Don’t Touch the Woodpecker

Kristin Fisher at WUSA9 News:

Alison Capo was cited for unlawfully taking a migratory bird and now she’s been slapped with a $535 fine.

What did Capo do? Well, her daughter saved a bird from the jaws of the family cat. Yep.

They released the bird after it recovered, and the bird flew away as they’d hoped. After this, they reported it to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, who rewarded their good stewardship by graciously serving her a citation for violating the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Does the spirit of the law have no bearing on its enforcement?