On Wed, 21 Jul 2010 BAC wrote:

Next thing they'll be prosecutions for
killing rats.

The prosecution was not for killing the squirrel, but for the means
employed. If someone were to be caught drowning captured rats, they
might well face prosecution, following the Rural Development Service's
2006 advisory note on rat control, which states 'Drowning is not a
humane method of dispatch and could result in prosecution.'.

But drowning is the time-honoured way of despatching unwanted kittens.

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://rance.org.uk