Americans Against Horse Slaughter in Arizona

Sen. Landrieu Pushes for Permanent Ban on Horse Slaughter at Horses on the Hill

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:50:43 PDT

Facing National Scrutiny, BLM Struggles to Explain Wild Horse Program

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:35:26 PDT

Posted: 1:27 pm, May 15, 2013 by jfinch

Susanne Roy, May 14, 2013, Huffington Post

“Wild horses are not receiving a fair shake.” Those are the words of a thirty-year Bureau of Land Management (BLM) veteran to NBC News’ senior investigative correspondent, Lisa Myers, as part of hergroundbreaking report, “Horses are wild — but not free.”

The segment is must-see TV. It not only reveals the inside experience of a former BLM official who worked on the program, but it also marks a defining moment in the fight to secure fairer treatment of America’s mustangs by the federal government.

Until recently, the BLM’s wild horse program has operated without accountability, due to a lack of public awareness and political pressure. But over the last four years, the program has slowly started to take on water: the $80 million annual price tag, the fact that three out of five wild horses have been captured and now live in government warehousing, and the sale of 1,700 wild horses to a known kill buyer.

The NBC News report leveraged all of this and more to put the program’s supporters on the defensive. When Myers challenged the head of the program, Joan Guilfoyle, over the justification for the program, Guilfoyle responded that the BLM was trying to maintain a “balanced approach” to public land use.

The former BLM official quickly dismissed this by pointing out, “what really needs to be done is reduce the livestock numbers.” Cattle, after all, outnumber wild horses by 50 to 1 on public lands. As further evidence, NBC pointed to research by our campaign, the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign (AWHPC), that shows the BLM is allocating more than 80 percent of forage in wild horse habitat areas to privately-owned livestock instead of to federally-protected mustangs.

Myers went on to press the program’s supporters on what they want to do with the nearly 50,000 wild horses in government warehousing. While Guilfoyle claimed that the BLM would not consider slaughter, a rancher interviewed by Myers said flatly, “let them go to [the] slaughter house. What value are they now?”

This view is embraced by many of the program’s supporters — including people who sit on its advisory board — despite opposition from 80 percent of Americans who oppose the slaughter of U.S. horses for human consumption.

The most damning part of the report came when Myers played footage of wild horses being tortured, injured and killed during helicopter roundups, forcing Guilfoyle to concede, “the incidents we see there are not the way we want animals to be handled.”

This is the kind of journalism that serves the public well, and Myers and her producer, Michael Austin, are to be commended for spending the months of hard work necessary to understand this issue and properly convey it to NBC viewers.

Music legend and environmentalist Carole King, who graciously agreed to be interviewed by NBC at our request, described the BLM’s wild horse roundups as “so offensive because they are so inhumane, so unnecessary and so cruel.”

After watching this story, many citizens agreed. They took to AWHPC’s Facebook page to describe the anguish they felt while watching the NBC story. “It brought tears to my eyes,” wrote one. “I am just heartbroken and outraged,” wrote another.

CONTINUED – Read more and COMMENT at The Huffington Post (Note – posting comments at the Huffington Post page is VERY important. As a news media outlet, the more people who go to their site, the more they will carry stories like this.)

Rescue Needs Help Caring for Neglected Horses

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:48:34 PDT

My Fox Phoenix

Horse lover, 'Heart of Tucson' founder Judy Glore loses battle with lung cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:00:49 PDT

KGUN 9 Tucson, AZ

KGUN9 May. 12, 2013

Those who know her story say the meaning is not lost, that a woman who took in hundreds of horses as her own, passed away on Mother's Day.

Click here for the video.

SFTHH: Horse Hilarity on Video

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Sun, 05 May 2013 09:23:57 PDT

Straight from the Horse's Heart

Posted: May 5, 2013 by R.T. Fitch in The Force of the Horse
Tags: Equine, Free Video, Horse, Horse Humor, YouTube

“It’s ‘Feel Good Sunday‘ and what better way to share our equine sense of humor but with a few videos. We will get you started with several that all of us have seen in the back pasture in one way shape or form and then give you the means to explore for more laughter and chuckles. Watching the videos will also get you primed for our upcoming week of highlighting key presentations recorded at last weekend’s American Equine Advocate’ Convention. Each speaker and presenter gives specific tools and information to help build the audience’s tool box to battle against those who wish to bring harm to our American equine, be they wild or domestic so stay tuned, it promises to be an interesting week, indeed.” ~ R.T‘

Confusion Reigns Over Opening of Controversial NM Horse Slaughter Plant

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Wed, 01 May 2013 08:47:26 PDT

Straight from the Horse's Heart

Source: Multiple

“It will open unless Congress restores the ban on horse slaughter that they had in place,”

“Much of the information in these main stream articles is incorrect. Please call the Secretary’s office, today, and politely request that this atrocity does not take place ~ (202) 720-3631” ~ R.T.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rick de los Santos speaking with forked tongue to CBS News Correspondent Bill Whitaker about killing and eating horses (CBS) – May, 2012

ALBUQUERQUE — The southern New Mexico plant that has been fighting for more than a year for permission to slaughter horses will open soon, unless Congress reinstates a ban on the practice,Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Tuesday.

In a telephone interview on Tuesday, Mr. Vilsack said his department was working to make sure the process was handled properly for the opening of what would be the first domestic horseslaughterhouse in six years.

“We are going to do this, and I would imagine that it would be done relatively soon,” he said.

The Valley Meat Company sued the Department of Agriculture last year, asserting that inaction on its application was driven by emotional political debates and that the delays had cost it hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The department reinspected the plant last week.

“It will open unless Congress restores the ban on horse slaughter that they had in place,” Mr. Vilsack said. “If that doesn’t happen, then we are duty bound to do what needs to be done to allow that plant to begin processing.”

The Obama administration opposes horse slaughter. Its recent budget proposal eliminates financing for inspections of horse slaughterhouses, which would effectively reinstate a ban on the practice in which horses are processed for human consumption. Congress eliminated that financing in 2006, which forced a shutdown of domestic slaughter facilities. But Congress reinstated the money in 2011, prompting Valley Meat and a few other businesses around the country to seek permission to open plants.

The debate over whether to return to domestic horse slaughter has divided horse rescue and animal humane groups, ranchers, politicians and Indian tribes.

At issue is whether horses are livestock or pets, and how best to control the nation’s exploding equine population. Supporters of horse slaughter point to a 2011 report from the federal Government Accountability Office that shows horse abuse and abandonment have been increasing since 2006. They say it is better to slaughter the animals in humane, federally regulated plants than have them abandoned to starve across the drought-stricken West or shipped to inhumane plants south of the border.

The number of horses in the United States sent to other countries for slaughter has nearly tripled since 2006. And many humane groups agree that some of the worst abuse occurs in the slaughter pipeline. Many are pushing for both a ban on domestic slaughter as well as a ban on shipping horses to Mexico and Canada.

Mr. Vilsack says the administration understands the concerns and “needs to be more creative” in finding alternative solutions to horse overpopulation.

Sugarcreek-Auction-Update---Animals--Angels-in-the-News

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:37:26 PDT

Animals' Angels

Sugarcreek Auction Update

Sugarcreek Auction, located in the heart of Amish Country in Ohio, is one of the best known slaughter auctions in the United States. Every Friday, kill buyers gather and purchase approximately 95% of all horses that go through the sale. One of them is Leroy Baker, the owner of Sugarcreek Auction. Leroy Baker is a large scale kill buyer who has been in the horse slaughter business for many years. In 2012 alone, Baker purchased 8176 horses in Ohio.

He has an astonishing long list of violations of humane laws, and commercial transport of equines to slaughter regulations.He has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines as a result of these violations.

Our investigations and research reveal that Leroy Baker has been violating state and federal animal protection laws, as well as federal motor carrier safety regulations for many years. We have filed countless complaints and several cases were brought against Baker, based on our evidence. However in many severe cases authorities declined to file charges, even when overwhelming evidence had been obtained. In 2008, USDA Administrative Law Judge Jill Clifton, ordered Baker to pay a fine of $162,800.00 for multiple violations of the Commercial Transport of Equines to Slaughter Regulations. In 2010, the United States District Court/Northern Ohio District/Eastern Division increased the original penalty to $172,621.66 and issued a court order to garnish his wages & assets. However, it remains unclear how much of this fine has actually been paid.

Thanks to our supporters responding to a call for action in 2011, we were able to pressure Baker and his auction to clean up their act (see AA newsletter). Your voice makes a difference and directly impacted Baker's practices! There is strength in numbers and you, our supporters, clearly proved that. Sugarcreek authorities received thousands of calls from Animals' Angels supporters which prompted them to finally take action.

A meeting was held with Baker, Animals' Angels, and town officials (see AA newsletter). It was agreed upon that certain improvements would be put into place immediately, all of which would greatly benefit the animals. Further, it was agreed upon that a Tuscarawas County Humane Officer would monitor the auction on a regular basis. We felt confident that these changes would have a positive effect on the animals passing through this auction.

Never one to trust promises made by Baker, or any other violator, we have conducted several follow up visits. At first we were pleased to see that certain improvements had indeed taken place. Horses were moved in smaller groups, pens were not overcrowded, and employees were not striking the horses in the face, which had previously been the norm. There were no extremely emaciated horses or those with bad injuries. Handling by the employees had improved and they seemed more professional in their demeanor.

Despite these promising improvements, we recently heard that the humane officer apparently stopped attending the auction regularly and that subsequently Sugarcreek had slipped back to its old ways. This news prompted our recent investigation on 4/5/13. We wanted to check the status of the auction to see if the rumors were true. We actually found the overall handling to be satisfactory. Some of the smaller pens were overcrowded.

Investigators found one horse, with sales tags attached, in a large pen with a severe leg injury that was open down to the bone. The bone was exposed and visible. Investigators immediately brought this fact to the attention of what appeared to be the barn manager and he promised to have the vet look at it. This was at 11:30 a.m. Shortly after, an Amish worker took the injured horse and put it in Baker's kill pen, all the way in the back of the barn. There he sat among cows and calves, desperately calling to his friend.

This injured horse had been brought in with another horse who was apparently his buddy. They had been standing together in the previous pen, with the uninjured horse protecting him from the other horses. After the injured horse was moved, they called to each other across the barn in a most heartbreaking manner. Our investigators witnessed the veterinarian draw blood for Coggins Testing from horses in the pen right next to the injured horse. However, he never even bothered to look at the injury. Once the sale was over, the injured horse remained in the pen at the back of the barn. His friend was sold to slaughter. At 5:15 p.m., the horse was still standing in the pen with his injury unattended.

Seeking aid for the horse, our investigators contacted the Sugarcreek Police Department and informed Chief of Police, Kevin Kaser, about the situation. Chief Kaser was very helpful and sent an officer out right away to investigate. When the officer arrived, he found the horse in the pen and took photographs. Witness testimony showed that the horse came from Michigan and had been brought to the auction in this horrific condition. At this point, the officer made the decision to euthanize the horse.

A few days later, Animals' Angels received the police report & pictures from Chief Kaser. Further he assured us that all the information had been provided to Assistant District Attorney, Ms. Miller. Animals' Angels provided additional video and information to the Tuscarawas County Prosecutor's Office, urging them to investigate the matter. Furthermore, we have forwarded the police report and our evidence to the Michigan authorities to hold the original owner of the horse responsible.

Since then, we have received confirmation from the Prosecutor's Office that the materials have been received and that the information was shared with the law director for the Village of Sugarcreek Doug Fruetschy. According to Ms Miller, Doug Fruetschy is now the one in charge for prosecuting a criminal misdemeanor violation. Given the local history of not pursuing such cases, we sincerely hope that he will do the right thing now by filing charges against the auction. The investigation is currently ongoing; we will keep you posted on any development. We know we can count on you in case another call for action is needed.

Click here to read the full length report...

Animals' Angels in the news in Mexico & Europe

Animals' Angels has made the news once again - this time in Mexico. Our investigations were featured on national TV in Mexico when one of the largest stations, Milenio Television,aired a strong anti-horse slaughter piece. The reporter specifically targeted the imports from the US citing the rampant, ongoing cruelty exposed by Animals' Angels at the Southwest Livestock Auction in New Mexico, as well as the Eagle Pass and Presidio export pens in Texas.

Click here to read the translation of the Milenio TV Coverage...

This is the first time that this issue has garnered the nationwide attention that it deserves. We wondered what type of an effect it would have on the viewing audience and were gratified to hear that the feedback the station has received since the show aired has been incredible. According to the news anchor, it was one of their most successful shows within the last five years.

As many of you know, the Swiss TV show Kassensturz also aired an explosive horse slaughter expose in February utilizing footage and documentation from Animals' Angels. When the expose first aired, it triggered grocers to immediately remove horsemeat products from their shelves and caused international outrage, prompting investigations into the import of US horsemeat.

To keep up the momentum, all new evidence from our recent Sugarcreek investigation, as well as a recent Tennessee investigation (to be released soon), was immediately shared with the investigative news magazine. Kassensturz promptly aired a follow up to their original expose this past week. This follow up will put additional pressure on those making the decisions about importing horsemeat, as well as keeping this topic at the forefront of the primary consumer's mind.

As we continue to expose the stark realities of the horse slaughter business, more and more people are coming to realize the extent of the misrepresentations by the pro-slaughter factions. Armed with the truth, more people than ever before are taking a stand against the cruelty and horror of horse slaughter. We maintain that if we can end the demand, the business will stop as the supply goes away. The fight is far from over. Animals' Angels will not stop fighting until horse slaughter, and the export of horses for slaughter, is banned in the United States.

Help Sound Earth Give Back to Animals' Angels!

Sound Earth, maker of cruelty-free household cleaning products, wants to donate to Animals' Angels, and support our efforts to help animals in need.They'll give us a quarter for each new person who joins their e-mail list.

It's that simple. This could really add up and make a difference to our investigations! Sign up to receive their weekly e-mails with the latest on what chemicals to look out for, and helpful tips on reducing toxins in your home and help Animals' Angels at the same time! And remember, all products from Sound Earth are cruelty-free. Be sure to tell Sound Earth you heard about them from Animals' Angels!

Click here to sign up for Sound Earth newsletter...

Visit Us On Facebook!

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 11:58:37 PDT

As more and more of us are on Facebook, we have become much more active there. In fact, to reach all of our articles, you will have to visit there. We no longer post everything here, so to read more, PLEASE check us out on Facebook! Be sure to "like" and share!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Americans-Against-Horse-Slaughter-in-Arizona/367796477107

Valley Meat USDA Walk-Through, Only

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:41:26 PDT

Straight from the Horse's Heart

Source: PublicNewsService.org ~Renee Blake,

“It doesn’t at all mean that there’s an approval of horse slaughter.”

ROSWELL, N.M. – Agents of the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducted a walk-through of Valley Meat Co. on Tuesday, days after the Humane Society of the United States and Front Range Equine Rescue submitted a notice of intent to sue if the agency agrees to provide inspections required for the facility to slaughter horses.

The walkthrough does not constitute a final determination for Valley Meat, according to attorney Bruce Wagman, a partner at the Schiff Hardin law firm who represents both potential plaintiffs.

“It means they did an inspection of the facility for certain criteria,” Wagman said. “It doesn’t at all mean that there’s an approval of horse slaughter. The walkthrough is part of a chain of events, sort of like saying once you get the nomination that you’re actually the president. You may get nominated, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to win.”

In their submission, Larkspur, Colo.-based Front Range Equine Rescue and the national Humane Society note that horse slaughter is a threat to the environment and to wildlife in the vicinity.

USDA activity related to Valley Meat is not necessarily affected by the notice of intent to sue, Wagman said. However, he emphasized that opening a horse slaughterhouse would require a final grant of inspection by the USDA, not just a walkthrough.

In threatening to sue, the organizations say wastewater and other slaughterhouse byproducts produced at Valley Meat could damage the habitats of several threatened or endangered species. That means more obstacles to approval for the plant, Wagman said.

“In order to approve the site as a slaughterhouse,” he said, “USDA is required to consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service over the potential damage to those endangered species and their critical habitats.”

Valley Meat is located near the South Spring and Pecos rivers, Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Bottomless Lakes State Park. Among species mentioned in the notice are the Pecos bluntnose shiner, three snail species and a freshwater shrimp.

Should the USDA give Valley Meat final approval, owner Ricardo De Los Santos still faces other obstacles. Wagman said plans to export the meat to eastern Europe and Asia would not comply with the New Mexico Food Act.

“Under New Mexico food law, horse meat is adulterated and cannot be sold,” he said. “You can’t sell it to somebody else, either. Doesn’t mean, ‘Oh, you can sell it to Europeans.’ It means it can’t be sold – period.”

Horse slaughter remains a hot topic in New Mexico. Renee Blake has some of the latest developments.

In the New Mexico Food Act, revised in 1993, Chapter 25, Article 2 refers to adulterated or misbranded food. The text is online at nmenv.state.nm.us.

An End to Horse Breeding?

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:49:59 PDT

NY Times

To the Editor:

Commendably, “A New Destination for Status-Symbol Horses in Spain: The Abattoir” (Chapinería Journal, April 11) makes the case for an end to horse breeding, which creates a path to the slaughterhouse. Why, after all, should human beings assign other animals worth or worthlessness?

Viewed as status symbols by some and dinner by others, bred into commercial existence for racing, equestrian pursuits, carriage rides or other frivolous entertainment, horses have long been vulnerable to unchallenged greed and manipulation. But this should be challenged at every turn.

Meanwhile, policies for free-roaming horses on public lands should ensure that horses be allowed to live free. We have dominated horses long enough; it’s time to get off their backs.

EDITA BIRNKRANT
New York Director
Friends of Animals
New York, April 11, 2013

Friday Fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:57:37 PDT

U.S. Border Patrol: More Agents, More Fences, More Technology, More Horses?

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:54:22 PDT

ABC News

Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames.

By ERIN SIEGAL

March 28, 2013

Immigration enforcement and drug smuggling continue to be top priorities for the Department of Homeland Security, and the Border Patrol's budget has swelled accordingly, increasing from just $262,647 in 1990 to over $3.5 million dollars in the 2012 fiscal year. They've added more agents, more technology, and higher fences.

Despite such progress, human smugglers and drug traffickers have simply pushed further into mountainous, difficult terrain to avoid detection.

That's where horses come in.

Since the Border Patrol was founded in 1924, horseback patrols have been widely utilized. In fact, mounted patrols are said to have begun as early as 1904, in El Paso, where men on horseback policed against Chinese immigrants. Horse patrol units now exist along the border in various sectors, through California, Arizona, and Texas.

In the San Diego sector, the Horse Patrol unit is based out Imperial Beach. The unit's office is housed in a dull brown portable trailer, and 35 four-legged "vehicles" live within a nearby beige building. Each stall is outfitted with individual turnout paddocks.

Agents on the unit are tasked with everything from riding on patrol to mucking stalls, and general horse care. Their days, they say, are typically well over eight hours long. It's common for mounted agents in the San Diego sector to trailer their horses to the east, where they typically work during the night.

Just 18 of San Diego's 2,623 border patrol agents ride on the horse patrol, a popular and competitive detail. Jaime Cluff, the supervisory agent in charge, says the horse patrol is an important recruiting tool for the Border Patrol.

Erin Siegal ABC/Univision

View Full Size

Monica Slack is a mounted agent and riding instructor with a decade of experience working for the agency. "We spend a lot of time together, 10-12 hrs a day, 5 days a week," she says. "So, we do well with each other."

And agency-wide, the use of horses is apparently on the rise. According to statistics on the Customs of Border Patrol website, in 2011, there were 334 horse units in the Border Patrol. That's a 33 percent rise from 2008.

Yet the Border Patrol refused to say why more horses are being used—or how effective horse patrols actually are at catching human and drug smugglers.

The vagueness is nothing new. This past December, two separate Government Accountability Reports criticized the agency, analyzing its lack of accountability regarding performance. The Border Patrol was also chastised for high levels of employee misconduct and corruption.

And more U.S. citizens than ever before are now being caught smuggling, according to the Center for Investigative Reporting. In fact, 75 percent of people caught with drugs by the Border Patrol are U.S. citizens, according to the report. It examined 40,000 seizures and suspect information, and drew the conclusion that 80 percent had involved U.S. citizens. The rate has increased every year from 2005 until 2011.

Although millions are being spent on "securing" the border, apprehensions are at an all-time low. In San Diego, according to statistics from the Border Patrol, around 119,000 people were apprehended. Most recently, in 2012, just 29,000 people were arrested.

Those who get to work from Imperial Beach clearly enjoy their job. Supervisory agent Cluff admits that there's more downtime than there used to be, since the "traffic levels" are "a lot less" then they were five years before. "If I could stay here and do it for another 20 years, I would," he says.

Agent Slack reflected a similar sentiment.

"I think the Queen of England is 88 years old and she still rides," she says. "So as long as I'm physically able, I'll be riding horses."

Twin Horses Born on Easter Morning

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:26:34 PDT

Channel 4 WSMV Nashville

Only about one in 10,000 horses have twins, and even fewer survive birth, but a Georgia horse owner was surprised to find two fillies when she woke up Easter morning. (4-2-13)

WSMV Channel 4

U.S. Boosts Horse-Meat Testing on Imports

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 06:44:46 PDT

Straight from the Horse's Heart

Source: By BILL TOMSON from the Wall Street Journal Online

The extra tests are to make “absolutely certain” the U.S. is unaffected by the overseas recalls on horse meat…

WASHINGTON—Europe’s horse-meat scandal is prompting the U.S. to increase the “species” testing it does on imports to detect any traces of equine contamination in products labeled as beef, pork or other meat.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday ordered inspectors to increase testing on all meat imports from Ireland, Poland, the U.K., countries where meat production has been implicated in the scandal.

The inspectors were also told to begin performing species tests on some beef-product imports, regardless of what country it comes from. The extra tests are to make “absolutely certain” the U.S. is unaffected by the overseas recalls on horse meat, a USDA official said Monday. The official declined to discuss the levels of testing.

USDA officials have previously said Americans are in no danger of eating horse disguised in meat products because the U.S. doesn’t import beef from countries involved in the European scandal. The U.S. imports no beef from the U.K., Ireland, Poland or Iceland, but those countries do ship pork and other meats here.

Ireland’s agriculture ministry confirmed in March that government officials had detected horse meat in beef products there. Horse meat can be sold for consumption in the European Union, but it must be labeled in food products.

The European Commission said in March it has begun a broad testing program for undeclared horse in European meat. Horse meat can be sold for consumption in the European Union, but it must be labeled in food products.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma last month passed a law permitting horses to be slaughtered in the state to produce meat for human consumption, the latest salvo in a national debate over how to deal with wild and abandoned horses.

The U.S. Congress is considering a measure that would ban horse slaughter nationally.

Click (HERE) to visit the WSJ and to Comment

Horse shot in YouTube video: Disturbing video ignites debate over horse slaughter houses in U.S.

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 10:45:05 PDT

ABC Channel 15 Phoenix

Posted: 9:34 AM
Last Updated: 49 minutes ago

By: Monica Lempert

A video of a New Mexico meat company employee shooting a horse to death is causing controversy in the Arizona equine community.

In the video recently removed by YouTube, a man walks a horse towards a camera, yells a derogatory message towards animal activists and then proceeds to shoot the horse to death at point blank range.

Many are upset not only because of the gruesome video, but because the employee was working for a meat company that is trying to become a horse slaughter house.

Jim Gath rescued his horse Mistor who was headed for a horse slaughter house in Mexico two years ago.

“He broke his leg in a race and my friend called me and said he had 24 hours before he was going to be slaughtered. I brought him here and he was in bad shape. He could hardly walk,” said Gath of Tierra Madre Horse Sanctuary.

Gath has since nursed Mistor back to health. Now he is one of Gath’s fastest horses. Although Mistor was saved from the slaughter house, Gath worries for the thousands of other horses who aren’t as lucky.

"In these slaughter houses in Mexico, they stab the animals in the back to paralyze them and as they’re hanging upside down they’d slice their throat and they’d bleed to death,” said Gath.

It’s for this inhumane treatment that horse slaughter houses were shut down in the U.S. six years ago. While most animal activists feel they should stay shut, equine enthusiast Barbara Rector believes re-opening them is the humane thing to do.

“I’ve witnessed them being out on these trucks to Mexico or Canada. They have to travel a huge number of miles with no water, standing, some of them falling down. Some of them dead. Talk about feeling hopeless. It’s just like those trains heading for Auschwitz, it's horrible,” said Rector.

Gath agrees that something needs to be done, but doesn’t feel horse slaughter houses are the answer.

“We gave Mistor his life back and not only that. He's turned into one of the greatest horses in the universe. He never should have been sent to a slaughter house.”

Horse Snuff Video Ignites Outrage

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:21:18 PDT

Straight from the Horse's Heart

Posted: March 22, 2013 by R.T. Fitch in Horse News

Source: By Rene Romo / Journal South Reporter on Fri, Mar 22, 2013

Coon said his department had received “lots of email, lots of calls, lots of faxes from people all over the country” about the video, which he described as “very disgusting.”

Equine Snuff Video

►

Graphic, Sadistic Violence – Endorsed by Sue Wallis

LAS CRUCES — The video of a longtime Roswell slaughterhouse employee fatally shooting a horse in the head after swearing at “animal activists” has sparked a state Livestock Board investigation and outrage across the country.

Officials with the state Livestock Board executed a search warrant Thursday at the Dexter home of Tim Sappington, who had worked in maintenance for the Roswell area Valley Meat Co.

The company, which is seeking USDA inspections so it can begin slaughtering horses to export the meat to Mexico and overseas markets, issued a statement Thursday confirming that the man in the video is Sappington, a former employee.

The company’s attorney, A. Blair Dunn, said Valley Meat fired Sappington after becoming aware of the video, which was posted a year ago but has now become the focus of a public relations campaign by the Horse Plus Humane Society.

Chaves County Sheriff Rob Coon, whose agency is supporting the Livestock Board investigation, said the shooting of the horse is being examined as an animal cruelty case. But, Coon added, “It’s going to be up to the district attorney and the Livestock Board to come to that conclusion.”

Coon said his department had received “lots of email, lots of calls, lots of faxes from people all over the country” about the video, which he described as “very disgusting.”

Coon added: “For a man to make his point by shooting a helpless horse that deserved better than that.”

The Valley Meat statement said Sappington euthanized the horse “as was his legal right for his own consumption,” and Dunn noted that Sappington “precisely and exactly euthanized a horse in the proper fashion.”

In a 51-second video posted to YouTube, Sappington leads a brown horse by a rope to a spot in a dirt road next to a trailer. After briefly stroking the horse’s nose and then its neck, he says, “All you animal activists, (expletive) you,” pulls a handgun from its holster, places it against the horse’s forehead and fires a single shot.

The horse appears to leap involuntarily into the air, its legs curling beneath it, and crashes to the ground. Sappington turns to glare briefly at the camera and then walks away, saying, “Good.”

Sappington could not be reached for comment Thursday. A still image from the video, which Dunn said was made in early 2012, is posted on Sappington’s Facebook site, where he states he worked for Valley Meat since 1995.

“We agree that his (Sappington’s) comments were regrettably crass, not contributing anything to this dialogue so we do not condone his statements,” says the Valley Meat statement, “but he was within his lawful rights to slaughter and butcher a horse and he was not acting as an employee of the company in that action.”

Dunn noted that, over the last year since Valley Meat’s efforts to become the first company in the U.S. since 2006 to slaughter horses for the consumer market became public, the company’s ownership and staff have received death threats and bomb threats, including a bomb threat on Monday. The slaughterhouse has also been burglarized and vandalized, Dunn said.

The Valley Meat statement said “the opposition is now resorting to terrorist tactics.”

“.While Mr. Sappington’s personal comments are inappropriate, they pale in comparison to threatening to bomb people and kill their families,” the statement says. “… No animal is worth threatening or ending a person’s life.”

A mailer from an advocacy group called Horse Plus Humane Society to its supporters said Sappington’s action — swearing at animal rights activists before shooting the unsuspecting horse in the head — “could be considered a hate crime against all of us who have spoken out against the Roswell, NM horse slaughter house.”

A spokeswoman for the Livestock Board said only that the investigation is ongoing. Animal Protection of New Mexicoforwarded a copy of the video to the Livestock Board on Thursday, but it was not clear if that initiated the investigation.

Laura Bonar of Animal Protection of New Mexico said Sappington’s actions might qualify as exteme animal cruelty, defined as maliciously killing an animal.

“Posting that video is not doing anything toward solutions for horses that are suffering,” Bonar said. “The act itself is very disturbing and troubling.”

Click (HERE) to visit the ABQ Journal and to Comment

Keeping Horse Slaughter in the Past

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 20:01:57 PDT

HSUS

Equine Advocacy Groups Expose Gross Gap in U.S. Border Horse Slaughter Inspections

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 10:01:52 PDT

Straight from the Horse's Heart

Source: Equine Welfare Alliance and Wild Horse Freedom Federation

Required Government Inspections are NOT happening

This is a result of a FOIA request on inspections at the Mexico border pens. We are all sickened by the lack of inspections, enforcement and what American horses endure in the slaughter pipeline. A total of only 199 inspections took place during 2010, 2011 & 2012.

Our thanks to our investigators for their diligence and determination in exposing the inexcusable conditions and treatment of American horses. We wish the horse owners could see what road they have chosen for their horses. The photo of the mare and her foal is heartbreaking.

FOIA Request

USDA Response - please note this file is 20MB and will take a few moments to load

We encourage everyone to call their legislators and demand passage of the S.A.F.E act to end this now.

House Bill HR 1094

Senate Bill S 541

EWA and WHFF Investigators Expose Horse Slaughter Transport Violations (rtfitchauthor.com)
Congressman Moran Statement on Reports of Horse Slaughter Plants Reopening (rtfitchauthor.com)
Breaking News: FRER Discovers New Applications for Horse Slaughter Facilities (rtfitchauthor.com)

Pam McKissick Without Reserve - Horse Slaughter

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 09:58:48 PDT

PRX

From: Auction Network Productions
Series: Pam McKissick Without Reserve
Length: 53:58

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Pam McKissick and her three guests uncover the dirty truth about horse slaughter and give voice to "the other side" on behalf of 80 percent of the voting public.

Oklahoma House Bill 1999 and Senate Bill 375 allow the horse slaughter industry to do business in Oklahoma and for horsemeat will be shipped to foreign countries for human consumption. Is that a good idea? The legislators say yes and 80 percent of the voting public say no. So how did these bills get passed? These questions and many more are answered when Pam McKissick and her three guests give voice to "the other side" in “Pam McKissick Without Reserve: Horse Slaughter."

A third-generation Oklahoman, business leader, horse owner, rancher and veteran radio personality, Pam McKissick hosts a thought-provoking one-hour show and is joined by three of the most knowledgeable people on the topic who share their insights and first-hand experiences.

Her guests include Vickery Echoff, a U.S. journalist who has published 15 in-depth exposes on the horsemeat trade for Newsweek, The Daily Beast, Forbes.com and The Huffington Post; Mayor Paula Bacon of Kaufman, Texas who actually had the horse slaughter industry in her town along with pollution, crime and economic decline; and Stephanie Graham one of the more informed horse advocates on what’s behind the rush to slaughter.

The show covers important topics including horsemeat in our food supply, life in a horse slaughter town in Texas and why Oklahoma legislature is putting a humane spin on an inhumane industry.

Updates from the Arizona Coalition for Equines

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:53:08 PDT

Arizona Coalition for Equines

The premier goal of the Arizona Coalition for Equines (ACE) is to give equine owners and
guardians the tools to help their horses, donkeys and burros thrive in their care. The core of
the ACE mission - the ACE Assistance Program - provides help to Arizonans who have
suffered personal setbacks, threatening their ability to keep and care for their horses. This
help is offered on a short-term, temporary basis, until financial or other challenges can be
solved. ACE is a statewide not-for-profit 501(c) 3.
Since the program began, ACE has responded with help for 99 equines involving hard-hit
caregivers struggling to keep and care for their horses. These numbers reflect only requests
for some type of financial assistance. ACE aims to prevent the tragic last resort of starvation,
seizure, abandonment or slaughter, by providing vital feed, and in some cases, hoof, dental
and medical care so people can maintain their beloved animals at home. If that proves
impossible, ACE also works to find new homes for equines in need.
Please visit the ACE website at www.arizonacoalitionforequines.org for more
information. If you or someone you know is in need of temporary assistance to care for
equines, please call 520-749-4026 or email info@arizonacoalitionforequines.org.
ACE Announces ASPCA Grant Award
UPDATE: From the proceeds of this grant award, ACE has to date provided services to 31
Arizona horses. These services have included hay and feed, veterinary care, emergency
transport and foster care. ACE extends sincere appreciation and heartfelt thanks to the
ASPCA® Equine Fund grant program for their support of Arizona equines
To learn more about the ASPCA Equine Fund, visit www.aspcapro.org.
How Ace Is Helping
Here are a few of the recent requests and responses from

Read MORE...

Horse Medicine

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 11:14:09 PDT

by James Anaquad Kleinert

MORE HERE.

News! News! News! News! News! News! News!

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 11:48:10 PDT

Protect Our Nation's Horses and Food Safety Reputation

Humane Society of the United States

Crucial new legislation was introduced in Congress this week that will protect consumers from toxic horsemeat and end the cruel slaughter of America’s horses, titled the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, H.R. 1094/S. 541.

Horse slaughter is fraught with terror, pain, and suffering and the plants have a history of polluting local water supplies, lowering property values, and are a drain on local economies. These animals are not raised for food and over the course of their lives are given a wide variety of drugs and veterinary treatments that make their meat unfit for human consumption.

TAKE ACTION
Please make a brief, polite phone call to your U.S. Representative and two U.S. Senators to urge co-sponsorship of H.R. 1094/S. 541, the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act. Look up your legislators' phone numbers here. You can say: "I would like you to please co-sponsor and support H.R. 1094/S. 541, the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act to protect our nation's horses and food safety reputation."

After making your phone call (please do not skip that crucial step!), fill in and submit the form below to automatically send a follow-up message to your members of Congress. Legislators receive a lot of email, so be sure to edit your message so it stands out.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION!

Save the Horses! Three Lawmakers Will Try to Ban Slaughter for Food

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 17:14:40 PDT

ABC News

By Chris Good
@c_good
Follow on Twitter

Mar 12, 2013 7:05pm

Image credit: Getty Images

A trio of U.S. lawmakers is saying “no” to horse meat.

The U.S. is set to begin slaughtering horses again for the first time in six years, and recent news of Ikea sausages and British Taco Bell beef containing small amounts of horse has raised horse-meat alarm bells among the meat-consuming public.

Congress originally banned horse slaughter in 2006 by defunding USDA’s horse-meat inspectors. But after the ban lapsed in 2011, a lawsuit and industry pressure has forced USDA to start inspecting again, and a company says it expects to open the first slaughterhouse in Roswell, N.M., within the next month and a half.

“These companies must still complete necessary technical requirements and FSIS [the Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service] must still complete its inspector training, but at that point, the Department will legally have no choice but to go forward with inspections, which is why we urge Congress to reinstate the ban,” a USDA spokesperson told ABC News.

Enter Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Reps. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill.

The three will introduce a bill on Wednesday that would put a stop to the pending horse slaughter.

The Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, as the House version is dubbed, would not only ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the U.S. but would also prohibit shipping horses outside the U.S. for food slaughter. Unlike the appropriations rider that had prevented horse slaughter until now, the statutory ban would not expire.

The Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will hold a press conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday with the three lawmakers, the two groups announced on Tuesday.

“Horses sent to slaughter are often subject to appalling, brutal treatment,” Schakowsky said in a statement emailed to ABC News by a spokesperson. “We must fight those practices. The Safeguard American Food Exports Act of 2013 will ensure that these majestic animals are treated with the respect they deserve.”

Abuse at 2013 Buckeye, AZ Rodeo

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:08:18 PDT

Please share! I'm not opposed to ALL rodeo events, but the cruelty has to stop!

Animal Sanctuary or Home of Hoarding?

noreply@blogger.com (Barb AZ) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:46:12 PDT

My Fox Phoenix

Americans Against Horse Slaughter in Arizona

Sen. Landrieu Pushes for Permanent Ban on Horse Slaughter at Horses on the Hill

Facing National Scrutiny, BLM Struggles to Explain Wild Horse Program

Rescue Needs Help Caring for Neglected Horses

Horse lover, 'Heart of Tucson' founder Judy Glore loses battle with lung cancer

SFTHH: Horse Hilarity on Video

Confusion Reigns Over Opening of Controversial NM Horse Slaughter Plant

“It will open unless Congress restores the ban on horse slaughter that they had in place,”

Sugarcreek-Auction-Update---Animals--Angels-in-the-News

Visit Us On Facebook!

Valley Meat USDA Walk-Through, Only

“It doesn’t at all mean that there’s an approval of horse slaughter.”

An End to Horse Breeding?

Friday Fun!

U.S. Border Patrol: More Agents, More Fences, More Technology, More Horses?

Twin Horses Born on Easter Morning

U.S. Boosts Horse-Meat Testing on Imports

The extra tests are to make “absolutely certain” the U.S. is unaffected by the overseas recalls on horse meat…

Click (HERE) to visit the WSJ and to Comment

Horse shot in YouTube video: Disturbing video ignites debate over horse slaughter houses in U.S.

Horse Snuff Video Ignites Outrage

Coon said his department had received “lots of email, lots of calls, lots of faxes from people all over the country” about the video, which he described as “very disgusting.”

Graphic, Sadistic Violence – Endorsed by Sue Wallis

Click (HERE) to visit the ABQ Journal and to Comment

Keeping Horse Slaughter in the Past

Equine Advocacy Groups Expose Gross Gap in U.S. Border Horse Slaughter Inspections

Required Government Inspections are NOT happening

House Bill HR 1094

Senate Bill S 541

Related Articles

Pam McKissick Without Reserve - Horse Slaughter

Updates from the Arizona Coalition for Equines

Horse Medicine

News! News! News! News! News! News! News!

Protect Our Nation's Horses and Food Safety Reputation

Save the Horses! Three Lawmakers Will Try to Ban Slaughter for Food

Abuse at 2013 Buckeye, AZ Rodeo

Animal Sanctuary or Home of Hoarding?