Today's News

Equine Welfare Alliance

The EU has released their 2013 regulations. Although we are still analyzing the regulations, it appears as though the end is near. If we are reading this correctly, all equidae will require passports in 2013. The regulations also mention the prior communication that stated beginning in 2010, all third countries exporting to the EU must start moving toward full compliance within three years. The three years are almost up and of course, the slaughter thugs have done nothing except ignore the meager regulations that were afforded the US for the interim period. I encourage all of you to read this. The regs hop around between the EU and exporting countries so it is hard to follow at times but I'm sure you will draw the same conclusion we did.

It appears as though the EU is finally holding their feet to the fire and either they comply or the horses will not be accepted. This is a link to the EU document. We will be uploading to our site as well but felt communications of any type would be best served by linking directly to the EU vs. a radical, vegan, extremist, activist, terrorist, tree hugging, bunny hugging, culturally ignorant.....organization!

http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/chemicalsafety/residues/docs/requirements_non_eu.pdf

  

  

And to further add to your documentation, here is a link to a recent report of banned substances [clenbuterol and phenylbutazone] found in horse meat exported from Canada. Although the evidence is mounting, I'm sure Wallis will continue to deny banned substances have ever been found in horses.

https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/portal/index.cfm?event=notificationDetail&NOTIF_REFERENCE=2012.1078

We will address Wallis' recent drivel to the USDA asking for expedited inspections because of the draught [and other ridiculous reasons] under separate cover. While our sources tell us there is no cause for alarm, we feel the need to address the communication and involve everyone in contacting the USDA. We hope to have this out later tonight or tomorrow night. While we certainly don't want to hold anyone back from contacting the USDA, we feel any communications should be extremely focused and on point.

You can read Wallis' letter at the link below. Play close attention; lest there be any doubt about her motives, she says nothing about helping horses but helping the horse "business".

http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/17131 

BLM approves long-term monitoring plan for Ruby Pipeline

BLM approves long-term monitoring plan for Ruby Pipeline (My News 4 Reno)

RENO, Nev. (KRNV & MyNews4.com) -- The U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management signed a decision amending the Right-of-Way Grant (ROW) and Plan of Development (POD) for the Ruby Pipeline Project on July 27, 2012. The changes are in consideration of agency comments and with the concurrence of the Fremont-Winema, Uinta Wasatch-Cache National Forests, and the Bureau of Reclamation. The changes include amending the ROW to include documents that reflect the final pipeline as built and the approval and inclusion of The Long Term Monitoring Plan in the POD.

The Ruby Pipeline is a 678-mile, 42-inch diameter interstate natural gas pipeline. It crosses 368 miles of Federal land beginning near Opal, Wyoming, extending through northern Utah and northern Nevada, and terminating near Malin, Oregon. 

The Ruby Pipeline was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission April 5, 2010 and the ROW Grant and Plan of Development were approved by a Record of Decision (ROD) issued by the BLM on July 12, 2010. Potential effects of the pipeline were analyzed in an Environmental Impact Statement, released in January 2010. The BLM issued multiple Notices to Proceed for each segment after Ruby demonstrated that all conditions and stipulations had been met for a given segment. 

The pipeline went into service on July 28, 2011. Construction restoration, stabilization, and final clean-up are not expected to be completed until later in 2012. The FERC and the BLM will continue to closely monitor and evaluate restoration progress along the entire pipeline ROW for several years.

Copies of the Decision, as well as the original ROD, are available on the on the Internet here.

Questions about the Decision to Amend the Right-of-Way Grant may be directed to: Mark A. Mackiewicz, PMP, BLM National Project Manager, c/o125 South 600 West, Price, UT 84501.

Save Our Horses Adult Letter Writing Campaign

The Persian Horse's Blog

Dedicated to the Horses who Shed their Blood, Gave up their Freedom and Lost their Lives for BLM.

~

Equine Rights Advocates.  We are now in Phase 2 of the Letter Writing Campaign to totally stop  horse slaughter for human consumption in the US as well as the transport and export of US horses for slaughter.

Our goal is the passage of Senate Bill 1176 and House Bill 2966 the American Slaughter Horse Slaughter Prevention act and Canadian Bill 322 An Act to amend the Health of Animals Act and the Meat Inspection Act (slaughter of horses for human consumption). As well as the ensuring the defunding of the inspection of horse slaughter by the USDA in the Ag Appropriation Bill by the inclusion of the Moran Amendment.

Final date for submission of letters is September 15th, 2012 with presentation in DC on September 20th, 2012.

SAMPLE LETTER:

In the letters we recommend the following talking points. First address the letters to Congress and the President

1. Taxes/Budget – the food safety budget was cut with last year’s Ag appropriations bill, how can the USDA justify taking away money from inspecting animals we raise as food and which we eat, to inspect a meat not raised under food safety guidelines.  Money would be better spent ensuring that better inspection of current food stuffs be completed so that outbreaks of listeria, ecoli, salmonella, etc do not occur and lives are not lost as a result.
2. Food Safety – we have strict guidelines under shich our food animals must be raised, yet horses are not raised for food under those food safety guidelines.  We give our horses which are banned by the FDA, CFIA and EUFSA from use in ANY animal intended for human consumption at any time in it’s life.  Currently CFIA does not even test for BUTE.  The FDA classifies horses as companion animals.
3. Horse Slaughter was not and is not humane.
4. There are other options to handle horses who’s owners find themselves in financial straights and those options are being expanded all over the country.  It’s time the government and the breed registries get behind these options.  Hay banks, shelter in place programs, retraining options, low cost gelding and euthanasia.

In addition when you send your letter, please include a copy of it, also if you have a horse, cut off the label on a product you use, de-wormer, Bute, etc… and attach it to the letter and make a copy as well. Then foward your letter to:

Letter Writing Campaign to End Horse Slaughter
Attn: Jo-Claire Corcoran
3009 Beach Grove Court,  Apt #11
Jeffersonville In 47130

~

Please Click [ HERE ] for further information on what you can do to Stop Slaughter of American Horses for Human Consumption, a petition to sign, and information on the Video Campaign for Equine Rights.

PLEASE WRITE YOUR LETTERS NOW.

Western Watersheds Project Wins Stays Blocking Implementation of Four BLM Decisions

Straight from the Horse's Heart


Posted: July 31, 2012 by R.T. Fitch

By Katie Fite, Biodiversity Director of WWP

Western Watersheds & Judges Continue Attack on Welfare Ranchers

Western Watersheds Project (WWP) has received notification that Judge Harvey C. Sweitzer of the Department of Interior Office of Hearings and Appeals granted four Stays halting Bureau of Land Management grazing decisions on 48,000 acres of public land in the Grouse Creek, Meadow Creek, Rock Creek and Trail Creek Allotments in the Pahsimeroi River Watershed of central Idaho. The allotments are located in critical habitat for Greater sage-grouse whose numbers have been declining for many years in central Idaho.

In issuing these now-Stayed grazing decisions, BLM’s Challis Field Office greatly mis-represented the conditions of Greater sage-grouse, pygmy rabbit, and aquatic habitats on the allotments. Instead of curtailing the impacts of existing levels of livestock use of the public lands, BLM sought to maintain the destructive levels of grazing by developing water pipelines, fences and other industrial infrastructure that degrades wildlife habitat, introduces weeds, and otherwise diminishes the natural values on these public lands.

The Stayed Bureau of Land Management grazing decisions for these four allotments followed a previous Western Watersheds Project victory in 2011 in which Judge Edward J. Lodge of the Idaho federal district court agreed with Western Watersheds Project and overturned earlier BLM grazing decisions for the same allotments.

Western Watersheds Project’s campaign to bring better management for watershed health and wildlife habitat in Idaho’s Pahsimeroi River watershed is finally changing many decades of mismanaged livestock grazing thereby protecting wilderness values and wildlife habitat including lands essential for the survival of Greater sage-grouse,Chinook salmon and Bull trout.

Also in the Pahsimeroi River watershed, Western Watersheds Project secured in 2010 another court victory protecting wilderness values on the Burnt Creek Allotment.

Special thanks for this collective effort are due are due Kenneth Cole – WWP’s NEPA Coordinator, Alex Brott – WWP’s Summer Intern from Whitman College, and Jon Marvel – WWP’s Executive Director.

Horse Slaughter: Industry Influences on Government Republic of Horse 4/11/2012

Kaufman Zoning

(This is a PDF file, VERY WORTHWHILE. Visit the link to see the chart.)

United Horsemen Enter The Blogosphere

Shedrow Confessions

[Excellent read, but the way!]

July 30, 2012 by shedrowconfessions

Today Douchebag Duquette proudly announced that The United Horsemen were entering the blogosphere to the widespread apathy of the few remaining UH followers on Facebook.  For us anti-slaughter people, it’s like Christmas in July as it gives us more fodder for Point and Laugh Fridays.  It appears that Douchebag Dave had some help with editing as the blog is somewhat coherent, but no more fact base than any of the UH’s usual statements.  Perhaps they got tired of having Mendy Tobiano’s rants being their blogging `voice’.  At least they stayed true to form with lots of misleading facts and outright lies.  Let’s take a little look, shall we?

“What a long way we’ve come since the beginning, when we were two groups:  United Horseman’s Front (UHF) and United Organizations of the Horse (UOH).  UHF started in late 2007, when forward-thinking horsemen realized the devastation that would follow the closure of the last domestic horse processing plants. UOH started in late 2008 as a lobbying group, and in 2009, UHF officially became United Horsemen.   Read MORE...

THE PRYOR 2012 BAIT TRAP

The Cloud Foundation

THE LATEST UPDATES ON THE BAIT TRAP IN THE PRYORS

(Last update: 7/30/2012)

Bait trapping has started in the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, capture operations have been in both the upper and lower elevations. 

So far three horses have been caught:

• - Kokopelli: 2 YO apricot dun colt with a blaze (Strawberry x Blizzard)
• Joaquin (BLM name Jumping Badger): 3 YO bay colt with a blaze (Cecelia x Sitting Bull)
• Liesl: Yearling bay filly with a star (Greta x Bristol)
• Lynx: Yearling solid dun colt, from Cloud's band (Ingrid x Ferdinand)
• Breeze (BLM name Kierra): 2YO sable brown filly with star & LH pastern (Aztec x Cloud)
• Kayenta: 2YO red roan filly with LH & RH pasterns (War Bonnet x Diamond)
• Absarokee (BLM name Klamath): 2YO brown colt with crooked blaze, RF & RH socks (Cedar x Bolder)  
• Joviana & foal: 3 YO grulla filly (Felina x Morning Star) with star, snip, RH & LH socks; grullo colt foal with star, LH pastern
• Agate (BLM name Krystal): 2YO silver blue roan filly with large upside-down teardrop star (Feldspar x Flint)
• Adelina (BLM name Judith): 3YO solid dun roan filly (Halcyon x Baja)
• Lenape (aka Destructo Filly): 1YO solid bay filly (Honey x Morning Star)
• Kelly: 2YO black filly with lance blaze, RH & LH socks (Gaelic Princess x Morning Star)
• Last (BLM name Kaibab): 2YO grullo colt with star (Felicity x Ferdinand)
• Lukachukai: 1YO dun with star & two-tone mane (Washakie x Baja)
• Raulita (BLM name Jicarilla): 3YO grulla roan filly (Bacardi x Baja) *She is pregnant
• Juneau + foal: 3YO coyote dun filly (Gold Rush x Two Boots), Foal: dun colt with star (Juneau x Baja)
• Lily: 1YO dun filly with a star (Gabrielle x Casper)
• Koda Wakan (BLM name Kootenai): 2YO solid grullo colt (High Noon x Lakota)
• Kybir (BLM name Kodiak): 2YO coyote dun colt (Gabrielle x Santa Fe)

For photos of each of the removed horses, please check out the Facebook album here. 

BLM wants to remove 30-40 horses ages 1-3 years old. That's about 2/3 of the population in that age range... far too many. 

There is a tiered removal system that BLM created:
Tier 1 being horses "whose removal would maintain the objectives for the herd primarily by balancing representation and sex ratios." These horses are primarily ones who have siblings on the range and/or are not of rare colors or genetics.

Tier 2 being horses "whose removal would also meet the objectives for the herd, but perhaps with other circumstances such as a tier one horse is not captured or if the dam of the identified horses would most likely have more opportunities to produce more foals due to her age and fertility control prescription." This meaning horses who may be the only offspring of a mare, but that mare is still young and is likely to foal again.

Tier 3 horses being those "whose removal would make it more difficult to meet herd objectives in the future." This meaning horses who are of rare color and/or rare genetic lines.

While horses on tier 1 and 2 will be the focus of BLM's removal, horses in tier 3 are still at risk, as they "would only be removed if one and two tier horses are not located where they can be captured or cannot be captured in sufficient numbers after gather operations are approaching the end of the season."

You can read our previous press release on the bait trap here.

11 Year Old on a Mission to Save America’s Wild Horses

Straight from the Horse's Heart


Posted: July 29, 2012 by R.T. Fitch

Information courtesy of Protect Mustangs.org

Robin Warren leads youth campaign for Protect Mustangs


“It is always a pleasure to post something positive and uplifting on “Feel Good Sundays” and this week we most assuredly missed that boat.  But we thought we could sneak in a few good vibes, while you slept, so that you could get a jump start to your back to work Monday.  “Feel Good Sundays” is always a great place to highlight our youthful advocates like Declan Gregg, Chey Little and many others but today it is our pleasure to introduce yet another hope for a brighter future, young Robin Warren.  Many thanks to Anne Novak for forwarding this information to us.  Keep the faith.”  ~ R.T.

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

Wild Mustang Robin Warren at recent rally ~ photo by Cat Kindsfather

SAN FRANCISCO–Since joining Protect Mustangs in June as their new youth campaign director, Robin Warren, age 11, has met with a Nevada State Senator, documented wild horses on the range, was a featured speaker at the Stop the Roundups rally in California’s capitol and gave oral comments at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) helicopter hearing also in the golden state. At the hearing, Warren presented the BLM representative with her Petition to Save Wild Mustangs asking the BLM to stop helicopter roundups.

“It’s not fair that the Bureau of Land Management has an exemption to the law that protects wild horses and burros,” states Robin Warren, youth campaign director for Protect Mustangs. “We want cruel helicopter roundups to stop and we want to make sure they always have access to clean water.”

The petition reads:

“We, the undersigned, do respectfully request that the Bureau of Land Management adhere to the same rules and regulations as the general public in regards to the humane treatment of wild horses and burros. We find it unreasonable that the Secretary of the Interior, the Bureau of Land Management, or any person or organization, is found to be exempt from our collective responsibility as humans to treat animals humanely. We further find it unreasonable that the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture are permitted to define “humane” as it pertains to their own areas of command. We respectfully request that the Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 be restored to its original intent, that no person or organization would be permitted to capture wild horses and burros by means of motorized vehicles, or by polluting or closing off watering holes, as these methods have been proven inhumane.”Warren started the petition 3 years ago under her pen name Wild MustangRobin–to stop the wild horse roundups. She was inspired to co-author the petition after reading “Mustang, Wild Spirit of the West” by Marguerite Henry.

She has been active in her hometown, Las Vegas, and over the internet to get signatures. After posting the petition online at Change.org she received signatures from 50 States, DC, Puerto Rico & and more than 30 countries.

At last week’s helicopter use hearing in Sacramento, Warren presented 2770 signatures from her petition to Amy Dumas, the BLM representative.

“Kids don’t want to see wild horses in zoos,” states Warren. “We want to observe them roaming on the open range with their families.”

Warren’s speech at the BLM helicopter use hearing received a standing ovation from the audience.



”Robin speaks for the youth of America and touches people’s hearts across the nation,” says Anne Novak, executive director for Protect Mustangs. “She wants the wild horses to be protected–not harassed and torn from their families forever.”Copy of Robin’s speech to BLM delivered as a letter at the hearing:

Robin Warren

Director of the Youth Program Protect Mustangs P.O. Box 5661 Berkley, CA 94705

Mike Pool
Acting Director of the Bureau of Land Management
1849 C Street NW, Rm. 5665
Washington DC 20240

James G. Kenna & Amy Dumas

BLM Wild Horse and Burro State Director, and Program

California State Office

2800 Cottage Way, Suite W1834

Sacramento, CA 95825

July 10^th, 2012

Re: Helicopter Roundups

Dear Messrs. Mike Pool and James Kenna and Ms. Amy Dumas;

Hi I am Wild Mustang Robin, Director of the Youth Campaign at Protect Mustangs; I came here today to talk about the mustangs.  I am happy see there are many people here who could come today to say no to the roundups.  First of all I would like to say the roundups are inhumane.  There is a law made by Wild Horse Annie saying you cannot use motorized vehicles to round up the wild horses.  If I – or even the President – was to round them up I would get arrested.  Now there is one interesting thing: the BLM gets an exemption even though it is a law not to use motorized vehicles.

Helicopters are like monsters to the mustangs; children do not want America’s animals to be scared or hurt in anyway. This makes kids feel unsafe because they don’t want to have monsters in their life and children are like animals (they don’t have a voice really). The helicopters are so scary that the mustangs remember the noise for the rest of their lives.  I went to the BLM holding facility in Sparks, NV and when we were walking a slow pace the horses got scared and ran away. They were scared of people walking – how do you think they feel about helicopters?

Another reason the roundups are inhumane is because they separate the families apart – the foals from the mothers and the mothers from the fathers. They might spend the rest of their lives behind gates and never see each other again.  Their ability to have families is a gift because many creatures have to let their babies live on their own after a few weeks of them taking care of them.  I know how it feels because I lost my whole family. I have found a new home and happiness but the mustangs may never get to be in a herd again – and they long for family. It is not humane to separate families from each other.  How would you feel if you lost your family?

A much more humane idea is to keep the family bands whole and send them all together to sanctuaries. It is an idea that would save money and make money as a tourist attraction – a business like a hotel near where the mustangs and burros live. This is a great idea and it can cost less than feeding, watering, and taking care of them when they can take care of themselves.  It could make money for all the states where mustangs still live – both yours and mine.

The mustangs and burros deserve to be treated right.  I know that and a numerous amount of others do too.  Many people care about the wild horses and burros and do not want any of them rounded up or eaten. There are the big names you know, that spoke before me, and then there are the “little names” you don’t know yet, like mine. I represent the voices of many children.

Please do not use helicopters or motorized vehicles for roundups or management. Please reconsider your roundup plans and let them live in freedom.

Sincerely,

Wild Mustang Robin (Robin Warren)

FOIA Confirms Bouvry’s Plans to Re-Open “Death Row for Horses”

Straight from the Horse's Heart

Posted: July 29, 2012 by R.T. Fitch
Story by Laura Allen of Animal Law Coalition

Canadian Horse Butchers Want to Kill Horses in the United States

In response to a Freedom of Information Act request submitted to the U.S. Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), Animal Law Coalition has learned that Bouvry Exports, which has the largest horse slaughter operation in Canada, has obtained an application for FSIS inspections. Under the Federal Meat Inspection Act the inspections are required in the U.S. for horses that are to be slaughtered for human consumption. FSIS approval and agreement to provide inspectors would be an important step for Bouvry Exports in opening a U.S. facility to slaughter horses for human consumption.

Earlier this year Allen Warren, operator of Horse Harbor Foundation, an equine sanctuary in Washington state, indicated a source inside Bouvry Exports was reporting the Canadian company has plans to open a U.S. horse slaughter house at Florence Packing Co., Inc. just outside of Stanwood in Snohomish County, Washington. Florence Packing Co., Inc. previously slaughtered horses there until the early 1990s. It was known as “Death Row for Horses”. The Florence Packing slaughter operation as it was in the 1990s is pictured here.

The Florence Packing facility has continued to serve Bouvry Exports as a feedlot and collection point for horses doomed to slaughter at its Fort MacLeod, Alberta plant. “Florence Packing” is also listed as a Bouvry Exports brandname for its horse meat products.

Bouvry Exports was added to the November, 2011, USDA list of bonded meat processors in the US despite that currently the company has no slaughter facilities in this country.

All of this points to serious plans by Bouvry Exports to re-establish the Florence Packing facility as a horse slaughter house. Horse slaughter became legal again in the U.S. in November, 2011.  “The fact that Bouvry has an FSIS application in hand for Stanwood and can file it at any time means this threat is still hanging over our heads here in Washington State and we will continue our efforts to marshall public opinion against it to stop it in its tracks if and when the application is filed,“  Warren stated.

Snohomish County water quality officials are concerned as it is that horses are kept at the site for export for slaughter. An inspection was done last year because of concerns about pollutants detected downstream. The Stillaguamish River Divergence runs along the north side of the facility. It is a known Chinook salmon habitat with hatcheries located downstream. Also, the facility sits in a floodplain. Officials and residents will have much more to be concerned about if a horse slaughter facility opens: Go here to read about the economic and environmental devastation horse slaughter brought to communities when facilities operated in the U.S. prior to their closure in 2007. There was no benefit, only substantial cost including to the quality of life.

Washington animal welfare organizations representing thousands of state citizens have come together in an effort to prevent a horse slaughter facility from opening. Legislation is likely to be introduced soon at the county as well as state level.

Click (HERE) to visit Animal Law Coalition and to Comment

Today's News

Equine Welfare Alliance

Here is more information on the infamous Three Angels Farm as well as three articles, one that indicates he is allegedly operating again under a new name...

A total of 5 complaints have been filed for USDA transport violations. If prosecuted, the violations would bring huge fines but to date, no one has been charged.

http://www.kaufmanzoning.net/threeangelsfarmscomplaintsfiledrelease0712.pdf

http://www.wsmv.com/story/19114666/former-three-angels-driver-says-owner-ignored-safety-hazards

http://www.wsmv.com/story/19126782/investigators-document-horse-farm-violations

http://tuesdayshorse.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/tennessee-slaughter-horse-hauler-may-be-open-under-new-name/

NEW JERSEY ALERT

Apparently, the articles that stated Governor Christie signed the bill banning horse slaughter [that prompted our email stating the same] were incorrect. The governor has not signed the bill and now, the Farm Bureau is asking the governor not to sign because of an amendment that was tacked on regarding horse transport.

This is the message issued by the New Jersey Farm Bureau. We encourage calls to the governor's office to sign the bill without delay 609.292.6000.

Horse owners who have any reason to transport their horses on New Jersey roadways are within a stroke of Governor Christie's pen of being susceptible to an SPCA officer's random inspection of you and your horse trailer. Why?  Because HSUS asked for and received a spur-of-the-moment amendment in the Assembly Agriculture Committee just before the ban on horse slaughter bill final vote was taken. Despite our requests with sponsor Asm. Ronnie Dancer subsequently, the amendment remains in the bill and we think will expose you and anyone transporting horses to the unwarranted highway stops of SPCA officers.

That the bill's purpose of banning horse slaughter is superfluous when New Jersey has no such facility available is now beside the point. That the human standards rules of the Department of Agriculture that address horse transport are being trampled upon is also being missed. This bill is a huge step backward for livestock agriculture in New Jersey and ought to prompt your immediate reaction.

USDA/FSIS HORSE INSPECTIONS

Wallis had posted that inspections would start in November or January and there are a few articles floating around hinting at the same. We are hearing that there may not be a vote so that would mean a continuing resolution [for a period of time] that would carry over the current budget. If this happens, we can still get the defunding language back in the bill when the vote takes place so do not despair! The amendment will be reintroduced and we start calling/faxing again...

Something very important to keep in mind is that although inspections have been reinstated, no funding has been given. The inspection budget was slashed and without additional funding for horse inspections, should inspections be allowed, that means less inspectors for our traditional food supply. We already know that we need more food inspectors, not less. Be sure to let your legislator hear from you, loud and clear, we do not want our food supply further compromised for unnecessary, unwanted horse inspections.

The petition to defund inspections now has over 40,000 signatures. Be sure to sign this petition [it has been given to several legislators] if you haven't done so already. They are watching this!

http://www.change.org/petitions/overturn-the-legalization-of-horse-slaughter-for-human-consumption 

Off Topic - Shelter in Georgia

We know many of you are involved in dog/cat rescues as well as equine efforts. Nona brought this to my attention and I thought I'd pass it on to you. It's regarding a no-kill shelter that has been euthanizing animals. The below article details one owner's torment in finding out his dog was euthanized in spite of an email stating he was adopted by a wonderful family.

We hear the director has now been fired but there is no word on the dogs that people have been trying to locate.

http://dogtime.com/unnecessary-lies-unnecessary-labels-a-shelter-story.html?utm_campaign=website&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email

Updates on Cloud's Pryor Mountain Herd Removal

Two articles of interest:

BLM CATCHES PRYOR MUSTANGS IN WYOMING, MONTANA

July 28, 2012 – Gather Updates

Wild Horses: Removals From Cloud’s Pryor Mountain Herd Continue

Wild Hoofbeats

Cloud’s band last month with his family runs to the waterhole

I just spent two days in the Pryor Mountains of Montana. Normally this time of year it is a beautiful and peaceful place to be.  Most of the horses in the herd are up in the high meadows, foals are playing, and it is peaceful, especially in the early mornings, my favorite time to be out photographing them.

The sign in front of the trap

Not any more.  Near the large reservoir water hole, there is a bait trap set up by the BLM in order to capture the 40 young horses they plan to remove from their homes and freedom forever.  There are panels with mesh around them, two openings, and in the middle of the trap, goodies for the horses which can include mineral blocks, hay and other items that the horses tend to find irresistible.

Please visit the site to read more and see the pictures.. This is so very sad.

What You Can Do to Fight Horse Slaughter

Humane Society of the U.S.

June 26,2012

Keep cruel horse slaughter out of the U.S. and protect humans from the threat of toxic horse meat

Horses in the U.S. are not raised for food. They are bred for transportation, farm work, sport, and as pets—not for meat.

But some groups are eager to exploit a loophole in legislation passed last fall that could allow them to bring horse slaughter plants back to the U.S.—despite the terrible cruelty of horse slaughter, the risks to human health posed by horse slaughter plants, and the legacy of damage left in communities where horse slaughter plants have operated.

Take steps to fight horse slaughter:

1. Get the facts

• Learn the truth about horse slaughter »
• Educate yourself about the threat of toxins in horse meat »
• Find out what The HSUS is doing »

2. Tell your legislators

• Send an email asking them to
  Keep horse slaughter plants out of the U.S. »
  Protect the public from tainted horse meat
• Write a letter—you can draft your own or use our sample letter to the editor as a model.
• Call (Find your federal or state legislators)
• Visit (Find your federal or state legislators)

Make these points when communicating with legislators:

• Horse slaughter is unacceptably inhumane.
• Eighty percent of U.S. taxpayers are opposed to horse slaughter and don’t want horse meat served at the dinner table.
• Horse meat laced with toxic products such as fly sprays and de-wormers is dangerous to human health.
• Americans don’t want to spend tax dollars inspecting meat for foreign markets
• Horse slaughter plants have been linked to air and water pollution, lowered property values, and increased crime rates.

3. Speak out in the media

Write an op-ed or letter to the editor of your local newspaper or television or radio station. To get you started, you can download our sample letter to the editor.

4. Inform the general public

• Post copies of The HSUS’s fact sheet on horse slaughter in public places.
• Use your Facebook page or Twitter feed to share links to The HSUS’s investigative video “Horse Slaughter: Cruelty Uncovered” and horse slaughter fact sheet.

5. Attend Town Meetings

You don’t need to be an expert on slaughter or even a horse owner, to attend a town hall meeting. You simply need to care about horses who suffer horribly during the slaughter process, do your homework, and follow our tips for attending town meetings.

Some town meetings are conducted in person, while others follow a call-in format. You can find dates and times for upcoming town meetings by visiting the website of your federal legislator or calling their offices. The U.S. Capital Switchboard’s number is 202-224-3121.

6. Volunteer with a horse rescue group

Help out at your local horse rescue facility. Rescue work is a demanding, round-the-clock job requiring dedication, resources, and manpower. Contact your local horse rescue and offer to lend a hand feeding, grooming, fundraising, or organizing volunteers.

7. Support the Doris Day Horse Rescue and Adoption Center

The opening of the Doris Day Horse Rescue and Adoption Center in Murchison, Texas, marks a new chapter for equine rescue. The Doris Day Center incorporates humane training methods of “natural horsemanship” in a rescue setting to identify and retrain at-risk horses for adoption.

• Volunteer at the center if you live nearby.
• Donate money or construction materials—such as tack, fencing, and other supplies.
• Adopt a horse from the center.

8. Help the Homes for Horses Coalition

Co-founded by The HSUS, the Homes for Horses Coalition, is a group of welfare and equine rescue organizations dedicated to ending horse slaughter and equine abuse as well as promoting collaboration and professionalism in the equine rescue community.