Thoroughbreds "Running" To Slaughter

Horse slaughter: Home stretch for thoroughbreds

http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S1221485.shtml?cat=300

The home stretch for thoroughbreds is a good place to be when they are on the track, but once their racing days are done it can be a very different story.

The arrest of local breeder Ernie Paragallo this year led us to do a little digging and what we found may surprise you. Thoroughbreds in their prime are fit, well cared for and treated like celebrities, but by the young age of six or seven, many go from being revered to being rejected and they end up at the biggest public horse auction east of the Mississippi -- the so-called killer sale in New Holland, Pennsylvania.

According to rescue groups attending the auctions, every Monday an average of 250 horses pass through the sale.

Up to 40 percent are purchased by so-called kill buyers and taken to slaughter so their meat can be sold for human consumption in Europe and Asia.

As for the slaughter itself -- it's not a pretty process.

"Well, the horses are slaughtered using what they call a captive bolt. This bolt is designed by law to use one hit between the eyes to stun the horse and render it unconscious, that's what's supposed to happen," says Susan Hamlin, New York State Legislative Director of the Equine Welfare Alliance.

"Many of them are not unconscious, many of them are just unable to move momentarily and many of them wake up fully awake, fully able to feel pain, fully aware of what's going on as they're hung upside down and their throats, the carotid artery, is cut to bleed out on the floor," adds Hamlin.

According to The Humane Society of the United States, 20 perecnt of the thoroughbreds born in the United States end up this way -- even some of the greats.

Ferdinand, the 1987 Kentucky Derby winner, was unable to perform as a stud. So he was slaughtered in Japan in 2002.

Slaughter is also a reality for some of the horses you see racing at Saratoga.

"Unfortunately it is and we're working hard to stop that," said thoroughbred owner John Hendrickson of Marylou Whitney Stables.

"We had one that was a half-brother to Birdstone, named Cviano, and somebody from a rescue operation called us and said, 'Do you know this horse had fallen through the claiming ranks and is about to be slaughtered, and we said we'll buy it and we'll pay you double," adds Hendrickson.
Trainer Nick Zito and his wife Kim got a similar call. A rescue group found their former horse, Little Cliff, on his way to slaughter.

"It was kind of a miracle too because he could have wound up ... and that would have been a catastrophe cause a lot of people knew his name," said Zito.

But why should we care? We slaughter chickens and cattle for food. Why are horses different?
"We don't sell horse meat in the grocery stores here in the United States. They're not in our food chain," says Kim Zito.

"It's never been in our food chain, ever. I'm talking about even in the Depression days or even when people stood on line, you know, ever. It's just something that we don't do," according to Nick Zito.

There is a movement to stop the slaughter, but it's not meeting with much success in Washington.

More on that in tomorrow's report.

Horse Slaughter Cruelty Documented; Begins At the Auction House

For Immediate Release
August 6, 2009
Animals' Angels
phone: 410-848-3153
fax: 410-848-0213
www.animals-angels.com

Undercover Investigation Underscores USDA-documented Brutality


30 month long investigation proves worst-case scenario is ongoing

A thirty month long investigation into the plight of horses who have been sold for slaughter has revealed the worst levels of inhumane treatment. The abuse and neglect of these horses, sometimes referred to as "kill horses," was uncovered during the investigation and is consistent with findings and photographs contained in a 906 page document released by the USDA last year.

The investigation and report by Animals' Angels, a Maryland based animal welfare
organization, confirmed that injuries and inhumane treatment documented by the USDA during 2005 continue. Both USDA and Animals' Angels (AA) documents show horses severely injured, left medically untreated, ill, trampled to death and worse on their way to and at slaughter.
Executive Director of Animals' Angels, Sonja Meadows said their investigations quickly revealed that, "Both government records and our report show that being on U.S.soil was not then and is not now the slightest guarantee of humane treatment."

The slaughter of horses in the U.S., which stopped with plant closures in 2007, continues in Canada and Mexico. Groups advocating the slaughter of American horses have called for the reopening of U.S. horse slaughter plants, saying horses are better protected by U.S. humane laws than by laws in Canada and Mexico. However, during the 30 month long investigation that included repeated visits to auctions, feedlots and slaughter plants, AA investigators concluded abuse and inhumane treatment are inherent to the horse slaughter industry.

"It takes inhumane treatment to make the economics work," said Meadows. "We found the cruelty starts well before horses arrive at the slaughter plant."


The AA report documents available veterinary care withheld from horses severely injured or near death. Undercover investigators were routinely told, 'That horse is going to slaughter anyway,' or the horses are 'just passing through.'

Treatment of horses designated for slaughter ranged from beating horses and jabbing them in the eyes, to using a cable winch to drag downed horses with a wire wrapped around a back leg. Investigators observed horses being injured or killed after being forced into dangerously crowded pens where they were kicked or trampled. Others were found frozen to the ground after overnight temperatures dropped well below freezing. Young and small horses, as well as horses injured or weak were trampled to death in trailers crowded with 40 horses. Workers failed to separate stallions, ensuring fierce fighting in close quarters during transport.

Making conditions worse is the issue of stolen horses, according to Debi Metcalfe, founder of Stolen Horse International, Inc., a non profit that operates www.NetPosse.com, a horse theft recovery network that averages 80,000 unique visitors per month. "We have dealt with cases where horses were stolen," said Metcalf. "We later found out that these innocent pets had been slaughtered."

At both Canadian and Mexican slaughter plants investigators discovered horses left in bloody "kill boxes", used to restrain horses as they are being killed, during lunch breaks. According to the report, the horses were "shaking violently as if [they] might fall down." Plant management told investigators the horses 'aren't bothered by it.'

AA investigators documented injured and dead horses at every stop along the horse slaughter pipeline. At feedlots and export pens horses had no food and water troughs were empty. An export facility veterinarian informed investigators horses too weak for transport would be left behind to die in the pens.
"The public has been duped into thinking horse slaughter has ended, but it just moved a few hours further down the road," Meadows pointed out. "It hasn't somehow changed it into something it is not. It is the same terrible suffering it was in 2005."

"By the time the horse finally stands in the kill box at the slaughter plant, it is often not the worst thing that has happened to it since this dreadful journey began," said Meadows

For a copy of the investigative report, click here.
For the PR WEB PRESS RELEASE, click her.
To review the USDA documents, click here.

What can you do?
Please urge your representatives and senators to support the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act H.R.503 / S.727!
Animals' Angels is a 501 (c)(3) non profit organization incorporated in Maryland with fulltime investigators working in the United States and Canada. We work with law enforcement and government agencies to end animal cruelty and to improve conditions for farm animals. We are in the field every week, trailing livestock trucks, visiting markets, collecting stations and slaughter plants.

Contact:

Sonja Meadows
Executive Director
Animals' Angels USA
410-848-3153
info@animals-angels.com

For further information on horse slaughter investigations, go to


www.animals-angels.com

BLM in Bed with Saudis in Attempt to Eradicate Wild Horses?

http://rtfitch.wordpress.com/2009/09/01/the-blm-uranium-and-the-pryor-mountains-a-perfect-mix-for-a-collusion-cocktail/

The BLM, Uranium and the Pryor Mountains: a perfect mix for a Collusion Cocktail

by Jerry Finch and R.T. Fitch

So out of the clear blue sky the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) decides to round up the small, yet internationally famous, wild horse herd in the Pryor Mountains, MT while the public screams stop and they refuse to listen. We think that there is something that does not smell, or taste, just quite right, here.

It would be a real stretch of imagination for us to question the integrity of a government agency, like the BLM, simply because it has repeatedly violated federal law, laughed at our law makers and thumbed it’s nose at the will of the American people while failing to live up to one of it’s prime directives; that of protecting our national treasure, our publicly owned wild horses on publicly owned land.

No, we wouldn’t do that.

Nor would we cast aspersions on a company that holds the rights to explore for uranium throughout the Pryor Mountains because it’s parent company is owned and operated through a convoluted trail that points to a middle eastern firm with dubious connections where the company officers/advisors are already in trouble with world-wide trade commissions for stock scams and multiple other violations of law.

Gosh, the thought never entered our minds.

But we do raise our eyebrows at the fact that when this uranium mining company begins to make sounds that it may want to conduct aerial seismographic surveys over the Pryor Mountains the BLM suddenly deems it necessary to round up all of the wild horses in the area for an alleged much needed gather, something that they have not done in over a decade (the American public is banned from their public land during the round-up, something to hide?). And why, because of over grazing and the horses, allegedly, are suffering for it. All of this in light of the fact that it has been graphically documented that the horses are in good health, the area is not over grazed and the BLM’s own studies are riddled with multiple errors and if challenged in a court of law could be found to be illegal.

Yes, we do have a problem with this, and so should you.

So let’s step behind the bar, mix-up this entire concoction up and see what we come up with. Yum yum, we bet it tastes pretty special to some people but to others it will have a distinctive odor about it.

The BLM mixes a deadly concoction for our native, American Wild Horses

First, let’s mix in one part BLM, the agency that is charged with protecting our wild horses yet indiscriminately decides to conduct deadly stampedes to corral and then sell them off for next to nothing to killer buyers who truck them down to the brutal slaughter houses in Mexico where they can make a ten-fold profit; tasty little morsel, there. (Let’s ignore the fact that they now have over 30,000 wild horses confined and living in pens that they wanted to kill, last year, yet they continue to gather more)

The next step is to pour in equal amounts of a company called Skyline Uranium Corp. formerly known as Uranium Mining & Exploration Projects that is owned by a parent company referred to as Fortress Financial Group, Inc. which engages in issuing prepaid debit and credit cards and was formerly known as the Great West Gold Inc. which itself was recently acquired by Moneyworx, Inc. through a reverse merger transaction while the company officers work on the staff of one of the biggest law firm/companies in all of the United Arab Emirates. Phew, did you catch all that?

Now pour in a generous amount of the U.S. Federally owned Pryor Mountains, formerly rich in uranium and gold , and shake vigorously.

Don’t forget to crush in some tree hugging do-gooders, strain out a few wild horses and garnish it with just a slice of bribery and then pour this concoction over a heaping pile of ice cold elected officials, wow…what a drink; a true recipe for collusion and corruption. One that is already in the glass and being toasted by the covert, limited parties involved. Mighty tasty, eh?

Now we are not postulating, here, that imbibing of this beverage is either right or wrong; but we do think that because you, the American public, is paying for the bar tab you should at least be aware of what you are paying for, it’s only fair.

If this tastes good to you, then pull up a stool, take a sip and lose your soul.

If it smells like horse poop to you, and it should, pick up the phone, hammer on the key board and let your opinion be known. Maybe it’s time to swear off the booze of collusion/corruption and get back on the wagon of proper ethics. Such a move will not only be good for your mental health and pocketbook but it will save the lives of thousands of wild horses living on your land, land that belongs to the American public.

Push the glass away, and make a stand. The horses are counting on it.

Keep your change, the tip is on us.

Jerry Finch – Founder/President of Habitat for Horses, writer

R.T. Fitch – Board member for Habitat for Horses, author of “Straight from the Horse’s Heart”

Horses Bound for Slaughter Suffer Continuously

http://www.nwhorsesource.com/news/2009/08/canadian-recommended-code-of-practice.html


The Canadian Recommended Code of Practice for Care and Handling of Farm Animals:

Transportation of Horses is not enforced, horses not properly stunned before slaughter, etc...

For more info visit: http://www.defendhorsescanada.org/

In June 2008, the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition (CHDC) released a second investigative report on horse slaughter practices at Natural Valley Farms (NVF) in Saskatchewan. This report proved conclusively that horses experienced cruel abuse and suffering throughout the slaughter process there. NVF went into receivership soon afterwards, but the plant continued to operate as Natural Meat Co. (NMC). In December ‘08, NMC was ordered by the CFIA to cease operations due to food safety concerns. Operators of the plant decided to walk away and closed the plant in February ‘09. However, every week there remains over 2,000 horses that will meet their awful fate in Canadian slaughterhouses. The number jumped to nearly 113,000 horses in 2008, a 225% increase over 2006. The number of slaughter plants has grown from 3 to 6 since that time. About half of the horses are exported from the U.S., where slaughter plants have closed, but exports still continue. Horse slaughter has been in Canada for years, but the increase new is a result of the 2007 closure of the last U.S. plant. U.S. citizens fought hard to close the industry. However, until H.R. Bill 503 is passed, horses will continue to be exported to Canada and Mexico. A market for horse meat for human consumption exists in Europe and Asia. However, the majority of Canadians do not support it and an Ipsos-Reid poll reveals that 64% do not believe in killing horses for human consumption. The CHDC asks Canadians and Americans to contact Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency – the federal agencies responsible for the business of horse slaughter in Canada.

Speak out for the horses. Tell them why it is wrong and demand that horse slaughter end! These agencies are directed by:

Hon. Gerry Ritz

Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
613 Confederation Bldg., House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Email: Ritz.G@parl.gc.ca
Website:www.gerryritzmp.com/
Tel: 613-995-7080; Fax: 613-996-8472

Ms. Carole Swan, President
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
59 Camelot Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0Y9
Email: swanc@inspection.gc.ca
Website: www.inspection.gc.ca/english/toce.shtml
Tel: 613-221-3737; Fax: 613-228-6608

Dr. Brian Evans, Chief Veterinary Officer of Canada
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
59 Camelot Drive, Floor 1, East Room 100
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0Y9
Email: bevans@inspection.gc.ca
Website: www.inspection.gc.ca/english/toce.shtml
Tel: 613-221-4191; Fax 613-228-6608

Horses have not traditionally been raised for human consumption in Canada. In our country, horses are considered sport and companion animals. Many Canadians believe that this industry must be abolished on humane grounds. 64% of Canadians do not support it.

• There are now 6 federally licensed horse slaughter plants in Canada (3 more than in 2006).
• Horses are shipped in crowded trailers over long distances, and often arrive injured, sometimes fatally.
• The CHDC has compelling evidence of horse abuse and suffering as a result of rough handling and poor slaughter practices at horse slaughter plants.
• Dr. Nicholas H. Dodman, of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and Member of the Leadership Council of the Humane Society Veterinary Medica Association, said of our June ’08 report: “horses experienced sheer terror”, “some horses were not properly stunned”, and “this practice should be banned”.
• The Federal Health of Animals Act is not enforced, which would protect sick, pregnant and unfit horses, and prohibit overcrowding.
• The Recommended Code of Practice for Care and Handling of Farm Animals: Transportation of Horses is not enforced.
• The CFIA does not enforce their own weak rules that slaughter bound horses must not be transported for longer than 36 hours straight and must be provide with feed, water and rest at required intervals. Double decker trailers are still allowed.
• The horse slaughter process itself is not humane euthanasia.

A CALL TO END HORSE SLAUGHTER IN CANADA YOU ARE THE HORSES’ VOICE - SPEAK OUT FOR THEM!

Cloud & His Herd's Fate Podcast Monday

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. BLM Advisory Board Meeting Webcast The National BLM Advisory Board Meeting in Sacramento, California will be webcast online at www.nvhorsepower.org on Monday June 15th from 8:00am - 5:00pm PST. Listen to the Board that advises the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program and tune in at 3:00pm to watch the public comment period. Ginger Kathrens will be joined by many wild horse advocates to speak directly to the Board. Horse Power, a Nevada non-profit, also needs financial support to continue the funding of webcasts like this- please help them continue this important service! Please tune in on Monday and continue to write President Obama regarding the need for immediate change in the Wild Horse and Burro Program. OUR government is managing OUR wild horses on OUR public lands to extinction. Thank you, The Cloud Foundation 2007 Pryor Mustang filly "Helena Montana" You are receiving this email because you have asked to be on our e-mail list. If you have received this e-mail in error, please unsubscribe. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience! Our mailing address is: The Cloud Foundation 107 South 7th St Colorado Springs, CO 80905 Our telephone: 719-633-3842 Copyright (C) 2008 The Cloud Foundation All rights reserved.

Save Cloud's Wild Horse Herd From Slaughter

What You Can Do to Help Save Cloud's Herd and America's Wild Horses

http://www.thecloudfoundation.org/savecloudwildhorses.html


Over 40% of America’s wild horses have been removed from the wild from 2000-2008 alone and if the agency responsible for managing our wild horses, the Bureau of Land Management, does not change we are in danger of losing the last of our wild horses. Over 100 herds have been zeroed out from the over 19 million acres legally designated for their use. The BLM needs to return wild horses to these areas—over 30,000 are currently in government holding.

As few as 13,600 wild horses remain in designated public land herd areas in ten western states in America, among them is Cloud’s herd in the Pryor Mountain area of Montana and Wyoming. Only 25% of our wild herds are currently at genetically viable population levels! Cloud’s herd is one of these although a massive round-up planned for August 2009 would change this. The round-up would result in 60 horses losing their families and their freedom, including some horses who have lived their entire 20+ years in the wild. We must stop the destruction of Cloud’s herd and work for the sustainable future of all our wild horse herds across the west.Congressmen Nick Rahall (D-WV) and Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) have stepped forward to make real and positive changes to the Wild Horse and Burro program with their recently introduced bill HR 1018. Please write to them to thank them for their hard work. You can read Ginger Kathrens’ comments and suggestions to the congressmen here.

Here is a short list of government contacts -- please write, e-mail and/or call on behalf of Cloud and all our wild mustangs.

Contact the following agencies and representatives

PRESIDENT:

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comment line: 202-456-1111
www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/

CONGRESS:

1. Stop the BLM from managing our wild horses to extinction.
2. Halt all round-ups of wild horses until range conditions and herd numbers can be verified.
3. Return wild horses in holding to the 100+ herd areas (19+ million acres) that have been zeroed out.
4. Expand the Pryor Mountain. Wild Horse Range for Cloud’s Herd & protect herd at viable population level of at least 150 adult horses until range is expanded.

Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV)
2307 Rayburn HOB
Washington,DC 20515
(202) 225-3452
email

Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
1440 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
ph (202) 225-2435
fax (202) 225-1541
Email to: Laurel.Angell@mail.house.gov

Your US Senators and Congress people

Montana Senator Max Baucus (D)—specific to Cloud’s herd
511 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC, 20510, phone: 202-224-2651
e-mail from: http://baucus.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

Montana Senator Jon Tester (D)—specific to Cloud’s herd
204 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington DC, 20510,
phone: 202-224-2644, e-mail from: http://tester.senate.gov/Contact/

Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee:
304 Dirksen Senate Building, Washington, DC 20510
phone: (202) 224-4971, Fax: (202) 224-6163, e-mail all 23 members at http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home
Reinstate wild horse protections removed in 2004 by the Burns Rider and include language in the bill that would prevent BLM from destroying healthy wild horses.

DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR- BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
1. Work to expand the legal boundaries of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range to include the historic and current use areas in the Custer National Forest. This will allow for a truly viable herd of 200-300 mustangs.
2. Keep the population at a viable number of at least 150 adults until range expansion is achieved. This will allow for the preservation of the rare Spanish genetics of the herd. Bringing in horses from other herds is ill advised, unnecessary and costly.
3. Do not remove older horses
4. Work to protect the mountain lions that have kept the herd at zero population growth in years past. Natural management should be the goal.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar \
DOI, 1849 C Street NW, Washington DC 20240
Phone: 202-208-7351, exsec@ios.doi.gov

BLM Acting Director Ron Wenker & Acting Deputy Director Mike Nedd
1849 C Street NW, Washington DC, 20040, phone: 202-208-3801 Ron_Wenker@blm.gov, Mike_Nedd@blm.gov

Don Glenn BLM Division Chief of Wild Horse and Burro Program
BLM Washington Office, 1849 C Street NW, Rm. 5665 Washington DC 20240
Phone: 1-800-710-7597 or 202-208-3801, Fax: 202-208-5242, wildhorse@blm.gov
Jim Sparks, Field Manager BLM -Billings Field Office
5001 Southgate Drive, Billings, MT 59101
phone (406) 896-5223, fax (406) 896-5281
Jim_Sparks@blm.gov

United States Department of Agriculture
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20250
Email: AgSec@usda.gov

FOREST SERVICE
Ask the following people to please work with the BLM to expand the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range to include the historic and current use areas in the Custer National Forest. This will allow for a truly viable herd of 200-300 mustangs.

• Abigail Kimbell, Chief USDA Forest Service
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, D.C.
20250-0003


phone: (202) 205-1661, e-mail: akimbell@fs.fed.us
• Mary Erickson, Acting Forest Supervisor- Custer National Forest
PO Box 130, Bozeman, MT 59771,
p. 406-587-6701, mcerickson@fs.fed.us
• Chris Worth, Acting Deputy Supervisor
1310 Main Street, Billings, MT 59105
phone: 406-657-6200, cworth@fs.fed.us

Please write letters to the editor, ask that your favorite radio and TV hosts cover this story and last but not least, please tell your friends and family about wild horses and ask them to join the Cloud Foundation in helping to protect and preserve wild horses on our public lands.

List compiled by The Cloud Foundation, March, 2009 ~ www.thecloudfoundation.org

Arabian Horse Association Unanimously Approves Killing of Arabian Horses

June 14, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: John Holland

540.268.5693

john@equinewelfarealliance.org

Vicki Tobin

630.961.9292

vicki@equinewelfarealliance.org

Arabian committee at odds with Arabian Horse Association’s resolution on horse slaughter

CHICAGO, (EWA) – Subsequent to an Equine Welfare Alliance press release (June 9, 2009) calling attention to the Arabian Horse Association’s (AHA) passing a resolution in support of horse slaughter, the AHA Rescue and Rehoming Subcommittee, chaired by Carol Darnell, who is also chair of the Arabian Horse Foundation’s Rescue and Rehoming Advisory Panel, took strong exception to the AHA move, issuing the following position statement:

“We, the members of the Rescue/Rehoming Subcommittee of the Equine Stress, Research and Education Committee of AHA, take serious issue with the recent BOD action in support of equine slaughter.”

“Quite aside from the reality that some of the membership of AHA does support slaughter,” the release continued, “we believe it to be inappropriate for our BOD to take any position whatsoever on such a passionate and divisive issue, especially without polling our membership for consensus or consulting with our two rescue entities within the AHA/AHF complex. We believe it should be the role of a breed promotion organization to support husbandry practices and organizational goals which sustain our horses, rather than endorse practices which enable irresponsible husbandry at the horses' expense.”

The committee went on to say, “On a practical level, the negative response by much of the Arabian community and the equine community as a whole, along with significant negative press, is damaging to the organization at a time when we can ill-afford such damage, especially when it is self-inflicted.

We, along with many others in the Arabian horse community, are striving to have the BOD revisit and reconsider the action taken.”

The original press release issued to media outlets by the AHA led readers to believe the AHF was involved in the passing of the resolution. The AHF has a separate BOD, functions independent of the AHA and was not involved in the discussion and passing of this motion.

www.equinewelfarealliance.org

PETA Interferes in Saving Horses From Slaughter

June 7, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: John Holland
540.268.5693
john@equinewelfarealliance.org

Vicki Tobin
630.961.9292
vicki@equinewelfarealliance.org

PETA thwarts efforts to bring home racehorses

CHICAGO, (EWA) – As reported today on ESPN’s Outside the Lines, PETA has inserted itself into the issue of American racehorses being slaughtered in Japan. The slaughter of Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand in 2002 brought outrage to American horse owners and was the catalyst for anti- slaughter awareness in America.

The Program reported on two thoroughbreds, War Emblem and Charismatic who are both standing stud in Japan. ESPN interviewed Michael Blowen, owner and founder of Old Friends, A Kentucky Facility for Retired Thoroughbreds and Kathy Guillermo, vice president of laboratory investigations for PETA.

Over the years, Blowen has developed an excellent relationship with key personnel in Japan that has smoothed the way for retiring these great athletes to Old Friends. He keeps a list of thoroughbreds that are nearing the end of their stud duties and has been following their stud careers for years. At the top of his list are War Emblem and Charismatic. Blowen has been in discussions for the past eighteen months and developing plans with his Japanese contacts for their retirement to Old Friends.

Despite the claims of slaughter advocates to the contrary, PETA had until now, remained out of the horse slaughter issue. But now, in true PETA fashion, the message was horrific visuals of the cruelty inherent with slaughter, however, their organization offered no assistance in bringing the athletes home. At one point, Ms. Guillermo actually challenged Blowen by saying she was not aware of anyone that was working to bring the horses home. Blowen had recently discussed just this effort on EWA’s Howling Ridge radio program.

Blowen’s most recent Japan rescue was Wallenda who earned $1.2 million in 33 lifetime starts on the track. Old Friends also expanded its facility from 40 acres to 92 acres last year and currently has over 40 retired athletes including Popcorn Deelites, one of the horses that portrayed Seabiscuit in the box office smash hit about the legendary California racehorse.

“I’m hoping things like PETA is doing won’t hurt our relationship with the Japanese,” Blowen said, asking the extremist animal rights group, “Are you just going to keep showing footage of horses in excruciating painful situations or are you going to try to build a relationship with the people that actually own these horses, that actually control them - to find a place for them and work really, really hard to bring them home?”

EWA couldn’t agree more.


www.equinewelfarealliance.org

Montana Governor Schweitzer Parties At Kentucky Derby While Horse Slaughter Bill Beomes Law

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

John Holland

540.268.5693

john@equinewelfarealliance.org

Vicki Tobin

630.961.9292

vicki@equinewelfarealliance.org

Governor Schweitzer goes to Derby, leaves slaughter bill to become law

On Friday, May 1^st, Governor Brian Schweitzer packed up and left his office to head for the Kentucky Derby. On his desk, he left HB 418, a bill designed to encourage the building of a horse slaughter plant in Montana! The bill was designed to lure a horse slaughter plant to Montana by effectively preventing Montana citizens from challenging such a facility in the state courts.

The Governor had initially issued an amendatory veto of the bill, pointing out that it was almost certainly unconstitutional, but the legislature sent it back to him without his suggested amendments.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Ed Butcher, was quick to praise the Governor’s act of surrender.

In an interview published in The Horse, Butcher dismissed the idea that his bill was unconstitutional.

He went on to explain his misguided belief that the role of the courts is more like that of movie critics, saying, "Courts have the right to offer an opinion about legislation--they do not have the right to make law. That's the legislature's job."

Butcher has said these safeguards [taking away the access of citizens to the courts] were needed to avoid the types of legal appeals that shuttered the country's last horse slaughterhouses in Illinois and Texas in 2007.

In an earlier article “Showdown at Horse Slaughter Pass”, EWA’s John Holland used the metaphor that Butcher was trying to “tie the citizens of Montana to the tracks”, and pondered whether the Governor would save the day. But alas, the Governor had his mind on the Kentucky Derby and left the citizens to their fate. Luckily, Butcher’s bill ties them to the wrong tracks.

Although the plants were cited repeatedly for pollution, sewer and discharge violations, all three plants were shut down by state laws.

The Belgian Velda Corporation’s Natural Meats plant in Saskatchewan, Canada is the most probable target of Butcher’s overtures. Their operating license was indeed suspended in December over unspecified health violations but by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, not a law suit.

Since no slaughter plant can legally slaughter horses in the US for human consumption, the bill’s only real impact may be the statement it makes about Montana, its legislature and its governor.

www.equinewelfarealliance.org

AVMA Remains a Staunch Supporter of Horse Slaughter

http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/may09/090515i.asp

Legislative priorities identified

The Executive Board approved several recommendations from its Legislative Advisory Committee regarding bills in the 111th Congress.

The Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2009 (H.R. 305) was given a designation of "active pursuit of passage." The bill would prohibit the interstate transportation of horses in a motor vehicle containing two or more levels.

Support of H.R. 305 is consistent with the AVMA policy on "Humane Transport of Equines," the LAC explained in the recommendation background. Moreover, the AVMA has consistently supported related proposals aimed at protecting the welfare of horses in transit to slaughter.

The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503/S. 727) was designated for "active pursuit of defeat." The legislation would criminalize shipping, transporting, purchasing, selling, delivering, or receiving any horse, horse flesh, or carcass with the intent that it be used for human consumption.

The AVMA opposes the bill because it fails to adequately address the fundamental welfare issues associated with unwanted horses that will be impacted by this legislation.