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The Woodside Planning Commission, on a 3-1-1 vote, declined Wednesday to take up the question of whether the pig scramble — kids chasing and tackling pigs at the July Fourth junior rodeo — is a permitted activity under the use permit granted to the rodeo’s host, the Mounted Patrol of San Mateo County.
Planning Director Jackie Young, in a staff report, recommended against the commission revisiting the permit. Ms. Young notes that the permit does not define what is or is not allowed at the rodeo, and that the pig scramble has a long history in the rodeo.
And, she continues, even though pig scrambles are not included among the activities sanctioned by the regional rodeo association, it is the Mounted Patrol that holds the use permit, not the rodeo association.
A local group of residents called “Committee for a Humane Woodside” will not appeal the commission’s decision, committee member Belle Stafford told the Almanac after the discussion had concluded.
Committee members claim that it’s cruel to the dozen or so small pigs to be chased around an arena and captured by 50 to 75 children.
Voting to not schedule the topic for a future discussion were commissioners Marilyn Voelke, Elizabeth L. Hobson and Grant Huberty. Commissioner Aydan Kutay, who proposed that the commission consider the question because the event was not specifically mentioned in the Mounted Patrol’s permit, abstained. Commissioner Kurt C. Calia opposed the resolution.
Views on pig scramble
The three commissioners voting in the majority alluded to the fact that the pig scramble is not illegal and that the Mounted Patrol is not violating its conditional use permit by hosting the event. No one in the majority expressed a preference that the pig scramble continue, however.
Ms. Voelke told Patrol Captain Victor Aenlle that she objected to the lessons the event embodies and forbade her kids from attending after one visit to the rodeo. “I don’t want my kids to chase animals and listen to them squeal,” she said. “It’s just not something that I would choose to teach my kids, and so we didn’t have them participate after one time.”
Ms. Hobson contested the idea that pigs are a part of rodeo culture. “Pigs are on farms, not ranches,” she said. She recommended a community dog show as an alternative.
She noted that she has a new dog and that her 9-year-old grandson chases the dog with a toy that is apparently scary. “I chastise him,” she said. “I correct him when he does that and say, ‘Why are you scaring this little dog?'”
Chasing the dog “is equivalent to this pig scramble,” she said. “These little pigs are scared. Why are they doing that to them?”
Mr. Huberty said that while he does not like the idea of a pig scramble, like barbecue, it’s part of living in today’s world.
“Many of us are against animal abuse, if it’s called that,” he said. “I have as much trouble watching a cowboy rope a calf and take it down and tie it up. I have a bigger problem with that than I do with a pig scramble, to be honest. But I don’t like horse racing, I don’t like circuses, I don’t like to see whales jumping before an audience.
The bottom line, he said, is that he doesn’t see grounds for review of the Mounted Patrol’s use permit.
The Town Council in March reached a similar conclusion to take no action, but recommended that the event’s opponents take their complaints to San Mateo County or the state Legislature.
Commissioner Calia, in explaining his opposition, noted that the evening’s discussion was only the first of the many that preceded it that addressed the question of whether the Patrol’s permit allowed a pig scramble at all.
Ms. Kutay commented that the language in the permit did not specifically exclude a pig scramble and that that ambiguity worked against the idea of further examination of the permit by the commission.
Members of the Committee for a Humane Woodside will be at the rodeo this year to protest the event, Ms. Stafford said. Three Woodside residents and one former resident form the group’s core.
“We have sought to raise local awareness about this inhumane activity mostly through circulating petitions and reaching out to the town government,” committee member Lorien French told the Almanac.
The Mounted Patrol, through its current captain Victor Aenlle, said the rodeo is not in violation of the Patrol’s permit and described the continuing efforts to end the pig scramble as a “witch hunt.”
At one point, Mr. Aenlle alluded to possible changes. “To be honest with you,” he said, “there may be a day when … we choose to maybe end the pig scramble, but not this way. Not like this, not under this pressure.”
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I wonder if the “Committee for a Humane Woodside” is also protesting the market selling pork and other meat products? Is everyone vegetarian? I am sure these people have never seen an animal slaughtered for food and probably think that the meat they eat just comes from the grocery store without animals being slaughtered in frankly pretty horrific ways. You want to do something useful go work to get slaughter houses to kill the animals more humanly because a few piglets getting caught by kids (with no history of injury) is nothing.
Ah yes — the “if you’re not doing *this*, you’re a hypocrite” argument.
Let’s get one thing clear: There is NO reason for the Pig Scramble. Period. End of story. So let’s stop with justifying this.
Hmm, so if it’s not illegal, it’s okay to abuse animals? Disgraceful!
“Let’s get one thing clear: There is NO reason for the Pig Scramble. Period. End of story. So let’s stop with justifying this.”
Ahhhh, the arrogance of one so self-absorbed that they can’t differentiate between their own opinion and objective reality. Woodside has its roots in rural tradition where kids and adults raised chickens and rabbits to eat, cared for livestock and participated in 4H. There is no “Objective Reality” that says that any of this is negative. If there is anyone out there who considers this a priority in a country where the government supports through subsidy the most unethical and inhumane factory farming in the developed world, I don’t know what to say.
I’ll be at the Pig Scramble. With my kids. For what it’s worth, I personally am a vegetarian.
And yes, by any reasonable definition one is a hypocrite if they have a problem with the “Pig Scramble” and yet they support, in any way, commercial livestock farming in the US.
SantaCruzMtnRes — “Woodside has its roots in rural tradition where kids and adults raised chickens and rabbits to eat, cared for livestock and participated in 4H.”
So? Nowhere do I (or a lot of people) see any relation to any of those activities, and the Pig Scramble.
“And yes, by any reasonable definition one is a hypocrite if they have a problem with the “Pig Scramble” and yet they support, in any way, commercial livestock farming in the US.”
So by your definition, as long as there is commercial livestock farming, none of us can object to the Pig Scramble.
Bloody nonsense.
“Ahhhh, the arrogance of one so self-absorbed that they can’t differentiate between their own opinion and objective reality.”
Which describes what you have been saying here, sport.
The issue is not one of LEGALITY, but rather ETHICS, COMPASSION and HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS. One petition has collected more than 30,000 signatures in support of banning the “scrambles” (already banned at the Rowell Ranch Rodeo in Castro Valley). Local officials would be wise to take heed, and act accordingly.
For nearly all the animals involved (piglets included), rodeo is merely a detour en route to the slaughterhouse. Must we therefore terrorize, sometimes cripple and kill them in the arena before we eat them, and all for the most indefensible of reasons, mere “entertainment”? Nor does one have to be a vegetarian to care. As my Grandma used to say, “Don’t play with your food!” One wonders, where is the local religious community on this moral issue? What would Jesus say?
MOST IMPORTANTLY, consider this statement from world-renowned animal behaviorist Dr. Temple Grandin: “In assessing criteria for suffering, psychological stress–which is fear stress–should be considered as important as suffering induced by pain.” NOTE: All rodeo animals are “prey” animals. As such, they fear for their very lives when chased, grabbed, dragged, ridden, wrestled or otherwise handled roughly. What a terrible message this sends to impressionable young children about the proper and humane treatment of animals.
AND A QUESTION: Could someone please post here the price that the children are charged to take part in this cruelty? Is this simply a money-maker for the San Mateo Mounted Patrol? (Which is a “men only” organization, it should be noted, for which they were successfully sued some 30 years ago, for sexual discrimination.)
America seems on the brink of a sea change in our attitudes toward the use/abuse of animals in entertainment. Ban on orca shows and captive breeding at SeaWorld, elephant bullhook bans around the country, the demise of the Ringling Bros. circus….I’m thinking rodeo’s days are numbered. Woodside should board the Humane Bus NOW.
BOYCOTT CRUELTY.
x
Eric Mills, coordinator
ACTION FOR ANIMALS
Oakland
email – afa@mcn.org
Captain Victor Aenlle indicated during the hearing that the pig scramble does not generate any money for the organization. According to his testimony, the admission fee only covers the expenses associated with the event. Which begs the question for a non-profit organization chartered to fundraise and benefit the community (which they do admirably in many ways), why are you holding this event if it doesn’t create a financial benefit to support your many worth causes?
Captain Aenlle is being coy. I’d still like to know the precise cost each child is being charged. Surely some parent whose kids take part could tell us the fee. Or a call to the Mounted Patrol.
A pig scramble is NOT an illegal activity, according to the Mounted Patrol representative. If not illegal, you can abuse animals and teach our children the same logic? Once in this country, owning slaves was NOT illegal, whipping them, physical and mental abuse/torture were NOT Illegal. So, it was permissible, then among certain kinds of humans. Time has changed and humans must evolve. You must evolve from the Mounted Patrol’s mind set, if not illegal, abuse is permissible.
Well, at least the Planning Commission gave a bunch of people something to write about and post here tonight!
What’s the “over/under” for the number of posts on this thread? I’m picking 56.
All animal use is morally wrong and harmful to both the animal and the human who is perpetrating or paying for the harm. Children should be taught sensitivity, caring and respect for other living beings. The pig scramble is cruel to both piglets and children. Anyone defending the event lost their sensitivity and compassion a long time ago.
Reply to “disagree”: I don’t know all of the members of the committee but speaking for myself and many others, we are vegan. We are well aware where meat comes from. We protest meat and other animal-based food by not eating it, and in many other ways. I have been inside more than one slaughterhouse and believe humane slaughter to be an oxymoron. I am sorry you think taking a life could be humane. I am sorry you think teaching children to chase and catch piglets is “nothing.” It is something. And it is something WRONG.
Reply to “SantaCruzMtnRes”: One of your two “likes” was accidentally mine. I read what you had typed in quotes and thought it was your statement; I was mistaken. You wrote, “For what it’s worth, I am a vegetarian.” Being vegetarian in an untenable ethical stance since dairy and egg production are two of the cruelest industries in food production. Please learn more and consider veganism as your ethical position.
The pig scramble needs to end. This event sends the wrong message to children. Encouraging children to scare animals is not something we should be supporting.
At one point, Mr. Aenlle alluded to possible changes. “To be honest with you,” he said, “there may be a day when … we choose to maybe end the pig scramble, but not this way.
Not like this, not under this pressure.”
And here ladies and gentlemen, we get to the real bottom of why ending that circus meets so much resistance.
Pretty SAD acting like that as a grown adult.
What is the point of chasing scared baby animals? It serves no purpose. It is not about equestrian skills. I do not understand the Mounted Patrol and their leadership. I hope they have a few sane members who should talk to the Captain to end it.
Make your concerns known to the Woodside Town Council & the Mounted Patrol:
EMAIL – council.members@woodsidetown.org
SAN MATEO COUNTY MOUNTED PATROL
521 Kings Mountain Road
Woodside, CA 94062
Captain Victor Aenlle
email – info@mpsmc.org
tel. – 650/851-8300
fax – 650/851-9352
Pig scramble teaches kids that knowingly inflicting unnecessary violence on another sentient being is acceptable and condoned.
So let me see if I understood this correctly. Woodside has given a permit to the Mounted Patrol to do whatever event they want as long as they call it ‘rodeo’ and as long as it is not illegal in California. I can think of many events that are legal but they don’t fit in with a rural residential Town such as mud wrestling as in girls in bikinis fighting in the mud, pole dancing, chicken scramble, how about cat fights?
It is mind boggling how wacky Woodside operates.
The Town that goes after home owners for matters as frivolous as building a tiny backyard shed has given the Mounted Patrol unlimited freedom in the use permit.Woodside is a town of cronies.
Does anyone know of a plan to protest the pig scramble this 4th of July?
Everyone who posted on this link should make an effort to go to Woodside to protest the pig scramble. Lets not just do the talk but do the walk too. I for one will go to 521 Kings Mountain road, Mounted Patrol and stand up for compassion for the piglets in the pig scramble. Hopefully parents who registered their kids will change their minds.
I’m in favor of the event,because the kids are outside exercising,rather than inside playing on their I-phones like their parents.The pigs will be slaughtered and eaten at some point anyway.
I think we all need to lighten up and enjoy things for what they are without over analyzing everything.