January 12, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAN’S BEST FRIEND CAMPAIGNS TO END HORSE SLAUGHTER
Americans Against Horse Slaughter launches a new public awareness campaign inspired by pet lovers and concerned citizens from across the country.
Philadelphia , PA (Americans Against Horse Slaughter) January 12, 2010 - Americans Against Horse Slaughter was contacted by hundreds of concerned citizens, and other animal advocates after their recent discovery of American horses being slaughtered for the sole purpose of human consumption. The meat is then shipped to foreign countries overseas to be served as a high price delicacy.
"Are our dogs next?" says Lori Colon of Wadsworth IL . "This is unbelievable and a disgrace! I thought horses are considered our pets, our companions! We don't eat horse meat here!" continued Colon.
"I think the recent press about the wild horse roundups has shed light on our country's dirty little secret, horse slaughter", said Shelley Abrams, co founder of AAHS. “The wild horse advocates and organizations that have worked for so many years to protect the wild horses have done a wonderful job of creating mass awareness to the general public through the media and that has inspired the lay person to learn more.” Abrams added.
While the wild horses are in the forefront right now due to the unconscionable round ups taking place around the country which also put them at risk for slaughter, it is important to remember that our thoroughbreds, quarter horses and all breeds of horses are currently being inhumanely slaughtered for human consumption every day.
Americans Against Horse Slaughter is calling on all
animal lovers and animal advocates to rise up against this brutal practice of horse slaughter by voicing their concerns to their Congressman and their two U.S. Senators and asking them to co-sponsor The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act; House Bill HR503 and Senate Bill S727.
Chairman John Conyers, Jr. issued a statement today thanking all the members of Americans Against Horse Slaughter (AAHS) for their unwavering support of HR503, The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act.:
“The transportation and slaughter of horses for human consumption is cruel and inhumane, and I intend to continue my efforts to stop this terrible practice. We now have 176 cosponsors to H.R. 503,and support for the bill continues to grow. The support of Americans Against Horse Slaughter (AAHS) is critical to passage, and I appreciate and commend their efforts.”
AAHS would like to thank Congressman Conyers Chairman of the Judiciary committee for his recognition of our efforts and assure him that we will continue to work closely with his office to pass HR503.
Americans Against Horse Slaughter is a non funded, grassroots national movement comprised of supporters of a federal ban on the slaughter and the transport to slaughter of American horses for human consumption overseas. Americans Against Horse Slaughter has no other agenda, other than to stop the brutal slaughter of American horses.
Contact: Americans Against Horse Slaughter (americansagainsthorseslaughter.com)
Email: aahsus@gmail.com
Animal Rights Advocate Touched Many Lives
By Larry Liddell, Publisher Emeritus – The Clarksdale Blue Star
Back in 2006, a horse by the name of Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby.
I felt like he could be the next triple-crown winner and I looked forward to The Preakness. However, something went terribly wrong in the gate and the three-year old broke
through the gate prior to the start of the race.
He was placed back in the gate and the gates opened
and he began his charge for the second jewel in the crown.
A few feet from the gate, he pulled up, his right rear leg dangling helplessly. His jockey, Edgar Prado, immediately jumped off his mount and held him steady and kept him calm while help arrived. Prado momentarily saved his horse’s life with his timely action.
Barbaro survived the breakdown for eight months. His leg healed but just before he was allowed to put weight on the injured leg, he developed laminitis, first in his left hind leg and, finally, in his front two hooves, and his owners and veterinarian decided to put him down on Jan. 29, 2007.
Shortly after that day, I wrote a column on the gallant little horse that had become my hero.
The week after my column appeared, I received an E-mail from an address called “Potlucky” that turned out to be a woman calling herself “CJ”.
It seems that she had Googled Barbaro to see what people were saying and had come across my column. She felt obliged to contact me and compliment me on my love for all animals, horses in particular.
We E-mailed ever since. She enrolled me in a group known as Americans Against Horse Slaughter in the United States and provided me with statistics and facts she felt important for citizens to know. Eventually, I had enough to write a column on the horror that was going on in this country involving the legal business of slaughtering perfectly healthy horses.
When Congress introduced legislation making it illegal to slaughter horses in the United States, AAHS's lobbying efforts helped gain support on Capital Hill for this legislation that would also make it illegal to transport horses to slaughter.
Then, those involved in the business (and make no mistake about it, it was big business) of slaughtering horses to provide food for consumption overseas, began to
truck the horses to Mexico and Canada for slaughter.
“CJ” and her group then began another campaign to make this practice illegal.
Now, they are a watchdog for these lowlife scumbags, reporting suspicious activities to authorities.
They are also campaigning to save the wild horses that remain in the country.
Unfortunately, “CJ” will not be around to help save the wild horses.
This weekend, I received an E-mail from AAHSUS informing me of “CJ’s” death after a long battle with cancer.
“She spoke very highly of you,” the E-mail said simply.
We never met but her E-mails kept coming. Always informative and never self promoting, “CJ” just touched base every so often over the past three years informing me of what was happening with AAHSUS.
She expressed her disappointment in my inability to travel to Washington , D.C. last July to attend a rally on the steps of the U.S. Capital in support of the wild horse campaign.
Her name was Carolyn Jaffe and she lived in Indiana . She has been an advocate for horses, especially those who had been abandoned for whatever reason. She began finding places that would take them in.
There was no money involved in her effort; she did it out of love for horses.
And she continued to do it until the day she died.
Debra and Shelley, co founders of AAHS have written a tribute to “CJ” that I wish I could share with you, but I cannot download it However, I have viewed it and it is an accurate description of her life and love of not only horses, but of her love of her fellow AAHSUS members.
More importantly, perhaps, it is an accurate description of the love held for her by her fellow AAHSUS members. Her unselfish service to unfortunate abandoned horses
did not go unnoticed by anyone who knew her.
I remember when her favorite adopted horse passed away, she E-mailed me to tell me that, just like a human one has known and loved so long, you are never prepared to let them go.
And then she said something that I will always remember. She wrote: “One day, I will be with him again and that will be the happiest day.”
The tribute is written to the background music of “Wildfire,” a song about a wild horse. Now she is with her “Wildfire” again, without the pain of the disease that took her from us.
I will always miss “CJ”— Carolyn Jaffe, the horse’s — and my — champion.
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Oct. 29, 2009
A Call for a Congressional Investigation
– Back in 2006, a horse by the name of Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby. I felt like he could be the next triple-crown winner and I looked forward to The Preakness. However, something went terribly wrong in the gate and the three-year old broke through the gate prior to the start of the race. He was placed back in the gate and the gates opened and he began his charge for the second jewel in the crown. A few feet from the gate, he pulled up, his right rear leg dangling helplessly. His jockey, Edgar Prado, immediately jumped off his mount and held him steady and kept him calm while help arrived. Prado momentarily saved his horse’s life with his timely action. Barbaro survived the breakdown for eight months. His leg healed but just before he was allowed to put weight on the injured leg, he developed laminitis, -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's time for a public Congressional hearing and investigation of BLM's management of America's wild horses and burros including the new plan recently announced by DOI and BLM.
In the meantime and pending decisions about the course of the wild horse and burro program, there should be a moratorium on gathers. (click the link below for the full article)
Animal Law Coaliton: http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1081
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Senate Votes To Stop Slaughter of Wild Horses and Burros
From Animal Law Coalition
http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/693
The Senate also prohibited BLM from using funds to kill healthy unadopted wild horses and burros!
Update Sept. 25, 2009: The Senate has voted to pass H.R. 2996, an appropriations bill for 2010 for the Dept. of Interior including the Bureau of Land Management ("BLM").
BLM manages the nation's wild horses and burros. In the bill the Senate made clear to the BLM: Appropriations ... made [in this bill]shall not be available for the destruction of healthy, unadopted, wild horses and burros in the care of the Bureau of Land Management or its contractors or for the sale of wild horses and burros that results in their destruction for processing into commercial products.
This mandate was proposed by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA). This provision must still be approved by the U.S. House.
Also at Sen. Landrieu's urging
, the Senate Appropriations Committee found "the costs for gathering and holding equines to control populations on public lands have risen beyond sustainable levels. The Committee directs the Bureau to (1) consider private proposals for long-term care of wild horses and burros; (2) create a bidding process among such proposals, and (3) prepare and publish a new comprehensive long-term plan and policy for management of wild horses and burros that involves consideration and development of proposals by non-governmental entities, by September 30, 2010."
The Committee "encourage[d] all Federal agencies that need and use horses to fulfill their responsibilities to first seek to acquire a wild horse from the Bureau of Land Management, and, prior to seeking another supplier for usable horses, document why the Bureau cannot meet the needs of the inquiring Federal agency." The Committee "encouraged" BLM "to develop an expedited process for providing wild horses to local and State police forces."
Sen. Landrieu told the Senate, "We ... are down to just a few herds of horses. And the reason that i think that this is even more important than to just western states or the ranchers or landowners or humane society and others is because for the people generally, the idea of wild spaces with wild horses is something that is really part of our heritage. And we want to make sure that that heritage isn't lost, that we're being responsible in terms of the way the land is being used for multiple purposes and from the perspective of horse advocates, that the horses themselves are being treated fairly.
"And none of that right now is being done in the way that most people, i believe, would appreciate or would be satisfied with. There have been any number of studies that i'm going to submit to the record.
"Most recently, the congressional research service as well as the government accounting office has suggested major changes to the program. I'm just going to go through a few possible options. One, the creation of several public-private sanctuaries. This has been suggested by a few fairly high-profiled individuals in our country. The idea has merit. We are working with a variety of different groups along with the department to think about the possibility of creating public-private partnerships, large sanctuaries, maybe 500,000 or a million acres where thousands of wild horses could not only roam freely in a healthy way, but they also could potentially become ecotourist opportunities for some of the states and communities as it would be an attraction that could potentially make money and attract people out to some of these western areas. Or, for that matter, grant rural areas in other parts of the country.
"There is a possibility to make some smart investments to step up some of the adoption programs that might work. And there are any number of scientific and new technologies that can be brought to bear in terms of breed management, reproductive issues that could help us get a much more cost-effective, sane and humane approach to this problem."
Read Animal Law Coalition's reports below for information about the ROAM Act which would also put an end to the slaughter of wild horses and burros and killing of healthy animals and restructure the way BLM manages these beautiful American treasures.
Also, on September 29, 2009, Tuesday, 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m., join "Mustangs On The Hill" in Washington, DC. Gather on the West Front Lawn of Capitol Hill at 8:00 a.m. and spend the day meeting with Senators on the Committee of Energy and Natural Resources to urge them to support the ROAM Act. You may RSVP to mustangsonthehill@gmail.com
Before that, on September 28, 2009, Monday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. there will be a meeting of the BLM's National Wild Horses and Burros Advisory Board. Public comments are invited either in person or in writing. Plan to attend or send a statement! For more information....
WHAT ELSE YOU CAN DO
Find and contact your U.S. senators here and urge them to tell the BLM to stop rounding up and removing our wild horses and also vote yes on the ROAM Act, S.B. 1579.
Go here to write your U.S. representative and urge him or her to tell the BLM to stop the roundup and removals of wild horses and burros!
Contact President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden and urge them to support the ROAM Act, S.B. 1579! Phone: 202-456-1111 or 202-456-9000; Fax: 202-456-2461
The ROAM Act, S.B. 1579, has been assigned to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Fax, email or call committee here and 202-224-4971 and urge members to vote yes on S.B. 1579 to restore the protections Congress intended for America's wild horses and burros under the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act passed in 1971.
Update Aug. 10: Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.VA.), long an opponent of the slaughter of American horses, has introduced the Senate version of the Restoring Our American Mustangs or ROAM. The bill, numbered S.B. 1579, is the same as the House version, H.R. 1018.The House version, H.R. 1018, has already passed.
Update July 17: After some debate on the floor, the U.S. House of Repesentatives voted to pass H.R. 1018, Restoring Our American Mustangs Act or R.O.A.M., which would restore protections for wild horses and burros lost in 2004 under the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. The vote was 239-185.
This bill would require the wild horses and burros have the same amount of range land that they had in 1971 when the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act became law. H.R. 1018 would also implement tracking and sterilization programs and also to improve their health and provide more opportunites for adoption. No wild horses and burros could be sent to slaughter. No healthy wild horse or burro could be killed. Here is a copy of the bill.
This bill would require an about face by the BLM in its handling of wild horses and burros which has been largely to run them down, injuring and terrorizing these animals and destroying their families; trap them in holding pens and sell them for slaughter or euthanize them. Go here for more information on the BLM's plans to destroy wild horses and burros. And, go here for more on BLM policies regarding wild horses and burros.
Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA) proposed a substitute that would simply have banned the slaughter of wild horses and burros. It would not have stopped the BLM, however, from rounding up these animals, keeping them in holding pens at a cost of about $20 million annually, and simply euthanizing them. That substitute was defeated by a vote of 348-74 in favor of the more comprehensive approach offered by H.R. 1018!
For more information on the bill, read Animal Law Coalition's reports below.
Update April 29: H.R. 1018 has passed the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee!
The vote was 21-14.
For more on H.R. 1018, R.O.A.M., the bill to restore the protections of the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act and how you can help pass it, read Animal Law Coalition's report below.
Original report: Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) and Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Az) have introduced H.R. 1018 to restore protections for wild horses and burros under the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act.
Basically, the bill saves wild horses and burros from commercial sale and slaughter as originally intended under the Act.
The protections of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 were gutted in 2004 for many thousands of horses, leaving them at risk of sale and slaughter. That Act, 16 U.S.C. §1331, et seq., declares, "It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands."
In 2004 then Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT), now a pro-horse slaughter lobbyist with the Washington D.C. firm, Gage, buried an amendment to this Act in a 3,300 page appropriations bill. That infamous amendment opened the door to the slaughter of thousands of horses. Basically under the Act there are certain horses and burros defined as excess animals. These are animals the [Bureau of Land Management] "BLM" has removed from an area "to preserve and maintain a thriving natural ecological balance and multiple-use relationship in that area" or for some other legal reason. See 16 USC §1332(f).
Under Burns Amendment, these "excess" horses "shall be sold...if the excess animal is more than 10 years of age; or ... has been offered unsuccessfully for adoption at least 3 times." 16 U.S.C. §1333. Any horse sold under this provision is no longer subject to the protections of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. 16 U.S.C.§1333. Since this amendment became effective, thousands of horses have been slaughtered for human consumption.
H.R. 1018 reverses the Burns Amendment. Though recent federal court rulings and Congressional action as well as state laws have shut down horse slaughter for human consumption in the U.S., for now, American horses are still shipped outside of the U.S., usually to Mexico and Canada for slaughter for their horse meat consumed primarily as a delicacy in some other countries.
This bill, H.R. 1018, will at least protect wild horses and burros from this fate.
A similar measure passed the House in the last session by a vote of 277-137 but remained stuck in a Senate committee.
This bill, H.R. 1018, would also prohibit the killing of healthy wild horses for any reason. Last year the Bureau of Land Management had proposed euthanizing wild horses en masse. Go here for more on that. And here.
This bill would require the Bureau of Land Management to take steps to improve the tracking and census of these animals by adopting and "[e]mploy scientifically sound methods to develop a policy for setting consistent, appropriate management levels". The bill clarifies that in doing so, the agency would be required to consult with other federal agencies and other experts including those outside of the government.
Finding more range land and sanctuaries and reducing numbers through contraception
The BLM would be required to "[i]dentify new, appropriate rangelands for wild free-roaming horses and burros, including use of land acquisitions, exchanges, conservation easements, and voluntary grazing buyouts, and negotiate with private landowners to allow for the federally supervised protection of wild horses and burros on private lands." The new law would required the BLM to "[e]stablish sanctuaries or exclusive use areas" and, significantly, "[r]esearch, develop, and implement enhanced surgical or immunocontraception sterilization or other safe methods of fertility control."
The BLM would be required to develop and implement a much more aggressive adoption program that would also more rigorously screen adopters. Notably, the bill would not allow helicopters or "other [inhumane] airborne devices" for corraling and removing wild horses and burros. Also, wild horses and burros could not be contained in "corrals or other holding facilities for more than 6 months, while awaiting disposition."
Wild horses and burros could be removed temporarily otherwise from rangeland in the event of threats to their health and safety such as drought conditions.
A more open, accessible BLM when it comes to wild horses and burros
The public's right to be involved in in determining management level standards is guaranteed under this bill. The new law would require the BLM also to post information on a website accessible free of charge to the public about herd numbers, planned removals of horses or burros, animals injured during removals, and generally the treatment of wild horses and burros.
The BLM would be required to report annually to Congress the following: (1) number of acres for wild free-roaming horses and burros. (2) appropriate management levels on public rangelands, (3) description of the methods used to determine the appropriate management levels and whether it was applied consistently across the agency, (4) number of wild free-roaming horses and burros on public lands; (5) description of the methods used to determine the wild free-roaming horse and burro population; (6) any land acquisitions, exchanges, conservation easements, and voluntary grazing buyouts that the Bureau of Land Management has acquired or pursued for wild free-roaming horses and burros; (7) any sanctuaries or exclusive use areas established for wild free-roaming horses and burros; (8) programs including budget established for enhanced surgical or immunocontraception sterilization research and development and the extent to which fertility control is being used to control the population of wild free-roaming horses and burros;(9) ratio of horses the agency has contracepted and put back on the range; and (10) herds to which contraception has been administered and with what results.
Rep. Rahall chairs the House Natural Resources Committee and Rep. Grijalva leads the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.
– Back in 2006, a horse by the name of Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby. I felt like he could be the next triple-crown winner and I looked forward to The Preakness. However, something went terribly wrong in the gate and the three-year old broke through the gate prior to the start of the race. He was placed back in the gate and the gates opened and he began his charge for the second jewel in the crown. A few feet from the gate, he pulled up, his right rear leg dangling helplessly. His jockey, Edgar Prado, immediately jumped off his mount and held him steady and kept him calm while help arrived. Prado momentarily saved his horse’s life with his timely action. Barbaro survived the breakdown for eight months. His leg healed but just before he was allowed to put weight on the injured leg, he developed laminitis, -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
– Back in 2006, a horse by the name of Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby. I felt like he could be the next triple-crown winner and I looked forward to The Preakness. However, something went terribly wrong in the gate and the three-year old broke through the gate prior to the start of the race. He was placed back in the gate and the gates opened and he began his charge for the second jewel in the crown. A few feet from the gate, he pulled up, his right rear leg dangling helplessly. His jockey, Edgar Prado, immediately jumped off his mount and held him steady and kept him calm while help arrived. Prado momentarily saved his horse’s life with his timely action. Barbaro survived the breakdown for eight months. His leg healed but just before he was allowed to put weight on the injured leg, he developed laminitis, -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BLM Capture of Iconic Wild Horse Herd Sparks Controversy
Friday, 18 September 2009 09:43
Senator Landrieu, Congressman Grijalva Join Public in Calling for an Immediate End to the Mismanagement of the West’s Living Legends
For Immediate Release
LOVELL, WY-- September 17, 2009 -- Once wild and free, living in spectacular sub-alpine meadows designated by Congress as their home, 57 wild Mustangs now wait in dusty pens in the 90 degree heat. The BLM pens sit at the base of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range of Wyoming and Montana. The corrals offer no shade for the wild horses, now branded, with ropes and numbers around their necks. 19 year-old Conquistador is no longer a proud band stallion. He is number 5336. 21 year-old Grumpy Grulla is no longer a lead mare. She is number 5321.
The Pryor Mountain wild horses have been made world famous by the popular PBS Nature series that has followed the pale Palomino Stallion “Cloud,” throughout his lifetime. The third program will air this Fall in October, but many of the horses the world will meet next month are among those being put up for sale and adoption at the Britton Springs corrals in Lovell, WY on Sept. 26th. “They are losing what they value most – their freedom and their families,” says Ginger Kathrens, Volunteer Executive Director of the Cloud Foundation.
“Despite a National outcry and letters from Congress demanding that the BLM halt these roundups until an acceptable long-term plan is made, we have yet to see them make a single concession to an outraged public. Somewhere along the line BLM forgot that these are the public’s horses on the public’s land.” Kathrens continues.
Great hopes for change lie in the Restore Our American Mustang Act (ROAM- §1579), now in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Advocates are planning a gathering, “Mustangs on the Hill,” in Washington D.C. on September 29th. Supporters of preserving our wild herds will fan out and meet with key Senate staffers and Senators. “The ROAM Act comes too late for thousands of horses, but we are hopeful that Congress can ride to the rescue for our wild horses,” states Arizona advocate, Julianne French. The Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971 saved wild horses in the American West from complete destruction. Since then, the BLM, charged with their protection, has failed to follow the Act. Nearly 20 million acres have been taken away from the dedicated land set aside for America’s wild horses. Over 30,000 wild horses are held by the BLM at a cost of over $100,000 per day according to Ed Roberson, Department of Interior official. Advocates are demanding that the wild horses be returned to the rangelands that were stolen from them. Congressman Grijalva (D-AZ) called for a stop to all roundups and Senator Landrieu (D-LA) recently called for the management of wild horses to be taken away from the BLM altogether.
The American public is enamored with the mustang, one of the last symbols of freedom and the disappearing spirit of the American West. "Isn’t it time that the public finds out the truth, that this gross misconduct is not a result of managing for ‘healthy horses on healthy rangelands, but is an all out eradication of America’s wild horses?” questions advocate Monika Courtney. “Will hoof beats be replaced completely by oil and gas rigs and uranium mines as the old-guard BLM regime carries forth? BLM is betraying not only our horses, but our nation.” As one advocate stated, “The West will one day be about as wild as Wal-Mart.”
The small Spanish mustangs in the Pryor herd, descendents of the Lewis and Clark expedition horses and the original Crow war ponies, may not be aware that their highly contested roundup and subsequent removal has created a wave a protest from Thoroughbred racing forums to front porches in South Texas. “A whole new group of advocates concerned about our wild horses have come out against this roundup,” states Willis Lamm, a horse trainer noted for his work with BLM mustangs. “Moving forward with this roundup was a huge mistake on the part of the BLM.”
For more information contact:
The Cloud Foundation
Valerie Kennedy, Public Relations Manager 312-371-4933
Makendra Silverman, Associate Director 719-351-8187
info@thecloudfoundation.org
___________________________
AUGUST 31ST
Help Save Cloud's Herd!
Thursday, 27 August 2009 13:43
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO- August 28, 2009: The Cloud Foundation and Front Range Equine Rescue have filed a lawsuit and a request for an injunction in Federal Court in Washington, DC to prohibit the Bureau of Land Management from removing horses from the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, and to stop the unprecedented round up of the Pryor Wild Horses slated to begin September 1, 2009.
The appellants argue that this removal of 70 horses will leave this unique and historical herd genetically non-viable and unable to sustain itself into the future. According to noted equine geneticist, Gus Cothran, Ph.D. of Texas A&M University, “… a census population of 150-200 is required to achieve the minimum effective population size…. The [Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Herd] has been one of the most important and visible herds within the BLM Wild Horse Program and it is important that it stays viable.”
The Bureau of Land Management is circumventing Congress’ wishes that wild horses be protected in the American West. The House just passed the Restore Our American Mustangs (ROAM) act and the Senate will review this bill (now S.1579) when they return from recess in September. “Is BLM just trying to do as much irrevocable damage to America's wild horses as fast as they can before the Senate can act?” asks Ginger Kathrens, Volunteer Executive Director of the Cloud Foundation.
“Right now there are twelve entire herds being eliminated from 1.4 million acres near Ely, Nevada because these lands are suddenly not appropriate for wild horses,” Kathrens continues. “However, no action has been made to reduce cattle grazing in these areas.” There are no grazing permits in the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range and reasons for holding an unprecedented removal this year are not clear. The range and adjacent lands are in excellent condition following three years of drought-breaking precipitation.
Cloud and the wild horses of Montana’s Pryor Mountains are world famous but fame and an outcry from the American public does not seem to impact the BLM’s plans. There are currently only 190 wild horses (one year and older) living in the spectacular Pryor Mountains. The BLM plans to remove 70 of them, including young foals and older horses who could be sold directly to killer buyers.
The Pryor Mountain wild horses are descendants of the Lewis and Clark horses who were stolen by the Crow Indians in the early 1800's. George Reed, Secretary of Cultural Education for the Crow Tribe Executive Branch, wrote in 2006: “We advocate preserving our heritage, culture and language, and these Pryor wild horses are part of our culture.”
The Cloud Foundation
719-633-3842
__________________________________________________
August 4th
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New EU rules may end slaughter of American Horses
CHICAGO, (EWA) – The European Union (EU) and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) have announced that the rules on slaughtering horses for human consumption are about to change radically due to concerns regarding contaminated horse meat.
The new EU rules will become effective in April 2010, requiring that either slaughtered animals have complete health records showing they have not received banned substances or a 180 day quarantine for the horses. Claude Boissonnealut, head of the CFIAs red meat programs, has indicated that Canada will likely abide by the 180 day quarantine, as mandated by the EU.
Equine welfare advocates have warned of the contamination of American horse meat for years. Substances banned from food animals range from toxic wormers to phenylbutazone (PBZ), the “aspirin” of the horse world, and even include fertility drugs that can cause miscarriages in women. “PBZ is a known carcinogen and can cause aplastic anemia (bone marrow suppression) in humans”, says Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) member, Dr. Ann Marini, Ph.D., M.D.
But the list of contaminants is not limited to conventional drugs. “Some of the garbage ‘treatments’ that are given to performance horses included iodine-peanut oil injections along the spine, anabolic steroids, cocaine, amphetamines, opioids and even snake venom”, explains Dr. Nicholas Dodman, DVM at Tufts University.
The new rules will mean that horses coming from auctions and other sources in the US will have to be kept drug free on a feedlot for half a year. Producers estimate that feeding horses that long will more than double their cost, making them less competitive with horses from other sources. And that is likely to be only half their problem.
EWA member Christy Sheidy, of Another Chance 4 Horses, routinely rescues slaughter bound horses from Pennsylvania’s New Holland auction. Sheidy warns, “Outbreaks of diseases like strangles and shipping fever will be inevitable in these quarantine feedlots. Left untreated, many horses may die before they can be slaughtered.” Treating the horses would restart their quarantine time.
In recent years, European authorities have cracked down on horse meat producers within the EU, requiring a “passport” system that specifically documents whether a horse has received such substances. Owners must state that their horses are intended for slaughter.
USDA statistics show that in 2008, the US exported 56,731 horses to Mexico and 77,073 horses to Canada for slaughter, resulting in the second highest slaughter total since 1995. Diners abroad have no idea whatsoever what dangerous chemicals they are eating in the American horsemeat that is shipped from plants across our borders.
In an interview with EWA, Henry Skjerven, a former director of the Natural Valley Farms slaughter operation in Saskatchewan, Canada, said: “Unfortunately, North America, US and Canada, were never geared for raising horses for food consumption. The system as it stood when we were killing horses was in no way, shape or form, safe, in my opinion.”
Skjerven went on to say, “We did not know where those horses were coming from, what might be in them or what they were treated with. I was always in fear - I think that it was very valid - that we were going to send something across there [to the EU] and we were simply going to get our doors locked after we had some kind of issue with the product.”
Skjerven’s plant began killing horses in September of 2007 for the Belgium’s Velda Group following the closing of their Cavel slaughter plant in DeKalb, Illinois. Natural Valley’s horse slaughter plant was closed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in January of 2009, for health issues.
Unlike Canada, horses going to Mexico are killed in two types of slaughter plants. The three largest plants export the meat to the EU and will fall under the same new rules. Mexican authorities have yet to announce whether their smaller plants, that provide meat for domestic consumption, will be required to follow the new rules.
“We don’t need to eat horses. Horses are for riding, jumping and doing a whole lot of great things. They’re not food”, concluded Skjerven.
Contacts: John Holland
540.268.5693
john@equinewelfarealliance.org
Vicki Tobin
630.961.9292
vicki@equinewelfarealliance.org
www.equinewelfarealliance.org
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AUGUST 3, 2009 ---
US House passes legislation to protect burros and wild horses
By a vote of 239 to 185, the House of
Representatives voted handily in favor of bill H.R. 1018 providing federal protection to burros and wild horses. The bill had been introduced by Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D - W.Va.), a staunch advocate of horse protection and an unyielding animal welfare advocate.
Known as the Restore Our American Mustangs, or ROAM Act, the Bill was co-sponsored by Representatives Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.). The Bill is a response to what was found to be woeful mismanagement of the orginal Act protecting these animals by the Bureau of Land Management ("BLM"). Because the BLM has been rounding up more horses than it can sell, the agency has amassed some 31,000 animals (in contrast, there are 35,00 wild horses and burros roaming federal lands in 10 states, with a majority of the animals in Nevada and Wyoming.), an unsustainable number, in short- and long-term holding facilities at an annual cost to taxpayers of over $27M. In 2009, the program will consume 75% of the agency's total budget dedicated to the protection of horses and burros.
Several years ago, US Senator Conrad Burns (R - Montana), in a late-night and little-noticed legislative sleigh of hand, and in deference to ranchers wanting to protect federal lands for their cattle, amended the law protecting these animals to allow for the slaughter of animals older than 10 years and who had been up for adoption three times.
H.R. 1018 reverses the Burns amendment and bans the slaughter of these animals, re-opens millions of acres originally designated for wild horses allowing more of them to roam (get it?) free, implement contraceptive programs as an alternative to expensive round-ups, as well as other reforms honoring the intent of the orginal Act protecting these animals known as the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. The intent of the original Act was to protect and maintain these animals as symbols of American culture.
An amendment by Ranking Minority Leader Richard "Doc" Hastings (R - Wash.) to narrow the Bill and omit provisions relating to fertility control, adoption and range expansion, was soundly rejected by a vote of 348 to 74. Meanwhile, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R - OH) took the floor to denounce the bill as an "insult" to the American people in time of economic crisis. Apparently, Representative Boehner believes that considering an animal protection bill in times of economic crisis is un-American. Of course, in the interest of full disclosure, it should be noted that Representative Boehner has opposed every single animal protection measure, regardless of the economic status of the nation, including efforts to ban cockfighting and dogfighting, halt the trophy hunting of polar bears, and the trade of exotic pets.
In its present form, the Bill provides that any person who processes, transports for processing, or permits to be processed into commercial products a live or dead wild free-roaming horse or burro, will be subject to a maximum fine of $2,000 and/or up to one year in jail. The Bill further prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from destroying, or authorizing the destruction of wild horses or burros unless the animal is terminally ill, and to relocate the animals if their health or safety is threatened. The Bill also authorizes the Secretary to provide financial incentives for people to adopt animals who have been rounded up.
The Bill was received by the US Senate on July 17th and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the Bill will cost $200M over the 2010-2014 period, with the cost rising to $700M if the Bureau is required to acquire new land for the animals.
Author: Jean-Pierre Ruiz
You can see Jean-Pierre's articles on Jean-Pierre's Home Page.
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JULY 17TH
H.R. 1018 (RESTORE OUR AMERICAN MUSTANGS ACT)
PASSES THE HOUSE!
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-1018
Americans Against Horse Slaughter applauds the
U.S. House of Representatives for passing
H.R. 1018 "Restore Our American Mustangs" (ROAM) Act, federal legislation that will protect wild horses and burrors from commercial sale and slaughter.
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JUNE 26, 2009 - MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR HORSES ON THE HILL, JULY 14TH!
Please mark your calendar and join us in Washington, DC on July 14th to meet with your legislators and show your support for America’s horses and the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503/S. 727). The last Horses on the Hill was a huge success, let’s make this one even bigger and better!
As plans unfold for the daylong event you can start right now by signing up to attend. Please send an email to blair@awionline.org telling us if you plan on attending. Feel free to email if you have any questions.
Then follow these steps:
- Visit AWI’s Compassion Index to find your US Representative and two US Senators. Enter your zip code and hit go.
- Call their offices and ask to speak with their animal staffer, let them know you are a constituent. Schedule a meeting on July 14th between 10 am and 4 pm. You will be scheduling a total of three meetings (one in US House, two in US Senate). You can ask to meet with your legislator, as well, but meeting with the animal staffer is very beneficial. Questions about calling Capitol Hill? Click here.
- After you set your meetings, come back to AWI’s Compassion Index and fill out the form with your meeting information. This will help us both coordinate your meetings and follow up after you leave. We will provide specific information (brochures, fact sheets, etc…) that will help in your meetings.
- Send this email to everyone you know and ask them to join us in Washington, DC on July 14th for America’s horses.
- Make your travel plans to join us on Capitol Hill. DC is a great summer destination. There are lots of things to do.
If you have any questions please email Blair at blair@awionline.org. We look forward to seeing you all on July 14th. Be sure to bookmark http://www.horsesonthehill.org and check back often for updates and new information.
WFLF’s film label, Humanion Films is in production on a series of documentary films centering on the advancement of compassion to animals. Production began earlier this year on a feature documentary film, SAVING AMERICA’S HORSES which is in part inspired by the successful documentary audio program produced under WFLF’s radio label, WFL Endangered Stream Live.
About the Film
"Healthy vibrant horses are disappearing, never to be seen again. Find out where they are going, how they're getting there, what's really happening to them, and who's responsible.
The mission of Saving America's Horses, the film, is to inspire the apathetic and disposable mindset of today’s unassuming society into taking protective action for horses. This festival bound film follows the life stories of a few horses in a journey through time while taking a focused look into the horse slaughter business. This movie seeks to advance compassion for horses, raise awareness for their suffering, and expose the corrupt driving forces that serve to misinform the public. It's a potentially life changing film presentation that speaks to a broad demographic through inspirational anecdotes, riveting investigative reports, stunning audio/visuals and compelling solutions."
-Katia Louise
We have a compelling and riveting film in the works which promises to arouse strong public outcry in support of America’s horses. The film is attracting the attention and support of key industry names with several of the country’s most renowned and prominent horse experts on board and others still joining in.
Advisory Board members include Laura Allen, Dr. Nena Winand, John Holland, Paula Bacon, Shelley Abrams and Julie Caramante.
This feature presentation is anticipated to receive strong reviews and is moving forward quickly.
Websites:
Sneak a peek at the sleek Humanion Films website, for a glimpse at production insights.
Help us out by exchanging banners :-) Visit and explore the official film website, www.savingamericashorses.org. Get banners, exchange banners, subscribe to the film blog updates, and add the film at Twitter, MySpace and Facebook.
Thanks for all you do for the horses,
Deb Lopez
for Americans Against Horse Slaughter
and Associate Producer
Humanion Films
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Shelley Abrams of Americans Against Horse Slaughter spent some time with Congressman John Conyers, the sponsor of HR 503 when he was in Philadelphia on Friday night.
Congressman Conyers assured Shelley that, although there are many issues facing our country right now, he remains committed to passing this legislation and ending the slaughter of our horses.
Conyers went on to say that while he can't accept any kind of animal cruelty, "horses are special" and
they need our help.
Congressman Conyers also said to convey his appreciation to members of AAHS and to all other groups and individuals who are working tirelessly to make this happen.
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The Prevention OF EQUINE CRUELTY ACT REINTRODUCED!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 15th, 2009
The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (HR503) was introduced on Wednesday by
House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) andRepresentative Dan Burton (R-IN).
The bill which will ban horse slaughter and the transport of horses to slaughter for human consumption
was first introduced in the summer of 2008. While it had strong bipartisan support and passed out of the
Judiciary Committee, time ran out for the 110thCongress.
The swift introduction of HR503 to the 111th Congress indicates just how committed Chairman
Conyers is to ending horse slaughter and the brutal conditions surrounding this practice.
HR503 already has 60 co-sponsors in the House and has strong bipartisan support.
"The horse is an American icon, and it is a betrayal of our responsibility to these animals to treat them
like cheap commodities and send them across our borders for slaughter", said Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States.
Although the last remaining horse slaughter plants operating in the US were shut down in 2007,
the practice continues by transporting our horses to Canada and Mexico where they are brutally
slaughtered and their meat is shipped overseas as a delicacy in Europe and Asia.
“There are naysayers who claim we should reopen the US plants rather than seek to ban all horse slaughter. Clearly, they’ve already forgotten how awful the plants here were,” said Chris Heyde, Deputy Director of Government and Legal Affairs for the Animal Welfare Institute.
Americans Against Horse Slaughter is a non funded, grassroots movement comprised of
supporters of a federal ban on the slaughter of American horses for human consumption.
People from all walks of life and from all parts of the country have joined together to form AAHS.
“We have no other agenda, other than to stop the slaughter of American horses.
This should not be a political issue but one of humanity,” said Shelley Abrams,
one of the co-founders of AAHS.
To join the movement and help end the suffering of hundreds of thousands of American horses or for more information, please join www.americansagainsthorseslaughter.com
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FROM ANIMAL LAW COALITION: 2/9/09
Horse Slaughterers' Strategy Revealed
http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/682
State legislators have been introducing pro horse slaughter resolutions on behalf of foreign investors anxious to defeat H.R. 503.
H.R. 503, which is pending in Congress would stop them from using American horses for horsemeat served as a delicacy in fine restaurants primarily in parts of Asia, Europe and South America.
These resolutions are worded almost identically.
The resolutions proclaim that there is an increase in "unwanted" or "unusable" horses, as many as 100,000 or more annually, because of the closing of U.S. horse slaughter facilities in 2007. They claim the closing of U.S. slaughter houses in 2007 had "significant economic impact on the...equine industry". These resolutions call for "processing" or "harvesting" horses, euphemisms for "slaughter", which they describe as "humane". They claim slaughter can be managed through inspections and regulations.
These resolutions, if approved by the state legislatures, would be sent to Congress, as the state's position that H.R. 503 should be defeated.
It is important to voice your opposition to these resolutions. These resolutions are pending in these states:
Arizona, S.C.M. 1001 Find your Arizona legislators here. Contact all Arizona state House and Senate members.
Utah, H.J.R. 7, which has already passed the state House and has been approved by a Senate committee. Contact all Utah state Senators.
Missouri, HCR 19 in the House and SCR 8 in the state senate. These resolutions also call for opening a horse slaughter house in that state. Find your Missouri legislators here. Find all Missouri state representatives and senators. HCR 19 is pending before the state Agri-Business Committee and SCR 8 will be voted on by the state Senate Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions, and Ethics Committee.
South Dakota, S.C.R. 2 has already passed the state House by a vote of 63-1. A separate, second bill, S.B. 114, asks the South Dakota state legislature to spend $100,000 on a study "of the feasibility, viability, and desirability of establishing and operating an equine processing facility in the state. Find your South Dakota state senators here. Find email addresses for all South Dakota state senators here. Find contact information for all South Dakota state representatives and senators here.
ND S.C.R. 4021 will be heard on Feb. 12, 2009 at 11 a.m. by the Senate Agriculture committee. Fax the committee at 701-328-3615 or email lcouncil@nd.gov A second bill, H.B. 1496 has already been approved by a legislative committee. The committee approved $75,000 in North Dakota for a study of possible markets for horse meat, applicable laws and funding for a horse slaughter facility there. Find all North Dakota state senators here. Find all House members here.
Wyoming, H.J.R. 8 has already passed committee. Find all Wyoming legislators here.
Minnesota, S.F. 133 is currently in the state Senate Agriculture and Veterans Committee. Find your Minnesota state senator and representative. Find all Minnesota state senators and representatives.
Kansas, HCR 5004 Find your Kansas legislators here. Find all Kansas state House and Senate members.
Arkansas H.C.R. 1004, also calls for incentives and support for opening of horse slaughter houses nationally and in the state. This bill has already passed in the state House and is in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Find here all Arkansas state senators, including yours if you live there.
In Illinois Rep. Jim Sacia has introduced a bill, as he did last session for the repeal of the 2007 state law banning horse slaughter. That state law helped shut down the horse slaughter facility in Dekalb, Illinois.
Rep. Sacia's bill, H.B. 583, would also allow horses destined for slaughter for human consumption to be shipped into the state for slaughter with no certificate of veterinary inspection contrary to current state law governing horses. 510 ILCS 65/4 The new law would also exempt downed, sick, diseased, lame or disabled horses from the requirements of the Humane Care for Animals Act governing animals in this condition. 510 ILCS 70/5, 7.5
This means Rep. Sacia and the interests he represents in the horse slaughter underworld understand that horse slaughter is brutal and cruel and so would want to exempt their sordid practice from the animal cruelty laws and inspection requirements.
Contact Illinois state House and Senate members and urge them to vote NO on H.B. 583 and keep horse slaughter out of Illinois.
The horse slaughterers' strategy
These resolutions and bills are a not-so-subtle ploy by the foreign investors that own horse slaughter houses to defeat H.R. 503 which would ban the sale, transport, and possession of horses in interstate and foreign commerce for slaughter for human consumption.
Even without H.R. 503, horse slaughter cannot occur legally in the U.S. There is no point in states appropriating tax dollars for studies when currently horse slaughter for human consumption is not allowed in the U.S. These resolutions will simply insure horse slaughterers can continue to take American horses to Mexico or Canada for slaughter.
There is also another goal: to make horse slaughter acceptable to Americans and, in fact, create a market in the U.S. for the consumption of horsemeat. The resolution proposing the North Dakota study says as much. If Americans begin eating horsemeat, the theory is that Congress will be forced to fund ante-mortem inspections. Under current law because these required inspections are not funded, horse slaughter is not legal in the U.S. For more on this.....
Keep in mind when the remaining 3 horse slaughter houses in the U.S. closed in 2007, they were owned by foreign companies, Dallas Crown, Inc.; Cavel International, Inc. and Beltex Corp., which now operates a horse slaughter house in Mexico, Empacadora de Carnes de Fresnillo.
Even when there were horse slaughter houses in the U.S., they were part of a horse meat industry that was only 0.001% of the U.S. meat industry. The foreign-owned U.S. horse slaughterhouses paid little in income taxes. One facility paid $5 in federal taxes on $12 million in sales. These slaughter houses paid no export taxes, meaning the U.S. government effectively subsidized the sale of horse meat to consumers generally in parts of Asia, South America and Europe.
The profits went to the foreign investors. The communities where horse slaughter houses were located were left with horrific odors of dying and dead horses, blood literally running down the streets, and illegally dumped waste. There is no economic or other benefit to these states in subsidizing horse slaughter. Just the opposite. It is akin to supporting dog fighting rings.
Horse slaughter is also not a means of controlling numbers of "unwanted horses". This is a myth perpetuated by the horse slaughter industry that is simply repeated over and over again as in these resolutions. Horse slaughter is a multi million dollar a year business that is driven by a demand for horse meat. Kill buyers buy horses at auction for slaughter, and the USDA has said over 92% of American horses slaughtered, are healthy, not old, sick, injured, or neglected. These horses were not unwanted; they were simply sold at auction, and their owners had no control over who purchased them. Without the kill buyers who skulk around horse auctions, looking for the best potential horse meat, most of these horses would be purchased by others or end up in rescues or sanctuaries.
As John Holland, a free lance writer and researcher on horse slaughter and consultant for Americans Against Horse Slaughter, has explained, "Kill buyers do not go around the country like dog catchers gathering ‘unwanted horses' as a public service."
As Americans Against Horse Slaughter points out, "Just over 100,000 horses were slaughtered in the U.S. in 2006. If slaughter were no longer an option and these horses were rendered or buried instead, it would represent a small increase in the number of horse being disposed of in this manner - an increase that the current infrastructure can certainly sustain. Humane euthanasia and carcass disposal is highly affordable and widely available. The average cost of having a horse humanely euthanized and safely disposing of the animal's carcass is approximately $225, while the average monthly cost of keeping a horse is approximately $200."
Also, the horse slaughter industry actually encourages the over breeding of horses. Because owners can make money from the brutal slaughter of their horses, they have an incentive to over breed. As Paul Sorvino put it, "37% of those horses are going to be slaughtered because they couldn't run fast enough....So, it's run for your life." If the slaughter of horses for human consumption is illegal, there is no reward for over breeding.
Sadly, pro-slaughter groups have disseminated disinformation in the media to convince the public that without horse slaughter, there will be large numbers of abandoned, abused and neglected horses. (Even if that were true, which it is not, it is not clear how substituting one form of cruelty for another is somehow a solution.)
Indeed, these reports in the media have proven to be unfounded. A study released last year showed a decrease in horse abuse and neglect cases following closure of the last U.S. horse slaughter house in 2007. Any abandoned or neglected horses are not a result of a lack of horse slaughter houses.
Historically, there have not been increases in abandoned, neglected or abused horses following closures of horse slaughter houses. In 2002 the Illinois slaughter house burned to the ground and was out of commission for some time. Reports of abandoned, abused and neglected horses in the Illinois area were actually on the rise in the 2 years before the fire but decreased afterwards.
Remember the number of horses slaughtered in the U.S. dropped significantly from over 300,000 annually in the 1990s to 66,000 in 2004. There was no notable increase during that time of abandoned, abused or neglected horses.
When California banned horse slaughter in 1998, there was no rise in cases of cruelty or neglect to horses. In fact, there was a 39.4% decrease initially and that rose to 88% eventually in horse thefts. (What does that tell you about this "business"?)
Also, from 2004-2007 5000 horses were imported into the U.S. for slaughter. If horse slaughter occurs because of all the unwanted horses, why would these horse slaughter businesses need to import them? The answer is, of course, they wouldn't. Horse slaughter has nothing to do controlling numbers of unwanted horses. It is a business driven by a demand for horse meat primarily as a delicacy in foreign countries.
As Americans Against Horse Slaughter puts it, "The ‘surplus horse population' [argument] is a scare tactic."
Horse slaughter is also in no sense humane euthanasia. That much has been established by documents recently released in response to a FOIA request. The captive bolt gun used in the U.S. slaughterhouses did not typically render horses senseless before slaughter. The slaughter houses never bothered to restrain the horses' heads or use only trained personnel to operate the gun.
As John Holland has explained, "In its 2000 report on methods of Euthanasia, the AVMA stated that the captive bolt gun should not be used on equines unless head restraint could be assured. This is because of the relatively narrow forehead of equines, their head shyness and the fact that the brain is set back further than in cattle for which the gun is intended. It is difficult for an operator to assure proper placement of the gun.
"No slaughter house ever found a practical way to restrain the heads of the horses, so by the AVMA's very definition, the process was not acceptable. The result was a very large number of ineffective stuns. These misplaced blows undoubtedly caused severe pain until a stunning or fatal blow was delivered. "
Imagine the pain and terror experienced by horses as bolts were repeatedly fired at their heads many times by untrained operators. Many times horses were still conscious when they were then hoisted upside down for slaughter. For more information on the brutality of horse slaughter in the U.S., click here to read the July 25, 2006 testimony of Christopher J. Heyde, Deputy Legislative Director for Animal Welfare Institute, before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection. Click here to read testimony offered during a Congressional hearing in 2008 about the cruelty of horse slaughter.
Also, listen here to a discussion on WFL Endangered Stream Live Talk Radio about horse slaughter by Laura Allen, Executive Director of Animal Law Coalition; John Holland, journalist and consultant for Americans Against Horse Salughter; Dr. Nena Winand, DVM with Veterinarians for Equine Welfare and Paula Bacon, former mayor of Kaufman, Tx and leader of the fight to shut down the horse slaughter facility that operated there until 2007. (Download this broadcast!)
Then contact your U.S. representative and urge him or her to vote YES on the Conyers-Burton Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009, H.B. 503.
Also, tell your representative to vote YES on H.R. 305, the Horse Transportation Safety Act, which will put an end to all transports of horses on double decked trailers.
Where You Can Find More Information on Horse Slaughter
Read Frequently Asked Questions About Unwanted Horses and the AVMA's Policy on Horse Slaughter
Read Veterinarians for Equine Welfare's Horse Slaughter - Its Ethical Impact and Subsequent Response by the Veterinary Profession
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Listen Live - February 7th 2009
Wild Horse advocate, author and photographer Carol Walker recently witnessed the Sand Wash herd round-up in Western Colorado and returned with 
The Government Accounting Office will soon be releasing their investigative report on the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro program. What comes out in that report may have direct implications for the horses. 
