U.S. District Judge Howard McKibben denied a request late Tuesday to halt the roundup at the Triple B complex in northeast Nevada near the Utah line. But he did issue a temporary restraining order banning any mistreatment of mustangs like the Wild Horse Freedom Federation caught on camera earlier this month. Read MORE...
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
APNewsBreak: Horse protection advocates win ban on helicopter mistreatment of Nevada mustangs
Washington Post
RENO, Nev. — A federal judge in Nevada is taking the U.S. government to task for misconduct by a helicopter contractor during one of the biggest mustang roundups in the West, granting a rare emergency order sought by wild horse protection advocates who argue all of the gathers on public lands are inhumane and illegal.
U.S. District Judge Howard McKibben denied a request late Tuesday to halt the roundup at the Triple B complex in northeast Nevada near the Utah line. But he did issue a temporary restraining order banning any mistreatment of mustangs like the Wild Horse Freedom Federation caught on camera earlier this month. Read MORE...
U.S. District Judge Howard McKibben denied a request late Tuesday to halt the roundup at the Triple B complex in northeast Nevada near the Utah line. But he did issue a temporary restraining order banning any mistreatment of mustangs like the Wild Horse Freedom Federation caught on camera earlier this month. Read MORE...
BLM Pilot Conduct Ruled Inhumane at Triple B Wild Horse Hearing, Judge Issue TRO
Horseback Magazine
Federal Judge “Deeply Concerned” Over BLM Defense
HOUSTON, (WHFF) – Reno Nevada Federal Judge Howard McKibben has granted a temporary restraining order against the continuation of documented helicopter pilot conduct at the Bureau of Land Management’s Triple B wild horse roundup in Eastern Nevada. Citing his authority to enjoin an agency’s conduct where their actions have been demonstrated to be “in violation of an Act.”
“I am deeply concerned,” Judge Mckibben stated to Eric Petersen, the BLM legal counsel, “that declarations presented to the Court by the agency do not address the issue, but simply deny wrong doing.”
Judge Mckibben went on to recite the only declaration of the four presented to the Court, that addressed an instance where video taken by Plaintiff Laura Leigh of Wild Horse Education (WHE) and the Wild Horse Freedom Federation (WHFF) shows a BLM contract pilot coming dangerously close to an exhausted horse apparently making contact with the animal was in direct contrast to what was recorded. He stated that the declaration by “defendant was not what he observed in the video as he could see an exhausted animal and the pilot apparently making contact. He said he did not appreciate the ‘blame the horse’ direction of the defendant’s statements.
Although McKibben did not rule in plaintiff’s favor on other alleged violations, he did verbally address the defendants. For example in the insufficient water assertion McKIbben said that if the horses drain the water they should simply be given more.
“I was honored to have the opportunity to bring these issues into the Courtroom,” stated Leigh’s attorney Gordon Cowan of Reno. “This is a beginning to addressing this most basic premise of an Act of Congress that still has significant public interest.”
Mckibben also noted that if the BLM brings a helicopter contractor back to Triple B, as stated in Alan Shepherd’s (BLM) declaration, “this Court will be watching
Federal Judge “Deeply Concerned” Over BLM Defense
HOUSTON, (WHFF) – Reno Nevada Federal Judge Howard McKibben has granted a temporary restraining order against the continuation of documented helicopter pilot conduct at the Bureau of Land Management’s Triple B wild horse roundup in Eastern Nevada. Citing his authority to enjoin an agency’s conduct where their actions have been demonstrated to be “in violation of an Act.”“I am deeply concerned,” Judge Mckibben stated to Eric Petersen, the BLM legal counsel, “that declarations presented to the Court by the agency do not address the issue, but simply deny wrong doing.”
Judge Mckibben went on to recite the only declaration of the four presented to the Court, that addressed an instance where video taken by Plaintiff Laura Leigh of Wild Horse Education (WHE) and the Wild Horse Freedom Federation (WHFF) shows a BLM contract pilot coming dangerously close to an exhausted horse apparently making contact with the animal was in direct contrast to what was recorded. He stated that the declaration by “defendant was not what he observed in the video as he could see an exhausted animal and the pilot apparently making contact. He said he did not appreciate the ‘blame the horse’ direction of the defendant’s statements.
Although McKibben did not rule in plaintiff’s favor on other alleged violations, he did verbally address the defendants. For example in the insufficient water assertion McKIbben said that if the horses drain the water they should simply be given more.
“I was honored to have the opportunity to bring these issues into the Courtroom,” stated Leigh’s attorney Gordon Cowan of Reno. “This is a beginning to addressing this most basic premise of an Act of Congress that still has significant public interest.”
Mckibben also noted that if the BLM brings a helicopter contractor back to Triple B, as stated in Alan Shepherd’s (BLM) declaration, “this Court will be watching
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
THE QUEEN OF HORSE SLAUGHTER WANTS YOU TO EAT YOUR OWN PARTNER.
The Persian Horse's Blog
The Persian Horse Blog is Dedicated to the Horses who have Shed their Blood, Lost their Freedom, and Given their Lives for BLM.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SIGN PETITION TO BAN TRANSPORT OF U.S. HORSES TO SLAUGHTER.
Background From: Animal Law Coalition
by John Holland and Vicki Tobin, Equine Welfare Alliance
Over the years, we’ve written about the nonsensical arguments used by those in support of horse slaughter. We’ve scratched our heads and wondered why seemingly intelligent people would use the most illogical, ill conceived arguments and ridiculous euphemisms like “horse harvesting” to try to sway public opinion to embrace horse slaughter.
Time after time horse advocates have exposed the horrendous cruelty involved in the industry in ways that were completely indisputable. Yet, slaughter proponents steadfastly insist on calling the process “euthanasia” which of course means “good death”, the very polar opposite of what the gruesome evidence shows.
Animal Agriculture organizations, from turkey growers to pork producers, have always been tacitly opposed to banning horse slaughter on the flimsy supposition that it would lead down a slippery slope toward the banning of all meat production.
Unlike slaughter supporters who throw out unsubstantiated statistics and comments, we are always under a microscope. We must have our facts, figures and sources straight before going to press. We have consistently had enough research and data to resink the Titanic but more often than not, we have been unable to break the stronghold on the press by our opponents.
That is until the drug issue came to light. We had warned of drug residues in US horses for years, but eventually food safety regulators in European Union (EU) came to realize that there was a huge hole in their system, and that thousands of contaminated horses were slipping into the EU. It took human food safety to finally provide an irrefutable reason why the slaughter of U.S. horses should be banned immediately.
Initially, all the propaganda and disinformation was about the innocuous preservation of horse slaughter for the large quantity breeders. The big support came from the American Quarter Horse Association, the largest breed registry with over 125,000 foals registered every year. The major driver of excess horses, or as our opponents have renamed them, “unwanted” horses, are the large breeders that produce hundreds of horses, sell a small portion and then cull the excess to slaughter. It is a never ending cycle that had to be protected and is a practice that is never addressed by slaughter proponents.
Then when the US horse slaughter plants were closed down the horse slaughter battle began to shift from a conflict within the horse community to a full-fledged proxy war with animal agriculture.
The first clue that slaughter supporters were switching strategies was the new argument that opponents of horse slaughter really wanted to bring down animal agriculture. Now, equine advocates were labeled PETA, and animal rights extremists, with some going as far as to call us “animal terrorists”. No doubt, this was to garner support from food producers and ranchers to support a foreign meat business that had nothing to do with the horse industry.
Finally, there was the “Summit of the Horse” meeting in Las Vegas earlier this year that featured a keynote speaker from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The animal agriculture supporters of horse slaughter had been forced to come to the aid of their flailing allies on the horse slaughter front.
In a feckless attempt to throw up a smoke screen on the issue, the outspoken slaughter spokesperson, Sue Wallis, resorted to inventing her drug regulations and facts out of thin air. She declared phenylbutazone (bute) is safe in food animals after 30 days, ignoring that the FDA and European Union have banned bute in all food animals.
In the heat of the blog wars that followed, some ranchers attempted to bolster the Wallis argument by stating they often gave bute to their cattle! Their reasoning, to whatever degree reasoning might have existed, appeared to be that if food safety regulations are being flaunted by cattlemen, then these drug residues must be okay in horses.
Once the drug issues came to light, an unintended consequence emerged. Americans are becoming increasingly interested and suspicious about how their own meat is being produced. Some are asking why the EU bans our beef that is raised using growth enhancing steroids and/or antibiotics.
Perhaps this is the true “slippery slope” that the animal agriculture proponents were concerned about. Those who know how outrageously this safety issue has been covered up are now asking what might really be going on “behind the curtain” of our meat production.
Our issue has always been and remains solely horse slaughter but our opponents, in attempting to dismiss the drug issues in horses, now have taken this beyond horse owners. If the meat industry supporters of horse slaughter had any regard for food safety, why would they support the slaughter of an animal that is not raised or regulated in the U.S. as a food animal?
Slaughter proponents have not only backed themselves into a corner but have now painted themselves into that corner. They are stuck and the desperation is becoming quite humorous because it is they that brought food production into the mix. The disinformation in their slaughter handbooks has no answers on how to twist and spin food safety laws or explain why food producers support horse slaughter.
In light of all the push back from the European Union on U.S. horses, increased FDA authority and increased awareness on food safety, there should be no debate on whether or not horse slaughter should be banned.
A member of Equine Welfare Alliance and the food production industry, Diana Bodensteiner, stated it best, “Slaughter is food production. It is a serious, tightly regulated business. It is not the place we send unwanted cows, swine, sheep, and horses.”
Today our horses are being slaughtered in Canada and Mexico, but there are plans in both countries to appease the EU by requiring horses to be electronically tracked from birth if they are to be slaughtered for human consumption. That will most probably be how American horses finally become protected against slaughter.
We now know the true unintended consequences of horse slaughter.
The Persian Horse Blog is Dedicated to the Horses who have Shed their Blood, Lost their Freedom, and Given their Lives for BLM.
Image by Gisele Bedard
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SIGN PETITION TO BAN TRANSPORT OF U.S. HORSES TO SLAUGHTER.
Background From: Animal Law Coalition
by John Holland and Vicki Tobin, Equine Welfare Alliance
Over the years, we’ve written about the nonsensical arguments used by those in support of horse slaughter. We’ve scratched our heads and wondered why seemingly intelligent people would use the most illogical, ill conceived arguments and ridiculous euphemisms like “horse harvesting” to try to sway public opinion to embrace horse slaughter.
Time after time horse advocates have exposed the horrendous cruelty involved in the industry in ways that were completely indisputable. Yet, slaughter proponents steadfastly insist on calling the process “euthanasia” which of course means “good death”, the very polar opposite of what the gruesome evidence shows.
Animal Agriculture organizations, from turkey growers to pork producers, have always been tacitly opposed to banning horse slaughter on the flimsy supposition that it would lead down a slippery slope toward the banning of all meat production.
Unlike slaughter supporters who throw out unsubstantiated statistics and comments, we are always under a microscope. We must have our facts, figures and sources straight before going to press. We have consistently had enough research and data to resink the Titanic but more often than not, we have been unable to break the stronghold on the press by our opponents.
That is until the drug issue came to light. We had warned of drug residues in US horses for years, but eventually food safety regulators in European Union (EU) came to realize that there was a huge hole in their system, and that thousands of contaminated horses were slipping into the EU. It took human food safety to finally provide an irrefutable reason why the slaughter of U.S. horses should be banned immediately.
Initially, all the propaganda and disinformation was about the innocuous preservation of horse slaughter for the large quantity breeders. The big support came from the American Quarter Horse Association, the largest breed registry with over 125,000 foals registered every year. The major driver of excess horses, or as our opponents have renamed them, “unwanted” horses, are the large breeders that produce hundreds of horses, sell a small portion and then cull the excess to slaughter. It is a never ending cycle that had to be protected and is a practice that is never addressed by slaughter proponents.
Then when the US horse slaughter plants were closed down the horse slaughter battle began to shift from a conflict within the horse community to a full-fledged proxy war with animal agriculture.
The first clue that slaughter supporters were switching strategies was the new argument that opponents of horse slaughter really wanted to bring down animal agriculture. Now, equine advocates were labeled PETA, and animal rights extremists, with some going as far as to call us “animal terrorists”. No doubt, this was to garner support from food producers and ranchers to support a foreign meat business that had nothing to do with the horse industry.
.
Next, was the emergence of HumaneWatch, an organization frequently quoted by slaughter supporters, that is run by Rick Berman, dubbed Dr. Evil by 60 Minutes. Berman is a lobbyist and shill for corporations that oppose any type of animal welfare. Their sole purpose is to bash the Humane Society of the United States because of their successes in animal welfare for farm animals.Finally, there was the “Summit of the Horse” meeting in Las Vegas earlier this year that featured a keynote speaker from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The animal agriculture supporters of horse slaughter had been forced to come to the aid of their flailing allies on the horse slaughter front.
In a feckless attempt to throw up a smoke screen on the issue, the outspoken slaughter spokesperson, Sue Wallis, resorted to inventing her drug regulations and facts out of thin air. She declared phenylbutazone (bute) is safe in food animals after 30 days, ignoring that the FDA and European Union have banned bute in all food animals.
In the heat of the blog wars that followed, some ranchers attempted to bolster the Wallis argument by stating they often gave bute to their cattle! Their reasoning, to whatever degree reasoning might have existed, appeared to be that if food safety regulations are being flaunted by cattlemen, then these drug residues must be okay in horses.
Once the drug issues came to light, an unintended consequence emerged. Americans are becoming increasingly interested and suspicious about how their own meat is being produced. Some are asking why the EU bans our beef that is raised using growth enhancing steroids and/or antibiotics.
Perhaps this is the true “slippery slope” that the animal agriculture proponents were concerned about. Those who know how outrageously this safety issue has been covered up are now asking what might really be going on “behind the curtain” of our meat production.
Our issue has always been and remains solely horse slaughter but our opponents, in attempting to dismiss the drug issues in horses, now have taken this beyond horse owners. If the meat industry supporters of horse slaughter had any regard for food safety, why would they support the slaughter of an animal that is not raised or regulated in the U.S. as a food animal?
Slaughter proponents have not only backed themselves into a corner but have now painted themselves into that corner. They are stuck and the desperation is becoming quite humorous because it is they that brought food production into the mix. The disinformation in their slaughter handbooks has no answers on how to twist and spin food safety laws or explain why food producers support horse slaughter.
In light of all the push back from the European Union on U.S. horses, increased FDA authority and increased awareness on food safety, there should be no debate on whether or not horse slaughter should be banned.
A member of Equine Welfare Alliance and the food production industry, Diana Bodensteiner, stated it best, “Slaughter is food production. It is a serious, tightly regulated business. It is not the place we send unwanted cows, swine, sheep, and horses.”
Today our horses are being slaughtered in Canada and Mexico, but there are plans in both countries to appease the EU by requiring horses to be electronically tracked from birth if they are to be slaughtered for human consumption. That will most probably be how American horses finally become protected against slaughter.
We now know the true unintended consequences of horse slaughter.
Former Mayor: Horse Slaughterhouses a Drain on Taypayers — Never Mind the Ditches of Blood
Nashville Scene
The letter from Paula Bacon:
Dear State Legislator:
You will soon be asked to vote on ... legislation regarding the commercial slaughter of American horses of which you probably have very little firsthand knowledge. No doubt you have heard from lobbyists and organizations who want you to support the practice, but before you do, you should ask yourself why the residents of Texas and Illinois worked so hard to rid their states of their horse slaughter plants. The answer may surprise you.
As a mayor who lived with this plague in her town for many years, who knows what the horse slaughter industry really is and what it does to a community, please allow me to tell you what we experienced. The industry caused significant and long term hardship to my community which was home to Dallas Crown, one of the last three horse slaughter plants in the United States.
All three plants were foreign-owned, and since the market for horsemeat is entirely foreign, the industry will always be dominated by these foreign interests. The corporations involved in this industry have consistently proven themselves to be the worst possible corporate citizens.
The Dallas Crown horse slaughtering facility had been in operation in Kaufman since the late 70's and from the beginning had caused problems both economically and environmentally. I have listed some of the specific issues below.
I will gladly provide you with detailed reports from my former City Manager, Police Chief, and Public Works Director regarding odor and wastewater effluence violations at the Dallas Crown horse slaughter plant in the City of Kaufman. The reports reference "decaying meat [which] provides a foul odor and is an attraction for vermin and carrion," containers conveyed "uncovered and leaking liquids," there are "significant foul odors during the daily monitoring of the area," and "Dallas Crown continually neglects to perform within the standards required of them."
Therefore, in August of 2005, our City Council decided by unanimous decision to send the Dallas Crown issue to the Board of Adjustments for termination of their non-conforming use status. In March of 2006, the Board of Adjustments voted to order Dallas Crown closed, but the plant was able to tie the enforcement up in the courts until they were finally closed under state law in February of 2007.
Dallas Crown repeatedly described itself as a "good corporate citizen." I will be straightforward in asserting that they are the very antithesis of such.
o Dallas Crown had a very long history of violations to their industrial waste permit, ‘loading' the capacity of the wastewater treatment plant.
o Dallas Crown denied the City access to their property for wastewater testing beginning October 1, 2004 until July 6, 2005, despite requirement by city ordinance, city permit agreement, and court order.
o City staff reported that a $6 million upgrade to our wastewater treatment plant would be required even though the plant was planned and financed to last through 2015.
o Odor problems resulting from the outside storage of offal and hides over several days persisted not only in traditionally African-American neighborhood known as "Boggy Bottom", but at the nearby Presbyterian Hospital, the daycare center, and surrounding areas.
o Transport of offal and fresh hides on City and state thoroughfares is conducted in leaking containers without covers.
o City documents reveal an extended history of efforts to have Dallas Crown address various environmental issues. Reports include descriptive language including such as "blood flowing east and west in the ditches from your plant," "It has been over 45 days [it had been 59 days] and no apparent cleanup has occurred," "Your system has not improved and subsequently it has gotten a lot worse," "Words cannot express the seriousness" of recent violations and the "adverse effects on the wastewater treatment plant," and "Please be sure trailers are secured before leaving your premises to prevent spills," noting also "bones and blood laying in front of the facility," problems with bones and parts in neighboring yards and the attraction of "dogs and other animals."
o In response to 29 citations for wastewater violations, each accompanied by a potential fine of $2,000, Dallas Crown requested 29 separate jury trials, potentially causing yet another economic strain to the City's budget. We could, of course, not afford to litigate in order to extract the fines.
o Dallas Crown took 11 months to submit a mandatory "sludge control plan" to assist efficient operation of the wastewater treatment plant though City staff requested it orally and in writing many times.
o The City Manager advised me that the City would have to spend $70,000 in legal fees because of Dallas Crown problems, which was the entire legal budget for the fiscal year.
o During this period, Dallas Crown paid property taxes that were less than half of what the City spent on legal fees directly related to Dallas Crown violations.
o Generally, Dallas Crown has the economic ability to prevail, to exceed the constraints of the City's budget.
Dallas Crown had a negative effect on the development of surrounding properties, and a horse slaughter plant is a stigma to the development of our city generally. I have since learned that these problems were mirrored at the other two plants. Fort Worth's Beltex horse slaughter plant also violated Ft. Worth's wastewater regulations several times, clogged sewer lines, and both spilled and pumped blood into a nearby creek (San Antonio Current, June 19, 2003 ). Texas State Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, whose district includes Beltex, and Rep. Toby Goodman, R-Arlington, fought hard against legislation that would have legalized horse slaughter in Texas in 2003.
The horse slaughter plant in DeKalb, IL had a similar pattern. It was destroyed by fire in 2002, and rebuilt in 2004. It was charged and fined by the DeKalb Sanitary District almost every month from the reopening until its closing in 2007 under a new state law for consistently exceeding wastewater discharge guidelines. I can provide you with the documentation of those violations. Like Dallas Crown, Cavel refused to pay their fines for years.
During this time, I learned that an estimated $5 million in Federal funding was being spent annually to support three foreign-owned horse slaughter plants! And when the Dallas Crown tax records were exposed in the city's legal struggle, we found that they had paid only $5 in federal taxes on a gross income of over $12,000,000!
Moreover, the parent company of Cavel has since moved its operations to Canada and continued to slaughter American horses. In Canada they have apparently become even more blatant, dumping huge untreated piles of entrails onto open ground and even using a tanker truck to discharge blood and refuse into a local river.
I have mentioned only the pollution issue, but this is but one negative aspect of horse slaughter. I have subsequently learned of a USDA document containing 900 pages of graphic photos that show the horrors that the horses were subject to. Behind the privacy fences of these plants, trucks arrived continuously and on those trucks was every form of inhumane violation one can imagine from mares birthing foals to horses with eyes dangling from their sockets and legs ripped from their bodies.
The more I learn about horse slaughter, the more certain I am: There is no justification for horse slaughter in this country. My city was little more than a door mat for a foreign-owned business that drained our resources, thwarted economic development and stigmatized our community. Americans don't eat horses, and we don't raise them for human consumption. There is no justification for spending American tax dollars to support this industry at the expense of Americans and our horses.
Sincerely,
Former Mayor Paula Bacon
City of Kaufman
Kaufman, TX 75142
Read MORE...
The letter from Paula Bacon:
Dear State Legislator:
You will soon be asked to vote on ... legislation regarding the commercial slaughter of American horses of which you probably have very little firsthand knowledge. No doubt you have heard from lobbyists and organizations who want you to support the practice, but before you do, you should ask yourself why the residents of Texas and Illinois worked so hard to rid their states of their horse slaughter plants. The answer may surprise you.
As a mayor who lived with this plague in her town for many years, who knows what the horse slaughter industry really is and what it does to a community, please allow me to tell you what we experienced. The industry caused significant and long term hardship to my community which was home to Dallas Crown, one of the last three horse slaughter plants in the United States.
All three plants were foreign-owned, and since the market for horsemeat is entirely foreign, the industry will always be dominated by these foreign interests. The corporations involved in this industry have consistently proven themselves to be the worst possible corporate citizens.
The Dallas Crown horse slaughtering facility had been in operation in Kaufman since the late 70's and from the beginning had caused problems both economically and environmentally. I have listed some of the specific issues below.
I will gladly provide you with detailed reports from my former City Manager, Police Chief, and Public Works Director regarding odor and wastewater effluence violations at the Dallas Crown horse slaughter plant in the City of Kaufman. The reports reference "decaying meat [which] provides a foul odor and is an attraction for vermin and carrion," containers conveyed "uncovered and leaking liquids," there are "significant foul odors during the daily monitoring of the area," and "Dallas Crown continually neglects to perform within the standards required of them."
Therefore, in August of 2005, our City Council decided by unanimous decision to send the Dallas Crown issue to the Board of Adjustments for termination of their non-conforming use status. In March of 2006, the Board of Adjustments voted to order Dallas Crown closed, but the plant was able to tie the enforcement up in the courts until they were finally closed under state law in February of 2007.
Dallas Crown repeatedly described itself as a "good corporate citizen." I will be straightforward in asserting that they are the very antithesis of such.
o Dallas Crown had a very long history of violations to their industrial waste permit, ‘loading' the capacity of the wastewater treatment plant.
o Dallas Crown denied the City access to their property for wastewater testing beginning October 1, 2004 until July 6, 2005, despite requirement by city ordinance, city permit agreement, and court order.
o City staff reported that a $6 million upgrade to our wastewater treatment plant would be required even though the plant was planned and financed to last through 2015.
o Odor problems resulting from the outside storage of offal and hides over several days persisted not only in traditionally African-American neighborhood known as "Boggy Bottom", but at the nearby Presbyterian Hospital, the daycare center, and surrounding areas.
o Transport of offal and fresh hides on City and state thoroughfares is conducted in leaking containers without covers.
o City documents reveal an extended history of efforts to have Dallas Crown address various environmental issues. Reports include descriptive language including such as "blood flowing east and west in the ditches from your plant," "It has been over 45 days [it had been 59 days] and no apparent cleanup has occurred," "Your system has not improved and subsequently it has gotten a lot worse," "Words cannot express the seriousness" of recent violations and the "adverse effects on the wastewater treatment plant," and "Please be sure trailers are secured before leaving your premises to prevent spills," noting also "bones and blood laying in front of the facility," problems with bones and parts in neighboring yards and the attraction of "dogs and other animals."
o In response to 29 citations for wastewater violations, each accompanied by a potential fine of $2,000, Dallas Crown requested 29 separate jury trials, potentially causing yet another economic strain to the City's budget. We could, of course, not afford to litigate in order to extract the fines.
o Dallas Crown took 11 months to submit a mandatory "sludge control plan" to assist efficient operation of the wastewater treatment plant though City staff requested it orally and in writing many times.
o The City Manager advised me that the City would have to spend $70,000 in legal fees because of Dallas Crown problems, which was the entire legal budget for the fiscal year.
o During this period, Dallas Crown paid property taxes that were less than half of what the City spent on legal fees directly related to Dallas Crown violations.
o Generally, Dallas Crown has the economic ability to prevail, to exceed the constraints of the City's budget.
Dallas Crown had a negative effect on the development of surrounding properties, and a horse slaughter plant is a stigma to the development of our city generally. I have since learned that these problems were mirrored at the other two plants. Fort Worth's Beltex horse slaughter plant also violated Ft. Worth's wastewater regulations several times, clogged sewer lines, and both spilled and pumped blood into a nearby creek (San Antonio Current, June 19, 2003 ). Texas State Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, whose district includes Beltex, and Rep. Toby Goodman, R-Arlington, fought hard against legislation that would have legalized horse slaughter in Texas in 2003.
The horse slaughter plant in DeKalb, IL had a similar pattern. It was destroyed by fire in 2002, and rebuilt in 2004. It was charged and fined by the DeKalb Sanitary District almost every month from the reopening until its closing in 2007 under a new state law for consistently exceeding wastewater discharge guidelines. I can provide you with the documentation of those violations. Like Dallas Crown, Cavel refused to pay their fines for years.
During this time, I learned that an estimated $5 million in Federal funding was being spent annually to support three foreign-owned horse slaughter plants! And when the Dallas Crown tax records were exposed in the city's legal struggle, we found that they had paid only $5 in federal taxes on a gross income of over $12,000,000!
Moreover, the parent company of Cavel has since moved its operations to Canada and continued to slaughter American horses. In Canada they have apparently become even more blatant, dumping huge untreated piles of entrails onto open ground and even using a tanker truck to discharge blood and refuse into a local river.
I have mentioned only the pollution issue, but this is but one negative aspect of horse slaughter. I have subsequently learned of a USDA document containing 900 pages of graphic photos that show the horrors that the horses were subject to. Behind the privacy fences of these plants, trucks arrived continuously and on those trucks was every form of inhumane violation one can imagine from mares birthing foals to horses with eyes dangling from their sockets and legs ripped from their bodies.
The more I learn about horse slaughter, the more certain I am: There is no justification for horse slaughter in this country. My city was little more than a door mat for a foreign-owned business that drained our resources, thwarted economic development and stigmatized our community. Americans don't eat horses, and we don't raise them for human consumption. There is no justification for spending American tax dollars to support this industry at the expense of Americans and our horses.
Sincerely,
Former Mayor Paula Bacon
City of Kaufman
Kaufman, TX 75142
Read MORE...
AAEP issues recommendations for Wild Horse & Burro Program
Tuesday's Horse
The American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (AAEP) Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Task Force today (Aug. 30) released its evaluation and recommendations for improving the care and handling of the nation’s wild horses. The report comes at the request of the Bureau of Land Management, which asked the AAEP in June 2010 to evaluate the handling, health care, and welfare of the horses and burros at BLM wild equid gathers and holding facilities.
Beginning last fall, the AAEP BLM Task Force visited multiple BLM sites during a six-month period to observe gathers and evaluate conditions at short-term holding and long-term pasture facilities. The task force’s data collection was limited to the safety, health status, health management, care, handling, and welfare of equids in the BLM program.
“The task force concluded that the care, handling, and management practices utilized by the BLM are appropriate for this population of horses and generally support the safety, health status, and welfare of the animals,” said William Moyer, DVM, AAEP president and a member of the task force. “However, the task force did see areas that can be improved.”
Key recommendations include:
* During gathers, all contract helicopter pilots should adopt conservative flying patterns that allow a safe buffer distance between the helicopter and the horses, and between the helicopter and the ground;
* Areas of solid footing should always be provided in short-term holding facilities to allow the horses a place to lie down. In addition, resident horse numbers should be adjusted as needed seasonally within short-term holding facilities to avoid overcrowding when extreme weather is expected or present; and
* Biosecurity standards and protocols should be adopted at short-term holding facilities in order to reduce the spread of the bacteria Streptococcus equi subspecies equi, commonly known as strangles, and minimize outbreaks of this and other infectious diseases.
In addition, the task force’s 35-page report emphasizes that controlling the reproductive rate of the wild horses on the range is a central issue for all discussions involving the care and management of the wild horse population.
“The AAEP encourages the BLM to prioritize research and application of effective fertility control methods in order to reduce the foaling rate in wild herds,” stated John Mitchell, DVM, AAEP president elect and task force chair. “The Task Force believes the control of foaling rates is the best available method to manage the wild horses on the range with minimal intervention.
“The AAEP will gladly continue if needed as a resource for equine medical expertise to the BLM Wild Horse and Burro program,” Mitchell added.
The AAEP BLM Task Force report is available online. For more information, contact Sally Baker, AAEP director of marketing and public relations, at 859/233-0147 or sbaker@aaep.org.
The American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (AAEP) Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Task Force today (Aug. 30) released its evaluation and recommendations for improving the care and handling of the nation’s wild horses. The report comes at the request of the Bureau of Land Management, which asked the AAEP in June 2010 to evaluate the handling, health care, and welfare of the horses and burros at BLM wild equid gathers and holding facilities.
Beginning last fall, the AAEP BLM Task Force visited multiple BLM sites during a six-month period to observe gathers and evaluate conditions at short-term holding and long-term pasture facilities. The task force’s data collection was limited to the safety, health status, health management, care, handling, and welfare of equids in the BLM program.
“The task force concluded that the care, handling, and management practices utilized by the BLM are appropriate for this population of horses and generally support the safety, health status, and welfare of the animals,” said William Moyer, DVM, AAEP president and a member of the task force. “However, the task force did see areas that can be improved.”
Key recommendations include:
* During gathers, all contract helicopter pilots should adopt conservative flying patterns that allow a safe buffer distance between the helicopter and the horses, and between the helicopter and the ground;
* Areas of solid footing should always be provided in short-term holding facilities to allow the horses a place to lie down. In addition, resident horse numbers should be adjusted as needed seasonally within short-term holding facilities to avoid overcrowding when extreme weather is expected or present; and
* Biosecurity standards and protocols should be adopted at short-term holding facilities in order to reduce the spread of the bacteria Streptococcus equi subspecies equi, commonly known as strangles, and minimize outbreaks of this and other infectious diseases.
In addition, the task force’s 35-page report emphasizes that controlling the reproductive rate of the wild horses on the range is a central issue for all discussions involving the care and management of the wild horse population.
“The AAEP encourages the BLM to prioritize research and application of effective fertility control methods in order to reduce the foaling rate in wild herds,” stated John Mitchell, DVM, AAEP president elect and task force chair. “The Task Force believes the control of foaling rates is the best available method to manage the wild horses on the range with minimal intervention.
“The AAEP will gladly continue if needed as a resource for equine medical expertise to the BLM Wild Horse and Burro program,” Mitchell added.
The AAEP BLM Task Force report is available online. For more information, contact Sally Baker, AAEP director of marketing and public relations, at 859/233-0147 or sbaker@aaep.org.
BLM Responds to Allegations of Inhumane Wild Horse Treatment
Straight from the Horse's Heart
Press Release from Wild Horse Freedom Federation
HOUSTON, (WHFF) – In declarations supplied to the Court in the current TRO motion, that alleges inhumane practices at Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Roundups, information has been disclosed.
“Because BLM has not achieved it’s management objectives during the time allotted to this gather,” States Alan Shepherd of BLM, “ it will be necessary to complete the gather in more than one stage.”
In press releases BLM stated that this operation was to complete the end of August. Telephone inquires made today, Monday, also confirmed this as the “understood” plan for operations.
Shepherd’s declaration outlines a plan for the use of water trapping and getting helicopters back into the air as soon as feasible before February 28, 2012. He sites the inability to capture the projected number of horses on “scattering due to human and helicopter pressure” and hiding in “dense tree cover.”
Shepherd makes an assertion that if BLM does not complete the push to low AML that after foaling season next year they will be over AML.
“I have read Mr. Shepherds declaration,” says Plaintiff Laura Leigh, founder of Wild Horse Education (WHE) and VP of Wild Horse Freedom Federation (WHFF) “basically he is asserting that paying for a team to water trap, or to rush and squeeze in another roundup pre March 2012, makes more sense than another operation to be (possibly) conducted in 12/13. It is indicative of the type of logic that has gotten this agency into such a fiscal hole, “full-steam ahead without discussion that perhaps we should change strategy.’ ”
Shepherd’s declaration does not address any of the specific instances in Leigh’s declaration to the Court. He does not address an incident where evidence presented to the Court asserts that Shepherd himself approved operations to continue as a foal remained missing. His declaration simply asserts he observed “no inhumane treatment.”
The last four large roundups conducted by BLM have not reached projected removal numbers. At the Calico Roundup of Winter 2009/2010 BLM stated they needed to remove about 2,500 animals, yet only removed 1,922. At the Antelope Roundup in February BLM ended operations early, under a storm of public pressure, due to the number of pregnant mares and poor weather.
Press Release from Wild Horse Freedom Federation
New “Game Plan” may be on the table
Orphaned Baby at Triple-B Holding ~ photo by Laura Leigh
“Because BLM has not achieved it’s management objectives during the time allotted to this gather,” States Alan Shepherd of BLM, “ it will be necessary to complete the gather in more than one stage.”
In press releases BLM stated that this operation was to complete the end of August. Telephone inquires made today, Monday, also confirmed this as the “understood” plan for operations.
Shepherd’s declaration outlines a plan for the use of water trapping and getting helicopters back into the air as soon as feasible before February 28, 2012. He sites the inability to capture the projected number of horses on “scattering due to human and helicopter pressure” and hiding in “dense tree cover.”
Shepherd makes an assertion that if BLM does not complete the push to low AML that after foaling season next year they will be over AML.
“I have read Mr. Shepherds declaration,” says Plaintiff Laura Leigh, founder of Wild Horse Education (WHE) and VP of Wild Horse Freedom Federation (WHFF) “basically he is asserting that paying for a team to water trap, or to rush and squeeze in another roundup pre March 2012, makes more sense than another operation to be (possibly) conducted in 12/13. It is indicative of the type of logic that has gotten this agency into such a fiscal hole, “full-steam ahead without discussion that perhaps we should change strategy.’ ”
Shepherd’s declaration does not address any of the specific instances in Leigh’s declaration to the Court. He does not address an incident where evidence presented to the Court asserts that Shepherd himself approved operations to continue as a foal remained missing. His declaration simply asserts he observed “no inhumane treatment.”
The last four large roundups conducted by BLM have not reached projected removal numbers. At the Calico Roundup of Winter 2009/2010 BLM stated they needed to remove about 2,500 animals, yet only removed 1,922. At the Antelope Roundup in February BLM ended operations early, under a storm of public pressure, due to the number of pregnant mares and poor weather.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wild Horse Freedom Federation (WHFF) is a registered, Texas non-profit corporation with 501c3 status pending. WHFF puts people between America’s wild equids and extinction through targeted litigation against governmental agencies whose documented agendas include the eradication of wild horse and burros from public, federal and state lands. WHFF is funded exclusively through the generosity of the American public.Related articles
- Wild Horse Advocate Files for Halt to Alleged BLM Wild Horse Helicopter Abuse (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Alleged Inhumane Treatment Prompts Wild Horse Lawsuit (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Alleged Inhumane Treatment Prompts Wild Horse Lawsuit (artandhorseslauraleigh.wordpress.com)
- Is the BLM Perpetrating Wild Horse Fraud? (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- BLM Slings Wild Horse BS at CBS Reporter (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
Monday, August 29, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Food Network’s Pioneer Woman Show Smells Like…???
Straight from the Horse's Heart
article by Jillian Madison reprinted from Food Network Humor
The entry below continues the saga of Ree Drummond, self-proclaimed Pioneer Woman and rolling in dough contractor for the BLM as she and her husband own one of the wild horse death camps where gender separated herds, cruely stripped from their rightful lands, simply live out their lives waiting to be either sold off to slaughter (covertly of course) or to simply die without family or social structure. Sick, twisted and totally off the wall, this practice is being highlighted as something good and “cool”. So today, grab a giggle and make a few notes as we have a busy week ahead of us and the horses are going to need the help of each and every one of you, big time. Thanks Deb and Jillian! Oh, this article is for big kids only.” ~ R.T.
I specifically went in to the premiere episode of Pioneer Woman knowing nothing about Ree Drummond or her family or her sprawling ranch. I didn’t want to be influenced by the alleged throngs of blog-readers who have her placed atop some high pedestal. I wanted to form my own unbiased opinion of her and the show, which I most certainly did. And my opinion is this: WOW. IT SUCKED.
I mean it really, really sucked.
I will say from the 22-minutes of footage I saw, Ree seems like a lovely woman. She really does. However, I think it was Yoda who said: a lovely woman does not a good show make.
The lodge. The ranch. The shots of people wrangling animals. The “our life is so hard because we’re the only people on the universe who have to get up at 5 AM” mentality. The “let me serve my man breakfast while he’s herding cows” bullshit. The useless footage of a cute little boy running to get his little cowboy hat. The whole thing tried way too hard. It was way too overproduced and schticky. It was all so nauseatingly phony and sickeningly sweet that it quickly became annoying and intolerable to watch.
Also, on what planet is it appropriate – or even encouraged – to wear your cowboy hat to dinner? I guess only on Food Network, where they’re really trying to drive the point home that they LIVE ON A RANCH.
As mentioned above, Ree made a “special” dinner for her husband because the poor guy had to get up at 5 AM to go to work. As someone who watched her dad get up at 4 am every day for 20 years to then drive 20 minutes to a train station to then take a 2 hour train to NYC, color me unimpressed with her cowboy’s 5am-2pm workday.
Anyway, Ree made a very “special” dinner consisting of country fried steak and mashed potatoes. And by “special” I mean “enough fat and grease to kill a grown man standing.” Oh yeah. Move over, Paula Deen.
Every time Ree said “ball-SAM-ic” vinegar, a little piece of me died. The lecture about only using whole milk to make gravy was painful. The quip about kings and presidents not being able to find her ranch was intolerable. But the worst part came when she awkwardly paused her gravy-making and said: “Shhh, do you hear that?” Yes, I do. It’s the sound of your metal whisk rubbing against your metal cast-iron pan AND IT IS MADDENING.
Food Network’s website describes Ree’s husband as a “hunky rancher.” I describe him as “a total d-bag.” Maybe it was the editing… maybe it was nerves… but he came off as a pretentious, smug, selfish, disparaging prick. When he came into the kitchen to the chorus of kids screaming “daddy! daddy!” he didn’t acknowledge them. Or Ree. He simply said, “Is that our food?”
And (and!) he wore those disgusting, filthy, manure-laden cowboy boots in the house without a care. No worries. I suppose one of the 92 maids will clean it up.
article by Jillian Madison reprinted from Food Network Humor
“I can see my wild horses from my kitchen window”
“We attempt to give you something on Sundays to recharge your batteries and have been remiss over the past few weeks as there just has not been that much in the way of great news to relate and we sincerely do not want to blur the focus we are attempting to keep before our readership regarding our efforts to stop the inhumanity of the BLM’s handling of our wild horses. But today we have a little comedy piece that ties in nicely with the great article published earlier this week by investigative reporter Debra Coffey. If you have yet to read it, please click (HERE) to do so.The entry below continues the saga of Ree Drummond, self-proclaimed Pioneer Woman and rolling in dough contractor for the BLM as she and her husband own one of the wild horse death camps where gender separated herds, cruely stripped from their rightful lands, simply live out their lives waiting to be either sold off to slaughter (covertly of course) or to simply die without family or social structure. Sick, twisted and totally off the wall, this practice is being highlighted as something good and “cool”. So today, grab a giggle and make a few notes as we have a busy week ahead of us and the horses are going to need the help of each and every one of you, big time. Thanks Deb and Jillian! Oh, this article is for big kids only.” ~ R.T.
I specifically went in to the premiere episode of Pioneer Woman knowing nothing about Ree Drummond or her family or her sprawling ranch. I didn’t want to be influenced by the alleged throngs of blog-readers who have her placed atop some high pedestal. I wanted to form my own unbiased opinion of her and the show, which I most certainly did. And my opinion is this: WOW. IT SUCKED.I mean it really, really sucked.
I will say from the 22-minutes of footage I saw, Ree seems like a lovely woman. She really does. However, I think it was Yoda who said: a lovely woman does not a good show make.
SUCK POINT #1: THE INHERENT PHONINESS
Also, on what planet is it appropriate – or even encouraged – to wear your cowboy hat to dinner? I guess only on Food Network, where they’re really trying to drive the point home that they LIVE ON A RANCH.
SUCK POINT #2: THE FOOD & THE TIPS
Anyway, Ree made a very “special” dinner consisting of country fried steak and mashed potatoes. And by “special” I mean “enough fat and grease to kill a grown man standing.” Oh yeah. Move over, Paula Deen.
Every time Ree said “ball-SAM-ic” vinegar, a little piece of me died. The lecture about only using whole milk to make gravy was painful. The quip about kings and presidents not being able to find her ranch was intolerable. But the worst part came when she awkwardly paused her gravy-making and said: “Shhh, do you hear that?” Yes, I do. It’s the sound of your metal whisk rubbing against your metal cast-iron pan AND IT IS MADDENING.
SUCK POINT #3: THE DOUCHEBAG HUSBAND
And (and!) he wore those disgusting, filthy, manure-laden cowboy boots in the house without a care. No worries. I suppose one of the 92 maids will clean it up.
I don’t plan on tuning in to this show again. I hate phoniness, and unfortunately, the Pioneer Woman reeks of it.
The worst part? It was all so completely unrelatable. I didn’t watch her cook and say: “wow, I need to make this for my family.” I watched her and said, “wow, this woman and I have absolutely nothing in common, and if I served my friends/family any of those dishes they would disown me. ”
It wasn’t ALL a waste, though. I did take one interesting little fact away:Find out more about Jillian Madison by clicking (HERE)
Related articles
- You Can Now See Our Wild Horses In Long Term Holding! (ppjg.wordpress.com)
- Wild Horse Advocate Files for Halt to Alleged BLM Wild Horse Helicopter Abuse (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Is the BLM Perpetrating Wild Horse Fraud? (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- BLM Slings Wild Horse BS at CBS Reporter (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Wild Horses, Courtrooms and a Woman Alone in the Desert
Straight from the Horse's Heart
(The News as We See It) by R.T. Fitch ~ Pres. of Wild Horse Freedom Federation
As the helicopters fly, the phone lines hum and the social networks scream there is one voice that continually and unwaveringly whispers in our ears about the fate of our wild horses. There is no ego in her tone or glory sought in her words just the hurt and pain of witnessing cruelty and suffering, day in and day out. Quietly, sometimes crying, she shares her observations for the day as our souls wrestle with the guilt and feeling of impotence; Laura Leigh is there and we are not.
We talk every day, Terry lovingly refers to her as my “other” wife, and I cannot count the number of times that I have hung up with tears in my eyes, tears not just for the horses dying and suffering at the hands of the BLM and their contractors but tears for the soul that sleeps little, eats less yet is always there for the horses. It’s tough and often more than I can stand.
And this past week has been all of the above only on steroids as court papers were prepared and filed with parties working behind the scene to make it a reality…the phone never stops ringing.
Thanks to the generous help of a few a difference will be made, things are happening for the horses that have never happened before and with the continued support of the advocacy we might, just might be able to work that dent that Laura has found in the BLM’s armor, just maybe.
Below is an unedited post from Laura Leigh’s blog which she published early this morning…it speaks volumes and paints a bit of the picture of what has gone on in the past week as Laura, her attorney, advocates and Wild Horse Freedom Federation have scrambled in an attempt to stop the inhumanity of Sun-J and the BLM at the Triple-B wild horse stampede…
(The News as We See It) by R.T. Fitch ~ Pres. of Wild Horse Freedom Federation
It’s All About the Horses
The Everyday Cruelty of the BLM ~ photo by Laura Leigh
We talk every day, Terry lovingly refers to her as my “other” wife, and I cannot count the number of times that I have hung up with tears in my eyes, tears not just for the horses dying and suffering at the hands of the BLM and their contractors but tears for the soul that sleeps little, eats less yet is always there for the horses. It’s tough and often more than I can stand.
And this past week has been all of the above only on steroids as court papers were prepared and filed with parties working behind the scene to make it a reality…the phone never stops ringing.
Thanks to the generous help of a few a difference will be made, things are happening for the horses that have never happened before and with the continued support of the advocacy we might, just might be able to work that dent that Laura has found in the BLM’s armor, just maybe.
Below is an unedited post from Laura Leigh’s blog which she published early this morning…it speaks volumes and paints a bit of the picture of what has gone on in the past week as Laura, her attorney, advocates and Wild Horse Freedom Federation have scrambled in an attempt to stop the inhumanity of Sun-J and the BLM at the Triple-B wild horse stampede…
What I document in my almost daily observations of horses either on the range, in holding or at trap sites is more akin to a “feral livestock trash removal” operation than the humane care of a protected equine species. This animal is the only animal in our country to have an entire act of Congress devoted to it’s protection and humane treatment. Yet the agency fails to enforce the most basic of humane standard of care. This “conversation” is overdue after 40 years of this Act being in the hands of a “land management” agency.
During Triple B I have travelled back and forth across the state three times. I had a friend get altitude sickness and she went to the hospital. I have had my dog get sick. “Our” attorney, Gordon Cowan, lost his father last weekend.
But the Motions got filed. I went through the photos and edited more video. I looked at doc’s and did research. It all breaks my heart. Looking at situations that would cause most horse owners to be cited yet searching for an avenue of accountability… and the actions are perpetrated by my own government…. it boggles the mind and simply hurts my “American” soul.
There are a few of you that have helped with this effort and I am forever grateful that you have faith in me to bring this forward. I am trying. I pray everyday that I find the door and the right words…
Most of my family is currently on the East Coast in the path of Irene.
I still have work to do… an awful lot of work to do… but tonight I just wanted to express my gratitude, as a human being, to those of you that have had the fortitude to stand tall. It aint easy. It aint over….
Click (HERE) to Support This Case and/or Our Other Legal Challenges
Related articles
- Wild Horse Advocate Files for Halt to Alleged BLM Wild Horse Helicopter Abuse (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Alleged Inhumane Treatment Prompts Wild Horse Lawsuit (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Is the BLM Perpetrating Wild Horse Fraud? (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- BLM Slings Wild Horse BS at CBS Reporter (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
Cloud/Pryor Wild Mustang Herd Scoping Comments Due 8/30/11
Wild Horse Action
Wild Horse & Burro Warriors - Please get your comments in to help preserve and protect this special herd.
The Cloud Foundation has written their letter, which you can read here. Take a look at it, and use it to help you with your own letter if you haven't written yours already. You can also read over some talking points to help you get started. BLM is not accepting email comments, so you can mail them yourself to the address below, return receipt requested, or you can email them to TCF at info@thecloudfoundation.org and they will mail them for you. You can also Fax your comments to (406) 896-5281, then email a copy to TCF.
Here's the mailing address:
Jim Sparks, Field Manager
BLM Billings Field Office
5001 Southgate Drive
Billings, MT 59101
Please copy and paste the brief message with the shortlink to this page below & send it on to your email lists and also post it on Facebook, Twitter, blogs and groups to spread the word far and wide for more comments to be submitted. The BLM needs to know how many Americans care about this herd and all the other herds in the American West.
Action Alert - Help protect the wild mustang stallion, Cloud, and the Pryor Mtn, Herd. Scoping comments due Tues, 8/30/11. Take action at: http://tinyurl.com/3du5q8e
Cloud, his family, & all the Pryor Herd thank you.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Update (among others, and most recent) On Horses in Presidio, Texas
Theft of Livestock/Theft by Check Charges Filed Against Presidio “Killer Buyer” in Slaughtergate Scandal
Horseback Magazine
By Steven Long
HOUSTON, (Horseback) – A purveyor of horse flesh being held in the Brewster County Jail in Alpine, Texas is likely to be transferred to Johnson County to face charges that carry a hefty bond if Trent Saulters is unable to raise the cash. He was arrested by Presidio County deputies Wednesday.The charge, Theft of Property, carries a bond of $100,000. It is related to a hot check charge, possibly for the purchase of horses. Saulters is also charged with Theft of Livestock. That charge carries a bond of $10,000. The chares were filed by the Johnson County, Texas office of the district attorney in Cleburne. County authorities would not release the name of the complainant.
The lid remained unexplicably tight on in the case of the Waco based slaughter kill buyer early Thurday when the office of Presidio County Sherrif Danny Dominguez refused to release information on the charges or bond to the media.
In another development related to a case that has brought controversy to the usually quiet county along the Mexican border, none of the 25 horses remaining of a large group of animals held in a Presidio slaughter pen have the characteristic star shaped brands of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and they may have gone to slaughter across the Rio Grande.
The remaining horses are being well cared for under the supervision of Deputy Joel Nunez in a county pen in Marfa. Unless someone claims the horse with legitimate papers, the county will auction them September 14.
Only four of these horses are over 10 years of age. Fourteen are mares. The rest are geldings. Six are two year olds. The littles one is a bay with a star and his age was undetermined. There is mule that is in excellent shape.
Saulters has been at the center of a controversy that has embroiled the local sheriff’s department in news stories focusing on allegations of animal cruelty, misuse of federal horse health records, the dumping of dead horses in a flash flood prone creek bed during hurricane season, and ignoring possible crimes at the pen. The well known “killer buyer” is also embroiled in the controversial sale of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison horses.
Asked for comment as to whether TDCJ would continue to send horses to the Huntsville Livestock Auction where killer buyers bid on horses, spokeswoman Michelle Lyons told Horseback:
“As we had discussed before, the 61 cull horses recently sold were sold at public auction. That auction was open to the general public and we were informed by the auction house that there were at least 10 different buyers of TDCJ horses. We will continue to auction horses to the general public. Because this is a public auction, anyone who is part of the public may bid on these animals. We certainly cannot speak intelligently as to the buyers’ intent.”
Prison horses are often coveted by trail riders and other horsemen for their heft and steady demeanor. Saulters and his father, former prison inmate Terry Saulters, bought the horses and then it is alleged that the horses were transported to the Presidio holding pen within four days of the sale to await transport across the Rio Grande for slaughter. The horses allegedly suffered severe weight loss over a brief period.
The case has been under investigation by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. It is unknown if other agencies, including the Texas Animal Health Commission, or federal law enforcement are involved.
Horseback Magazine learned late Wednesday that an assistant attorney general has been assigned by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott to look into the case.
Some of the horse Saulters transported to the pen in Presidio are alleged to have died on arrival, however, it’s unclear if the dead horses were owned or transported by Saulters.
Killer buyers such as Saulters are often under contract to supply slaughter houses with fresh horses. The horses are then butchered and their meat sold as a delicacy in Europe, Japan, and Latin America.
Horseback will continually update this story and post updates as circumstances warrant and information becomes available. We urge our readers to refresh their browser for frequently until we determine what charges Saulters is being held under.
Photo Of The Week – 8/24/11
Pam Nickoles Photography
Absolutely beautiful pics of our wild horses! Please visit her site!
CLICK HERE.
Posted: 24 Aug 2011 05:41 PM PDT
A stunning Sand Wash Basin HMA (Colorado) mare. This was taken on our visit to the range last weekend. Such a beautiful, wild girl. This photo available as a print: www.NickolesPhotography.com Photos are for viewing purposes only. Images by Pam Nickoles Photography, along with all site content are copyright protected and owned solely by Pam [...]
Absolutely beautiful pics of our wild horses! Please visit her site!
CLICK HERE.
Update on Horses in Presido, Texas
Presidio County Sheriff Keeping the Lid On, Won’t Reveal Charges Against Killer Buyer
Horseback Magazine
By Steven Long, Photos Courtesy Ray Field, Wild Horse Foundation, HOUSTON, (Horseback) - The lid remains on in the case of a Waco based slaughter kill buyer jailed in the small West Texas town of Alpine. Calls to the Presidio County sheriff’s office were futile Thursday morning regarding what crime the man is charged with and how much bail he is being held under.
Horseback has learned that a good samaritan has come forth to post bond for the man, but thus far Trent Saulters remains in jail, his future uncertain. The buyer and purveyor of slaughter bound horses was arrested in Presidio County, Texas on unknown charges Wednesday. The lid is on at the sheriff’s department in Marfa, as well as at the nearby Brewster County jail where prisoners are held for the two West Texas jurisdictions. Neither jail would reveal what charges have been filed against Trent Saulters, a well known slaughter buyer, or how much bond has been place on him after repeated calls from Horseback Magazine and Houston’s CBS affiliate, KHOU-TV.
Saulters, was transported from the custody of Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez late Wednesday to the nearby jail in Alpine, Texas late Wednesday afternoon.
In a call to the Houston television station, Dominguez allegedly told a reporter he didn’t know what what charges his department filed on Saulters, an unusual response in a case which is now attracting wide media coverage.
Horseback has also learned from highly placed sources in Presidio County that only 25 of the original horses held in a slaugher lot in deplorable condition and are being well cared for under the supervision of Deputy Joel Nunez. Unless someone claims the horse with legitimate papers, the county will auction them September 14.
Saulters has been at the center of a controversy that has embroiled the local sheriff’s department in news stories focusing on allegations of animal cruelty, misuse of federal horse health records, the dumping of dead horses in a flash flood prone creek bed during hurricane season, and ignoring possible crimes at the pen. The well known “killer buyer” is also embroiled in the controversial sale of horses by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
The case has been under investigation by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. It is unknown if other agencies, including the Texas Animal Health Commission, or federal law enforcement are involved.
Horseback Magazine learned late Wednesday that an assistant attorney general has been assigned by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott to look into the case.
Saulters and his father, former prison inmate Terry Saulters, are the buyers of more than 30 horses purchased at the Huntsville livestock auction last month. It is alleged that the horses were transported to the Presidio holding pen within four days of the sale to await transport across the Rio Grande for slaughter. The horses allegedly suffered severe weight loss over a brief period.
Saulters told Horseback Online Friday that he was getting out of the business of selling horses for slaughter, and if he could get them back from the Presidio holding pen he would dispose of them and they would not be killed. Horseback offered to put the horse trader in touch with anti-slaughter activists for possible humane adoption. Many of the horses in the lot have suffered severe injuries. Some are alleged to have died on arrival, however, it’s unclear if the dead horses were owned or transported by Saulters.
The Texas prison system sold the stout horses, a Quarter Horse/Percheron cross capable of holding a 300 pound corrections officer for an eight hour shift, as culls. Prison horses are highly coveted by trail riders and other horsemen. Some expressed outrage at the sale of the horses to known “killer buyers.”
Killer buyers are often under contract to supply slaughter houses with fresh horses. The horses are then butchered and their meat sold as a delicacy in Europe, Japan, and Latin America.
Horseback Online has been unable to determine what charges Saulters is being held under, or whether they relate to the current controversy. However, rumors are swirling that bond has been set at more than $100,000.
Horseback will continually update this story and post updates as circumstances warrant and information becomes available. We urge our readers to refresh their browser for frequently until we determine what charges Saulters is being held under.
Presidio stock pen horses, recovering in Marfa, will be auctioned « Big Bend Now
Presidio stock pen horses, recovering in Marfa, will be auctioned « Big Bend Now
MARFA – Twenty-five unclaimed horses from the Presidio County stock pens that are the subject of ongoing state and county investigations and have been under fire from animal welfare activists are now recovering near Vizcaino Park in Marfa.
The horses arrived at county-owned pens in Marfa Friday and have been fed by the sheriff’s office twice daily since. Read MORE...
August 25th, 2011 under Home Story Highlight
By BENJAMIN WERMUNDMARFA – Twenty-five unclaimed horses from the Presidio County stock pens that are the subject of ongoing state and county investigations and have been under fire from animal welfare activists are now recovering near Vizcaino Park in Marfa.
The horses arrived at county-owned pens in Marfa Friday and have been fed by the sheriff’s office twice daily since. Read MORE...
Alleged Inhumane Treatment Prompts Wild Horse Lawsuit
Straight from the Horse's Heart
PO Box 390, Pinehurst Texas 77362
For Immediate Release: August 25, 2011
Contact: R.T. Fitch, President WHFF, 281-766-7566
Laura Leigh, Vice President WHFF, 800-974-3684
Feds found to be in violation of own humane standards
HOUSTON, (WHFF) – Wild Horse Freedom Federation (WHFF) filed a lawsuit and companion Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Federal Court in Reno Nevada on Wednesday, 8/24/2011. Through their Plaintiff, Laura Leigh, the issue of “humane treatment” will enter into a Courtroom.
The Wild Horse and Burro Act that passed unanimously in 1971 was done with the expressed intent of protecting the “living symbol of the pioneer spirit of the West.” Yet questions of humane treatment, including basic care like water and feed, often come into question during actual roundup operations.
Now 40 years later the question of “humane care” will have its “day in Court.”
“Day in, day out, roundup to roundup, I see the same issues,” said Leigh WHFF, VP and Founder of WHE (Wild Horse Education.org), “lack of water in holding, feed given inappropriately and a pilot that flies dangerously close, including contact with an exhausted animal. When you view these animals in their natural state and then witness the disregard given to our symbol of freedom, it is a direct blow to your soul.”
Leigh has witnessed more roundups than any government or public observer in the last 18 months. She has spent countless hours documenting wild herd behavior and the process these horses face once they are removed from the range.
BLM states it operates under regulation 43 CFR 4700, including the following definitions:
"Humane treatment means handling compatible with animal husbandry practices accepted in the veterinary community, without causing unnecessary stress or suffering to a wild horse or burro.
Inhumane treatment means any intentional or negligent action or failure to act that causes stress, injury, or undue suffering to a wild horse or burro and is not compatible with animal husbandry practices accepted in the veterinary community."
“Accountability within the actual activities of the BLM has been an ongoing issue,” states WHFF President R.T. Fitch “actually finding an avenue to address the core intent of Legislation has been almost impossible. If this is an issue that needs to land in a Federal Court to actually begin a dialogue than that is exactly what we will do.”
Wild Horse Freedom Federation (WHFF) is a registered, Texas non-profit corporation with 501c3 status pending. WHFF puts people between America’s wild equids and extinction through targeted litigation against governmental agencies whose documented agendas include the eradication of wild horse and burros from public, federal and state lands. WHFF is funded exclusively through the generosity of the American public.
Click (HERE) for Complaint
Click (HERE) for Release
___________________________________________
PO Box 390, Pinehurst Texas 77362
For Immediate Release: August 25, 2011
Contact: R.T. Fitch, President WHFF, 281-766-7566
Laura Leigh, Vice President WHFF, 800-974-3684
Feds found to be in violation of own humane standards
HOUSTON, (WHFF) – Wild Horse Freedom Federation (WHFF) filed a lawsuit and companion Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Federal Court in Reno Nevada on Wednesday, 8/24/2011. Through their Plaintiff, Laura Leigh, the issue of “humane treatment” will enter into a Courtroom.
The Wild Horse and Burro Act that passed unanimously in 1971 was done with the expressed intent of protecting the “living symbol of the pioneer spirit of the West.” Yet questions of humane treatment, including basic care like water and feed, often come into question during actual roundup operations.
Now 40 years later the question of “humane care” will have its “day in Court.”
“Day in, day out, roundup to roundup, I see the same issues,” said Leigh WHFF, VP and Founder of WHE (Wild Horse Education.org), “lack of water in holding, feed given inappropriately and a pilot that flies dangerously close, including contact with an exhausted animal. When you view these animals in their natural state and then witness the disregard given to our symbol of freedom, it is a direct blow to your soul.”
Leigh has witnessed more roundups than any government or public observer in the last 18 months. She has spent countless hours documenting wild herd behavior and the process these horses face once they are removed from the range.
BLM states it operates under regulation 43 CFR 4700, including the following definitions:
"Humane treatment means handling compatible with animal husbandry practices accepted in the veterinary community, without causing unnecessary stress or suffering to a wild horse or burro.
Inhumane treatment means any intentional or negligent action or failure to act that causes stress, injury, or undue suffering to a wild horse or burro and is not compatible with animal husbandry practices accepted in the veterinary community."
“Accountability within the actual activities of the BLM has been an ongoing issue,” states WHFF President R.T. Fitch “actually finding an avenue to address the core intent of Legislation has been almost impossible. If this is an issue that needs to land in a Federal Court to actually begin a dialogue than that is exactly what we will do.”
Wild Horse Freedom Federation (WHFF) is a registered, Texas non-profit corporation with 501c3 status pending. WHFF puts people between America’s wild equids and extinction through targeted litigation against governmental agencies whose documented agendas include the eradication of wild horse and burros from public, federal and state lands. WHFF is funded exclusively through the generosity of the American public.
Click (HERE) for Complaint
Click (HERE) for Release
___________________________________________
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Update on Horses in Presidio, Texas
Texas Horseflesh Merchant Arrested in Presidio, Texas Slaughtergate
Horseback Magazine
By Steven Long
HOUSTON, (Horseback) – A buyer and purveyor of slaughter bound horses has been arrested in Presidio County, Texas on unknown charges.Trent Saulters, was being transported from the custody of Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez to the nearby Brewster County Jail in Alpine, Texas late Wednesday.
Saulters has been at the center of a controversy that has embroiled the local sheriff’s department in news stories focusing on allegations of animal cruelty, misuse of federal horse health records, the dumping of dead horses in a flash flood prone creek bed during hurricane season, and ignoring possible crimes at the pen. The well known “killer buyer” is also embroiled in the controversial sale of horses by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
The case has been under investigation by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. It is unknown if other agencies, including the Texas Animal Health Commission, or federal law enforcement are involved.
Horseback Magazine learned late Wednesday that an assistant attorney general has been assigned by Attorney General Greg Abbott to look into the case.
Saulters and his father, former prison inmate Terry Saulters, are the buyers of more than 30 horses purchased at the Huntsville livestock auction last month. It is alleged that the horses were transported to the Presidio holding pen within four days of the sale to await transport across the Rio Grande for slaughter. The horses allegedly suffered severe weight loss over a brief period.
Saulters told Horseback Online Friday that he was getting out of the business of selling horses for slaughter, and if he could get them back from the Presidio holding pen he would dispose of them and they would not be killed. Horseback offered to put the horse trader in touch with anti-slaughter activists for possible humane adoption. Many of the horses in the lot have suffered severe injuries. Some are alleged to have died on arrival, however, it’s unclear if the dead horses were owned or transported by Saulters.The Texas prison system sold the stout horses, a Quarter Horse/Percheron cross capable of holding a 300 pound corrections officer for an eight hour shift, as culls. Prison horses are highly coveted by trail riders and other horsemen. Some expressed outrage at the sale of the horses to known “killer buyers.”
Killer buyers are often under contract to supply slaughter houses with fresh horses. The horses are then butchered and their meat sold as a delicacy in Europe, Japan, and Latin America.
Thus far Horseback Online has been unable to determine what charges Saulters is being held under, or whether they relate to the current controversy. However, rumors are swirling that bond has been set at more than $100,000.
Horseback will continually update this story and post updates as circumstances warrant and information becomes available. We urge our readers to refresh their browser for frequently until we determine what charges Saulters is being held under.
Is the BLM Perpetrating Wild Horse Fraud?
Straight from the Horse's Heart
Guest OpEd by Bonnie Kohleriter
The BLM uses the fly-over in its Herd Management Areas( HMAs ) to tell us the numbers of horses in an HMA and to tell us of a need to gather and the quantity of horses to be captured and removed. The fly-over is done by those who would do the gather and profit from it . No instruments are used to verify their numbers and location though instruments are available such as photos and GPS tracking and have been repeatedly suggested to be installed.
The BLM employee uses a number of rationales to promote gathers. The fly-over employee can say horses are just one over the high appropriate management level (AML) and qualify them to be gathered down to the low appropriate management level. So if the range of the number of horses allowed in an area is 100-300 and 301 horses are deemed to be in that area, the employee can gather 201 horses down to the lower AML of 100. The BLM now has come up with the idea to gather horses in “complexes.” That means they will gather 3-5 herd management areas at a time maintaining that is good practice because the horses roam between HMAs. If it can be documented only one HMA is over the upper AML number, then all of the HMAs in that complex can be gathered down to their lower AML even though 4 out of 5 HMAs may be well within their range of numbers allowed. Finally, if any horses are deemed to be outside their HMA, they too can be automatically captured and removed, and, of course, not be put back into their HMA. When a helicopter contractor rounds up horses he will typically tell you horses are outside of their HMA as the more horses brought in, the more the profit. You won’t know as cameras and GPS tracking are not on the helicopter.
These practices have led to keeping the Wild Horse and Burro Specialists busy with writing environmental assessments to justify gathers and with conducting gathers themselves. But these practices have also skyrocketed the cost to the American taxpayer and to the horses as they have had to be removed from their public lands with dubious thinking and to be housed in expensive though barren corrals and prisons and in questionable “long term pastures” to which the American public doesn’t have privy. These unwarranted practices are also dwindling the number of horses now on the range down to 20,000 to 30,000. But the gather employees want to continue to be employed so suspected is, we are seeing an exaggeration of the numbers of horses on the range and their foal rates. Presented below is a table of a sampling of gathers to be done in the near future that shows the average yearly percent foal rate from the time of the last gather through this foal season, 2011, given the numbers presented by the BLM employees in their respective HMAs.
Presented here is also another table that shows percentage of foal rate from 2009- 2010 in HMAs located in Central and Southwestern Wyoming.
The foal rates as shown are improbable, in fact, impossible. Yet their numbers are being used to demonstrate horses in their respective Herd Management Areas are over the Appropriate Management Level (AML) whether they, in fact, are or are not. And these numbers are being used to capture and remove animals questionably leaving behind, not the already low lower AML numbers of horses but only the very few horses that escape capture. This next year, unfortunately, may be the demise of the wild horse and burro on the range in the United States in many areas as the Congress is deluded into thinking wild horses and burros thrive in plenty on our public lands. It is a sad chapter in our history as the Mustangs, symbols of our freedom and companions in the development in our West are brutally captured and removed by a dishonest government. And it is infuriating to think these employees are getting away with spending money we American taxpayers don’t have.
These deceptive numbers given the public and Congress are not right. This is fraud committed by the BLM agency that was to protect and manage our wild horses and burros. Horses and burros should only be gathered if they are over an appropriate number which does not allow them or the land on which they live to remain productive and healthy. Horses should not be gathered because employees have a fear they may no longer be employed or because they fear they may not have the money next year to gather so” we’ll grab them while we can.”
Guest OpEd by Bonnie Kohleriter
Fly-over/Foaling Numbers Just Don’t Add Up
The BLM uses the fly-over in its Herd Management Areas( HMAs ) to tell us the numbers of horses in an HMA and to tell us of a need to gather and the quantity of horses to be captured and removed. The fly-over is done by those who would do the gather and profit from it . No instruments are used to verify their numbers and location though instruments are available such as photos and GPS tracking and have been repeatedly suggested to be installed.The BLM employee uses a number of rationales to promote gathers. The fly-over employee can say horses are just one over the high appropriate management level (AML) and qualify them to be gathered down to the low appropriate management level. So if the range of the number of horses allowed in an area is 100-300 and 301 horses are deemed to be in that area, the employee can gather 201 horses down to the lower AML of 100. The BLM now has come up with the idea to gather horses in “complexes.” That means they will gather 3-5 herd management areas at a time maintaining that is good practice because the horses roam between HMAs. If it can be documented only one HMA is over the upper AML number, then all of the HMAs in that complex can be gathered down to their lower AML even though 4 out of 5 HMAs may be well within their range of numbers allowed. Finally, if any horses are deemed to be outside their HMA, they too can be automatically captured and removed, and, of course, not be put back into their HMA. When a helicopter contractor rounds up horses he will typically tell you horses are outside of their HMA as the more horses brought in, the more the profit. You won’t know as cameras and GPS tracking are not on the helicopter.
These practices have led to keeping the Wild Horse and Burro Specialists busy with writing environmental assessments to justify gathers and with conducting gathers themselves. But these practices have also skyrocketed the cost to the American taxpayer and to the horses as they have had to be removed from their public lands with dubious thinking and to be housed in expensive though barren corrals and prisons and in questionable “long term pastures” to which the American public doesn’t have privy. These unwarranted practices are also dwindling the number of horses now on the range down to 20,000 to 30,000. But the gather employees want to continue to be employed so suspected is, we are seeing an exaggeration of the numbers of horses on the range and their foal rates. Presented below is a table of a sampling of gathers to be done in the near future that shows the average yearly percent foal rate from the time of the last gather through this foal season, 2011, given the numbers presented by the BLM employees in their respective HMAs.
AVERAGE YEARLY PERCENT OF FOAL RATE
LAST GATHER DATE/ HMA/HA | POST GATHER | NUMBER FROM FLY-OVER WITH ADJUSTMENTS | AVERAGE YEARLY PRECENTAGE OF FOAL RATE | |||
11-08
| Approximate 150 | 350 | 35% | |||
| 69 | 310 | 48% | ||||
11-07 White Mountain Wyoming AML 205-302 | 205 | 660 | 33% | |||
08-09 Divide Basin Wyoming AML 415-600 | 415 | 1640 | 41% |
PERCENTAGE OF FOAL RATE FROM 2009 TO 2010 in WYOMING
Last Gather Date HMA/HA | Post Gather | 2010 Quoted Number from Fly-over | % of Foal Rate 2009-2010 Using Fly-over Numbers | ||
07-09 Conant Creek | 66 | 120 | 82% | ||
07-09 Dishpan | 49 | 155 | 216% | ||
07-09 Muskrat | 185 | 359 | 94% | ||
11-09
| 204 | 490 | 140% | ||
11-09 Steward Creek | 150 | 275 | 83% | ||
11-09 Crooks Mountain | 72 | 115 | 60% | ||
11-09 Antelope Hills | 72 | 162 | 125% | ||
11-09 Lost Creek | 96 | 155 | 61% |
The foal rates as shown are improbable, in fact, impossible. Yet their numbers are being used to demonstrate horses in their respective Herd Management Areas are over the Appropriate Management Level (AML) whether they, in fact, are or are not. And these numbers are being used to capture and remove animals questionably leaving behind, not the already low lower AML numbers of horses but only the very few horses that escape capture. This next year, unfortunately, may be the demise of the wild horse and burro on the range in the United States in many areas as the Congress is deluded into thinking wild horses and burros thrive in plenty on our public lands. It is a sad chapter in our history as the Mustangs, symbols of our freedom and companions in the development in our West are brutally captured and removed by a dishonest government. And it is infuriating to think these employees are getting away with spending money we American taxpayers don’t have.
These deceptive numbers given the public and Congress are not right. This is fraud committed by the BLM agency that was to protect and manage our wild horses and burros. Horses and burros should only be gathered if they are over an appropriate number which does not allow them or the land on which they live to remain productive and healthy. Horses should not be gathered because employees have a fear they may no longer be employed or because they fear they may not have the money next year to gather so” we’ll grab them while we can.”
Related articles
- BLM Slings Wild Horse BS at CBS Reporter (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Report Released on Wild Horse Deaths during BLM Helicopter Stampede (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- BLM Plans Annihilation of Cloud’s Herd (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- BLM Wild Horse Slaughter Case Moves to U.S. Attorney (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Fitch Outs BLM Employee Who Advocates Hunting Season on Wild Horses (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Video: Animal Cruelty Charges Due at Obama’s BLM Wild Horse Stampede (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Congressmen Send Letter to Salazar to Halt Costly and Deadly BLM Wild Horse Stampedes, AGAIN (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Another Win in Saving Colorado Wild Horse Herd from BLM Eradication (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- BLM Employee/Contractor Publicly Promotes Hunting Season on Wild Horses and Burros (rtfitch.wordpress.com)