Georgia Surgeon, Already Under Indictment for Wildlife Trafficking Crimes, to Host Clandestine Live Pigeon Shoot in Georgia, Potentially Adding More Crimes to His Profile

Washington, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action and Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) have gleaned news from an informant of a massive planned live pigeon shoot in Georgia and are calling on the organizers to shut down the barbaric spectacle in progress today and set to continue through the weekend. Further, the animal wellness groups are calling on Harris County law enforcement to alert the organizers that they are potentially in violation of Georgia’s animal cruelty statute and must suspend the live-animal contest shoot.

The outcry comes as Dr. John Waldrop, an orthopedic surgeon in Cataula, Ga., who is currently under federal indictment for wildlife trafficking, began two days of a killing competition on a pigeon shooting complex he’s developed adjacent to his home. The two organizations uncovered a pigeon-shooting complex in south Florida three months ago run by Troy Link, CEO of Jack Link’s Meat Snacks. The organizations suspect that the Georgia shoot is part of a network of such operations in the South and in Mexico.

At the spectacle, thousands of live pigeons are flung from box cages and then blasted by participants in high-dollar contest kills to see who can claim the most shot birds. While many of the birds are killed outright, others suffer on the ground until contest workers can snap their necks or bludgeon them to death. Still others, maimed, fly just out of range and are eaten alive by predators. The predators then suffer the effects of lead poisoning from ingesting the embedded fragments of lead that will speckle the carcasses. Eagles and other rare and protected migratory birds will be at acute risk.

“Target shooters have skeet and clay targets for recreational target shooting. To choose instead to slaughter live animals is just pathological,” said Steve Hindi, president of SHARK, who famously campaigned to help stop a notorious live pigeon shoot in Hegins, Penn. “Only a sick mind shoots animals for target practice when fast-moving clay targets are far more challenging.”

“This debasing activity bears no resemblance to hunting, which involves obtaining a license, honoring ‘fair chase’ principles, and consuming the meat of the animals,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action, who also has campaigned against pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania and other states. “If this isn’t staged animal cruelty, I don’t know what is. I am sickened by this orgy of killing for no good reason, and anyone with a conscience will have the same reaction.”

“Georgia animal cruelty laws contain several provisions that would seemingly apply to this kind of inhumane conduct,” said Scott Edwards, general counsel for Animal Wellness Action. “We believe this kind of activity demands an investigation by state officials and should not be allowed to continue.”

Georgia is one of eight states where court rulings or attorney general opinions have suggested that live pigeon shoots are covered by state anti-cruelty laws. Animal Wellness Action and SHARK urge state officials to investigate Dr. Waldrop’s pigeon shoot and bring the full weight of Georgia’s anti-cruelty law to bear on him and any participants. While the groups believe that live pigeon shoots are banned under the anti-cruelty statute, the organizations recommend that state lawmakers in 2025 adopt an explicit ban on live pigeon shoots so that no enthusiast of these spectacles is tempted to engage in them.

Fifteen states have statutes that specifically prohibit keeping pigeons and live birds to be used as targets.

Animal Wellness Action has sent a letter to the Harris County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office, alerting the law enforcement agency to the event occurring in their jurisdiction and sharing a legal analysis indicating it may be illegal. The letter also alerts officials that Dr. Waldrop has been indicted by the federal authorities for other wildlife crimes.

The letter reads in part: “The Waldrop pigeon shooting event is not only an affront to decency, it amounts to a collection of violations of federal and state law. This comes on top of the federal laws he’s been indicted for violating. We urge you, as the top law enforcement officer Harris County, to interdict this pigeon-shooting operation and launch an investigation into this form of organized animal cruelty. This sort of event should never again be permitted to occur in Harris County.”

The letter may be viewed in its entirety here.

In addition, the groups have launched a national petition calling for the ban in Georgia of these events.

JOHN WALDROP ALREADY UNDER INDICTMENT

Dr. John Waldrop, an orthopedic surgeon and part owner of the Hughston Clinic and Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital, is currently under federal indictment for trafficking in protected birds.

He and another man, Toney Jones, were charged in October last year with conspiracy, smuggling, Endangered Species Act (ESA) violations, and money laundering. Prosecutors believe the pair imported protected birds and thousands of eggs into the United States between 2016 and 2020.

Prosecutors allege Jones and Waldrop bought the birds and eggs online. Some of the species discovered were canary, dipper duck, eagle, falcon, grouse, gull, hawk, heron, hoopoe, kestrel, kinglet, lapwing, murre, owl, parrot, pochard, rail, teal, snipe, spoonbill, vulture and woodpecker.

“In addition to the conspiracy, the indictment charges Waldrop and Jones with importing three packages containing birds and eggs in 2020 through John F. Kennedy International Airport in violation of smuggling and ESA laws,” the Department of Justice wrote in a press release. “The final count of the indictment alleges that Waldrop and Jones conspired to commit money laundering by sending funds out of the United States to finance bird smuggling. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of 779 bird mounts and 2,594 eggs allegedly illegally imported into the United States.”

“This investigation highlights the immense pressure illegal trade places on imperiled bird species around the world and the Service’s commitment to upholding laws and treaties that prevent the exploitation of foreign and domestic species,” said Assistant Director Edward Grace of the USFWS Office of Law Enforcement. “We hope this indictment sends a clear message that our investigators will work tirelessly to seek justice for poached wildlife.”

If convicted, the men could face up to 40 years in prison. A status conference on the case is scheduled for May 30.