US club used live turkeys for shooting contest

LANCASTER, Pa., Mar 10 (Reuters) A Pennsylvania sportsmen's club was fined 400 dollar for cruelty to animals after using live turkeys as targets, prosecutors said.

The Elstonville Sportsmen's Association admitted to staking the turkeys to straw bales and shooting them with bows and arrows during a contest, according to the office of the Lancaster County District Attorney.

The club was charged with eight violations of the Pennsylvania Cruelty to Animals statutes including four counts of ill treatment and four counts of offering live animals as prizes in a contest.

Lancaster County District Court Judge John Winters yesterday fined the club the minimum 50 dollar for each offense after it pleaded no contest to the charges.

''This case sets a precedent that the gutless acts of animal cruelty perpetrated by the Elstonville Sportsmen's Association are in fact illegal,'' said Keith Mohler of Farm Sanctuary, which campaigns against cruelty to farm animals.

''Anyone seeking to gain amusement from the torture of innocent creatures will be prosecuted and brought to justice.'' REUTERS AD BST1159