AAHS Blogging / Updates

http://www.icontact-archive.com/pT6wANOXZkSMcqKtzmwpJsCdL28YUlMa?w=2

2012-01-29T10:20:00.000-08:00

http://www.icontact-archive.com/pT6wANOXZkSMcqKtzmwpJsCdL28YUlMa?w=2

AAHS Responds To St. Petersburg Times and N.Y. Times

2011-11-22T11:53:00.000-08:00

November 2011

St. Petersburg Times

Tampabay.com

St. Petersburg, Florida

To Whom It May Concern,

In response to your article titled “Slaughter of Horses Goes On, Just Not in U.S.” dated October 24, 2011, Americans Against Horse Slaughter (AAHS) respectfully submits the following information regarding the horse slaughter issue. Agreeably, horse slaughter is a widely debated topic among U.S. citizens and our legislature. As a news organization, we’re certain you concur that having all the facts enables the media to provide the public with newsworthy information based upon facts and data, as opposed to unsubstantiated opinions.

U.S. horses have never been raised for human consumption. However, due to foreign demand for horse flesh for wealthy diners in Europe and Asia, America’s horses have been bought, stolen or acquired under false pretenses by the foreign-owned horse slaughter industry for processing of our horses in their plants on U.S. soil. American companies and trade associations that support horse slaughter because of having a vested interest in the horse slaughter trade promotes and contributes to the export of tens of thousands of America's horses for slaughter by actively opposing federal legislation, deceiving the media by giving biased statements that are unsubstantiated, and by attempting to mislead the public and members of Congress with false claims.

The three remaining U.S. horse slaughter plants were closed in 2007 (not 2006 as was stated in your article) as a result of state legislation following the 1998 closure of California’s slaughter house. In 2007, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a 1949 Texas state law, which made it illegal to sale horsemeat and the two Texas slaughterhouses were closed. The last remaining plant, located in Illinois, was closed following a ruling by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, which prohibited the transportation and slaughter of horses. In the 5th Circuit’s decision, Jude Fortunato Benavides wrote “The lone cowboy riding his horse on a Texas trail is a cinematic icon. Not once in memory did the cowboy eat his horse.” In 1998, California was successful in abolishing the practice with 60 percent of the vote. However, American horses continue to be slaughtered in Canada and Mexico for wealthy diners in Europe and Japan where their meat is considered a delicacy. The great majority of horses sent to slaughter are the by-product of the for-profit horse industry.

Your article quoted a Nebraska horse breeder who stated “When they closed the plants, that put more of a hardship on our horses than the people who wanted to stop the slaughter can imagine.” Every state has enforceable anti-cruelty laws which are designed to prevent irresponsible owners from starving, neglecting or abusing their animals. Contrary to pro slaughter claims that ending horse slaughter will result in a surplus of unwanted horses with nowhere for them to go, the National Agricultural Statistics Services stated that since the decline in the number of horses slaughtered, those horses have been absorbed into the current population through re-homing, adoption or rescue organizations. The argument that ceasing horse slaughter will result in an increase in abuse, neglect, the amount of unwanted horses or mass abandonment is unfounded and contrary to research statistics. According to the California Livestock and Identification Bureau, the state saw a 34 percent decrease in horse theft and there was no documented rise in neglect or abuse cases following California’s horse slaughter ban. In addition, since the closure of the Illinois horse slaughter plant, there has been no correlating rise in abandonment, neglect or abuse cases according to authorities. On the contrary, the horse slaughter industry promotes over-breeding and neglect by providing an easy dumping ground for careless owners, insatiable breeders and ruthless killer buyers looking for a financial gain.

The majority of horses that go to slaughter are not unwanted, but purchased by “killer buyers,” which are middlemen who work on behalf of the foreign-owned horse slaughter industry. The horses they buy are not sick, old, diseased or dying, but in good health because they bring the best price per pound for their meat. According to the USDA Guidelines for Handling and Transporting Equines to Slaughter, more than 92 percent of horses slaughtered are “in good to excellent condition.” According to a 2001 Animal Sciences Research Report by The Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University, titled Characterizations of Horses at Auctions and in Slaughter Plants, “…more than 70 percent were in good, fat to obese condition…” The late John Hettinger, former owner of Fasig Tipton (the second largest Thoroughbred Auction House), past Chairman of the Grayson Jockey Club Foundation, previous member of the Board of Directors of The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and NY Racing Association Trustee, stated that

7,000 to 9,000 Thoroughbred racehorses are slaughtered every year. Killer buyers frequent horse races to purchase under-performing racehorses after the races end. Thoroughbred Deputy Broad raced at Mountaineer Race Track in Chester, West Virginia on July 11, 2011 and was needlessly slaughtered one week later, not because he was “unwanted,” but because he was disposable. The famous racehorse, Ferdinand who won the 1986 Kentucky Derby, the 1987 Breeders’ Cup Classic, the 1987 Eclipse Award Horse of the Year and became a highly sought-after stud horse in 1989, was sold to Japan where he was slaughtered in 2002.

Therefore, the horses that end up at slaughterhouses don’t need to be killed, but are young, healthy horses that are a result of over-breeding by those attempting to produce the “perfect horse,” to supply the horse racing industry with a constant influx of rising stars, pregnant mares, foals, riding school and show horses, wild horses, mares and foals that are by-products of the Premarin industry (an estrogen replacement drug for menopausal women), horses purchased by killer buyers through owners that are unaware of whom they’re selling their horses to and stolen horses. Although some horses are sold directly into slaughter by irresponsible owners, the majority arrive at the slaughterhouse through livestock auctions where unsuspecting owners sell their horses to killer buyers. Despite the closing of U.S. slaughter plants, the buyers continue to purchase and haul as many horses as possible and transport them to Mexico and Canada for slaughter. Many of these horses are faithful and trusting pets whose owners list them for sale in ads where killer buyers lurk. Horses are often acquired by killer buyers without disclosure from the buyer, contributing to both consumer fraud and horse theft. Horses are regularly stolen out of barns and pastures for the horse meat trade, facilitating private property rights violations since the horses are sold for a profit. The large number of horse thefts in the U.S. necessitated the creation of a wide network of individuals and organizations working together to locate stolen horses and reunite them with their owners, called Stolen Horse International, Inc. (www.netposse.com).

In addition to the Thoroughbred horse racing industry, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) is the biggest offender with regard to over-breeding. Interestingly, the Quarter horse is also the most slaughtered. The AQHA promotes a self-destructive business model of breeding as many horses as possible and disposing of those that don’t meet predetermined criteria, thereby contributing to the inhumane treatment of horses and the slaughter industry. Consequently, there are currently more Quarter horses slaughtered in Canada and Mexico than there were when the U.S. plants were in operation.

Animals’ Angels USA (www.animals-angels.org) conducted investigations of the horse slaughter system from 2007 to 2009, which included the conditions and treatment slaughter horses undergo at auctions, feedlots, during transport and at the slaughter plants. In their comprehensive report, the organization found that “…horse slaughter encompasses public safety issues, public health concerns, environmental issues as well as the obvious and very significant concerns regarding cruelty and inhumane treatment. Our investigations during 2007 to the present made clear that at the instant a horse is designated a ‘kill horse,’ handling and treatment change radically from that normally given horses. A ‘kill horse’ is treated with cruelty, with indifference at best, but more typically with violence and aggression. Cruelty increases, while safety, health and welfare - its care and humane treatment are so diminished it is virtually nonexistent. These horses are “only passing through,” say the veterinarians as well as the ‘kill buyers.’ If the ‘kill

horses’ had been normal horses under the care of a different type of owner, humane officers and police would have required, in keeping with state animal cruelty laws, proper veterinarian care and sufficient access to food, water and shelter. The ‘kill horse’ is outside the protection of cruelty laws.” Based upon their investigations, horses destined for slaughter are subjected to being transported with no rest, water, food or shelter for dangerously extended periods of time and beyond that required by law. And in fact horses are purposely dehydrated so that the slaughterhouse can obtain a more accurate weight of their meat. Horse slaughter is the leading cause of the cruel and inhumane treatment of horses, not owners who aren’t able to care for them due to economic difficulties or because they’re simply unwanted. The abuse of slaughter horses begins long before they are hit with the captive bolt, stabbed with the puntilla knife or hit with a gunshot at the slaughter plant.

The idea that horse slaughter is humane euthanasia is false based upon factual statements given by slaughterhouse workers, video footage of the slaughter process, as well as statements given by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), which claims to support horse slaughter. The definition of euthanasia is a gentle, painless death that prevents suffering. Horse slaughter, however, is filled with cruelty, brutality, pain and suffering from the abuse they endure while kept in holding pens or feedlots, during transportation to the plants and the actual slaughter process. The AVMA contradicts itself in its public thesis on humane euthanasia, when it stated "Animal welfare is a human responsibility that encompasses all aspects of animal well-being, from proper housing and nutrition to preventive care, treatment of disease, and when necessary, humane euthanasia. The AVMAs commitment to animal welfare is unsurpassed." When describing what humane euthanasia is, they stated "When the horse is euthanized, death will come quickly and painlessly. If the horse is standing when the death-inducing drug is given, the horse will become unconscious and unable to sense fear or pain while still standing. After the horse has fallen, unconscious, to the ground, death will ensue." The AVMAs guidelines state that unless a horse’s head and neck is restrained, the captive bolt pistol or "stun gun", which is a pneumatic device intended to render a horse unconscious prior to slaughter, is not deemed humane. However, undercover films and witness testimonies from slaughter plants in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan and Great Britain reveal a very different story.

Horses are intelligent animals that are highly sensitive and acutely aware of their environment. They react to the smell of blood, the sounds of other horses being slaughtered and react violently to death when they see the instrument or “stun gun” aimed at their heads, which drives a four-inch spike into their skulls. They make desperate attempts to flee, exhibiting typical equine “fight or flight” behavior and extreme panic and fear. They prance back and forth with their ears pinned back and their eyes wide open. That inevitably results in the instrument hitting the horse and wounding it and not rendering it unconscious, but rather resulting in repeated blows.

In addition, video evidence shows horses being beaten on their faces, necks, legs and backs; purposely blinded by bludgeoning their eyes out to get them under control, electric cattle prods inserted into their rectums to get them to move into the kill box, mares giving birth on the kill floors, and remaining alive and conscious when they were shackled and hoisted by a rear leg to have their throats cut. The horses stand in line sensing the terror and electrocuted or speared into the kill box where they shake violently, falling and unable to stand from fear.

The USDA released photos of horses with broken bones protruding from their bodies, eyeballs hanging by a thread of skin, and open wounds, all taken at former U.S. horse slaughter plants. Slaughter practices in Mexico are particularly barbaric. In 2007, an investigation by The San Antonio News-Express revealed workers using the puntilla knife to repeatedly stab horses in their necks to paralyze them prior to slaughtering. The horses were still fully conscious during the beginning of the slaughter process. The slaughterhouse in Mexico is owned by Beltex, which previously operated out of Texas.

A hidden-camera videotape taken at Beltex by the Humane Society of the United States in 1994 shows animals writhing and shuddering well after the stun gun is applied. In a sworn statement before Cook County, State of Illinois, a former employee [name withheld] of Cavel International, a horse slaughtering plant now closed but owned by the same company as Beltex and Dallas Crown, testified the following: "In July 1991, they were unloading one of the double-decker trucks. A horse got his leg caught in the side of the truck so the driver pulled the rig up and the horse's leg popped off. The horse was still living, and it was shaking. [Another employee] popped it on the head and we hung it up and split it open. ... Sometimes we would kill near 390, 370 a day. Each double-decker might have up to 100 on it. We would pull off the dead ones with chains. Ones that were down on the truck, we would drag them off with chains and maybe put them in a pen or we might drag them with an automatic chain to the knock box. Sometimes we would use an electric shocker to try to make them stand. To get them into the knock box, you have to shock them ... sometimes run them up the [anus] with the shocker. ... When we killed a pregnant mare, we would take the guts out and I would take the bag out and open it and cut the cord and put it in the trash and sometimes the baby would still be living, and its heart would be beating, but we would put it in the trashcan."

Owners who for whatever reason are unable to care for or maintain ownership of their horses have many safe and humane alternatives to horse slaughter. In addition to selling them to caring individuals, owners can donate or lease them to a variety of equine organizations. There are a large number of equine rescues, adoptions, sanctuaries, retirement farms, ex-racehorse Thoroughbred organizations, pony clubs, private riding schools, equine therapy facilities, assisted psychotherapy riding programs, police or parks departments, prison inmate training programs and veterinary schools. Horse rescues, sanctuaries and farms have the ability to find them new homes, retrain horses with behavior and temperament issues due to abuse and cruelty or incorrect training, train Thoroughbred ex-race horses for new careers or provide long-term care for aging or ill horses. There are horse rescue foundations across the country and new ones continue to be established, which are either run by volunteers, non-profits or are privately funded. If horse slaughter ended, the overflow of horses could be handled by those systems already in place. There is sufficient evidence to support the fact that these horses could easily be absorbed back into the population and that over-breeding would subsequently decline as a result. Proper management of horses combined with responsible breeding programs and the efforts of rescue and adoption agencies are and will provide the solutions needed.

Horses that are sick, elderly or dying should be humanely euthanized by a licensed veterinarian using lethal injection. Following euthanizing, rendering, incineration and burial are all options for disposal of the remains, depending on state laws. Approximately 920,000 horses die each year and are safely disposed of by means other than slaughter and don’t have a negative impact on the environment. However, there were numerous legal complaints and actions against the horse slaughter plants in both Texas and Illinois, resulting in local law violations related to the disposal of blood and waste materials. Having a horse humanely euthanized is easily available and highly affordable. The average daily cost to keep a horse is roughly $7 per day and the monthly cost is approximately $200, while the average cost of euthanizing and disposing of a horse is between $40 and $225. Some rendering services will pick up the body free of charge if the owner is unable to bury it. If owners take the responsibility of having and caring for their horses, they can certainly give their horse a painless, peaceful and respectful death, not one highlighted by fear and brutality which typifies transport to and killing at slaughterhouses.

The widespread use of pharmaceuticals and antibiotics given to horses throughout their lifetimes are substances which are “not prescribed for food animals” and renders their meat potentially dangerous to human health if consumed. Drugs given to horses are prohibited for use during the life of any animal that’s destined for human food. One such drug regularly administered to horses is phenylbutazone or Bute, which is a known carcinogen and considered illegal for use in a food producing animal. Under FDA regulations, horses would not be considered safe for U.S. food supply. Canada’s Democratic Agriculture Critic Alex Atamanenko has re-introduced a Private Members Bill that was initially introduced in British Columbia’s last Parliament, and which garnered tens of thousands of Canadian supporters to end horse slaughter in Canada. This is why the sale of wild horses to the horsemeat trade is lucrative. Although domestic horses put consumers at risk of exposure to potential harm due to the drugs administered to them, wild horses aren’t subjected to the same chemicals, making their meat a special delicacy.

Horse slaughter is not a public service, but a foreign-owned business operating for profit and paid for by the wealthy. The failure to enact federal law prohibiting horse slaughter, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, has allowed for the export of American horses to Canada and Mexico, exacerbating the brutality of already cruel transport and slaughter practices. No matter how horse slaughter is carried out, it isn’t and will never be a humane way of ending a horse’s life by anyone’s standards, including that of the AVMAs. Horse slaughter is wrought with cruelty, is prolonged and excruciating and it’s man’s ultimate betrayal of the noble horse. And we, as Americans, should be ashamed.

Americans overwhelmingly support an end to horse slaughter for human consumption. Polls from Kentucky, Texas and Utah show that 82, 72 and 69 percent, respectively, oppose it. A national poll revealed nearly 70 percent of Americans support a federal ban. House Bill H.R.2966, The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA) and Senate Bill S.1176, would permanently end the inhumane and brutal slaughter of the United State’s horses for human consumption overseas, as well as prevent them from being transported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter.

Horses have played an indispensable role in U.S. history and assumed substantial roles in the progress of our great nation. They’ve gone with us into battle and carried us to our greatest victories merely because we asked them to. Horses are icons of the American historical heritage of which the United States is built upon. The values, ethics, beliefs and cultural significance of our country are symbolized by the beauty, grace and majestic nature of America’s horses, wild and domestic. In 1971, the United States Congress recognized Mustangs as “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West, which continue to contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people.”

Horses have assumed trusting and faithful roles in the industrialization of our society and they’re part of our cultural legacy. There was a time, before the automobile, when horses were essential to our nation's prosperity and development. It was upon the backs of these great and noble steeds that our forefathers staked claim to the lands that became our earliest communities, and which enabled our 18th century communities to prosper and flourish. Unfortunately, in a consumer-driven society, horses aren’t seen as having significant economic value to commercial interests. The loyal companion that carried Paul Revere, pulled our wagons and plows, and enabled man to forge west is being slaughtered to supply the demand for horse flesh in the foreign market. The reality is that horse slaughter is not driven by a need to compete with an overwhelming population of unwanted horses, but by the foreign demand for horse flesh. The American people should not allow such atrocities against such an important part of our history. They deserve better than to be slaughtered for a wealthy diner’s dinner plate.

For questions regarding the content of this letter please contact the author, Charmaine Jens, Public Relations Representative for Americans Against Horse Slaughter (AAHS) at CharmaineAAHS@gmail.com. For additional information regarding AAHS, its mission or initiatives, please contact Debra Lopez at 262-989-0604 or Shelley Abrams at 215-932-4800.

Respectfully,

Charmaine Jens

Public Relations Representative

Americans Against Horse Slaughter

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.

For more information, visit Americans Against Horse Slaughter (americansagainsthorseslaughter.com) or email: aahsus@gmail.com.

Resources:

http://www.ahdf.org/

http://www.horsefund.org

http://www.homesforhorses.org/faq.php

http://www.awionline.org/content/slaughter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfzX4Fx5xuE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8ZNiRV5-Mw

http://www.ahdf.org/archive/archive-slaughter06.htm#fedlegis

http://www.habitatforhorses.org/joincampaigns/proandcon.html

http://www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/unwanted_horses_faq.asp

http://www.stopslaughteringhorses.org/14-animals_angels_horse_slaughter.pdf

http://castlegarsource.com/news/mp-introduces-bill-ban-horse-meat-human-consumption-14189

"Band Together To End Horse Slaughter"

2011-09-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

"BAND TOGETHER TO END HORSE SLAUGHTER"

Animal Fairy Charities is launching Another Musical Event

To Raise Awareness For Our American Horses

(Both Domestic & Wild)

In Support of our Mission, you can purchase one of our

"Band Together To End Horse Slaughter" Wrist Bands now in advance of the event for only $3.00

(including Shipping and Handling in the U.S.) for a limited time on individual orders only.
Bulk Orders include shipping.

Order here:

For Bulk Orders, Order Below:

http://www.animaladvocatetv.com

2011-08-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Madeleine Pickens - Up Close and Personal

Animal Advocate Television Interviews Madeleine Pickens

Founder of Saving America's Mustangs: http://www.savingamericasmustangs.org

Deb Lopez of Animal Fairy Charities, gets up close and personal with Madeleine Pickens, animal advocate, philanthropist and wife of billionaire T. Boone Pickens during this 30 minute interview which is set to premier in a 3 part series during Season 6 of Animal Advocate Television starting September 10th on CBS affiliate Network WMLW Milwaukee. You can view the entire unedited interview here and then please share to help save our wild mustangs.

Call to back film on saving America's horses | Horsetalk.co.nz - International horse news

2011-06-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

Call to back film on saving America's horses | Horsetalk.co.nz - International horse news

Life Saving Film Launches Campaign to Go Far and Wide!

2011-06-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

Americans Against Horse Slaughter

Wild for Life Foundation
For Immediate Release
June 28, 2011

Life Saving Film Launches Campaign to Go Far and Wide

“Saving America’s Horses”, a cause driven film just started the festival circuit, and has already won multiple awards including BEST OF FESTIVAL at its first showing in Los Angeles and is getting rave reviews but…... the slaughter of our American Horses may never end unless our horses are able to tell their story.

Thousands of horses are exported every year to Canada and Mexico to be slaughtered for the purpose of wealthy dinner plates overseas, but "Saving America's Horses" is the life saving film that can change all that for our American horses.

· “A powerhouse narrative.” – Paula Bacon, Former Mayor Kaufman Texas

· “A brilliant and heartbreaking exposé.” — Laura Allen, Executive Director, Animal Law Coalition

· "Masterfully presented and balanced rather than filled with graphic images." – Larry Lindner, New York Times best-selling writer and former columnist for The Washington Post and The Boston Globe

· "It’s a life changing film!"—Michael Bailey, Producer/ Director Planetviews Productions, Environmentalist

· "Transcends the finest investigative journalism... A passionate reverence for all animals" — Debra Lopez, AAHS, Animal Advocate TV

Click here to see this important message now:
http://youtu.be/5lyuEtB0Nzc

Contact:

Americans Against Horse Slaughter at aahsus[@]gmail.com about this PSA

Contact: Wild For Life Foundation at_admin[@]wildforlifefoundation.org regarding the film.

Important Message From Americans Against Horse Slaughter

2011-06-25T07:43:00.000-07:00

Please Call All Committee Members To Help our Horses!

2011-06-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends, it is very important that your (2) US Senators hear from you asking them to cosponsor The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S1176)

In addition, we all must contact the committee members where S1176 was referred asking the committtee members to also cosponsor (S1176) The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act 2011.

Important note: If your senator(s) is on the committee, to be sure to tell the committee member that you are a constituent. As always, remember to be polite and respectful when making your calls.

Please find the committee Members below:

p.s. if you scroll to the right, their web contact info is there too:)

Thanks Pat Mendiola for putting the list together:)

Americans Against Horse Slaughter

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION

The Committee is chaired by Democrat Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia and the Ranking Member is Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas.

Committee Membership

Majority Members (Democrats)
Member Name	DC Phone	DC FAX	Contact Form
Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) [Chairman]	202-224-6472	202-224-7665	http://rockefeller.senate.gov/ contact/email.cfm
Dan Inouye (D-HI)	202-224-3934	202-224-6747	http://inouye.senate.gov/ Contact/ContactDKI.cfm
John Kerry (D-MA)	202-224-2742	202-224-8525	http://kerry.senate.gov/ contact/
Barbara Boxer (D-CA)	202-224-3553	202-224-0454	http://boxer.senate.gov/en/ contact/policycomments.cfm
Bill Nelson (D-FL)	202-224-5274	202-228-2183	http://billnelson.senate.gov/ contact/email.cfm
Maria Cantwell (D-WA)	202-224-3441	202-228-0514	http://cantwell.senate.gov/ contact/index.cfm
Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ)	202-224-3224	202-228-4054	http://lautenberg.senate.gov/ contact/index1.cfm
Mark Pryor (D-AR)	202-224-2353	202-228-0908	http://pryor.senate.gov/ public/index.cfm?p=ContactForm
Claire McCaskill (D-MO)	202-224-6154	202-228-6326	http://mccaskill.senate.gov/? p=contact
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)	202-224-3244	202-228-2186	http://klobuchar.senate.gov/ emailamy.cfm
Tom Udall (D-NM)	202-224-6621	202-228-3261	http://tomudall.senate.gov/?p= contact
Mark R. Warner (D-VA)	202-224-2023	202-224-6295	http://warner.senate.gov/ public//index.cfm?p=ContactP …
Mark Begich (D-AK)	202-224-3004	202-224-2354	http://begich.senate.gov/ public/index.cfm/emailsenator

Minority Members (Republicans)
Member Name	DC Phone	DC FAX	Contact Form
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) [Ranking Member]	202-224-5922	202-224-0776	http://hutchison.senate.gov/? p=email_kay
Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME)	202-224-5344	202-224-1946	http://snowe.senate.gov/ public/index.cfm/email
Jim DeMint (R-SC)	202-224-6121	202-228-5143	http://demint.senate.gov/ public/index.cfm?p=CommentOn …
John Thune (R-SD)	202-224-2321	202-228-5429	http://thune.senate.gov/ public/index.cfm/contact
Roger Wicker (R-MS)	202-224-6253	202-228-0378	http://wicker.senate.gov/ public/index.cfm?FuseAction= …
Johnny Isakson (R-GA)	202-224-3643	202-228-0724	http://isakson.senate.gov/ contact.cfm
Roy Blunt (R-MO)	202-224-5721	202-224-8149	http://blunt.senate.gov/ public/index.cfm/contact
John Boozman (R-AR)	202-224-4843	202-228-1371	http://boozman.senate.gov/ public/index.cfm/e-mail-me
Pat Toomey (R-PA)	202-224-4254	202-228-0284	http://toomey.senate.gov/?p= contact
Marco Rubio (R-FL)	202-224-3041	202-228-0285	http://rubio.senate.gov/ public/index.cfm/contact
Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)	202-224-3324	202-224-4952	http://ayotte.senate.gov/?p= contact
Dean Heller (R-NV)	202-224-6244	202-228-6753	http://heller.senate.gov/ contact_form.cfm

The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011

2011-06-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

Senate Reintroduces Bill to Permanently Ban Horse Slaughter

(Courtesy AWI)

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Washington, D.C. -- A bill to ban horse slaughter was reintroduced in the United States Senate today. Sponsored by Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the "American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011" will end the slaughter of American horses here and, most urgently, will stop these horses from being exported abroad for slaughter. The sponsors, who have long championed the cause, have the bipartisan support of 14 colleagues who are co-sponsoring the bill.

"As a lifelong horse lover and rider, this practice is appalling to me, and more importantly, the majority of Americans oppose it. We raise and train horses to trust us, perform for us, and allow us on their backs, and as such, they deserve to be treated with human compassion. When horse owners are faced with the sad reality of having to put their animals down, it should be by humane euthanasia," said Senator Landrieu. "I intend to work with Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina and my other colleagues to get this bill passed and permanently end the slaughter of our American horses."

The legislation comes at a time when horse slaughter no longer occurs on U.S. soil, but each year approximately 100,000 American horses are hauled to Canada, Mexico and beyond. Reports show that horses regularly travel for hundreds or even thousands of miles to the slaughterhouses on double-deck cattle trucks without food, water or rest. At some Mexican slaughterhouses horses are stabbed repeatedly in the spine until they are paralyzed, after which they are butchered while still fully conscious. This country’s three remaining horse slaughter plants - two in Texas and one in Illinois - were shut down in 2007 under state law.

"The slaughter of horses is not a substitute for humane euthanasia though it is often mischaracterized as such by opponents who are more concerned with wringing a few bucks from a suffering animal than doing what is right," said Chris Heyde, deputy director of government and legal affairs for the Animal Welfare Institute. "AWI commends Senator Landrieu and Senator Graham for their continued leadership and for reintroducing this very important measure."

For years, the pro-slaughter camp has led a concerted and disingenuous effort to resurrect the industry domestically and has used scare tactics in an attempt to defeat the federal ban. The federal legislation is desperately needed to stop the slaughter of American horses, irrespective of where the killing takes place.

##30##

Roll Call From Yesterday's Vote!

2011-06-01T13:20:00.001-07:00

PASSED: FINAL VOTE 24-21

Ere – Not Present

Ert – YES

– NO

Harold D. Rogers, KY

C.W. Bill Young, FL

Jerry Lewis, CA

Frank Wolf, VA

Jack Kingston, GA

Rodney Frelinghuysen, NJ

Tom Latham, IA

Robert B. Aderholt, AL

Jo Ann Emerson, MO

Kay Granger, TX

Michael K. Simpson, ID

John Abney Culberson, TX

Ander Crenshaw, FL

Denny Rehberg, MT

John R. Carter, TX

Rodney Alexander, LA

Ken Calvert, CA

Jo Bonner, AL

Steve LaTourette, OH

Tom Cole, OK

Jeff Flake, AZ

Mario Diaz-Balart, FL

Charles Dent, PA

Steve Austria, OH

Cynthia Lummis, WY

Tom Graves, GA

Kevin Yoder, KS

Steve Womack, AR

Alan Nunnelee, MS

Norm Dicks, WA

Marcy Kaptur, OH

Pete Visclosky, IN

Nita Lowey, NY

Jose Serrano, NY

Rosa DeLauro, CT

Jim Moran, VA

John Olver, MA

Ed Pastor, AZ

David Price, NC Would have been Yea

Maurice Hinchey, NY Would have been Yea

Lucille Roybal-Allard, CA

Sam Farr, CA

Jesse Jackson, IL

Chaka Fattah, PA would have been Yea

Steve Rothman, NJ

Sanford Bishop, GA

Barbara Lee, Ca

Adam Schiff, CA

Mike Honda, CA

Betty McCollum, MN

TUESDAY, URGENT ACTION NEEDED!

2011-05-30T17:32:00.000-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=204038679639305

AMERICAN YOUTH JOINING OUR CAUSE

2011-05-24T08:19:00.001-07:00

"Saving America's Horses- A Nation Betrayed" has been officially selected for Screening at Artivist Film Festival

2011-05-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release:
(Los Angeles, CA, May 4, 2011) –A Nation Betrayed Selected to Screen at Artivist Film Festival

Wild for Life Foundation, Humanion Films is delighted to announce that that "Saving America's Horses - A Nation Betrayed” has been officially selected for screening at the Artivist Film Festival.

The 8th Annual Artivist Film Festival will take place on July 8 – 10th, 2011, at the historic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, California. This year the Artivist Collective will also host film screenings in seven U.S. cities simultaneous with its main Festival event in Los Angeles. Films to be screened at the additional cities have not yet been announced.

"We are thrilled to have been selected for programming in the much celebrated Artivist Film Festival in Los Angeles, and we look forward to taking part in this great event", said filmmaker Katia Louise.

The Artivist Film Festival received an exceptionally high volume of quality film submissions for this year’s Festival. Since its inception in 2003, Artivist has screened 400+ films representing more than 60 countries, and has produced film festival tours in Los Angeles, New York, London, Tokyo, Mexico City, and Lisbon, that have reached more than 35 million people. Among the films presented at the Artivist Film Festival over the years have been Academy Award winner “Born Into Brothels” and Academy Award nominee“Super-Size Me”.

Saving America’s Horses A Nation Betrayed screens next at the International Wildlife Film Festival in Montana on May 7th and 10th, 2011.

Please be sure that you are subscribed for production updates and you will be among the first to be notified when more information is available as to other screening locations and dates for this film, …just click on SUBSCRIBE on the home page of the film website.

“Saving America’s Horses A Nation Betrayed” is a compelling compilation of expert testimony, undercover footage and true life stories shot against the dramatic backdrops of the American countryside. The 93-minute documentary film features Paul Sorvino, Michael Blake, Willie Nelson, Tippi Hedren, Linda Gray, Peter Max, Ken Wahl, Amy & Raelyn Nelson, The Barbi Twins & many more. It’s about a journey of courage, honor and betrayal in a country divided; inspiring great hope for compassion and protection of all horses and burros.

Saving America’s Horses A Nation Betrayed recently won the prestigious Best of Fest Award in the feature documentary film category from the Los Angeles Women’sInternational Film Festival, the much celebrated Award of Merit in the Accolade Competition and will be receiving Awards for Cinematography, Advocacy, Editing& Conservation Message from the International Wildlife Film Festival in May.

Saving America’s Horses is on the web at www.savingamericashorses.org

Watch the Trailer: http://www.savingamericashorses.org/home.html

For more information, contact Production at admin[@]humanionfilms.com or visit us online.

PDF of this announcement: http://www.savingamericashorses.org/Artivist%20Selection_050411.pdf

Link to Blog post for Facebook: http://savingamericashorses.blogspot.com/2011/05/saving-americas-horses-nation-betrayed.html

Ken Wahl - Saving America's Horses!

2011-02-18T11:44:00.001-08:00

WFLF Humanion Films
Los Angeles, CA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 18, 2010

Ken Wahl lends his voice and joins the Film as an Honorary Board Member for Saving America's Horses A Nation Betrayed!

Ken Wahl is helping rescue horses from horse slaughter and has been active toward supporting the bills to stop horse slaughter for quite some time. He offered to lend his voice when he heard about WFLF’s recent rescue efforts digging horses out of mud during all the rains. Ken is best known for his Golden Globe Award for his lead role as Vinnie Terranova in the hit television series Wiseguy. Wahl's first key role was as the lead character of Richie Genaro, the head of a Bronx street gang, in The Wonderers and two movies later he appeared alongside his onscreen hero Paul Newman in the explosive cop dramaFort Apache the Bronx. Wahl went on to headline in several other films before sustaining a life-threatening neck injury in a motorcycle accident in 1992. Happily retired from Hollywood, Ken's two favorite interests are animal rescue and War Veteran charities. Ken works together with “Saving America’s Horses” Honorary Board Members, Shane and Sia Barbi to foster many animals from the shelters that would otherwise be killed. Through their work together they have successfully placed many of them in good homes. Wild for Life Foundation is honored to have Ken on board in support of the horses.

Saving America's Horses - A Nation Betrayed is set to premiere at the 2011 Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festivalon Sunday, March 27th. The Premiere screening will rake place at The Laemmle's Sunset 5 Theater, 8000 W Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90046.

SAVING AMERICA’S HORSES - A NATION BETRAYED is a compelling compilation of expert testimony, undercover footage and true life stories shot against the dramatic backdrops of America’s beautiful countryside. The film depicts a country divided and inspires great hope for the protection of all horses and burros from cruelty.

“I strongly applaud this important, straight-up film—it has the courage not to back down but to tell the un-whitewashed, miserable truth about horse slaughter”. -Julie Caramante, Animal Cruelty Investigator

See the powerful TRAILER for SAVING AMERICA’S HORSES A NATION BETRAYED at YouTube and on the official film website.

The film is currently being entered into the festival circuit as a showcase for industry reps and moviegoers. You can help the horses by supporting our efforts to bring this issue to the public eye. Donations are crucial in order to get this film into theatres and out on DVD. No donation is too small.

Saving America’s Horses is a Project under Wild for Life Foundation (WFLF), a CA 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Link to PDF

Contact: admin[a]humanionfilms.com

www.savingamericashorses.org

Horses Will Finally Get Their Voice!

2011-02-16T07:57:00.000-08:00

Long Awaited Film, “Saving America’s Horses” to Launch in March

February 16, 2011 - Steve Long

HOUSTON, (Horseback) – America is days away from the long awaited March premier of Saving America’s Horses, A Nation Betrayed in Los Angeles. The movie is by educator and documentary filmmaker Katia Louise, and Humanion Films, a project of Wild for Life Foundation.
“The film is geared to pique the interest of a wide demographic, across multiple cultures and continents, so we are anticipating that it will run for quite some time and hopefully mark the end of an inhumane era for America’s horses and perhaps the beginning in a shift in cultural values,” she toldHorseback Magazine.
Louise has produced, directed and anchored over a dozen investigative audio documentaries with an international audience spanning over 100 countries. Her work in cinema includes the documentary films “Spirit Brothers”, about the endangered wolves of Northern America, “A Day in Tribute” and “Celebration of Life.”
Savng America’s Horses, A Nation Betrayed has been accepted into several film festivals.
“Our production team has a selection process with factors to consider like programming and budgets,” she said. “The first festival screening is scheduled through the Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival which takes place March 25th – 31st this year.”
Making a film about horses fulfills a childhood passion.
“Horses have been a part of my life since I was a young girl and I love them,” Louise said. “
That passion turned into action when she learned of horse slaughter for human consumption.
“For me, the minute I found out what was happening to them, that’s all it took and the more I learned the more I wanted to help them,” she said.
Leaders of the large equine advocacy movement have embraced the film and its producer from the beginning.
“There has been an enormous amount of support from the horse advocates,” she said. “They are the people who primarily care about the horses and they want to insure the humane treatment and welfare of both wild equines and domestic breeds.”
Louise says she has attempted to present the issue of both the horse processing industry and the controversial wild horse issue without bias
“We are presenting both sides of the issue through the film and we have extended an invitation to both sides in order to present the differing viewpoints as best possible.”
Thus far, while the film decidedly will have a pro-horse slant, “So far we have not had any push back from the “other side.”
The producer predicts a dismal future for the North American Mustang.
“The film presents a focus on the slaughter issue as it relates to both wild and domestic equines,” Louise says. “As far as the wild horses go, knowing what I know to be true about the BLM and their policies and activities; the days of the wild horses as we have always known them to be, wild and free in this country, are numbered at best under the current regime. That’s why the issue regarding wild horses needs to be brought to the public eye before it’s too late for the horses.”
The fill will feature only equine advocates who quietly do their work as unknowns, but can also boast appearances by outspoken celebrities that who frequently speak out for the horse. They include Michael Blake, Paul Sorvino, Linda Gray, Tippi Hedren, Ginger Kathrens, Nick Zito, Jane Velez-Mitchel, The Barbi Twins, Amy and Raelyn Nelson. Other celebrities are yet to be announced.
“Plus we have several very well recognized experts on board,” Louise said.
The producer hopes her film will be a catalyst for making a better world for the horse.
“The ultimate goal is to inspire change by exposing the truth,” she said.

For the entire article, please logon here: http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/6679

Membership Drive 2011

2011-01-03T18:19:00.001-08:00

http://www.americansagainsthorseslaughter.com

Wyoming Resident Files Complaint Against State Rep Sue Wallis

2010-12-19T19:36:00.000-08:00

http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1486

CHICAGO - Wyoming resident, Patricia Fazio, Ph.D. has filed a complaint with state officials, requesting an investigation of alleged violations of ethics laws and securities fraud by Wyoming State Rep. Sue Wallis (R-Campbell).

Animal Law Coalition (ALC), Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) and Habitat for Horses Advisory Council (HfHAC) applaud Dr. Fazio and join in the call for authorities to investigate Wallis' activities.

The complaint alleges Rep. Wallis is improperly and even fraudulently abusing her position as a Wyoming legislator. The complaint further alleges that Rep. Wallis not only neglected to recuse herself or disclose her personal financial interest in votes, but that she has actually "sponsored" bills that would materially benefit her or her family.

Wallis has publicly claimed to be forming a business under the name, Unified Equine LLC, which she says will slaughter horses and sell the meat within Wyoming. At the same time, in her capacity as a legislator, she is promoting legislation that would deregulate, promote and favor horse slaughter operations.

Wallis published a web page enticing people to invest in Unified Equine LLC which turned out to be a non-existent entity for months. Also according to the Complaint, the apparent solicitation for investors may have violated other federal and state securities laws.

The fraud on investors may go deeper: Not only is commercial horse slaughter for human consumption illegal in the U.S., as the complaint states, "there is no market in the U.S. for human consumption of horsemeat, nor is there a market for use of horsemeat in pet food". To be a viable business within Wyoming with its population of 544,270, such a facility "would have to ...sell approximately 10,000,000 pounds of horsemeat per year, or 18 pounds for every man, woman and child in the state".

Wallis has also sponsored the "Food Freedom Act", a bill that would eliminate all regulation of food sold directly to the consumer. The bill was dubbed by one health department official as a "fraud".

The bill could allow Wallis' slaughter business to sell contaminated horse meat directly to Wyoming consumers without any form of government oversight, testing or inspection. American horses are not raised for food and are typically administered drugsincluding carcinogens that, according to the FDA, are prohibited in horsemeat sold as human food.

The deceptively named Food Freedom Act would likely also benefit Wallis' family's business which sells homemade jellies and syrups, among other food goods.

The complaint further calls into question Wallis' use of 501(c)3 charitable designations to solicit funds for her promotion of horse slaughter. Wallis has a number of ever-changing, interrelated organizations and websites that solicit funds for allegedly "charitable" or "educational" purposes. But Wallis' efforts appear to be purely political, focused on passing laws from which she can benefit personally and financially.

It is not clear where donations are actually going, and Dr. Fazio requests an investigation into possible commingling of tax exempt and non-tax exempt funds. Wallis has also openly touted her position as a legislator to solicit funding for pro-horse slaughter interests.

Most recently, Wallis has announced she is holding a pro-horse slaughter "summit" in Las Vegas with a hefty price tag for attendees. She was to announce the winner of a raffle for a new pick-up truck. Then according to the complaint, Wallis announced she may not be able to buy the truck and asked raffle participants if she could just keep the money from ticket sales. According to the complaint, Wallis may be "running an unlicensed lottery, and at worst she has attempted to defraud those who bought the tickets at $100 apiece."

According to the Wyoming Minority Floor Leader Rep. W. Patrick Goggles, the complaint has been referred to the Legislative Service Office for review. Dr. Fazio also requested the Wyoming Attorney General as well as the Secretary of State's ethics disclosure and compliance offices to investigate these allegations.

NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY FOR OUR HORSES - TUESDAY, OCT 19TH, 2010

2010-10-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

The following organizations have joined together to ask you to call on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday, October 19th and Ask her to schedule a vote NOW on the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503), legislation to ban the slaughter of American horses for human consumption. Schedule the vote NOW. Tell her she has the power to end immense suffering by scheduling the vote NOW during the remaining session of Congress THIS YEAR! NOW is the time for her to step up and do this. Tell Speaker Pelosi that this bill has 183 bipartisan cosponsors in the House, 28 in the Senate, and tremendous public support.

After you call Speaker Pelosi,(202) 225-0100 or her San Francisco office, (415) 556-4862, call on Senate Majority LeaderSen. Harry Reid702-388-5020 / Fax: 702-388-5030, and Assistant Majority Leader Sen. Dick Durbin(202) 224-2152 or fax (202) 228-0400to schedule a vote on the senate version, S.B. 727. Don’t wait. Do it now. For the horses.

For more information please go to Animal Law Coalition here: http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1443

What We Can Learn From Secretariat

2010-10-08T22:46:00.000-07:00

http://www.humanesociety.org/news/news/2010/10/secretariat.html
October 7, 2010

What We Can Learn from Secretariat

by Scott Beckstead

The story of legendary horse Secretariat is a classic American tale: Against the odds and defying all skeptics, an underdog became a champion and national hero, inspiring millions. Disney's new movie, Secretariat promises to underscore the special role that horses occupy in the American imagination. It also presents an opportunity to celebrate all that we love about our horses and to think again about our responsibilities to these amazing creatures.

A well-earned retirement

Secretariat spent his life surrounded by a loving owner and millions of adoring fans. His owner rewarded his record-setting performance with a pampered retirement and a long, full life. And while few horses could hope for the luxuries he enjoyed, all horses deserve the opportunity he was given: a chance at a second career. In Secretariat’s case, that meant a long life as a breeding sire.

Other horses, after retiring from the track, have proved they can excel at pleasure riding, competitive show jumping, or competitive dressage.

A second career ... or slaughter?

Sadly, though, too many are never given a chance to prove themselves off the track. As long as horse slaughter remains legal in the United States, the greedy and unscrupulous will make a quick profit off horses.

Race horses, who have been trained to trust people, suffer the ultimate betrayal when they are sold at auction then trucked in terrible conditions to foreign slaughter plants, where they are killed and butchered for consumption abroad. Secretariat’s brother, Straight Flush, was awaiting the slaughter truck when rescued by a benefactor who recognized him as the brother of the red chestnut racing star. One wonders how many thousands of Secretariat’s descendants weren’t rescued from that horrible fate.

From the Derby to the slaughterhouse

Even winning the Kentucky Derby is no guarantee that a horse will be spared the horrors of the slaughter plant: witness Ferdinand, winner of the 1986 Kentucky Derby, who was butchered in a foreign slaughter plant after failing to sire winning foals.

The industry takes steps

Thankfully, the racing industry has taken some important steps to ensure the welfare of race horses. A growing number of tracks and racing associations have adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward horse slaughter, banning any trainer that sells horses for slaughter.

Other industry groups have dedicated resources to finding good homes for retired racers. The California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, for example, has created the California Equine Retirement Foundation, dedicated to making sure that every race horse gets a second chance at another career and a good, loving home.

Working toward a happy ending for all

As we celebrate Secretariat’s victories on the big screen, let’s keep in mind that for most race horses, the story does not end at the finish line or the winner’s circle. For too many, the story ends in heartbreak and tragedy.

It is our hope that with the release of this film, the American people will reflect on the effort our race horses make for us in the name of sport and entertainment—and how we will repay that effort when they step off the track for the last time.

Scott Beckstead is The HSUS’s Senior State Director for Oregon and Equine Protection Specialist

The Perfect Time to End the Slaughter of American Horses

2010-09-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

The Perfect Time to End the Slaughter of American Horses
Editorial by John Holland

At the moment, the news is rife with stories about the level of equine neglect in the United States, with many of the articles blaming the "unintended consequences" of closing the US horse slaughter plants and calling for them to be reopened. But in reality, we are coming up on a once in a lifetime opportunity to get rid of this abominable practice once and for all. To understand this apparent paradox, one needs to get past unsubstantiated myths to the real forces at play in the market.
First, one needs to understand that it is completely impossible to blame the current glut of excess horses on the closing of the slaughter plants because the closings simply sent the horses over the Mexican and Canadian borders for slaughter. In 2006, the year before the closings, 142,740 American horses were slaughtered, and that number only dropped by 14% the year the plants were closed. By 2008, slaughter was back to the second highest level in almost ten years.

Next, it is necessary to understand what really causes neglect, and that is unemployment. After years of studying the relationship between neglect rates and slaughter volumes, I had concluded that there was no relationship whatever. Then I looked at the rates of neglect in Illinois in comparison with unemployment in the state. The correlation was striking.

[GRAPH]

Like most such revelations, it should have been expected, but it was still striking. It perfectly explains the mystery of how the number of American horses slaughtered in the US between 1989 and 2002 could have dropped from 377,078 to 77,713 (almost 80%) with no negative impact on either neglect or horse prices.

This correlation also tells us what we can expect as unemployment goes both up and down. At the moment the US is experiencing high unemployment with national rates hovering just under 10%. As predicted from the above graph, this is causing a high rate of neglect.

So why can I say with complete confidence that we are coming up on the perfect opportunity to end slaughter without significantly impacting the horse market?

There is a second factor at work. As the market for horses remains depressed, many breeders are throwing in the proverbial towel. Every day brood mares and stallions are being sold at auction and on internet sites like Craig's List. This is temporarily increasing the supply and further depressing prices.

The result of this further depression in prices is to convince even more breeders to quit producing. Statistics show breeding is down dramatically in virtually all breeds. The Jockey Club, for example, recently predicted the 2011 foal crop will be the lowest since 1973. Similarly, the American Quarter Horse Association's annual reports shows a 15% drop in revenue for new registrations between 2006 and 2009.

This trend will continue until the economy begins to recover significantly, or the market eventually reaches a new balance. Slaughter cannot help reduce the over supply of horses because the horse meat market is also depressed. Although the export of US slaughter horses in 2008 brought the annual slaughter back its level before the plant closures, the subsequent recession caused a 25.8% drop in exports between 2008 and 2009. The reduction in demand for slaughter horses will likely continue as the effects of new EU drug residue regulations begin forcing horses to be quarantined for 6 months prior to slaughter.

But these two trends are about to merge and provide a wonderful opportunity to end slaughter with little or no impact on the market. As the smaller foal crops reach market age, there will be a reduction supply, and when the economy finally begins to recover, it will bring with it more carrying capacity (demand) for horses. With less supply and more homes available, the number of surplus horses will dip to a record low.

Moreover, there will be a move toward quality. In a recent interview, a struggling breeder in Canada complained she had to sell her horses to slaughter because the market was so low, but in the very next sentence she explained "You have to breed 100 horses to get two good ones." Clearly that business model has been a big part of the problem that gotten us to this point, but few "lotto breeders" appear to be surviving the current market.

Only a deep and prolonged recession could have brought us this opportunity and we have certainly been experiencing just that. It would be a tremendous shame if we missed this coming opportunity. Recent auction reports indicate that prices are already beginning to increase.
What is needed is for congress to pass HR 503 / S 727, banning the slaughter and export to slaughter of American horses. This action could be placed in abeyance until a trigger was reached of unemployment dropping significantly (perhaps under 8%). The result would be a smooth transition to a much more humane equine industry.

Horse slaughter is not a "necessary evil", merely an evil. Now is our opportunity to resign this practice to the dust bin of American history.

John Holland is a freelance writer, the author of three books and an industrial consultant in the field of intelligent automation and knowledge engineering. He frequently writes on the subject of horse slaughter from his small farm in the mountains of Virginia, where he lives with his wife, Sheilah, and their 12 equines. Holland is president of the Equine Welfare Alliance and serves as senior analyst for Americans Against Horse Slaughter, an organization composed entirely of volunteers.

2010-08-10T11:50:00.001-07:00

Please take this time to set-up a meeting with your Members of Congress

While Congress is home for the August recess, many members of Congress and candidates running for office use this time to host town hall meetings, attend civic events, political rallies, and meet with constituents at their in-district office.

During this time they are out talking to their constituents and this is a great opportunity to remind them how important HR503/S727 "The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act" is to you and to the American people.

A lot is at stake in the November elections. It is important that lawmakers and candidates remember the important role our horses play in our country. Please ask your Members of Congress to support the passage of HR503 and S727 "The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act". Any blockage of this legislation will have a devastating effect on our culture as we know it. EU countries are banning meat tainted by drugs that are commonly given to horses which include, antibiotics, wormers and bute. While horsemeat is not sold in the US, it is exported from Canada and Mexico to the EU and to Japan, where it is considered a delicacy. Many of the horses that are brutally slaughtered in Mexican and Canadian slaughter houses come from the US.

Help us end the suffering of our American Horses. How can a country that was built on the backs of our horses ignore the people who wish to give them the quality of life they deserve?

Please, Rise Up and make that meeting for the horses!

Thank you for all you do.

Americans Against Horse Slaughter

Rise Up
Get Involved
Join The Movement

Take Action:

1) Request a meeting with your Representative and Senators to discuss "The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act"

2) Most of your Members of Congress will be attending events in your area during this recess. This is a good opportunity to speak face to face in a location convenient for you.

To Find your Members of Congress, please log on here:

Members of Congress

CALLING ON ALL AMERICANS TO STEP UP EFFORTS TO END HORSE SLAUGHTER

2010-07-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

Americans Against Horse Slaughter And WFLF/Humanion Films Call On All Americans To Step Up Efforts To End Horse Slaughter

Powerful Policy Makers join Film as speakers and cast in Humanion Film’s “Saving
America’s Horses – A Nation Betrayed”

Congressmen Ed Whitfield of Kentucky, House Representative Dan Burton of Indiana
and Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana have all joined the film, Saving America’s
Horses. Producers Katia Louise and Debra Lopez have recently interviewed these
powerful policy makers for the film about their thoughts and positions regarding pending
bills that would protect America’s equines from slaughter and protect our wild horses.

Check out WFLF Humanion Films’ new “Action to End Horse Slaughter” preview clip which includes exclusive statements by these powerful policy makers. Special appearances in this preview additionally include Tippi Hedren of the Roar Foundation and Neda DeMayo of Return to Freedom. This special pre-release preview clears the air on misinformation that has been circulated by pro slaughter proponents. Learn more about what you can do to help end this barbaric practice without further delay.

How You Can Help

Please Contact The Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (Vermont) and all the
Senate Judiciary Committee Members (see list below) and ask them to move S727 out of
committee and on to the floor for a vote to pass The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act.

Next, contact the House Judiciary Subcommittee Members and ask them to move HR503
out of committee and onto the floor for a vote. Members:http://judiciary.house.gov/about/subcrime.html

You can also contact your U.S. representative and your two U.S. Senators and urge him
or her to vote YES on the anti horse slaughter bill by calling the Captiol Switchboard at
202-224-3121

Step up your efforts! Watch the all new exclusive “Action to End Horse Slaughter” preview clip from “SAVING AMERICA’S HORSES – A NATION BETRAYED” HERE!

BP Connected To Mustang Roundups in the West

2010-07-10T07:55:00.000-07:00

(courtesy of The Cloud Foundation)
Media Contacts:

Makendra Silverman
Makendra@TheCloudFoundation.org
Tel: 719-351-8187

Anne Novak
Anne@TheCloudFoundation.org
Tel: 415-531-8454

For Immediate Release
BP and Ruby Pipeline Connection Raises Questions About Removal of Calico Wild Horses from Northwestern Nevada

Bloody BLM roundup results in more than 140 deaths of federally protected animals

Colorado Springs, CO (July 10, 2010)—A contract between the $3 billion Ruby Pipeline project managers, El Paso Corp of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and energy giant, British Petroleum, was uncovered this week by ATS News, the investigative journalism arm of number-one "alternative topics" web site, AboveTopSecret.com. The contract reveals how BP stands to reap millions of dollars from the proposed 675-mile pipeline from Wyoming to Oregon. Ruby would destroy areas of pristine wilderness in northwestern Nevada, formerly home to the majestic wild horses of the Calico Mountains. Ruby Project Coordinator Lars Ecklund said during an April 16 meeting, reported on by the Klamath Falls Herald and News: "Don't think we're going to put this pipe in without making a mess . . . It's going to look like Hiroshima. It's going to look nasty.”

The Cloud Foundation first raised the issue of a possible deal between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Ruby in January, 2010 when a letter and documents (September 14, 2009-p. 30) from Ruby Pipeline, L.L.C to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) revealed a link between the pipeline and the removal of federally protected wild horses in northwestern Nevada. Digging a 4-6 foot deep and 8 foot wide trench for a 42” diameter pipe would gravely impact five wild horse herd areas. In a written response to questions posed by the Office of Energy Projects (an agency within the Department of Energy), Ruby project consultant, Dan Gredvig, stated that “Ruby will work with BLM to minimize wild horse and burro grazing along the restored ROW (right-of-way) for three years. Possible management actions would be to . . . reduce wild horse populations following BLM policy in appropriate management areas. BLM wild horse and burro specialists were consulted in developing this management approach.” The document is dated February 23, 2009.

“Back in January when we met with an official of El Paso Corp who denied any connection between Ruby and the wild horse roundups, we had no idea that BP was going to be a major beneficiary of the project,” stated Ginger Kathrens, Executive Director of The Cloud Foundation.

The connection between BLM and BP extends to the current Department of the Interior (DOI) Deputy Assistant Secretary of Lands and Minerals Management, Sylvia Baca, who was hired away from BP in June of 2009 by DOI Secretary, Ken Salazar. Baca is well-known at DOI where she served as an Assistant Secretary from 1995 to 2001. Her duties included development of national policy and management direction of BLM, Mineral Management service and Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. Baca also served as the Acting Director of the BLM in the late 1990s when allegations were raised that BLM employees had sold wild horses to slaughter and were involved in wild horses from holding facilities going to slaughter. After the publication of hard-hitting articles by AP reporter, Martha Mendoza, an investigation ensued and a federal grand jury was convened. But before the opening gavel was struck, the plug was pulled on the grand jury for unknown reasons. Kathrens had personal conversations with one of the primary investigators in the case and remembers his belief that there was wrong-doing by BLM employees and his disgust at the mysterious closing of the case before one shred of evidence came to light.

In a PEER (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility) White Paper released in 1997 on this topic, PEER reported that “On February 19, 1997, the BLM issued a press release announcing the results of an internal investigation ‘which contradicts recent press allegations that wild horses are routinely sent to slaughter.’ Despite this self-proclaimed clean bill of health, the BLM simultaneously announced a series of 20 reforms in the Wild Horse and Burro Program and promised more reforms to come.” Even with the promised ‘reforms’, some of the same employees implicated in the investigation continued working for BLM and at least one is still employed by BLM.

Baca left BLM in 2001 to take a senior management position with BP where her duties included emergency response. During her tenure with BP numerous permits were issued which granted environment waivers—including a waiver for offshore drilling given to the Deepwater Horizon that later exploded, killing 11 workers and continuing to spew ceaseless amounts of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

Secretary Salazar hired Sylvia Baca back from BP in June of 2009.

“In light of the revolving door of BLM personnel shuffling between big energy and BLM as well as the possible connection between massive Nevada wild horse removals and the construction of the $3 billion Ruby Pipeline, we believe there is a need for emergency protections for the last of the mustangs on their legal rangeland,” states Kathrens. “Otherwise, generations of Americans will loose their opportunity to be inspired by these magnificent animals roaming our vast western landscapes.”

To date more than 100 wild horses have died as a result of the Calico roundup and processing, and more than 40 mares aborted their late-term foals. Calico has been called the “bloodiest roundup in modern history” by George Knapp, Emmy Award-winning journalist with KLAS TV in Las Vegas. "The public that the Department of Interior and the BLM serve is not the John and Mary U.S. Citizen public, it's the big corporate agriculture and big oil public that gets all the benefits of exploiting our public lands," he said in the ATS report.

The Cloud Foundation is calling for an immediate moratorium on roundups in the West and for Congressional Hearings into the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program which, left unchecked, will remove 6,000 additional wild horses in the next three months at enormous expense to the American taxpayers and the “protected” mustangs.
###

Links of interest:

BP Connected to Wild Horse Roundups?

http://www.8newsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=12769788

The Mustang Conspiracy: Sex, Drugs, Corruption, and BP – investigative report http://www.abovetopsecret.com/mustangconspiracy/

Deputy Assistant Director Sylvia V. Baca http://www.doi.gov/archive/bio/baca_bio.html

BLM Contacts and the Ruby Pipeline http://bit.ly/cT6e0a

Ruby Pipeline press release http://bit.ly/74789s

‘Herd-Watch: Public Eyes for Public Horses’ http://bit.ly/9Wvh58

Roundup Schedule- updated July 2010 http://bit.ly/2010roundup

Disappointment Valley... A Modern Day Western Trailer- excellent sample of interviews regarding the issues http://bit.ly/awFbwm

American Herds Blog http://americanherds.blogspot.com/

Mestengo. Mustang. Misfit.
America’s Disappearing Wild Horses
http://www.wildhorsepreservation.com/resources/wild.html

Fact Sheet on Wild Herds & The Salazar Plan http://bit.ly/bfdX1y

Wild Horse and Burro Act http://bit.ly/a7hOeS

Link to this press release online http://bit.ly/BPMustangs

Past Cloud Foundation press releases http://bit.ly/TCFpress

Photos, video and interviews available from:
The Cloud Foundation

news@thecloudfoundation.org

The Cloud Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to the preservation and protection of wild horses and burros on our Western public lands with a focus on protecting Cloud's herd in the Pryor Mountains of Montana.

107 S. 7th St. - Colorado Springs, CO 80905 - 719-633-3842 www.thecloudfoundation.org

The Mustang Conspiracy: Part 2 - BP and The Ruby Pipeline

2010-07-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

Go here: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread590146/pg1

Will Consumer Safety Concerns End Slaughter of U.S. Horses?

2010-06-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Laura Allen (Animal Law Coaliton)
http://animals.change.org/blog/view/will_consumer_safety_concerns_end_slaughter_of_us_horses

The number of American horses that are slaughtered is driven by a demand in some other countries for horsemeat, where it's usually a pricey delicacy. The demand has dropped dramatically over the years from a high in 1989 of 348,400 horses to 134,059 horses slaughtered in 2008. In 2009-2010, demand has dropped even more. In Europe, in particular, demand in the past year has dropped as consumers have learned of the shocking cruelty of horse slaughter in North America.
The demand for American horsemeat may soon plummet and end altogether, especially in the European market. Indeed, the second largest grocer in Belgium and Holland pulled American horsemeat from the shelves.

But there's more good news for our horses and those calling for an end to the slaughter. Beginning July 31, 2010, the European Union will begin enforcing restrictions on the sale of meat from horses that have been given certain drugs and steroids. This means that, where horsemeat is destined for the E.U., Canadian or Mexican slaughterhouses (where U.S. horses are sent for slaughter) must obtain veterinary records of all drugs or medication provided to the horse in the preceding six months. By 2013, all horses to be slaughtered for human consumption in the E.U. must be accompanied by veterinary records from birth that show the horse has never been given banned substances.
This is impossible for American horses.

2010 Not a Good Year for Horse Slaughter Proponents

2010-05-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

(Courtesy of Animal Law Coalition)

CHICAGO, (EWA) - Equine Welfare Alliance and Animal Law Coalition applaud the grass roots efforts in 2010 that have resulted in a series of political defeats for those who want to bring horse slaughter back to the United States.
Of course, commercial horse slaughter for human consumption remains illegal in the U.S. and no state law can change that. Nonetheless, proponents of the cruel practice have tried to use state legislatures to try to convince Americans to bring horse slaughter back to the U.S.
In Missouri, for example, a bill, H.B. 1747, introduced by state Rep. James Viebrock, purported to allow the state to register and license and even provide inspections for horse slaughter facilities. There was even talk of building a horse slaughter plant in a small town in the state.

For Full Article, Click Here: http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1343

PERFECTLY HEALTHY HORSES ARE GOING TO SLAUGHTER?

2010-04-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

Perfectly healthy horses are going to slaughter?

Watch Jane Velez-Mitchell on HLN at 7PM EST/ 4PM PST, Friday, April 30th to learn more.
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/issues.with.jane/

About Jane Velez-Mitchell

Jane Velez-Mitchell hosts Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell, a topical event-driven show on HLN with a wide range of viewpoints. Jane’s Man vs. Nature shows focus on pets and animal rights and in 2009, she did a segment entitled “Wild Horses Sold to Slaughter?” A veteran television news journalist, Velez-Mitchell reported for the nationally syndicated Warner Brothers/Telepictures show Celebrity Justice and regularly served as guest host for Nancy Grace, another HLN program. While working on Celebrity Justice, Velez-Mitchell's reporting earned the show two Genesis Awards from the Humane Society of the United States. As a commentator on high-profile cases, Velez-Mitchell has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and other national cable television programs. Velez-Mitchell previously spent more than a decade anchoring and reporting for KCAL-TV in Los Angeles. She also served as a reporter/anchor for eight years at WCBS-TV in New York City. Velez-Mitchell is the recipient of a Los Angeles Emmy Award and a New York Emmy Award. The KCAL-TV newscasts she co-anchored won three Southern California Golden Mike Awards and an Emmy. She also wrote, directed and produced Dancing Through Life, an award-winning documentary.

TENNESSEE WITHDRAWS PRO - HORSE SLAUGHTER BILL

2010-04-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

(Courtesy of Animal Law Coalition)
http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/903

Update April 28, 2010: Following a hearing yesterday before the full House Finance, Ways and Means, Tennessee state Rep. Frank Niceley withdrew his pro-horse slaughter bill, H.B. 1428, and it is now dead for this legislative session.

John Holland, founder and president of the Equine Welfare Alliance, and Paula Bacon, former mayor of Kaufman, Texas, site of one of the last horse slaughter plants in the U.S., testified in opposition to the bill.

Famed singer and songwriter, Willie Nelson and his daughter, Amy Nelson, and granddaughter, Raelyn Nelson, were at the hearing in opposition to this bill but did not testify before the committee.

Paula Bacon described that she was mayor of Kaufman "during part of 27 years we spent trying to deal with this horse slaughter plant." She told the committee that a horse slaughter facility was a "burden to taxpayers...a stigma" and almost forced the city to spend "millions to upgrade ..the waste water treatment plant".

Bacon said that building a horse slaughter facility was "very definitely not desirable economic development." She said the facility does not create good jobs, just a handful of low paying, dangerous jobs. She described the burden on the local hospital because of the horse slaughter plant employees were often injured, even losing limbs.
For the entire Article, Go Here: http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/903

Alberta horse slaughterhouse probed by RCMP

2010-04-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

Hidden camera video also prompts food inspection agency investigation

Last Updated: Saturday, April 24, 2010
6:58 PM MT Comments75Recommend50By John Gibson, CBC News

An image from video footage shows a top view of a worker at Bouvry Horse Exports shooting a horse. (Canadian Horse Defence Coalition)

A slaughterhouse in Fort Macleod, Alta., owned by a Calgary company is under investigation by the RCMP over allegations that it has been killing horses inhumanely at its facility.

Police opened the file after the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition made a complaint against Bouvry Horse Exports Ltd, which sells horse meat to international markets.

The animal rights group says a secretly recorded video was sent to them showing horses at the Fort Macleod slaughterhouse being shot and then hoisted away by their legs while still fully conscious.

"It's currently under investigation. We're speaking with the SPCA as well," said Sgt. Brent Hawker, with the RCMP detachment in Fort Macleod.

"If there's a criminal offence that's been committed, we'll lay charges."

'I feel that the footage from the Bouvry plant shows levels of suffering that are unacceptable.'

—Dr. Mary Richardson, veterinarianClaude Bouvry, one of the owners of the plant, denied the allegations of inappropriate slaughtering on Thursday.

"We are supervised at all times, and the SPCA can visit at anytime," he told CBC News in an interview.

Bouvry said six CFIA officials and a veterinarian are always present during the slaughtering process at his facility.

According to the group that made the allegations, workers can be seen in the video repeatedly failing to kill horses with one rifle shot, and then leaving the animals in pain for a prolonged period.

"I feel that the footage from the Bouvry plant shows levels of suffering that are unacceptable," said Dr. Mary Richardson, a veterinarian with the coalition.

Another expert associated with the horse protection group said it appeared many horses were still showing voluntary movements and clearly breathing when they were suspended.

"This indicates these horses were likely conscious as they were being hoisted high into the air with one leg bearing their entire weight, and while their necks were cut down to the carotid arteries on both sides," said veterinarian Dr. Debi Zimmermann.

A horse at Viande Richelieu in Massueville, Que. (Canadians for the Ethical Treatment of Food Animals)

The coalition also complained to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which oversees the operations of slaughterhouses, alleging that the company has violated meat inspection laws.

The agency confirmed Thursday it has been investigating the company's killing practices at its Alberta plant, and another it owns in Massueville, Que., Viande Richelieu.

"The agency is validating and investigating the allegations presented in the video and actions will be taken to ensure vigilance and respect with regards to appropriate duty of care and humane treatment of animals," said CFIA media relations officer Guy Gravelle.

"The CFIA takes allegations of abuse very seriously and investigates all reports of abuse."

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2010/04/22/calgary-horse-bouvry-slaughterhouse-rcmp-cruelty-inhumane.html#ixzz0m53xsqKD

CHDC Receives Proof that Alberta and Quebec fail to meet Humane Slaughter Standards

2010-04-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

(courtesy of Canadian HOrse Defence Coalition)

In late February 2010, the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition (CHDC) received hidden camera footage of horse slaughter practices at Viande Richelieu in Quebec and Bouvry Exports in Alberta - the latter known as the largest exporter of horsemeat in North America. The CHDC has compelling proof that puts into question the effectiveness of the assembly-line slaughter of horses. The evidence demonstrates that both the facilities in Alberta and Quebec fail to meet humane slaughter standards used by the CFIA to audit Canadian slaughterhouses.

To view compilations of the footage obtained, please click the link below.
WARNING: Content is very graphic and could be disturbing to some viewers. http://www.defendhorsescanada.org/ChambersofCarnage.html

Dear President Obama, What Would Lincoln Do?

2010-04-11T11:48:00.000-07:00

Dear President Obama,

What would Lincoln do?

No matter the politics of Horse Slaughter in America , there’s one thing that both sides cannot deny, our horses are suffering daily.

Mr. President, if you admired President Lincoln, then you surely must have known about his deep compassion for animals.

Illinois politician William Pitt Kellogg recalled: “Next to his political sagacity, his broad humanitarianism was one of his most striking characteristics.

Historian Charles B. Strozier noted that “ Lincoln ’s lifelong sympathy for animals...was hardly the norm for the frontier.” [1]

Abe Lincoln loved children and animals and often preached against cruelty to animals.

Did you know that when the white House stables caught fire in 1863, President Lincoln had to be restrained from entering the burning structure to rescue six trapped horses?

Mr. President, even you wrote about Lincoln ’s self-awareness and his humility in one of your books. Surely, Mr. President, you must have known about his compassion for animals.

If you admired President Lincoln, you must have known that pardoning the Turkey each Thanksgiving is part of Lincoln’s legacy?

Mr. President, even the theme of your Inauguration was taken from a line in Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address:
“A New Birth of Freedom”

Please Mr. President, please end the suffering of our American horses and give them their freedom and the respectable quality of life they deserve.

President Lincoln once said, "I am not bound to win, but I'm bound to be true. I'm not bound to succeed, but I'm bound to live up to what light I have."

Be true Mr. President… What would Lincoln do?

Americans’ Against Horse Slaughter
AmericansAgainstHorseSlaughter.com

[1] http://www.myhero.com/myhero/go/specialevents/hero.asp?hero=LBC_PetsChildren&eid=1

THE HSUS URGES CONGRESS TO BAN EXPORT OF U.S. HORSES TO SLAUGHTER

2010-04-05T08:51:00.001-07:00

The HSUS Urges Congress to Ban Export of U.S. Horses to Slaughter

Canadian undercover video shows horses conscious as they are shot multiple times

New undercover video footage released Tuesday by the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition confirms the horrible abuses inherent in the slaughter of our horses for human consumption, and illustrates the need for the U.S. Congress to bar the export of tens of thousands of U.S. horses each year to slaughter plants across the border. At the Bouvry Exports plant in Canada, a chestnut horse is shot three times while a gray mare waits in the kill box. As the chestnut horse panics and struggles—as horses are biologically wired to do—the gray mare is shot. She remains alive and kicking even as two more .22-caliber shots are fired at her face. She languishes. The pattern repeats itself.

The CHDC's video footage, titled "Chamber of Carnage," further demonstrates what The Humane Society of the United States has documented for years about horse slaughter: Foreign-owned horse slaughterhouses have set up shop just over the border, and U.S. horses will continue to suffer both during long-distance shipping and then during a gruesome butchering process—all for the culinary whims of foreign gourmands.

To see the "Chamber of Carnage" video, click here. Some horses in the CHDC footage bear tags from the United States Department of Agriculture, indicating animals shown in the video originated in the United States.

"Every day while Congress delays, 'killer buyers' are transporting American horses to Canada and Mexico, and there the animals are meeting an awful demise, often after a painful and harrowing journey," said Wayne Pacelle, The HSUS' president and CEO. "This new investigation affirms again that there is unmistakable cruelty in this industry and it will only end when the Congress passes the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act."

The footage is consistent with similar footage obtained by The HSUS of horses cruelly butchered in foreign-owned plants on U.S. soil as well as that of horse slaughter in Mexico. One theme runs through every investigation – U.S. horses are generally not raised for food and where this trade occurs, there is inherent abuse.

Horse slaughter is not a form of humane euthanasia – something The Canadian Horse Defence Coalition's video clearly shows. Horses are trusting, majestic creatures, and extreme flight animals. They fight or try to flee, and they suffer in these slaughter houses. Approximately 100,000 U.S. horses are purchased by "kill buyers" at auctions across the United States, who frequently outbid good horse owners to secure the fattest, healthiest horses, and are then transported cross-country often with no food, water or rest to slaughter plants in Canada and Mexico, where they are butchered. Despite Canada's regulations and inspection standards for plants that process horses, this investigation shows how ineffective they are at preventing suffering.

Nicholas H. Dodman, D.V.M., one of the world's most noted and celebrated veterinary behaviorists, a founding member of Veterinarians for Equine Welfare, and Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine professor, reviewed the videos for The HSUS and echoed the same sentiment: "Noise, blood and suffering is what you get at the Bouvry equine slaughter plant: Horses kicking after they have been shot, sinking down and rising up; sometimes periods of struggling or paddling before a second or third shot has to be administered. This atrocity goes against all veterinary guidelines for humane euthanasia. Terror and suffering is the rule at this equine house of horrors ... and all in the name of the gourmet meat market."

The HSUS joins CHDC and hundreds of other horse industry and animal welfare groups in calling for the immediate passage of H.R. 503/S. 727 to prevent our horses from the cruelty of horse slaughter for human consumption. This legislation, authored by Reps. John Conyers, D-Mich., and Dan Burton, R-Ind., and Sens. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and John Ensign, R-Nev., has 181 House cosponsors and 29 Senate cosponsors.

-30-

ANOTHER FRONT FOR HORSE SLAUGHTER

2010-03-16T17:11:00.000-07:00

(Courtesy of Animal Law Coalition)

Another "Front" for Horse SlaughterPosted Mar 16, 2010 by laura allen

Horse SlaughterPro-slaughter interests have once again used a state legislature to advance their agenda to return horse slaughter to the U.S.

They have pushed through the Wyoming legislature a new law, H.B. 122, introduced by Wy. State Rep. Sue Wallis who is also the self-styled Executive Director of the United Organizations of the Horse, which is said to unite The United Horsemen's Front, The United Horsemen's Alliance, and The United Horsemen's Political & Legal Action Fund. "Front" is probably the most appropo name for this collection of horse slaughter supporters. Front for pro-horse slaughter interests.

For the entire article, click here!

SAY NO TO FEDERAL FUNDING FOR WILD HORSE SALAZOOS!

2010-03-01T17:46:00.000-08:00

February 28, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:

Laura Allen
Animal Law Coalition and Equine Welfare Alliance, general counsel
607.220.8938
lauraallen@animallawcoalition.com

Vicki Tobin
630.961.9292
vicki@equinewelfarealliance.org

Say No to Federal Funding for Wild Horse Salazoos!

CHICAGO, (EWA) - The funding testimony for the planned sanctuaries dubbed by wild horse supporters as "Salazoos" outlined last October by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, will be heard by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Energy and Natural resources on March 3, at 10am.

The outcome of the testimony will decide if our wild horses belong on their western public lands or in "zoos" in the East and Midwest and whether the BLM will commit millions upon millions of future dollars to warehouse wild horses and burros that would otherwise live without cost to the taxpayers in their natural habitat where they have lived for centuries.

The requested funding would increase the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) budget by $42M to purchase one of the seven planned "Salazoos." The Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) and its over 100 member organizations, Animal Law Coalition, The Cloud Foundation and numerous Mustang advocate and welfare organizations are vehemently opposed to increased funding for the BLM for this incredible financial sinkhole.

America already has a management program in place for our wild equines. It's called the 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act. It was inspired by a heroic Nevada woman, Velma Johnston, who as "Wild Horse Annie" gave these horses a sanctuary BLM has been trying to destroy ever since it was passed.

A management program for wild horses and burros on public land has yet to be proposed by the BLM or DOI that is compatible with current law. Their answer is to remove wild horses from the land, permit grazing by millions of cattle at below market rates and move our horses to a zoo like setting far from their home. In fact, the BLM was given appropriations to care for the wild horses in holding pens but has appeared to use the funding to round-up more horses. When citizens complained, they were denied access as armed guards prevented them from even viewing horses in captivity.

With no viable management plan in place, it is a disgrace and waste of critical tax payer dollars to increase funding to yet another mismanaged program. The 1971 law calls for wild horses and burros to be managed on their public lands - not in holding pens and not in zoos.

The BLM spent approximately $2M gathering a mere 2,000 animals at its Calico wildlife management area, a cost of $1,000 per horse. Once in holding, the animals will each cost the government approximately $500 per year to warehouse. Worse, the government charges ranchers only about 20 cents of every dollar that program costs taxpayers. "The Salazoo plan is yet another raid on the public funds by special interests", says EWA's John Holland.

BLM has spent more than $2 million in 2009 on a firm that stampedes wild horses with a roaring helicopter. At the Calico Nevada round-up, more than 98 have died as a result, including unborn foals and two babies who lost their hooves after a multi-mile run of terror.

The wild horses and burros represent a mere .05% of animals grazing on public lands. When the 1971 law was passed, wild horses were present on 54 million acres. Since then, over 200,000 horses have been removed along with 22 million acres of public land. Many herds have been zeroed out leaving public land available to return wild horses to their land. Congress should replace the lost acres with good grazing land for the animals BLM wants to place in its Salazoos.

The livestock grazing on public lands alone outnumber the wild horses and burros by over 200 to 1 and are subsidized by taxpayers to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Neither the BLM nor DOI has yet to explain how millions of privately owned livestock are sustainable or how neither agency can find room on the 262 million acres of public land it manages for less than 50,000 wild horses and burros. Neither has explained why the wild horses and burros are being blamed and removed for range degradation when the government GAO studies reflect the livestock are ruining the ranges.

The EWA and ALC call on Congress to deny additional funding and specifically defund wild horse and burro round-ups until the DOI and BLM can provide independent current range population counts, current range assessments and a viable management plan that upholds the 1971 law.

Both Sen. Mary Landrieu and Sen. Barbara Boxer have posed serious questions to the BLM on its management practices. Those questions should be answered immediately with facts, not spin.

Additional details on defunding the BLM for "Salazoos" can be found at Animal Law Coalition, article number 1188.

The Equine Welfare Alliance is a dues free, umbrella organization with over 100 member organizations. The organization focuses its efforts on the welfare of all equines and the preservation of wild equids.

http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/
http://www.animallawcoalition.com/

BUTE IS BANNED FOR FOOD ANIMALS, OUR HORSES ARE NOT FOOD ANIMALS

2010-03-01T09:52:00.000-08:00

KEEPING BUTE OUT OF THE FOOD CHAIN

(courtesy Alex Brown and Paulick Report)

Alex Brown is among those in the anti-horse slaughter community who pointed out to the Paulick Report recent changes in Canadian regulations regarding drugs not permitted in horses intended for slaughter in Canada. In this following article, Brown says an extremely high percentage of American-trained Thoroughbreds are prescribed one of the newly prohibited drugs, phenylbutazone, otherwise known as Butazolidin or Bute. What isn’t known is how this new ban will affect the transportation and slaughter of horses from the United States into Canada. – Ray Paulick

By Alex Brown
Bute is banned for food animals, our horses are not food animals.

The United States Food and Drug Administration released a document in 2003 establishing that phenylbutazone (Butazolidin, or Bute) is not fit for horses intended for the food chain. According to the document, Bute is a carcinogen, as determined by the National Toxicology Program. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) recently released a document establishing revised guidelines or horses intended to be slaughtered in slaughter houses in Canada. In that document there is a list of substances that are not permitted for horses intended for the human foodchain, regardless of when the substance is ingested. No quarantine period for these substances. They are simply banned. Bute is on that list.

Data compiled by the Daily Racing Form indicates that in 2009 99% of horses that ran in California pre-raced on Bute (7391 out of 7443). In a similar study of Suffolk Downs runners, 92% of horses pre-raced on Bute (1062 out of 1158). As I ask trainers about their use of Bute for pre-racing, trainers tell me they pre-race on Bute regardless of the condition of the horse. It is not because the horse is unsound, it is because we can and it does not slow the horse down for the race itself.

As horsemen we know that pre-racing on Bute is only one example of when Bute is administered to our racehorses. Many horses train on Bute as part of their daily regimen.

Is it not time now to ask our racing leaders to publicly support an end to slaughter, or at least ban racehorses from the food chain. It is clear that racehorses are not fit for human consumption from a food safety standpoint and knowingly allowing this practice to continue cannot be justified.
We should perhaps also ask the same question of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). A vet, more than anyone, knows that our racehorses are administered Bute, and they now must undersrtand that Bute is prohibited for food animals.

UNDER THE GUISE OF EUTHANASIA

2010-02-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

Slaughter Alert Part Three

Under the Guise of Euthanasia

© Wild for Life Foundation
Part 1 of a 3 part series
Feb 15, 2010
By Katia Louise

Part 3 of 3: Under the Guise of Euthanasia

Pro slaughter lobby pushing to open horse slaughter plants in 23 states across the US

Article Highlights:

In a recent report by Animals’ Angels USA, where investigations of horse slaughter focused on conditions and treatment of horses at slaughter plants, auctions, feedlots and during transport investigations, it was found that “the instant a horse is designated a ‘kill horse’, handling and treatment change radically from that normally given horses.

• Auction employees use wooden sticks, striking horses with full range of motion and force
• auction workers hitting in face and jabbing in eyes
• transport driver whipping horses over the head, hips and legs

A 2008 report by the Canadian Horse Defense Coalition revealed unacceptable practices regarding the stunning and slaughtering of horses inside the plant. The CHDC report states, “They did not necessarily ensure accurate hitting of the horses with the captive bolt”; further that, “systemic neglect, cruel handling, poor slaughter practices, resulting in immense suffering.”

In 2004 the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found the most frequent violation noted by inspectors in slaughter houses was ineffective stunning, meaning "in many cases ..a conscious animal reached slaughter" in violation of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.

The USDA affirms that, “Humane stunning procedures are required by the Humane Slaughter Act of 1978, and multiple stuns of an animal are considered INHUMANE.”

According to the Act, animals should be stunned into unconsciousness prior to their slaughter to ensure a quick, relatively painless death.

"The captive bolt is not a proper instrument for the slaughter of equids, these animals regain consciousness 30 seconds after being struck, they are fully aware they are being vivisected." -Dr. Lester Friedlander, DVM & former Chief USDA Inspector

As reported by the USDA, ...FSIS observed deficiencies include: overcrowding of animals in holding pens resulting in animals not being able to get to the watering troughs; improper stunning of both normal and downer animals.

The USDA further reports that Employees in three of the five remaining plants used devices such as whips, a length of garden hose, or plastic tubing to drive the animals.

As documented by Animals’ Angels in their 2008 investigation of the Juarez, Mexico Horse Slaughter Plant, horses are killed with a “puntilla knife.(3) “Such a barbaric practice does not render the horse unconscious, it simply paralyzes the animal. The horse is still fully conscious at the start of the slaughter process during which the animal is hung by a hind leg, its throat slit and its body butchered.”(4) – Dr Nicholas Dodman BVMS, MRCVS, and Founding Member Veterinarians for Equine Welfare

Despite countless instances of documented cruelty ...law enforcement agencies continue to look the other way, fines are not enforced and America's dirty little secret goes on and on.

Proponents argue if horse slaughter plants were reopened in the US, that horses would be protected from cruelty by the Humane Slaughter Act which is enforced by the USDA FSIS inspectors; however findings indicate that inspectors have become paper pushers and don’t have access to the slaughter area on a regular basis. “We are the people who are charged by Congress with enforcing HSA, but most of our inspectors have little to no access to those areas of the plants where animals are being handled and slaughtered,” said Arthur Hughes, President of the National Joint Council of Food Inspection Locals.

Many policy makers are being mislead, and or bought out by special interests. Many of those who oppose a ban of horse slaughter have been misled to believe that there are allegedly too many so called “unwanted” and “excess” horses and/or that horse slaughter is purportedly humane.

Proponents are pushing for Americans “to accept and embrace the idea of using horse meat for human consumption”. Legislative action is mounting in 23 states encouraging foreign interests to invest in horse slaughter plants and there are aggressive lobbying efforts to reverse the court actions in Texas and Illinois to re-open horse slaughter plants.

Read Part Three in it's entirety HERE

Read part one of this report to get the facts about the UOH’s newest campaign effort; a nationwide so-called 'Do Not Slaughter' registry.

Read part two of this report to see how the humane argument as supported by the AVMA and the AAEP has been used to influence and mislead certain industry leaders and US policy makers.

Learn more:

Saving America’s Horses - A Nation Betrayed

Horsemeat Derived from Any U.S. Horse Can Never Be Regarded as Safe for Human Consumption

2010-02-15T17:33:00.000-08:00

Fact Sheet: Medications and US Horsemeat
(courtesy of Veterinarians for Equine Wefare)
http://www.vetsforequinewelfare.org/

Veterinarians for Equine Welfare (VEW) welcomes the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's new policy regarding equine health and medical treatments, but also remains cautious about its actual implementation and impact.

The policy recently announced by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) with assistance from the Veterinary Drug Directorate (VDD) of Health Canada was in response to stricter requirements recently mandated by the European Union. The new policy states that, "it will be mandatory for all CFIA inspected facilities in Canada engaged in the slaughter of equines for edible purposes to have complete records for all animals (domestic and imported) presented for slaughter. These records will include unique identification for each animal, as well as a record of medical treatments administered to the animal for the six-month period preceding slaughter."

It is the united opinion of the VEW that it is beyond the scope of our profession to comment on the culinary practices of any person or country; however, consumer safety of meat produced in our country is very much a responsibility that veterinarians must carefully consider.

Horses, unlike traditional food animals in the United States, are not raised or medicated during their lifetime with the intent of one day becoming human food. Because American horses are not "intended" for the human food chain, throughout their lives they will often have received medications that are banned by the FDA for use at any time during the life of food animals. Click here for list of drugs prohibited for use in horses slaughtered for human consumption.

Approved use of medications in food animals is specifically contingent upon observation of recommended withdrawal times. Withdrawal times have been experimentally determined in traditional food animals; however, withdrawal times for these drugs have not been established in horses. Thus, medications that are FDA approved for use in traditional food animals come with specific withdrawal schedules printed on the packaging, while the same medications, purchased for horses do not include the requisite withdrawal schedule, but simply state "NOT FOR USE IN HORSES INTENDED FOR FOOD".

Unlike the United States, European Union and United Kingdom member countries have a distinct safety policy with regard to horses entering the food chain. All EU/UK horses must carry "equine passports" in which the animal is declared to be either "eligible for slaughter as human food ", or "not eligible for slaughter for human food".

Any EU or UK horse, which has ever received a medication that is banned for use in food producing animals, is forever prohibited from entering the food chain. All food animal approved medications that are prescribed and administered to horses in the EU or UK have strict withdrawal schedules printed on the packaging and all such medications must also be recorded on the equine passport. The EU/UK system is designed specifically to ensure the health and safety of humans that consume horsemeat. In contrast, even with the new CFIA policy American horses treated with medications that are absolutely prohibited by the EU will still be entering the food chain.

It is the strong position of VEW members that absent any formal regulation or structure by the United States with regard to medications and food safety withdrawal schedules for equines entering the food chain, horsemeat derived from any U.S. horse can never be regarded as safe for human consumption.

Furthermore, VEW member veterinarians strongly object to the AVMA and AAEP position in favor of horse slaughter for human consumption. For the AVMA and AAEP to condone the human consumption of meat derived from equines that have not been raised or medicated in a manner consistent with food safety regulations is, in our opinion, unethical, disingenuous, and dangerous.

Click here to view the entire CFIA policy and list of drugs covered. To read VEW's statement regarding our strong opposition to slaughtering horses for human consumption please visit http://www.vetsforequinewelfare.org/.

Horse Slaughter - Research Proves It's a Demand Driven Business

2010-02-09T10:21:00.000-08:00

Trends following the closing of the US plants show several unmistakable relationships. First,
horse slaughter is clearly driven by demand and not by the number of available horses or even
the slaughter capacity. By John Holland

For the Full Report: Horse Slaughter Trends from 2006 through 2009

IS THIS WHERE AMERICA IS HEADED?

2010-02-08T13:30:00.000-08:00

What's It Going To Take To Save America's Horses

2010-02-03T18:42:00.000-08:00

What’s it Going to Take to Save America’s Horses?
AAHS and WFLF Call On Congress To Step Up For Our American Horses

In a continuing joint effort, Americans Against Horse Slaughter and WFLF Humanion Films are calling on Congress to expedite passage of HR503, The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act which would end the slaughter of equines, both domestic and wild and halt the export of our horses to Canada and Mexico for slaughter.

During the past Presidential election, then, Senator Obama pledged to support animal rights issues. “I think how we treat our animals reflects how we treat each other and it's very important that we have a president who is mindful of the cruelty that is perpetrated on animals." Senator Obama said.

With strong track records on animal protection issues, both President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden co sponsored past legislation to end horse slaughter.

The BLM’s round of the Calico wild horses has become known as one of the most cruel and unwarranted wild horse roundups our country has ever witnessed. Hundreds of thousands of calls to the President by concerned citizens continue to be ignored.

Concurrently, our young and healthy horses (race horses, show horses, ponies and wild horses) continue to be transported across our borders to Canada and Mexico to be slaughtered for the sole purpose of wealthy dinner plates overseas. The transport is cruel and inhumane as horses are shipped for days in crowded trucks going without food, water or rest.

The passing of federal legislation to end these cruel horse slaughter activities in America is long overdue. With support from the majority of the American people, we have to ask, “What’s it Going to take Mr. President, to Save America’s Horses?”

See the WFLF video clip presenting this question to the President.

AAHS & WFLF ASKS ASKS ALL AMERICANS TO PLEASE TAKE ACTION!

Please take a minute to see if your U.S. Representative is already a cosponsor of H.R. 503 and if your two U.S. Senators are co sponsors of S727. If your Representative and Senators are not yet cosponsors, please make a call and ask them to cosponsor the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act.

To reach your federal legislators, please call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121, or for your convenience, you can use this toll-free number 800-828-0498 and ask for a legislator by name (or ask for extension, last 5 numbers of legislator's office phone)

WFLF Humanion Films is in production on the feature documentary film entitled “Saving America's Horses - A Nation Betrayed”. The mission of the film is for the protection of all equines from slaughter.

Humanion Films is the film label under Wild for Life Foundation (WFLF), a California nonprofit public benefit corporation organized for the purpose of protecting animals from cruelty and protecting wildlife from extinction.

Americans Against Horse Slaughter is a non funded grassroots movement comprised of constituents from all 50 States. Their only mission is to end horse slaughter and the transport of horses to slaughter through the passing of Federal legislation

RISE UP FOR OUR AMERICANS HORSES!

2010-02-01T11:47:00.001-08:00

America's Horse Slaughter Trade Faces a Massive Hurdle

2010-01-31T09:41:00.000-08:00

(Courtesy horsetalk.co.nz)

America's horse slaughter trade faces a massive hurdle as Canada takes the first steps in complying with tough new European Union rules, effective from July 31.

From January 31, horse owners selling animals directly or indirectly to slaughter in Canada must complete and sign a form detailing the medications used in the preceding six months.

While there is list of medications that require a withholding period of six months, others such as the common anti-inflammatory drug, phenylbutazone, or bute, cannot be given to horses at all if they are to enter the human food chain.
The new Canadian requirements, especially as it relates to bute, is likely to hit so-called kill buyers hard, who may struggle to obtain the background of each animal to satisfy European Union requirements. (clicke here for the entire article) http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2010/01/163.shtml

STATE LEGISLATORS CONTINUE TO PASS LEGISLATION AND RESOLUTIONS LINING POCKETS OF FOREIGN INVESTORS

2010-01-25T08:16:00.000-08:00

Horse Slaughter Proponents Begin 2010 Disinformation Campaign

(COURTESY ANIMAL LAW COALITION)

South Dakota's legislature has already this session passed a resolution, H.C.R. 1003, calling for the return of horse slaughter to the U.S. The resolution, exhorts Congress to defeat the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, H.R. 503/S.B. 727.
GO HERE FOR ENTIRE STORY: http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1162

STOP FEEDING OUR RACEHORSES TO THE WEALTHY OVERSEAS!

2010-01-24T11:46:00.000-08:00

Join Me In the Campaign to End Horse Slaughter and the Transport of our Horses across our borders

to be slaughtered for the sole purpose of wealthy dinner plates overseas!

Barney Beagle for Americans Against Horse Slaughter

RISE UP and TAKE ACTION FOR OUR AMERICAN HORSES!

2010-01-21T07:18:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Last week we sent you a statement that was issued to Americans Against Horse Slaughter by Chairman John Conyers Jr. stating that the transportation and slaughter of horses for human consumption is cruel and inhumane, and that he intends to continue his efforts to stop this terrible practice.

As you can see from the alert below, Chairman John Conyers Jr. is keeping his promise. Let's continue to support his efforts and Rise Up for our Americans Horses!

Watch for more information from us in the very near future on how you can provide some additional help for the cause.

Please see the alert below courtesy of Animal Law Coalition.

A hearing has been set on Feb. 2, 2010 before a Congressional subcommittee on H.R. 503, the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, a bill that would stop the export of American horses to foreign slaughter houses for human consumption and basically end the commercial trade and transport of American horses for slaughter for human consumption. Go here for more information and how you can take action to help pass this bill:
http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/567

Join Me in the Crusade to End Horse Slaughter!

2010-01-19T10:13:00.001-08:00

STOP ILLINOIS STATE REP. SACIA'S EFFORT TO REPEAL THE IL BAN ON HORSE SLAUGHTER

2010-01-14T22:10:00.000-08:00

(Courtesy Animal Law Coalition)

Stop IL state Rep. Sacia’s effort to repeal the IL ban on horse slaughter for human consumption! Despite failing in 2008 and 2009 to pass a repeal of the IL ban on horse slaughter for human consumption, Rep. Sacia is trying again. Go here for more information and how you can help stop this latest bill. http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1138

Katia Louise (WFLF) Appointed West Coast Regional Coordinator For AAHS

2010-01-14T22:08:00.000-08:00

New West Coast Regional Coordinator for AAHS

Philadelphia, PA (Americans Against Horse Slaughter) Jan. 13, 2010

American's Against Horse Slaughter Welcomes Katia Louise from WFLF As Our New West Coast Regional Coordinator

AAHS is very pleased to announce the appointment of Katia Louise as our West Coast Regional Coordinator. "With the AAHS membership growing by leaps and bounds, we find it necessary to implement Regional Coordinators." said Shelley Abrams co founder of Americans Against Horse Slaughter. This year promises to be very active in our fight to end horse slaughter and having someone the caliber of Katia Louise in this position will prove to be a great asset.

As highly regarded spokesperson and champion for the health and welfare of both wild and domestic equines, Katia's been working to end horse slaughter since 2004. Ms Louise is a Broadcast Journalist, Talk Show Host, Filmmaker, Actress and a lifelong animal advocate. Earlier this year she produced "Saving America's Horses" an audio documentary for international radio which in part inspired the making of the film currently in production, “Saving America’s Horses – A Nation Betrayed”. As Executive Director of WFLF Humanion Films, she formed a national coalition of the top anti-slaughter equine experts and pro-horse specialists which in 2009 officially teamed up efforts with AAHS to raise even more awareness for this cause.

Americans Against Horse Slaughter is thrilled that Katia has agreed to join us as the West Coast Regional Coordinator. She is looking forward to working with our members.

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/www.americansagainsthorseslaughter.comemail: aahsus@gmail.com

MAN'S BEST FRIEND CAMPAIGNS TO END HORSE SLAUGHTER

2010-01-12T15:34:00.000-08:00

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 11, 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

Freedom for "Freedom!"

2010-01-06T08:07:00.001-08:00

FROM THE CLOUD FOUNDATION:

Media Contact:

Makendra Silverman

Makendra@TheCloudFoundation.org

Tel: 719-351-8187

For Immediate Release

Icon of Freedom—Wild Black Stallion Escapes BLM Capture

Winnemucca, NV (January 6, 2010)—Today the Cloud Foundation honors the Calico wild stallion, named “Freedom” —an inspiration to mustang roundup protestors worldwide. On January 2^nd Freedom escaped Bureau of Land Management (BLM capture) by fighting his way out of the roundup corrals, jumping a six-foot fence, and smashing through a barbed wire fence to run fee again in the wild. A storm of protests is growing following on the heels of Las Vegas, San Francisco, Chicago and Ketchum Idaho last week with more planned in Los Angeles and Lexington today, Denver and Albany, NY on Thursday, Boston on Friday and Las Vegas on Sunday. Protests in New York City, London, Santa Barbara, Toronto and Rome are being planned.

Still photos and the corresponding report from Elyse Gardner, humane observer, with ecologist Craig Downer document Freedom’s capture as well as his escape and are available on line. Link here.

“This was an awe-inspiring, do-or-die effort demonstrating the wild horse’s loathing of captivity and his primal need for freedom,” said Craig Downer, Nevada Wildlife Ecologist.

"This wild stallion's defiance calls us to back him up by telling Congress we refuse to have such actions done in our names,” says Terri Farley, celebrated children’s author of the Phantom Stallion series. "Congress must attach strings to BLM's budget so that the Bureau is forced to cowboy up and admit our remaining mustangs are not responsible for the damage to the range."

The Cloud Foundation with 190 other organizations, celebrities and scientists joined by thousands of members of the public from coast-to-coast have called on the President to stop this high-jacking of our American mustangs by a rogue government agency.

“Freedom’s escape has rallied horse advocates across the globe,” says Lise Stampfli Torme, a San Francisco Bay Area Mustang backer adding, “His example is a lesson in values. Just as Freedom has boldly fought for liberty, we will continue to fight the BLM’s outrageous and inhumane roundups as well as their broken range management system that favors ranchers and other commercial interests, placing them above the law and the will of the American people. This must stop. The People's horses must remain wild and free.”

Despite their federally protected status on legally designated ranges, and an Act of Congress that states the lands on which they roam should be managed “principally” for their use, the Bureau of Land Management is continuing the roundup in Calico. The agency expects to remove more than 2,500 wild horses from Nevada’s last wild horse stronghold—the Calico Mountains.

Wild horse advocates assert that BLM is rushing to roundup 12,000 wild horses and burros based on faulty census figures and what may be a deal made with the builders of a massive natural gas pipeline project—the Ruby Pipeline. Even BLM personnel have said that the Calico wild horses are not impacting the range as expected, despite their numbers exceeding what they (BLM) term “appropriate management levels.“ Cloud Foundation and other mustang and burro advocates dispute the BLM horse levels citing an internal system that is deeply flawed, arbitrary and indiscriminately applied without benefit of proper environmental review. (Full report and link to testimony online here).

“The BLM is spending more than $30 million dollars to quickly eradicate an irreplaceable piece of American living history. I ask myself, what’s the rush? Is it only pressure from ranchers? Does the BLM fear the ROAM Act will pass? Is it to clear the land for the Ruby Pipeline project, or is it something else?” asks Ginger Kathrens, Executive Director, The Cloud Foundation.

President Obama continues to stonewall on the issue, with only a “no comment” from his spokesperson following months of requests from the American public for his intervention.

###

Links of interest:

Freedom’s Escape & Roundup Report: http://humanitythrougheducation.com/

Video Overview of Calico horses and current roundup

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-0OK3i1YFI&feature=channel

Video Footage of Calico Roundup

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl0keG49kQU

12.28.09 USA Today: “Activists Decry Wild-Horse Roundups”

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2009-12-28-horses_N.htm

Mestengo. Mustang. Misfit.
America’s Disappearing Wild Horses

http://www.wildhorsepreservation.com/resources/wild.html

Frequently Asked Questions on Wild Horses

(http://www.wildmustangcoalition.org/id44.html)

Ruby Pipeline Information

(http://americanherds.blogspot.com/2009/11/crunching-calico.html)

Stampede to Oblivion: An Investigate Report from Las Vegas Now (http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=11285225)

Craig Downer, wildlife ecologist: interview Nevada roundup (http://vimeo.com/7135462)

Crunching Calico- An American Herds Report

(http://americanherds.blogspot.com/2009/11/crunching-calico.html)

Updated 2009-2010 Roundup Schedule

http://thecloudfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/roundupschedule2010_3pp.pdf

Unified Moratorium letter and signatories

(http://www.thecloudfoundation.org/index.php/news-events-a-media/action-alerts/207-moratorium-letter-to-president-obama-and-secretary-salazar)

Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971

(http://www.thecloudfoundation.org/index.php/news-events-a-media/news/resources/216-whbact)

Photos, video and interviews available from:

The Cloud Foundation

news@thecloudfoundation.org

www.thecloudfoundation.org

Judge Friedman Denies Preliminary Injunction But Questions BLM Policies

2009-12-23T14:03:00.000-08:00

From Animal Law Coalition

Update Dec. 23, 2009: Judge Paul L. Friedman has denied the motion by plaintiffs In Defense of Animals, Craig Downer and Terri Farley, for a preliminary injunction to stop the roundup of up to 2,736 wild horses from the Calico Mountain Complex herd management areas in Nevada.
Go Here for entire Aricle: http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1119

Americans Against Horse Slaughter

2009-12-21T17:18:00.001-08:00

A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION FOR CHRISTMAS

2009-12-21T15:55:00.000-08:00

http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1119

A Preliminary Injunction for Christmas
Posted Dec 21, 2009 by lauraallen
Horse Slaughter

The plaintiffs, In Defense of Animals, wildlife ecologist Craig Downer and journalist and author, Terri Farley, are optimistic U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman, will grant their request for a preliminary injunction to stop the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)'s plan to round up wild horses from the Calico Mountain Complex in Nevada.

Plaintiffs say BLM's proposed round up set to begin December 28 violates the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, 16 U.S.C. §1331 et seq., and is arbitrary and capricious, an abuse of discretion, and in excess of and without legal authority, in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act, 5 U.S.C. §701 et seq.

The judge has promised to rule before Christmas.

In their First Amended Complaint the plaintiffs point out BLM has no authority under the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, 16 U.S.C. §1331 et seq., to use helicopters to round up wild horses en masse and hold them in short or long term holding facilities. BLM is required to manage the wild horses and burros as "components" of the public lands on which they were living as of 1971 or on designated ranges. 16 U.S.C. §1333 BLM must manage them at "the minimal feasible level". 16 U.S.C. §1333 WFRHBA forbids the capture, harassment, death and inhumane treatment of these animals. 16 U.S.C. §1331, 43 CFR 4700.0-2, -5

U.S. District Court Judge Rosemary Collyer ruled recently in the case, Colorado Wild Horse and Burro Coalition, Inc. v. Salazar, No. 06-1609 (D.D.C 2009):

"It would be anomalous to infer that by authorizing the custodian of the wild free roaming horses and burros to "manage" them, Congress intended to permit the animals' custodian to subvert the primary policy of the statute by capturing and removing from the wild the very animals that Congress sought to protect from being captured and removed from the wild. Defendants argue that the horses will not be "eradicated" or "eliminated" inasmuch as BLM intends to continue to manage the horses not in the wild but through private adoption or long-term care.

...But BLM's directive is 'to protect and manage wild free-roaming horses and burros as components of the public lands . . . ‘ 16 U.S.C. § 1333(a) (emphasis added). Congress did not authorize BLM to ‘manage' the wild horses by corralling them for private maintenance or long-term care as non-wild free-roaming animals off of the public lands. Upon removal for private adoption and/or long-term care, the West Douglas Herd would forever cease to be ‘wild free-roaming' horses ‘as components of the public lands' contrary to Congress's intent to protect the horses from capture. Moreover, the statute expressly provides that BLM's ‘management activities shall be at the minimal feasible level . . . .'

It is difficult to think of a ‘management activity' that is farther from a ‘minimal feasible level' than removal."

The BLM is directed to protect the wild horses and burros "in a manner that is designed to achieve and maintain a thriving natural ecological balance on the public lands" and "protect the natural ecological balance of all wildlife species which inhabit such lands, particularly endangered wildlife species. Any adjustments in forage allocations on any such lands shall take into consideration the needs of other wildlife species which inhabit such lands." 16 U.S.C. §1333(a). The Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978 amended the WFRHBA to require BLM to determine appropriate management levels (AML) and maintain an inventory of wild horses and burros to help achieve these goals.

BLM is only authorized to remove "excess" wild horses or burros. Under WFRHBA, "excess animals" means wild free-roaming horses or burros (1) which have been removed from an area by the Secretary [of the Interior] pursuant to applicable law or, (2) which must be removed from an area in order to preserve and maintain a thriving natural ecological balance and multiple-use relationship in that area. 16 U.S.C. §1332.

Basically the BLM is only authorized to cull wild horses and burros from their historic herd areas where they were living in 1971 to control overpopulation or "maintain a thriving natural ecological balance". In designated ranges, there may be consideration given to "multiple uses" but even these are to be "devoted principally" to the wild horses and burros. 16 U.S.C. §§1332, 1333

Plaintiffs' Allegations

The plaintiffs say that even if there are "excess" wild horses in the Calico Mountain Complex herd management areas, the BLM cannot simply use helicopters to drive them all into holding pens or corrals and then return the few that the agency decides are not "excess". The WFHRBA is clear that BLM must first cull any wild horses that are old, sick or lame. 16 U.S.C. §1333 Plaintiffs say this most likely means these animals would be humanely euthanized in the field.

According to the plaintiffs, the BLM must then determine on a horse by horse basis which are adoptable and remove only those excess adoptable horses. 16 U.SC. §1333 The plaintiffs say BLM has no authority to round up healthy, unadoptable wild horses and transport them to holding facilities where they were not living in 1971. Though WFRHBA states BLM shall euthanize remaining unadoptable healthy excess wild horses and burros, the Appropriations Act, FY 2010, de-funds or bars BLM from using any of its budget to euthanize healthy wild horses or sell them for "processing into commercial products".

But because BLM cannot or does not euthanize healthy, unadoptable horses deemed "excess," does not mean the agency can put them into short or long term holding facilities. Nothing in WFRHBA authorizes excess wild horses to be maintained in this way.

During oral argument on Dec. 16, Judge Friedman asked about the fate of the "excess" healthy, unadoptable horses. Clearly the plaintiffs believe they should simply be left to roam freely in the herd management areas, that at this point, the law provides no basis for their removal.

The BLM also has no authority, say the plaintiffs, to round up non-excess wild horses even if the agency then returns them to the wild.

BLM Says Congress has Ratified its Plans for the Calico Wild Horses

In this case BLM plans to use a helicopter to round up 2,432-2,736 wild horses or nearly 90% of the population of the Calico Mountain Complex herd management areas and then return 268 to the wild. The herds and families will be destroyed forever.

BLM says it is too expensive, too difficult, to assess and cull wild horses on a case by case basis. BLM also says that, regardless, Congress has ratified or approved the agency's helicopter roundups and management of wild horses and burros in short and long term holding facilities. BLM contends that in appropriating funds for roundups and holding facilities, Congress has ratified the agency's policies and effectively amended the WFRHBA to allow this.
Plaintiffs countered that while Congress can amend laws in appropriations legislation, there is a presumption against it and any such amendment must be stated clearly. Congress has never stated clearly that it approves of BLM's management of wild horses and burros in this way.

The Cruelty of BLM's Handling of Wild Horses

The plaintiffs note that according to the 2008 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, 1.2% or horses died during BLM roundups also called "gathers" in 2005-2007. This means during the Calico gather, 30-34 wild horses are likely to die. According to the GAO report, up to 5% of the wild horses died while they were held in short term holding facilities from 2003-2007 and 8% died during that period in long term holding facilities.

These animals also suffer destruction of their herds, separation of families, even foals from their mares. Wild horses and burros have suffered terrible injuries during these round ups and while kept in holding facilities. Some will try to jump even 6' fences or throw themselves at corral panels in an effort to escape, breaking their necks or legs. They suffer as any wild animal would when kept in captivity, a condition known as capture myopathy. They can die from this and at best, live with their spirits broken, forever denied the free-roaming herd behavior promised by WFRHBA.

The Calico helicopter round up scheduled to begin December 28 presents a particular danger to mares likely to be pregnant with foals. Old, sick and disabled wild horses are likely to suffer injuries and even death as they are run down by helicopters.

BLM's "Excess" Wild Horses

As of May 31, 2009 there were 8,532 horses and 57 burros in short-term holding facilities that have a total capacity of 15,645 animals. As of that date there were 22,126 horses in long-term holding facilities that have a total capacity of 22,100. The long-term holding facilities are full. BLM claims there are 10,350 excess wild horses and burros that must be removed from herd areas and ranges. Since 2000, BLM has removed more than 74,000 wild horses and burros from the wild, 40% of the population.

It is far from clear that these wild horses and burros are actually "excess". In the Calico Mountain Complex environmental assessment, for example, BLM relied on old, outdated data to determine appropriate management levels of wild horses. Just last year, BLM permitted a 300% increase in cattle grazing in the area. The same area said to be too degraded and dry for the few remaining wild horses.

Also, despite the WFRHBA mandate to maintain a current inventory of wild horses, BLM's census fluctuate wildly. Plaintiff Craig Downer has questioned whether BLM is now exaggerating the census to justify removal of even more wild horses. For more on BLM's decision to round up and remove nearly 90% of the wild horses in the Calico Mountain Complex...

The Safari Club International and Safari Club International Foundation and Coalition for Nevada's Wildlife have filed amici briefs in support of BLM's assessments and decision to remove these wild horses.

Go here for information about the WFRHBA and how BLM has eroded the protections for the wild horses and burros.

Go here to find out how you can join the call for a moratorium on BLM roundups of wild horses and burros.

CALLING ALL AMERICANS FOR THE PROTECTION OF ALL EQUINES

2009-12-04T14:24:00.000-08:00

"American's Against Horse Slaughter and WFLF Humanion Films team up to call on all Americans to help end the slaughter of all equines, both wild and domestic."

In a joint effort, both organizations are calling on all Americans to lend their voice to the CAUSE. Please help pass The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act HR503 and S727 and to increase awareness of the brutal practice of slaughtering American horses.

The legislation is pending in both the house and the senate and will prohibit the slaughter of American horses for human consumption, and end the transport of our American horses to Mexico and Canada for slaughter.
PLEASE TAKE ACTION

Please take a minute to see if your U.S. Representative is already a cosponsor of H.R. 503 and if your two U.S. Senators are co sponsors of S727. If your Representative and Senators are not yet cosponsors, please make a call and ask them to cospo nsor the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act.

To reach your federal legislators, please call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121, or for your convenience, ?you can use this toll-free number 800-828-0498 and ask for a legislator by name (or ask for extension, last 5 numbers of legislator's office phone)

About WFLF Humanion Films:

WFLF Humanion Films is in production on the feature documentary film entitled “Saving America's Horses A Nation Betrayed”. The mission of the film is for the protection of all equines from slaughter. Through a focused look into the horse slaughter industry, this film seeks to advance compassion for horses, raise awareness for their suffering, and expose the corrupt driving forces supported by those who profit from the sordid practice of horse slaughter.

Humanion Films is the film label under Wild for Life Foundation (WFLF), a California nonprofit public benefit corporation organized for the purpose of protecting animals from cruelty and protecting wildlife from extinction.

About AAHS:

Americans Against Horse Slaughter is a grassroots movement comprised of constituents from all 50 States. Their only mission is to end horse slaughter through the passing of Federal legislation.

155 Organizations, Celebrities and Scientists Sign Moratorium!

2009-11-29T08:02:00.000-08:00

A Unified Letter calling for an immediate moratorium on roundups has now been signed by over 155 organizations, celebrities and scientists. Please add your support!

Send an e-mail and sign petition for moratorium in one easy step+ add your personal message- click here!

Call (202) 208-7351 and e-mail Interior Secretary Salazar

And share this press release with the media. You can read more about Sheryl Crow's rescued Mustang "Colorado" here.

Come to the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board meeting on December 7th in Nevada-- details online here.

Letter and details on adding your support here

The Cloud Foundation

719-633-3842
Take action for our wild horses and burros
Support a moratorium on roundups and send a letter to Obama & your representatives:

SHERYL CROW ASKS PRESIDENT OBAMA & SECRETARY SALAZAR TO STOP THE ASSAULT ON AMERICA'S WILD HORSES AND BURROS

2009-11-20T12:46:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sheryl Crow Asks President Obama & Secretary Salazar to Stop the Assault on America’s Wild Horses and Burros

Actors Ed Harris, Wendie Malick and Over 100 Organizations Demand Roundup Moratorium, Protesting Nevada’s Calico Complex Roundup to begin December 1.

CHICAGO, (EWA) – Sheryl Crow speaks out for the wild horses and burros on America’s public lands in the west. The multi-GRAMMY®-winning singer-songwriter and mustang owner joins The Cloud Foundation, over 130 organizations, scientists, authors and celebrity supporters calling on President Obama, Members of Congress and the Department of Interior to place an immediate moratorium on all wild horse and burro roundups until a long-term and humane policy to manage the animals is developed.

“With one voice we are insisting that our government stop managing these beautiful and important animals to extinction” —Sheryl Crow

The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) removal plan for Nevada’s Calico Complex wild mustangs is fueling outrage across the country and internationally. In a unified sign-on letter, wild horse supporters outline their opposition to the Obama Administration's October 7, 2009 announcement regarding the management of wild horses and burros. Groups oppose moving 26,000 wild horses to purchased lands in the east and the current government practice of removing entire wild horse and burros herds from public lands specifically designated for the animals by Congress in 1971.

“We ask that President Obama or Secretary Salazar cease all BLM roundups as of this date to prevent further suffering. We request that the government and BLM begin to work in good faith with wild horse advocates for a sustainable solution. The Calico Roundup, scheduled to begin in December and continue through the dead of winter, is inhumane and must be stopped!” —Sheryl Crow

Upon hearing about the BLM’s plans for the large-scale removal of 2,500 horses in northwest Nevada near the Black Rock Desert, more than seven thousand citizens submitted public comments to the BLM opposing the Calico Mountain Complex Round Up, scheduled to begin on December 1, 2009. Public comment has been extended through November 22, 2009 according to the BLM.

Currently more than 33,000 wild horses are stockpiled in government holding facilities at a cost to taxpayers of $100,000 a day. The scheduled removal of 2,500 from Nevada will bring that total to more than 35,000.

“We already have enough wild horses in pens. Adding more horses to those already held in confinement, when they are much safer on the range is shortsighted, inhumane and fiscally irresponsible.” —Ginger Kathrens, Emmy Award Filmmaker & Volunteer Executive Director of the Cloud Foundation.

The BLM will pay the private contractor $610 per horse rounded up for an estimated total of nearly $2 million for the Calico roundup alone according to BLM spokesperson, Tom Gorey. Branding, vaccinating, sterilizing and processing of horses to be placed in government holding will cost several million more. The BLM hired the same contractor for the controversial roundup of the famous stallion, Cloud, and his Pryor Mountain herd in September, 2009. Bands including two-month-old foals were chased down off the mountaintop by helicopter for 10-15 miles in more than 90 degree heat resulting in trauma and lameness.

"The government is acting in defiance of the spirit and intent of the 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horses and Burros Act (1971 Act) which Congress passed unanimously —Julianne French, wild horse advocate.

The 1971 Act preserves wild horses and burros in over 300 areas of publicly owned rangeland in the west, forbidding their exploitation, harassment and removal. Regardless, only 30 million acres remain of the 54 million acres designated primarily for wild horse use in 1971. Over 100 herds have been completely removed by the BLM and most remaining herds are too small to insure their long-term survival. The BLM's current policy of eradicating these herds is a betrayal of the wishes of the American public.

Sheryl Crow, with wild mustang and burro supporters, calls the public to action urging all to write, e-mail, fax and phone Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, their congressional representatives and President Obama. The list of contact phones, e-mails, faxes and mailing addresses is online here.

“It's time for all of us to speak up for our Wild Horses and Burros so we do not lose these living legends and inspiring symbols of our freedom in America.” —Sheryl Crow

Contact: John Holland

Equine Welfare Alliance
540.268.5693
john@equinewelfarealliance.org

Ginger Kathrens
The Cloud Foundation
719.633.4933
news@thecloudfoundation.org

A Unified Call for an Immediate Moratorium on Wild Horse & Burro Roundups

2009-11-18T19:10:00.000-08:00

November 18, 2009

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release

A Unified Call for an Immediate Moratorium on Wild Horse & Burro Roundups

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO (The Cloud Foundation and Equine Welfare Alliance) – November 18, 2009

120 Organizations, celebrities and scientists in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and South Africa signed onto the following letter sent to the President, Congress and the Department of the Interior to rein in the Bureau of Land Management today.

A Unified Call for an Immediate Moratorium on Wild Horse & Burro Roundups And a humane, fiscally responsible plan for preserving and protecting the iconic,free-roaming wild horses and burros of the American West

President Obama, Members of Congress and the Department of the Interior:

We, the undersigned, request major changes to the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro program. This must begin with an immediate moratorium on all roundups. While we agree that the program is in dire need of reform, and we applaud your Administration's commitment to avoid BLM’s suggested mass-killing of horses, the plan outlined in October by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar raises numerous concerns. These include:

· Perpetuating the flawed assumption that wild horses and burros are overpopulating their Western ranges. In reality, the BLM has no accurate current inventory of the 37,000 wild horses and burros it claims remain on public lands. Independent analysis of BLM’s own numbers reveal there may be only 15,000 wild horses remaining on public lands.

· Continuing the mass removal of wild horses and burros from their rightful Western ranges: The BLM intends to spend over $30 million in Fiscal Year 2010 to capture more than 12,000 wild horses and burros. This stockpiling of horses continues even as an astounding 32,000 are already being held in government holding facilities at enormous taxpayer expense.

· Scapegoating wild horses and burros for range deterioration even though they comprise only a tiny fraction of animals and wildlife grazing our public lands. Far greater damage is caused by privately-owned livestock, which outnumber the horses more than 100 to 1.

· Moving wild horses and burros east off their Western homelands to “sanctuaries” in the east and Midwest at an initial cost of $96 million creates significant health concerns if animals adapted to western landscapes are managed on wet ground and rich grasses.

Removing tens of thousands of horses and burros from their legally-designated Western ranges and moving them into government-run facilities subverts the intent of the 1971 Wild Free-roaming Horse and Burro Act, which mandated that horses be preserved “where presently found.” A 2009 DC district court case held that “Congress did not authorize BLM to “manage” the wild horses and burros by corralling them for private maintenance or long-term care as non-wild free-roaming animals off the public lands.”

We appreciate your Administration's recognition of the horses’ value as an ecotourism resource. However, the display of captive, non-reproducing herds in eastern pastures renders them little more than zoo exhibits, further discounting the contribution to our history and the future of the American West.

We believe that workable solutions to create a healthy “multiple use” of public rangelands, protect the ecological balance of all wildlife, and preserve America's wild horses and burros in their rightful, legally protected home can be achieved. We are calling on the Obama Administration to reform the BLM's Wild Horse and Burro Management Program.

We ask that you reverse the current course and immediately take the following actions:

1) Place a moratorium on all roundups until accurate and independent assessments of population numbers and range conditions are made available and a final, long-term solution is formalized.

2) Restore protections included in the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act. Update existing laws that protect wild horses by reopening certain public lands to the mustangs and burros, thus decreasing the number in captivity. Return healthy wild horses and burros in holding to all available acres of public land designated primarily for their use in 1971. If these lands are not available, equivalent and appropriate western public lands should be added in their place.

3) Support federal grazing permit buybacks. Reduce livestock grazing and reanalyze appropriate management levels for herd management areas to allow for self-sustaining, genetically-viable herds to exist in the west.

4) Conduct Congressional hearings regarding the mismanagement of our wild herds and further investigate the inability of BLM to correct the shortcomings of the program as audited by the Government Accountability Office’s 1990, 1991 and 2008 reports.

Supported by the undersigned on November 16, 2009 (see list of supporters below)

Contact: Ginger Kathrens

The Cloud Foundation

719.633.4933

ginger@thecloudfoundation.org

John Holland

Equine Welfare Alliance

540.268.5693

john@equinewelfarealliance.org

List of supporters:
The Undersigned Hereby Unite As One Voice Calling For An Immediate Moratorium On Wild Horse & Burro Round-Ups

Autonomous Makana Ndlambe Horse & Livestock Association, South Africa

Adapting Gaits, Inc.

Alex Brown Racing

American Horse Defense Fund

Americans Against Horse Slaughter

Americans Against Horse Slaughter in Arizona

Andean Tapir Fund

Angel's Gate Hospice & Rehabilitation Home for Animals

Animal Healing Connection

Animal Health and Safety Associates/Pixie Projects

Animal Iridology Center

Animal Law Coalition

Animal Legal Defense Fund

Animals' Angels

Beauty's Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.

Brad Woodard, Reporter

Canadian Horse Defence Coalition

Castleton Ranch Horse Rescue, Inc.

Chantal Westermann, former ABC reporter

The Cloud Foundation

Colorado Wild Horse and Burro Coalition

The Conquistador Equine Rescue and Advocacy Program

Cornwalls Voice for Animals

Craig Downer, wildlife ecologist and author

Senator Dave Wanzenried, Montana

Deanne Stillman, Author of Mustang

DreamCatcher Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary

Ed Harris & Family

Emthunzini

Equine Advocates

Equine Protection Network

Equine Rescue and Protection Humane Society of the US, Inc.

Equine Welfare Alliance

For the Love of Jenny Animal Rescue

For the Love of the Horse

Force of the Horse© LLC.

Friends of A Legacy

Front Range Equine Rescue

George Wuerthner, ecologist

Glen Glasscock (long distance rider, world record holder)

The Golden Carrot

Gray Dapple Thoroughbred Assistance Program

Greater Houston Horse Council

Gypsy Heart Horse Rescue

Habitat for Horses, Inc.

Hacienda de los Milagros, Inc.

The Healing Journey Rescue

Helping Hearts Equine Rescue, Inc.

Hidden Creek Friesians

Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund

Home At Last Equine Rescue and Sanctuary

Honeysuckle Farms

Hope Ryden, congressional advisor on 1971 Act, Author America's Last Wild Horses

Horse Play

Horse Rescue, Relief and Retirement Fund, Inc.

Horseback Magazine

Humanion Films

Illinois Equine Humane Center, NFP

In Defense of Animals

Joe Camp, filmmaker, author The Soul of A Horse

Jouney's End Ranch Animal Sanctuary

KBR World of Wild Horses and Burros

Lacy J. Dalton, singer/songwriter

Laura Leigh, Illustrator/writer

Least Resistance Training Concepts (LRTC)

Let 'em Run

Lifesavers, Inc.

Live and Let Live Farm Rescue

Madeleine's Mustangs – Madeleine Pickens

Manes and Tails Organization

Maria Daines, Singer/Songwriter

Mary Ann Kennedy, Singer/Songwriter

MidAtlantic Horse Rescue

Mustang Spirit

Mylestone Equine Rescue

Native American Church of Ghost Dancers

Natural Horse Magazine

Natural Horse Talk

Old Friends Equine, A Kentucky Thoroughbred Retirement Facility

Paul Sorvino, Actor

Paula Bacon, former mayor of Kaufman, TX

Proud Spirit Horse Sanctuary

Quarter-Acre Rescue Ranch & Equine Advocacy Center

Rainbow Meadows Rescue and Retirement, Inc.

Redwings Horse Sanctuary

Reinfree.org
Mestengo

The Rescue Friends

Sacred Heart Equine Rescue

Santiburi Farm

Saving America's Mustangs

Saving Horses, Inc.

Saving Our American Wild Horse

Second Chance Ranch

Silent Voices Equine Rescue

South Florida Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Spirit Riders Foundation

Spoiled Acres Rescue Inc

Spring Farm CARES Animal Sanctuary

Star Lit Stables

Summer Haven Rescue

Sustainable Obtainable Solutions

Terri Farley, author of The Phantom Stallion Series

Tranquility Farm

Triple H Miniature Horse Rescue

trueCOWBOYmagazine

Wayne McCrory, Wildlife Biologist and Conservationist

Wendie Malick, Actress

Valhalla Wilderness Society

WFL Endangered Stream Live

Whispering Winds Equine Rescue

Wild Burro Rescue and Preservation Project

Wild For Life Foundation

Wild Hoofbeats

Wild Horse Observers Association

Wild Horse Preservation League

Wild Horse Spirit

Wild Horse War Room

Wildhorses In Need

Win Animal Rights

WindDancer Foundation, Inc.

Winecup/Gamble Ranch

WILD HORSE PLANS "BLOODLESS GENOCIDE"

2009-11-16T19:28:00.000-08:00

http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2009/11/114.shtml

Wild horse plans "bloodless genocide"

November 17, 2009
The increased pace of wild horse musters in the US has united the equine welfare community like never before, an advocate says.

Equine Welfare Alliance spokesman John Holland described some of the plans laid out by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which is responsible for the wild herds, as bloodless genocide.

"The reckless abandon with which the BLM has accelerated its gather programme is breathtaking," Holland said.

"It has, however, had one effect that nobody could have predicted. It is so outrageous and unjustified in its implementation and so staggering in its consequences that it has galvanised and united the entire wild equine community to a level we have never seen before."

The Equine Welfare Alliance, an umbrella organisation representing more than groups, has called for a moratorium on wild horse gathers.

A recent Associated Press report suggests BLM officials have rejected the idea.

The alliance will now consider its legal options.

Holland said the equine welfare community in general and the wild equine advocates, in particular, have long been a fractious, independent bunch and difficult to bring together.

"Moreover, the anti-slaughter effort has traditionally been a different set of advocates than the wild equine movement. The same can be said of other areas of animal advocacy.

"Yet we are now seeing old adversaries bury the hatchet to pull together to a degree I would never have thought possible. They realize that once the herds have been gathered and their social structures torn apart, they will cease to be wild equines and will simply be sterile, untamed horses and an unnecessary expense to the taxpayers."

The alliance is critical of the so-called Salazar plan, which proposes more aggressive use of long-term contraceptives and relocating wild horses to up to seven new horse reserves on more productive land further east of the western rangelands.

"As to the Salazar plan specifically, we see it as a bloodless genocide at best," Holland said.

He said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has attempted to alter the discussion of what to do with the horses in long-term holding into a discussion of what to do with all the wild horses.

Sen. Landrieu to Join Call for Moratorium on Wild Horse Gathers

2009-11-04T12:24:00.000-08:00

Sen. Landrieu to Join Call for Moratorium on Gathers

http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1081

Update Nov. 4, 2009: Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), long a supporter of the horses, will join the call for BLM to stop the gathers, the roundups and removals, of wild horses and burros!
Please write or call your U.S. representative and senators and urge themto contact Sen. Landrieu to join in this effort to put in place a moratorium to stop the gathers, the roundups and removals pending Congressional action on the future management of the wild horses and burros. Ginger Kathrens of Cloud Foundation, explains:
"[Sen. Landrieu's] letter will go to BLM Director Bob Abbey requesting an IMMEDIATE MORATORIUM on the 2009 roundups which call for removing nearly 4,000 horses of perhaps only 15,000 remaining on their range. She'd like to have other Senators and [Representatives] sign on before this letter goes out later this week.
"If they would be willing to sign on to the letter calling for a moratorium please let me know and have them call Elizabeth Craddock at Senator Landrieu's office at 202-224-5824 or Elizabeth_Craddock@landrieu.senate.gov".

Read Animal Law Coalition's reports below for more information on efforts to stop the roundups and removals and get Congress to conduct an investigation or hold a hearing on BLM's management of the wild horses and burros program and make decisions about their future.

For more information on you can help and to read the entire article: http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1081

Congressional Committee Will Call for Moratorium on Gathers

2009-11-02T17:37:00.000-08:00

Just in from The Animal Law Coalition:
http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1081

A Congressional staff member has confirmed to Animal Law Coalition that the House Natural Resources Committee is calling on BLM to stop all gathers or removals of wild horses and burros until Congress takes action on the controversial issues surrounding the wild horses and burros. (For the entire article and what you can do to help, please click here.

A CALL FOR A CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION

2009-10-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

A Call for a Congressional investigation!

A Call for a Congressional investigation

It’s time for Congress to hold public hearings and investigate BLM’s management of the wild horses and burros particularly in light of BLM’s proposed new plan for these animals. Until this happens and Congress reaches decisions about what agency and how these animals should be managed, there should be a moratorium on all roundups. The wild horses and burros are disappearing and BLM’s plan seems largely focused on continued roundups, penning these wild animals and managing them to extinction. This was not the promise of the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act. Go here for more - http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1081

CJ (Potlucky) Gone too soon...

2009-10-25T18:39:00.000-07:00

It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that our friend CJ has lost her battle with cancer. She is now pain free and at peace with her beloved pets as they make the journey across the Bridge together………..

God saw you were getting tired,
And a cure was not to be,
So he put his arms around you
And whispered, “Come to me.”

With tearful eyes we watched you,
And saw you pass away.
Although we loved you dearly,
We could not make you stay.

A golden heart stopped beating,
Hard working hands at rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us,
He only takes the best.

With love and admiration for a life well lived, a life filled with kindness and caring, we wish God Speed to our dear friend, CJ.

Shelley and Deb

SENATE VOTES TO STOP SLAUGHTER OF WILD HORSES AND BURROS!

2009-09-25T15:23:00.000-07:00

fROM Animal Law Coalition
http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/693

Senate Votes to Stop Slaughter of Wild Horses and Burros!
Posted Feb 25, 2009 by lauraallen
Wildlife
Horse Slaughter

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.

U.S. Senate Pass New Bill that Order BLM to Institue a New Plan

2009-09-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

From Horse Back Magazine:

The United States Senate has passed a tough new bill that orders the Bureau of Land Management to institute a new plan for its management of wild horses. The legislation was introduced by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D), La.

For details of the surprise legislation go to http://www.horsebac kmagazine. com.

Horseback's cover story on America's Will Horses will be out next week.

Senator Landrieu, Congressman Grijalva Join Stand with The Mustangs!

2009-09-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

From The Cloud Foundation:

BLM Capture of Iconic Wild Horse Herd Sparks Controversy
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. -->-->
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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.-->-->
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“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.-->-->
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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. -->-->
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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.”-->-->
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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.” -->-->
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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-->-->
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Horses from Cloud's Herd will be Slaughtered

2009-09-16T18:20:00.000-07:00

http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1025

Horses from Cloud's Herd will be Slaughtered
Posted Aug 28, 2009 by lauraallen
Horse Slaughter

Update Sept. 10: Curiously, when a concerned citizen called the BLM to ask the fate of the horses to be permanently removed from Cloud's Herd, she was told all would be adopted to good homes.

Not true. The BLM confirms on its own website that "sale-eligible horses (over 10 years old) will go through the sale authority process (oral competitive bid for one round then first come-first serve)."

That means kill buyers will be there to purchase the horses for slaughter. Jerry Finch of Habitat for Horses states, "Previous statements by the BLM were that they would remove only 70 of 190 horses. Today they are exceeding that number by going beyond their specific Herd Management Area (HMA) and rounding up bands outside of their legal perimeter in Custer National Forest, branding and tagging them and shipping them to holding pens ready to be sent away. All this is being done by a contractor previously convicted of ..capturing and killing unbranded horses, mares and colts running at large on public land."

The auction for these horses from Cloud's Herd is planned for September 26. Go here for the reaction of some members of Congress to BLM's continued harassment and elimination of America's wild horses.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Keep writing and calling! Don't wait. Do it now. Of course, be very polite.

BLM Director Bob Abbey
Call: 202-208-3801 or 866-468-7826
Fax: 202-208-5242
Robert_Abbey@blm.gov

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden
Phone: 202-456-1111 or 202-456-9000
Fax: 202-456-2461
House Committee on Natural Resources 202-225-6065

Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 202-224-4971

Find and contact your U.S. senators here and urge them to tell the BLM to stop this atrocity to Cloud's Herd and also vote yes on S.B. 1579. Go here for more on S.B. 1579.

Go here to write your U.S. representative and urge him or her to tell the BLM to stop the roundup of Cloud's Herd.

Plan to attend or send a statement to the meeting of the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board on Sept. 28-29.

For more on this, read Animal Law Coalition's earlier reports below.

Update Sept. 9: The Pryor Mountain Roundup has been called off! The BLM is leaving alone around 25 horses - 4 family bands.

Red Raven and his family are hiding in the mountains. Two foals are thought to be with this family.

The BLM will release some horses today, including most of Cloud's family. (Cloud is pictured here in captivity.) But there is no plan to release older horses slated for sale, meaning slaughter.

Update Sept. 7: Cloud, pictured here in captivity, the namesake of the herd, has been captured. But not without a fight. Go here for more.

The BLM has also announced that of the 70 wild horses that will be permanently removed, those 10 years of age and older, will be sold. That means these animals will likely end up at Mexican or Canadian slaughter houses. Earlier BLM had said the horses would be adopted to good homes.

Sadly, the contractor hired by the BLM for the round up of Cloud's Herd in the Pryor Mountains, is Dave Cattoor, previously indicted on federal charges of illegally running down wild horses and foals in Nevada with a helicopter and selling them for slaughter. The BLM pays him $7,000 per day for this round up.

Watch video of the roundup of Cloud's Herd and discussion of the controversy.

Update Sept. 2, 2009: U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan in Washington, D.C., has denied a motion for a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction, (attached below) filed by Cloud Foundation, Front Range Equine Rescue and nature photographer, Carol Walker, in their lawsuit to stop the roundup of Cloud's herd.

The motion basically asked the judge to order the roundup delayed until the lawsuit is resolved. A hearing to resolve the lawsuit on summary judgment is set for December 3, 2009.

The U.S. attorneys representing the BLM in the lawsuit agreed to delay the roundup set to begin Sept. 1 until the judge ruled on the motion. The judge issued the denial following a hearing on Sept. 2.

Watch the videos here for more information. Go here for a look at what happens to horses including foals during these roundups.

Original report: Beginning on September 1, 2009, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), an agency within the U.S. Dept of Interior, plans to begin rounding up "nearly all wild horses" in the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range in Montana.

The Cloud Foundation estimates there are 190 wild horses living in the mountains that are 1 year old or older.

The herd is called Cloud's Herd for the horse filmed by Ginger Kathrens, founder of the Cloud Foundation, when he was just a colt. Cloud lives wild and free with his family. At least for now.

The BLM plans to remove permanently "up to 70 adults including foals", having decided they are excess horses. 60 mares will be treated with a fertility control, Porca Zonae Pellucidae (PZP), and released. The way the BLM put it in its Environmental Assessment or EA which the agency is required to prepare pursuant to National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA"), 42 U.S.C. §§ 4321, et seq., "The method of capture w[ill] be helicopter drive-trapping using temporary traps of portable panels as well as trapping directly at Britton Springs Corrals. After capture in the trap, horses would be sorted on site and treated with fertility control or taken to the Britton Springs administrative site for sorting and application of fertility control. Treated mares and stallions identified for retention would be released either during or after gather operations. ....Excess wild horses removed w[ill] be prepared for adoption or sale at the Britton Springs Facility."

Cloud or his family could well be among those horses deemed to be "excess" by BLM and sold. Certainly, it is unlikely they will be together again as a family.

Excess wild horses is a legal term that means horses BLM has decided to remove 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 a 2004 amendment to the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act, which authorizes BLM to manage these animals, "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, BLM has sold thousands of wild horses for slaughter.

The horses are panicked, terrified, traumatized and many times injured as they are run down by the helicopters. Families will be separated and destroyed, probably forever. It is unlikely the BLM would bother to keep even horses marked for release together in their families.

Go here for more information about what happens to these wild horses and burros when the BLM rounds them up.

As a reason for the removal of the 70 horses including foals from the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, the BLM says only there has been "resource damage". Its EA cites to "[d]eteriorating range and forest conditions associated with past management practices". In BLM's Record of Decision issued this month, August, 2009, the BLM says only the removal will limit the horses to their herd area, "limit competition among wild horses and wildlife" presumably for food, and "prevent deterioration of rangelands and vegetation resources". It is mentioned there has been limited water.

But, according to Cloud Foundation, there has been 3 years of rainfall that has ended the drought and left the range in "excellent condition".

The BLM also refers to a need to "maintain a multiple use relationship for the area".

The wild horses and burros are actually supposed to be protected under the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. In passing that law Congress declared that, "wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West"..."[T]hey contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people". Congress recognized the wild horses and burros are "fast disappearing from the American scene". "[W]ild 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 public lands." 16 U.S.C. § 1331.

Indeed, the Pryor Mountain wild horses are descendants of horses in the Lewis and Clark expedition that came to be owned by the Crow tribe 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 WFHBA requires that BLM management activities be at "the minimal feasible level." Id. According to its own regulations, BLM must protect wild horses and burros from unauthorized capture, branding, harassment or death and provide these animals with humane care and treatment. 43 C.F.R. § 4700.

Under the WFHBA, wild horses are "to be considered in the area" where they were found in 1971 "as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands." 16 U.S.C. § 1331. These legally protected areas are known as "herd areas," and are defined as "the geographic area identified as having been used by a herd as its habitat in 1971." 43 C.F.R. § 4700.0-5(d).

A brutal wholesale round up and removal, even slaughter, of so many horses is surely a direct violation of the protections of the WFHBA. It's hardly management of the herd at the "minimal feasible level".

According to the Cloud Foundation, this removal of 70 horses will leave this unique and historical herd genetically non-viable and unable to sustain itself into the future. Equine geneticist, Gus Cothran, Ph.D. of Texas A&M University, states that "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."

Just last month a federal judge entered an injunction to stop a BLM decision to eliminate an entire herd of horses in a range in Colorado. The BLM had decided simply to eliminate the horses even though the agency agreed the horses were not "excess". The BLM has also decided to eliminate entire herds, 620 horses, from their ranges in Nevada.

The Cloud Foundation, Front Range Equine Rescue and nature photographer Carol Walker, have filed a lawsuit and a motion for a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction in the federal district court in Washington, DC to stop the roundup and removal of horses from the Range.

The plaintiffs claim the BLM has violated NEPA by failing to prepare and Environmental Impact Statement, consider alternatives, and take a "hard look" at the environmental consequences. They claim the BLM's proposed action means the herd will not be genetically viable. Also, the plaintiffs claim BLM relied on a 2004 study to support its contention the range has deteriorated when there is evidence that since then with the end of the drought, the range conditions have greatly improved.

The plaintiffs also claim these actions by the BLM violate WHBA's mandate to manage the wild horses at the "minimal feasible level" and protect them from harassment, capture and death.

A copy of the Complaint is attached below to this article. Animal Law Coalition will bring you more information about this lawsuit as it becomes available. In the meantime:

Read about BLM's final solution for America's wild horses and burros.

Listen to Angels for Cloud on WFL Endangered Stream Live radio

Go here for information about and how you can help pass a bill pending in Congress, Restoring Our American Mustangs or ROAM, S.B. 1579, that would restore protections under the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act 0f 1971 that were lost in 2004.

For more on this historic herd, go to http://www.cloudfoundation.org/

Information was provided for this article by Equine Welfare Alliance. Photographs courtesy of R.T. Fitch.

HELP THE CLOUD FOUNDATION HELP OUR WILD HORSES

2009-09-10T06:19:00.000-07:00

FREEDOM FUND- please help
By thecloudfoundation

We are advocating for the immediate release of the older horses who are being removed both from the designated range as well as the Forest Service. However, we have not yet made substantial progress and until the courts rule we need to keep Conquistador, Shane, Bo and Trigger’s bands intact. These horses represent an entire sub-population of the Pryor herd, unique genetic lines that will be lost forever when they are removed. We want them to stay together and we have several options lined up but will need financial backing. It is our intention to keep these horses close to their mountain.

Please help us to make this possible. We need to fundraise for these bands and for our continued legal action to preserve this herd as well. We want to see their range expanded so that the Custer National Forest lands, where Pryor Horses have lived for at least 200 years, will be legally theirs forever.

Please help us preserve this herd through action and donations

SAVING AMERICA'S HORSES (Issue Trailer released)

2009-09-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.savingamericashorses.org/issuetrailerflv.html

Pryor Mountain Roundup Is Over....

2009-09-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

From The Cloud Foundation Blog:
http://thecloudfoundation.wordpress.com/

End of Roundup: Update
September 9, 2009 by thecloudfoundation

The roundup of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horses is over after six days- the wild horse and burro specialist made the decision to call it so the helicopter did not go out today and no more horses were brought in.

The reasons given for ending this roundup were:
The gather operation is nearly complete and horses were coming in sore-footed.
one mare (Brumby) tied up on Monday night
The BLM feels it would be hard on the remining horses to be brought in
There is a new little black foal on the mountain top
There were 11 horses on the mountain (including two older mares, Electra and Quelle Colour) that BLM had slated for removal. In place of those horses they are taking young horses from bands already in the pens. More on the individuals soon.
BLM stated again that they will not release Conquistador nor the other older horses removed from the Forest Service.

In total 57 horses and 3 foals (a their mothers’ sides) are going to be offered up for adoption. As we understand it, older horses not adopted will be offered for sale. According to BLM’s recent press release “most of the rest of the 146 horses that were gathered and evaluated have already been released back onto the horse range.”

The BLM released Cloud and his band first. They left less Image, Rain and Arrow and Cloud Dancer (who is going to be turned out with the young stallion Exhilaration who lives in the Dryhead desert area). The wranglers did a fine job trying to get Cloud and his band out but because of all they were leaving behind the mares were reluctant to leave and for ten minutes or more Cloud snaked his band this way and that while the riders tried to push them out the half mile to the opening of the trap. It was a relief to see them finally disappear into the rolling lowland hills and start the long journey back up to their mountaintop.

The BLM released nearly all the horses who have not been tagged for removal today– Bolder and Flint and Cloud’s mom with her band among others. The old band stallion Starman (who was to be removed in a previous roundup and has been freeze-branded before advocates convinced BLM to release him) took off an galloped back to the wild followed by his mare, Rosarita, and their black yearling daughter.

Ginger and others are on the way up to the mountaintop to check on returning horses who are in the process of climbing the 10+ miles back to the home.

Don’t stop fighting for the older horses— it is cruel and unnecessary to remove Conquistador, Grumpy and the others. We have made this request of the BLM are they are still saying no. Please work for their return.

Thank you to everyone who is supporting these horses and all wild horses across the west. Their are many new faces who have joined the work of many organizations to save our wild horses and insure that we have viable herds into the future.

It is our intent to make this blog a factual and ongoing platform for education, action alerts and wild horse preservation awareness. It has also become a community board for your comments and a good form of communication. Your suggestions for improvements are always welcome. We are doing our best to catch up on correspondence and continue work on a “plan b” for these older horses should we not be successful in lobbying for their return to the wild.

Thank you for your support.
….more soon…
www.thecloudfoundation.org