themselves," she said, "They don't want to go off and kill living things. That can't feel good."

© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.