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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

SALAZAR LEAVING!

Habitat for Horses


Obama’s second-term Cabinet shuffle

 - MSNBC News
12:54 pm on 11/28/2012
Likely to go“Hello, I must be going,” was one of Groucho Marx’s most notable lines—and perhaps a fitting coda to the Cabinet careers of several top Obama officials, expected to leave after his first term is complete.
By our count, at least half a dozen are expected to exit over the next several months, most notably Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said last month he’d decline another term, andInterior Secretary Ken Salazar has reportedly told friends he wants to take a private sector job in Colorado.
Energy Secretary Steven Chu hasn’t publicly declared his intentions, but after the Solyndra debacle, his chances of staying are essentially nil.
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner will stay on out of necessity after being tapped as the President’s chief negotiator in fiscal cliff discussions.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said he has issues he still wants to tackle, including the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. But, neither Geithner nor Panetta is expected to stay for the full extent of President Obama’s second term.
There will be some familiar faces sticking around, however, including Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Attorney General Eric Holder, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and the head of the Dpartment of Health and Human Services (HHS), Kathleen Sebelius.
Perhaps, a more apt quote for the Cabinet shake-up comes from the French novelist, Alphonse Karr, who wrote “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Wild Horses and Horse Slaughter

Keep the pressure on ~ Twin Peaks Roundup on hold | Protect Mustangs



Twin Peaks wild horses counting on your help (Photo of “Magic” © G. Gregg)
Happy Thanksgiving!
California-based Protect Mustangs has been working hard to stop the Twin Peaks roundup once we brought you the news of the Rush Fire last summer. We are grateful several wonderful advocates such as Craig Downer, Grandma Gregg,Jesica JohnstonBarbara Clarke, Carla Bowers, Monika CourtneyJetara Sehart,Mar Wargo, R.T FitchDebbie Coffey and many others have joined the fight to protect the Twin Peaks wild horses on the range.
We oppose rounding up and removing native wild horses from the Twin Peaks HMA especially now that they can play a key role in restoring the land. It’s time the BLM use good science and cut down on invasive techniques that cause global warming. Wild horses and burros can heal and reseed the range after the wildfire so let them do it.”
Keep contacting your elected officials across the country to educate them about how the Twin Peaks wild horses can heal the land after the fire. Let them know these federally protected wild horses deserve to remain on their range. Tell them removals are cruel and costly–warehousing them for decades is not sustainable. Request the Twin Peaks roundup be cancelled. Thank you for helping California’s wild horses and burros.
Please make a donation to help Protect Mustangs continue our work for the wild horses. Thank you.
Below is the email we received today from Ken Collum at the BLM.
All my best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving,
Anne
Anne Novak
Executive Director of Protect Mustangs
——– Original Message ——–
Subject: Twin Peaks Response
From: “Collum, Kenneth R”
Date: Tue, November 20, 2012
To: Anne Novak protectmustangs
There will be no imminent roundup operation in the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area (HMA).  The situation will be re-evaluated this January.
HMA population information obtained from September’s aerial inventory will be available soon.
Ken Collum
Field Manager
Eagle Lake Field Office
2950 Riverside Dr.
Susanville, CA.  96130
Ph:    530 252 5374
Cell:  530 260 0158
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Must the mustangs and racehorses end up as European meat?


There was a time when I loved watching the Kentucky Derby and read books about thoroughbred horse racing, but the problem of racing is that you need more and more horses to race and the also-rans and never-rans must go somewhere. That somewhere is apparently the slaughter house. "Saving America's Horses" isn't just about race horses, but also about mustangs, donkeys and other equines who outlive their owners' needs.
"Saving America's Horses" is one of those documentaries that wears its heart on its sleeve. There's no pretense of being objective and if you're squeamish you'll want to avoid this film (or at least avert your eyes at certain points).
"Saving America's Horses: A Nation Betrayed" opens in Pasadena on Friday, Nov. 23   Read MORE....
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And this:
Wild horse advocates protest roundup of Murderers Creek herd in eastern Oregon | OregonLive.com

From Horseback Magazine

AAEP, AVMA Call for Passage of H.R. 6388 – Amendments to the Horse Protection Act | Horse Back Magazine


November 20, 2012

WASHINGTON, (AAEP) – Today the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Equine Practitioners issued a joint statement of support for the Amendments to the Horse Protection Act, H.R. 6388.
“Soring is an unconscionable abuse of horses that is used to produce a high-stepping gait—the “Big Lick”—and gain an unfair competitive advantage in the show ring. For decades we’ve watched irresponsible individuals become more creative about finding ways to sore horses and circumvent the inspection process, and have lost faith in an industry that seems unwilling and/or unable to police itself. The AVMA and AAEP are committed to strengthening the USDA’s ability to enforce the Horse Protection Act and ending this abuse for good. We strongly encourage everyone who cares about the welfare of horses to contact their member of Congress and urge them to pass H.R. 6388,” said Dr. Doug Aspros, AVMA President.
Specifically, H.R. 6388:
  • Makes the actual act of soring, or directing another person to cause a horse to become sore, illegal;
  • Requires the USDA (rather than the industry) to license, train, assign and oversee inspectors enforcing the Horse Protection Act;
  • Prohibits the use of action devices (e.g., boot, collar, chain, roller, or other device that encircles or is placed upon the lower extremity of the leg of a horse) on any limb of Tennessee Walking Horses, Spotted Saddle horses, or Racking horses at horse shows, exhibitions, sales or auctions and bans weighted shoes, pads, wedges, hoof bands, or other devices that are not used for protective or therapeutic purposes;
  • Increases civil and criminal penalties for violations, and creates a penalty structure that requires horses to be disqualified for increasing periods of time based on the number of violations; and
  • Allows for permanent disqualification from the show ring after three or more violations.
“The passage of H.R. 6388 will strengthen the Horse Protection Act and significantly increase the effort to end the abuse of the Tennessee Walking Horse,” said AAEP President Dr. John Mitchell. “The AAEP encourages all veterinarians to contact their legislators to voice support for the bill and help end the cruel soring of these beautiful animals.”
For more information on the AVMA and AAEP’s efforts to stop this egregious abuse of horses, visit the AVMA’s Soring Resource Page.
The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., was founded in 1954 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse.  Currently, the AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its nearly 10,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry.
The AVMA, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest and largest veterinary medical organizations in the world, with more than 82,500 member veterinarians worldwide engaged in a wide variety of professional activities. For more information, visitwww.avma.org.

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Long Awaited Theater Premier of Katia Louise’ “Saving America’s Horses” on Both Coasts | Horse Back Magazine


November 20, 2012
LOS ANGELES, (Humanion Films) -  New York, NY/ Los Angeles. New York’s QUAD Cinema, Laemmle’s Playhouse 7, IMA Studios, WFLF Humanion Films and The Triumph Project are proud to present the provocative new documentary “SAVING AMERICA’S HORSES: A Nation Betrayed” (91 minutes) produced, written and directed by filmmaker Katia Louise.
Featuring revealing interviews with distinguished veterinarians, trainers, academics, investigators, policymakers and members of the equine community including Paul Sorvino, Linda Gray, Tippi Hedren, and Willie Nelson, the film addresses a question that recently prompted the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, to threaten to ‘punch out’ a reporter who asked him if “any changes need to take place in the system in terms of safeguarding” America’s wild and domestic horses.
Louise, and her organization, the Wild for Life Foundation, ask the same question in her investigation of the economic, environmental, public health, and ethical issues surrounding the slaughter of both wild and domestic horses for their meat. As she notes, the cost of round up and removal of wild horses from the public lands and holding them long term continues to increase (now budgeted at more than $40 million a year); European demand for horsemeat continues to be satisfied illegally; the unregulated slaughter of horses pollutes the land and brings pain and suffering to the animals.
Bringing together a wide spectrum of hard-hitting, sometimes opposing viewpoints the film lays down evidence for the Full Monty of objectionable behavior, including neglect, cruelty, deception, and profiteering. The victims run the gamut, from those who eat the meat filled with carcinogenic and other harmful drugs, to the horses themselves, wild horses poached from government land, Thoroughbred race horses who pass through the system to oblivion, domestic horses who outlive their welcome and are sent to slaughter. SAVING AMERICA’S HORSES is a compelling, provocative and a rallying cry for justice and integrity.
Director Katia Louise in person for Q & A:
LA: Following 1PM shows on Nov 23rd and 25th, and following Nov 24th shows at CHOZA MAMA Reception
NYC: Following 7:15PM shows on Dec 7th and 8th
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: www.savingamericashorses.org
TRAILER: http://youtu.be/7Qb68DTz5RQ

TEASER: http://youtu.be/eNs0QF4tfXo

SAVING AMERICA’S HORSES (91 minutes – not yet rated)

Opens November Laemmle’s Playhouse 7, 673 East Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101 p: 310-478-3836 –Purchase tickets from Laemmle Theaters. December NY’s QUAD Cinema, 34 West 13th Street, New York, NY 10011  p: 212-255-2243  quadcinema@aol.com ADVANCE TICKET SALES CALL 777-FILM #636 or PURCHASE FROM:movietickets.com Enter: Title / zip code

More from Horseback:

Organization's 1st open house brings people, horses and inmates together - The Item: AP State News

Harrowing horse rescue a reminder of need for ice safety

Straight from the Horse's Heart

Plan to Roundup Wild Horses with Choppers has NM Advocates Crying Foul « Straight from the Horse's Heart


Story by Staci Matlock as it appears in The New Mexican
“There aren’t appropriate alternatives in the plan…”
A federal agency’s proposal to use helicopters to gather hundreds of wild horses in northwestern New Mexico has mustang advocates up in arms.
The Bureau of Land Management’s New Mexico office plans to round up more than 277 wild horses off the Jicarilla/Carracas Mesa area near Navajo Dam, which is jointly managed with the Carson National Forest.
An estimated 405 mustangs now roam the 76,000-acre Jicarilla Wild Horse Territory of Carson National Forest and 32,000 acres of BLM-controlled land in the Carracas Mesa Wild Horse Herd Area.
Range managers say the herd should be much smaller, 50 to 105 horses, because there’s not enough forage to keep the horses healthy, along with the elk, deer and three dozen cattle that share the area.
The BLM has issued a preliminary environmental plan for gathering the Jicarilla wild horses in January and February. The public has until Tuesday, Nov. 21, to comment on the proposal. The agency received more than 2,500 comments before drafting the plan.
The BLM’s preferred option includes using helicopters, which the agency has used for decades to gather mustangs around the West, despite protests from wild horse advocates.
The last few years, the Carson National Forest has rounded up the horses by baiting them with hay and trapping them in hidden corrals, a method the BLM claims hasn’t been effective in removing enough of the equines from the range.
Wild horse advocates say helicopters frighten the horses and injure more of them during a gather than no-chase methods like bait-and-trap. Plus, they say, there are other choices the BLM could use to reduce the herd size, keep it small and reduce the number of mustangs that end up in costly, long-term holding facilities. Restoring the number of mountain lions — the mustangs’ natural predator — is one. Regularly using and tracking contraception is another.
“We’re saying there aren’t appropriate alternatives in the [plan],” said Patience O’Dowd, longtime advocate and founder of the Wild Horse Observers Association in Placitas.
Dave Evans, district manager for BLM’s Farmington and Taos field offices, said all options are on the table for gathering the mustangs, including helicopters. “Helicopters is just one of the options we’re considering for a big gather,” he said. “We thought a more aggressive tactic could address this problem quickly.”
He added that the BLM intends to administer birth control to most of the mares rounded up, but keep fewer than 100 for adoption. The others will be returned to the range. There simply aren’t enough places to send the rest.
Mustang gathers
The Jicarilla and Carracas wild horse areas are home to rugged mesas and red sandstone canyons. They are also dotted with thousands of oil and natural gas wells, and in the fall, hunters comb the region for elk and deer.
The Carson National Forest’s Jicarilla Ranger District has handled the mustang gathers in the Jicarilla since 1977 because the horses stayed primarily on forest lands. The Forest Service relied on helicopters until 1997, when three horses died during a roundup. Mustang advocates cried foul, contending the roundups harmed the horses and the Forest Service didn’t need to remove so many.
From 1999 to 2004, no wild horses were gathered in the area while the Forest Service analyzed the range and came up with a management plan. In that time, the wild horse herds doubled from 93 to 197 animals, according to Forest Service reports.
The agency’s plan calls for limiting the horses to between 50 and 105 in the Jicarilla territory. Currently, there are an estimated 400 mustangs.
Anthony Madrid, who managed the wild horse program for the Carson National Forest from 2005 until last year and is now the Jicarilla district manager, said the agency agreed with horse advocates to change its roundups, including using helicopters only as a last resort.
Madrid worked with wild horse advocates on using bait-and-trap methods and an equine contraceptive called PZP with the Jicarilla wild horse herds and the Jarita Mesa herd in the El Rito Ranger District.
Gentler methods
The agency has hired Dan Elkins, a contractor out of Grants, for the last five years to handle the bait-and-trap gathers. He works with Karen Herman of Sky Mountain Wild Horse Sanctuary to give contraception to select mares before releasing them. Elkins developed a sophisticated method of coaxing the horses into hidden corrals with food or water and using remotely controlled gates to quietly contain them. He’s gathered 84 mustangs on Jarita Mesa this year alone with no injuries to the animals and helped reduce that horse herd close to the size the Forest Service considers optimal, said El Rito Ranger District supervisor Diana Trujillo.
In 2009, Elkins gathered 125 mustangs off the Jicarilla and another 73 in 2010, but that wasn’t enough to keep up with the number of foals born, and the herds continued to grow.
“Dan has done a great job for us,” said Madrid. “But I would say we have not been able to gather enough horses.”
Mitigating factors make the gathers slower in the Jicarilla than in Jarita Mesa. During hunting season, the Jicarilla horses are more skittish and moving constantly. The territory is larger. And it takes more time to round up the horses using Elkins’ methods.
“Now the population is so high, and gentle methods are not working to keep herd levels under control,” the BLM’s Donna Hummel said.
Helicopters may be the most effective way to quickly bring the population under control, she said. Madrid agrees that in the short run, it may be the best answer.
But longtime mustang advocates like O’Dowd say Elkins’ methods combined with contraception are better, cheaper options to managing the herds than what the BLM has continued to do — round up horses with helicopters, adopt some of them out and put the rest on pastures where the agency has to continue caring for them. Currently, 30,000 wild horses are in BLM facilities.
A crossroads
The Carson National Forest and the BLM are at a crucial junction. The BLM is running out of room for the mustangs that aren’t adopted and recently put out a request for ranchers or other property owners interested in establishing horse sanctuaries.
Madrid said the BLM isn’t accepting horses from the Forest Service now because space is limited. He had been sending most of the horses to a prison program in Cañon City, Colo., where prisoners trained the mustangs before they were adopted out. That program also is full. And the number of mustang adopters has declined in the last couple of years due to the bad economy and the high cost of feed, he said.
“We’re really aiming to find a balance that is a sustainable herd,” Madrid said. “I think the bait-and-trap with contraception will work [in the long term].”
Click (HERE) to add much needed Comment at The New Mexican
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SCI Gloats Over Calif/Nevada Wild Horse Disaster
Posted in AmmoLand ~unedited
Hunting Club Shows Disdain 
for Native Wild Equines

SCI has a “thing” against wild horses and burros
Washington –-(Ammoland.com)- Safari Club International (SCI) defeated the animal rights group In Defense of Animals in a major court battle over management of feral populations of horses in accordance with federal law.
On November 15, 2012, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California rejected the horse groups’ claims that the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) gather of the excess wild horses and burros violated federal law.
The case focused on the Twin Peaks Horse Management Area (HMA), located on the northern border of California and Nevada. The BLM conducted the gather during August and September 2010, after SCI joined the BLM in defeating the horse groups’ emergency request to halt the gather.
Before the gather, the horse and burro populations on the Twin Peaks Horse Management Area (HMA) were approximately four times higher than scientifically established appropriate management levels. The excess horses and burros were damaging the ecosystem and harming resident wildlife, including game mammals and birds.
Without management action to lower the horse numbers, these detrimental ecosystem impacts would only escalate. The overpopulation problems at the Twin Peaks HMA are symptomatic of conditions on public lands throughout the American West. SCI and other conservation advocates are working on strategies and regulatory policies to rationally address the problems.
“For the third time in a wild horse case, SCI has represented the interests of hunters in this thorny issue,” said John Whipple, President of Safari Club International. “The BLM must take action when horses threaten to seriously degrade the range and harm other wildlife, including game animals and birds. As ardent hunter-conservationists, we cannot allow horse zealots to use the courts to foist their single-minded agenda on land managers in the West.”
“We are extremely pleased that the court has upheld BLM’s ability in the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area to responsibly manage horse populations based on sound science. Responsible herd management is a vital component to the health and sustainability of our land and wildlife habitat for the future,” stated Gene Schmidt, President, National Association of Conservation Districts.
“As it has done in other wild horse cases, SCI intervened as a party to defend the gather and subsequent relocation of the excess horses and burros to long-term holding facilities. SCI would like to thank all of our coalition colleagues who advocate for ecosystem wide conservation goals on public lands,” concluded Whipple.w horse zealots to use the courts to foist their single-minded agenda on land managers in the West.”
In ruling against the plaintiffs, the Court heavily relied on an argument made solely by SCI to reject one of the horse groups’ primary legal claims. SCI’s briefs and arguments at the hearing on the case enhanced the excellent defense offered by the BLM and its attorneys. The plaintiffs now have 60 days to decide whether to appeal their loss to theNinth Circuit.

Contact: Nelson Freeman
Nelson Freeman
Safari Club International – D.C.
501 2nd St, NE
Washington, DC 20002
Office: 202-543-8733
Ammoland Click to read AmmoLand FTC Marital Disclosures Distributed to you by AmmoLand.com – The Shooting Sports News source.
Click (HERE) to Comment and view video

Update: Happy Holidays for the Twin Peaks Wild Horses and Burros

Written and information supplied by Grandma Gregg
BLM’s Destruction of California’s Last Wild Horse Herd Delayed, for Now

Twin Peak’s “Magic” ~ photo by Grandma Gregg
BLM, Eagle Lake announced today (Nov 20) that the proposal to remove 600 wild horses plus burros from the Twin Peaks HERD Management Area has been temporarily cancelled!
Per Eagle Lake BLM, “There will be no imminent roundup operation in the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area (HMA).  The situation will be re-evaluated this January … ESR plan is still under review. ”
The Eagle Lake field office recently claimed they did an aerial inventory that proved there are currently 950 horses on the entire HMA.  Recent INDEPENDENT aerial and ground surveys have been done on the Twin Peaks HMA which scientifically proves that the total estimated Wild Horse population is currently within the range of 312 to 387.
The complete independent aerial report can be read at (CLICK HERE) and photos of the independent aerial survey can be viewed at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/89702311@N03/
The post-wildfire report with photos can be viewed at (CLICK HERE)
Independent assessments of the health of the land and the health of the horses and burros agree with the aerial total HMA population estimate of less than 400 horses plus photos show the health of the surviving horses to be physically robust and forage and water plentiful to get the horses through the next year without undue physical stress if they are left alone.
Many thanks from the wild horses and burros and from all of us who love them to ALL of you who worked so hard to let the BLM know that our Twin Peaks Wild Horses and Burros are very special.
Could THIS be why the Feds have Declared War on Wild Horses and Burros?

Colorado’s West Douglas herd ~ photo by Toni Moore
DENVER— The Bureau of Land Management today proposed allowing oil shale and tar sands development across more 806,000 acres of public lands in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. The plan stems from a settlement of litigation brought by environmental groups in 2009 that challenged a 2008 Bush plan to open 2 million acres of public land to oil shale and tar sands development. Today’s proposal was spelled out in an environmental impact statement and proposed amendments to 10 land-management plans.
Oil shale and tar sands development would be ruinous for the Colorado River basin and for the struggle to curb the greenhouse emissions that are causing climate change,” said Taylor McKinnon, public lands campaigns director with the Center for Biological Diversity. “The BLM should have chosen a plan that avoided those impacts by simply prohibiting those forms of development on public lands.”
Today’s plan allocates more than 676,000 acres of land to oil shale development and more than 129,000 acres to tar sands. It subjects development to ecological and economic constraints not included in the Bush administration’s plan. While it reduces developable acres from the Bush administration’s 2008 plan, it increases allocations from what was proposed in a 2012 draft environmental impact statement. Acres allocated for oil shale development have increased by 46 percent since the draft plan; acres for tar sands increased by 42 percent.
“In the face of global warming, a drying West and Frankenstorms like Hurricane Sandy, devoting public lands to dirty, high-carbon development is very destructive public policy,” said McKinnon. “Today’s plan isn’t as bad as the Bush administration’s, but it makes clear that the Department of the Interior is still listening to the fossil fuel industry and its politicians more than climate scientists.”
Producing oil from shale or tar sands can be dirtier than coal given the energy required to extract the oil. The production of every barrel of shale oil sends 50 percent more CO2 into the atmosphere than the production of one barrel of crude oil. Because mining would deplete and pollute water resources and result in large areas of land being cleared and destroyed, commercial development would likely affect Gunnison’s sage grouse and four endangered fish species in the Colorado River — Colorado pikeminnow, razorback sucker, humpback chub and bonytail chub. Oil shale and tar sands mining and processing will also increase regional air pollution.
The Center for Biological Diversity is dedicated to ensuring that atmospheric carbon dioxide pollutant levels are reduced to below 350 ppm, which leading climate scientists warn is necessary to prevent devastating climate change. Further development of greenhouse gas-intensive energy sources, including oil shale, tar sands, and coal-fired power plants, is fundamentally incompatible with achieving this goal. If greenhouse gas emissions are not immediately reduced, the atmospheric carbon dioxide level will rise to approximately 500 ppm by mid-century, triggering mass wildlife extinctions, catastrophic global weather and ecosystem changes, and tragic human suffering.
The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 450,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
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All but 36 of Davis’ 1,777 purchases coincide with Salazar’s tenure as DOI Secretary
Scott Coffina, a former White House ethics adviser, said any Salazar (above) involvement with the federal sale of wild horses would raise a red flag for investigators
WASHINGTON — Secretary of the Department of the Interior Ken Salazar’s relationship with a Colorado man who worked for his family’s farm and who is under federal investigation for allegedly selling American wild horses to Mexican slaughter houses came under scrutiny this week.
Tommy D. Davis, a livestock  hauler from La Jara and former independent contractor at the Salazar family farm in nearby Manassa, has been the largest single purchaser of wild horses from the federal government since 2009.
All but 36 of Davis’ 1,777 purchases coincide with Salazar’s tenure as Interior secretary, now in its fourth year.
Scott Coffina, a former White House ethics adviser, said Salazar’s involvement if any with the federal sale of wild horses to Davis would raise a red flag for investigators.
“Did he have knowledge of any sales to Davis at all? … Did the fact that he had a previous relationship with Davis affect the decision? … Did Davis get favorable terms or a better deal?” Coffina said in an interview.
When a government official was asked if Salazar signed off on sales to Davis, the official indicated he had not done so.
“Sale approval is done entirely at the level of the Bureau of Land Management wild-horse program — not the Department of the Interior,” the official wrote. The Bureau of Land Management is part of the Interior department, but the official’s statement suggests that BLM officials had no contact with officials in Secretary Salazar’s office.
Coffina said that unless new information about Salazar’s ties to Davis emerged, federal officials are unlikely to examine their relationship or request that Salazar recuse himself from the the Interior department’s internal investigation of Davis’ sales of the animals.
“The fact that he worked for him — Salazar said it was once or twice — I don’t think there’s any recusal required for that … I don’t see the relationship between Davis and Salazar is close enough in terms of benefit to Davis. It’s not clear how long ago he worked on the farm. Salazar has been in D.C. since 2004,” Coffina said, referring to Salazar’s election as a U.S. Senator.
Blake Androff, a Salazar spokesman, noted that the inspector general of the Interior department launched an investigation of Davis’ sales in June. “The Interior department takes the allegations against Mr. Davis very seriously,” he said, “and we look forward to the results of that inquiry. Anybody that is found to have violated the law should be held accountable.”
Davis did not respond to a voice mail left at his home. He told the online publication Pro Publica that “has done quite a bit of trucking” for Salazar, while Salazar’s brother LeRoy told The Observer last week that Davis worked as an independent contractor for the Salazar family farm once or twice.
Salazar said through a department spokesman he has “no recollection of Tom Davis and to his knowledge, has never had any business dealings with him.”
Although Salazar has not said he knew Davis, his relationship if any with his neighbor could emerge as a flashpoint for federal investigators. Coffina said if investigators present evidence that Davis sold the wild horses to slaughter houses, Salazar may need to recuse himself.
Click (HERE) to Visit the Observer and to stir up the Conversation

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

WARRIORS HELPING WARRIORS!




“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” – Winston Churchill

"Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway." -  John Wayne       

Two quotes from two great men.  They say it all, warriors and horses. When this duo first encountered each other, the two species became powerfully linked.  The video shows a story about wild horses, just as the song is titled.  This is what our campaign is about, the beautiful American Wild Mustangs, a true warrior of their own kind as well as all the true American warriors returning from the battlefront.
Greetings!  My name is Tanya.  I am 53 years old and I currently reside in Flagstaff, Arizona.  Growing up in a small town in Texas I was around horses every chance I got. At the age of 10, my grandfather bought me a Shetland pony.  The first time I sat down in the saddle, she bucked me off.  My cousins had horses so I had opportunities to ride with them.  Basically, I wanted a horse of my own and every opportunity that came along to ride I would.  Finally, at the age of 21, I bought my first horse, Beauty. 
I graduated from Baylor University with a BA and MES in 2004 at the age of 48.  In 2006 I moved to Flagstaff, AZ.  My journey has led me to this amazing place!  I completed 2 years of service with AmeriCorps.  I was given the opportunity to do my service at a local nonprofit organization, working in their adult education program assisting individuals in preparing for the GED.  I also have experience in Behavioral Health.  I worked as a Behavioral Health Technician III in a group home for adolescent boys that have been diagnosed with various behavioral/mental health issues. 
These are my two passions:  horses and working with individuals suffering with various behavioral/mental health issues.  Now, with your help, I would like to combine these two passions and create Warriors Helping Warriors. Read more at link below.

Link here.



Monday, November 19, 2012

Animals' Angels' Investigation Updates November 19, 2012

Animals' Angels

Recent Investigation in Mexico Reveals Continuing Non Compliance with EU Standards
  

Animals' Angels investigators observed harsh conditions in EU approved Mexican slaughterhouses during an intensive investigation conducted in September 2012. The goal of this follow up investigation was to check if any improvements had been made since the 2007/2008 investigations had revealed abhorrent conditions. Animal welfare investigators are accustomed to observing the most egregious treatment of animals. Even the slightest improvements are welcome, but do not bring a cease fire to the battle for humane treatment of all animals transported to slaughter.
Trailer with open roof
Open Roof Trailer




WARNING! Report and video contain extremely graphic images that might be disturbing to some viewers.

EU inspections of Mexican slaughter houses are scheduled in advance, clearly giving notice to the slaughterhouses to comply with regulations on that one day of inspection.
  
Animals' Angels arrived unannounced at several of the EU approved plants as they observed multiple trucks carrying horses from the US to slaughter. Horses were jammed into transport trailers, resulting in biting and fighting among them. The common use of trailers with no roof is cruel as the intensive sun in the transport areas beats down upon horses already over-heated due to over-crowding and long waiting times inside parked trailers at US broker offices and the border. (Please read more about this issue here...)

Emaciated US horse
Emaciated mare with US slaughter tag

One transport trailer observed arriving at the Inter Meats plant contained many emaciated horses and others with snotty noses and discharge-clotted eyes. After travelling at least 16 hours with no food or water, they were unloaded in pens with no food or water during observance by the investigators.

BLM branded horse
Horse with BLM brand

Alarmingly, amongst them were BLM branded horses. These mustangs were shipped by Triple Crown Ranch from Meeker,OK. Examination of owner/shipper paperwork by Triple Crown Ranch reveals identical information as to previous certificates, as if Triple Crown has shipped the same group of horses over and over again. This is in clear violation of paperwork intended to track contaminated meat. Investigators left when told by slaughterhouse personnel to cease filming.

The following day, investigators arrived at Carnicos de Jerezslaughterhouse in Jerez, MX observing that a solid block wall and manned security gate had been erected around the premises blocking all view from outside the premises.
horse down in pen area 
Investigators proceeded to Empacadora de Ganadera de Camargo, the newest EU approved plant. The horses were held in open pens at the Carmargo plant, exposed to the hot Mexican sun, with limited access to food and water. Many of the horses were extremely emaciated and investigators found a downed horse that slaughterhouse staff did not check during the time of the observation.
Horse carcass  
A large pit holding horse carcasses was found. The bodies were left uncovered for vultures to eat. There were bones and body parts scattered throughout the area. The smell of decomposition filled the air. Horses' tails and hair could be seen drying on wooden planks with the USDA tags still attached, some stuffed into feedbags.
Manes and Tails drying in the sun
While being moved the horses were forced to walk through areas with no bedding or traction. The slippery floors caused several to fall with full force.
Shower at plant entrance 
Prior to entering the killbox, horses are subjected to a pressurized water shower resulting in one horse to panic during our time of observation. The horse tried to jump the chute's concrete wall; workers forced him back into the chute, but he obtained a bleeding face injury in this struggle.
Horse trying to escape shower 
Our investigators were able to obtain documentation of the slaughter process. Led into a kill pen, the horse is stunned by a captive bolt. The left hind leg is secured with a chain in order to hang the horse from a beam.  Blood is drawn for testing. They are then cut open and bled out.
US mare in kill box 
As explained in our full investigative report (Warning - report contains graphic images) , the investigation revealed several areas of concern.  

Council Directive 2002/99/EC states that third countries importing meat into the European Union have to comply with Community Legislation.Obviously this is not happening. Specifically, animal welfare requirements at slaughter must be met in accordance with Council Directive 93/119/EC.
Horse slaughter 
 Observations at the Camargo plant show that horses slip and fall during movement to the plant due to slippery surfaces. Additionally, one horse panicked after being showered and tried to escape over the concrete
 
wall of the chute obtaining a bleeding face injury. A non-ambulatory horse was observed which did not receive immediate attention. Observations at the Camargo plant as well as the Aguacalientes plant show that horses did not have access to water at all times.

Horses are transported to the plant in open roof trailers that offer absolutely no protection from the desert sun. Loaded trailers are parked for an extended time at border crossings and checkpoints, causing overheating.

Evidence obtained by Animals' Angels shows that the paperwork used to identify the horses in the individual shipment is often falsified and therefore not reliable. The information regarding sex, breed and age of the horses in different shipments is identical on multiple owner/shipper certificates. Consequently, it can't be determined where the horses in such shipments originated.

Slaughterhouses and suppliers are in clear violation of EU standards yet the violations continue unabated with no repercussions. Animals' Angelsinvestigations are used to educate consumers in the EU, citing mistreatment and possible contamination of the American horse meat they pay a premium for.

(Warning - report contains graphic images) 


(Warning - video contains extremely graphic images that might the disturbing to some. Viewer discretion is advised)

And...

Invitation to join us for Light the Sky 2012
 on the road to Presidio.

Please send you candle donation now to secure 2013 investigations.


Candle Lighting 1 

 Thank you so much.