Dear Editor,
Dusty
Many old fashioned tales usually start out, in a land far, far away. But this one starts out, on a modern farm, far away from the cities of Alberta, along the Alberta Saskatchewan border.
As a farmer’s seeder plodded towards completing Plant ‘24, it unknowingly came upon a young antelope, lying in the field which was thinking it was oblivious to harm.
NOT TO BE!! The Seeders ground engaging devices caught the young animal and whisked it to an uncertain fate, a tale of bureaucratic ham-fistedness and certainly uncompassion.
Upon finding the helpless animal, relatively unharmed amongst the steel maze of the seeder, the seasoned farmer proceeded as many do, to try and do the right compassionate thing for the now orphaned antelope, we named Dusty.
A quick Google search gave a number to call for potential rehab of injured wild animals, and, wonders still abounding on a late Friday evening, the organization answered a querying call!!
Dusty was now thrust into the epitome of most people’s worst bureaucratic nightmares!
Sporting a badly broken rear leg and several rashes from its field trip, Dusty’s new caregivers were stymied. There was a willing facility, but they wanted a photo, and the Department of WildLife honchos needed to determine if it was a deer or an antelope?
A mostly irrelevant question since either are legally sensitive wildlife, which farmer Strankman already knows.
Now, Farmer Strankman is not hoping to split the atom here, merely achieve some comfort for a distraught, orphaned wild animal.
Farmer Strankman is no stranger to the realms of highly powered bureaucrats and their water cooler defence teams! The Farmer has already been previously jailed, provincially elected – and released!
Meanwhile poor Dusty waits for his saviour, or… his maker??? Farmer Strankman is now legally doomed as well, illegally harbouring the ungainly injured calf or to dispatch it… Shoot, Shovel and Shut up?
Alas through all of Strankman’s trials and tribulations he has learned there are two avenues of justice in this land. Two types of courts, one being our unaccountable legal system, but another, the significant court of public opinion.
In Alberta, Dusty’s fate is directly held by the fish cops under the Department of the Environment.
Poor Dusty’s fate/life is ultimately held by Minister Rebecca Schulz, who few know has the previous vast political depth and knowledge of a comms staffer under Saskatchewan’s Brad Wall.
Dusty’s tale is not over and Farmer Strankman’s isn’t either!! If you believe either of these real life Albertans deserve an Albertan ‘second chance’ please call the minister’s office at 780-427-2391 so that Dusty’s tale can hopefully have a positive life saving outcome!!
Strankman will get by with his thick skin.
The Minister and her staff can improve the policy!!!
Most sincerely,
Rick Strankman
