International Rally Fight for Survival Wild Burros and Horses!

Today we had a rally in Scottsdale to protest the treatment of our horses, wild and domestic.

We had a fairly good turnout. Here are some pictures.

To see the whole album, visit our Facebook Page!

(CLICK HERE.)

Federal Legislation Introduced to Prohibit Slaughter of American Horses

MEDIA CONTACTS:  ASPCA: Rebecca Goldrick, 646-291-4582,Rebecca.Goldrick@aspca.org

                               AWI: Amey Owen, 202-446-2128, amey@awionline.org

           HSUS: Stephanie Twining, 240-751-3943,stwining@humanesociety.org  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                                

Federal Legislation Introduced to Prohibit Slaughter of American Horses

Animal welfare organizations support Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act 

WASHINGTON, D.C.— (April 22, 2015) — Federal lawmakers today introduced legislation to prevent the establishment of horse slaughter operations within the U.S., end the current export of American horses for slaughter abroad, and protect the public from consuming toxic horse meat. The Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act was introduced by Reps. Frank Guinta (R-N.H.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), and Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.). The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), The Humane Society of the United States and The Humane Society Legislative Fund announced their enthusiastic support for the legislation.

Last year, more than 140,000 American horses were slaughtered for human consumption in foreign countries. The animals often suffer long journeys to slaughter plants in Canada and Mexico without adequate food, water or rest. At the slaughterhouse, horses are  brutally forced into a “kill box” and shot in the head with a captive bolt gun in an attempt to stun them before slaughter—a process that can be inaccurate due to the biology and nature of equines and result in animals sustaining repeated blows or remaining conscious during the kill process.

“For centuries, horses have embodied the spirit of American freedom and pride,” said Rep. Guinta. “To that end, horses are not raised for food – permitting their transportation for the purposes of being slaughtered for human consumption is not consistent with our values and results in a dangerously toxic product.  This bipartisan bill seeks to prevent and end the inhumane and dangerous process of transporting thousands of horses a year for food.”

“Horses sent to slaughter are often subject to appalling, brutal treatment,” said Rep. Schakowsky. “We must fight those practices. The SAFE Act of 2015 will ensure that these majestic animals are treated with the respect they deserve.”

“The slaughter of horses for human consumption is an absolute travesty that must be stopped,” said Rep. Buchanan.  “This bipartisan measure will finally put an end to this barbaric practice.”

"Horse slaughter is an inhumane practice that causes great pain and distress to the animals, and poses numerous environmental and food safety concerns,” said Rep. Lujan Grisham. “The vast majority of my constituents oppose horse slaughter. I'm proud to support the SAFE Act to ban this cruelty once and for all."

The SAFE Act would also protect consumers from dangerous American horse meat, which can be toxic to humans due to the unregulated administration of drugs to horses. Because horses are not raised for food, they are routinely given hundreds of toxic drugs and chemical treatments over their lifetimes that are prohibited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in animals intended for human consumption. Those drugs, although safe for horses, are potentially toxic to humans if consumed. In December 2014, the European Union (EU) announced its suspension of imports of horse meat from Mexico after a scathing audit of EU-certified Mexican horse slaughter plants, which kill tens of thousands of American horses each year. Additionally, the discovery of horse meat in beef products in Europe shocked consumers and raised concerns about the potential impact on American food industries.

The ASPCA, AWI, and The HSUS encourage the public to contact their U.S. representatives and urge them to cosponsor the SAFE Act, in order to protect America’s horses and overall consumer health from horse slaughter.

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About the ASPCA^®

Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. For more information, please visit www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA onFacebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About AWI

The Animal Welfare Institute (www.awionline.org) is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to reducing animal suffering caused by people.  AWI engages policymakers, scientists, industry, and the public to achieve better treatment of animals everywhere—in the laboratory, on the farm, in commerce, at home, and in the wild.  Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates and other important animal protection news.

About The HSUS

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated most effective by our peers. For 60 years, we have celebrated the protection of all animals and confronted all forms of cruelty. We are the nation’s largest provider of hands-on services for animals, caring for more than 100,000 animals each year, and we prevent cruelty to millions more through our advocacy campaigns. Read more about our 60 years of transformational change for animals and people, and visit us online at humanesociety.org.

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Holding New Holland Accountable

Animals' Angels

Shocking Abuse Uncovered

Imagine walking into a sale barn to see a horse lying on the floor with a bloated stomach and its head tied tightly to a feed trough. Imagine it was so incapacitated that it didn't even stand up or protect itself when auction visitors kick it as they walk by. Then imagine that next to this horse were other horses in equal or worse condition. This is exactly what investigators for  Animals' Angels found when they attended recent sales at New Holland Auction in Pennsylvania. What they witnessed was outrageous and shocking. Throughout the holding pens were horses with swollen limbs, festering skin abrasions, devastating pelvic injuries, horses so emaciated it looked as though the poor things hadn't eaten in weeks, and babies sold with debilitating septic joint infections. Sadly this is not the first time we have seen horses in such pitiful conditions at this sale.  And if an injured horse seems to be receiving too much attention by visitors, it is simply removed to a dark, out of the way part of the barn by auction personnel, away from prying eyes.             On February 16, 2015, our investigators found piles of dead goats and sheep. Next to one of the "dead piles," was a sheep on the verge of death, left to die in the subzero temperatures. Sadly, our volunteers quickly realized the sheep was not alone in her tragic end.  A goat had also been thrown away. He was unable to get up because something was very wrong with his legs.  This is the fate of animals that can't be sold at New Holland. They are tossed on to the "dead pile" like trash and forgotten while they slowly wither away and die, their last hours spent suffering and in pain.     Unfortunately, what the investigators observed is by far no isolated incident. In 2007, the auction was convicted of animal cruelty based on evidence provided by AA for almost the exact same crimes. Animals were ignored, left for dead, and quickly forgotten. All is not lost however! The auction was convicted and can be again!  We were outraged then and we are just as outraged now at how cruel some humans can be to their fellow living creatures. Heartbroken, but determined to end their misery, our investigators intervened on behalf of the poor goat and sheep left suffering and barely alive in the frigid temps.  We contacted the local police to step in and to euthanize the languishing animals. It is time to hold New Holland Auction accountable for the poor treatment of the animals in their care. Cruelty charges have been filed. Animals' Angels investigators will gladly take the stand as witnesses in the trial scheduled against the New Holland Auction on April 29th. We're gratified that our work in the field and willingness to testify will help obtain justice for these animals. We will keep you advised on the outcome of the court case and once the legalities have concluded, we will release our full report on this investigation.

Will YOU be there for the Animals?

As shown by the New Holland Auction and many others, our investigations are a much needed resource to not only spread awareness, but to garner justice for the animals. However, we cannot do it without you!   As you know, horses and livestock around the country are continually subjected to horrific treatment at the hands of heartless human beings who only see them as expendable products sold for profit. Their lives are cruelly exploited for money without any consideration for their health and well-being which leads to immense suffering. These individuals, these businesses, do not care what is in the best interest of the animals; they care only for the best interest of their wallets.        Animals' Angels formed with the idea of fighting against these injustices. But no matter how hard we fight, we need your help to succeed!  Cruelty to animals is something that is typically hidden from view.  Nowhere is this more  evident than with farm animals and slaughter-bound horses. Without pictures and documentation to tell the animals' story, they would undoubtedly suffer even more at the hands of such people. The more we bring these atrocities to light and out into the open the less the violators can hide.          Our biggest goal at Animals' Angels is to be out in the field investigating auctions, slaughter plants, feedlots, and livestock trucks as much as possible. The shocking results from our investigations have proven over and over again to spur positive change -- but we need your support to continue these projects!  Not only do we need you, the animals need you!  Even operating on our shoe-string budget,  investigations are costly ventures to undertake. But they are absolutely imperative if we want to help our fellow animals. I hope we can rely on your help and support. Your generous donation would allow us to be in the field with the animals, to help comfort them, to tell their stories, and to ensure that those responsible for their suffering are held accountable.

Carson City Range Management Plan – a Disaster for Our Wild Ones

Straight from the Horse's Heart

by Grandma Gregg

When livestock are absent, the water is turned off …

Private welfare cattle destroying water trough on public land

This Range Management Plan (RMP) will make decisions on at least 1,235,200 wild horse and burro legal acres in western Nevada and includes intensive “management” on 21 HMA/HAs, including:

• Augusta Mountains HA/HMA
• Clan Alpine HA/HMA
• Desatoya Mountains HA/HMA
• Dogskin Mountains HA/HMA
• Flanigan HA/HMA HA/HMA
• Garfield Flat HA/HMA
• Granite Peak HA/HMA
• Fort Sage HA/HMA
• Horse Mountain HA/HMA
• Horse Springs HA
• Lahontan HA/HMA
• Marietta HA/HMA
• Montgomery Pass HA/HMA
• New Pass HA/HMA
• North Stillwater HA/HMA
• Pilot Mountain HA/HMA
• Pine Nut HA/HMA
• South Stillwater HA/HMA
• Tule Ridge and Mahogany Flat HA/HMA
• Pah Rah Mountain HA
• Wassuk HA/HMA

Public comment is due two weeks from today but just as a warning … this is a GIGANTIC amount of information to research and cover! I am just getting started, but it appears that there are 5 alternatives and NONE of them are good.

Alternative “A” so far seems to be the best but it is NOT good either. Alternative “A” supports continual capture/removals and extensive contraception and IMO we have to fight that because voting for the least of the evils is a lose-lose for everyone and especially our wild ones.

The other alternatives promote reduction in HMAs and reduction in WH&B land and non-reproducing herds and on and on – all real bad.

One thing I wanted to bring to our attention is this statement from the EIS:

“Granite Peak HMA is north of Reno, Nevada, and west of the Dogskin Mountains HMA. The HMA consists of rolling terrain. There is no permanent water within the HMA. When livestock are present and their associated water troughs are supplied with water, wild horses will use the water troughs. When livestock are absent, the water is turned off at the troughs and wild horses use water sources outside of the HMA.”

Private welfare sheep abound on public land

We saw this exact thing last summer on the Twin Peaks HMA and I think we all know this is a common practice and has caused numerous wild ones to either die from dehydration or be removed (how many “emergency drought” removals have there been over the years!). These are/were natural springs that have been captured via man-made devices for livestock … period. These are the same springs that would have originally allowed the natural populations to survive and thrive for hundreds if not thousands of years. This, in addition to removal of their legal herd area land and overgrazing by domestic livestock etc., has been and continues to be and will be the death of our wild ones in the wild. If this isn’t “managing for extinction” then I don’t know what is!

Please do the best that you can to review the Carson City RMP and just concentrate on the parts that you understand the best and have the most concern about – and then make your public comment by Monday, April 27th. We must speak for our wild horses and burros … and they will thank us by just being themselves and that is what we all want more than anything.

PS Since I have just barely scratched the surface of this EIS, I am hoping that others will share what they are seeing and researching and learning so that we can all do our best to save our wild horses and burros and their legal habitat. No time to waste!

Nevada – Carson City DO – Carson City RMP Revision

Havasupai Falls Update

Over the years, MANY of you have had concern about the conditions of the horses at Havasupai Falls. There never seemed to be an easy answer especially since it is federal, not state land.

I'm happy to report that Wildhorse Ranch Rescue has intervened.

"As of October 2014, we began taking horses and mules in need out of the Havasupai Falls area. When they get to our ranch, they need:

• Medical Care and Xrays
• Dental work
• a very carefully selected diet
• Their feet trimmed
• Rehabilitation
• Grooming and lots of love"

See their post here. (Click here.)

Sunshine Laws and BLM’s news release on the upcoming National Wild Horse & Burro Advisory Board meeting

Straight from the Horse's Heart

A BLM “News Release” is below.  There will be a live stream of this meeting, and we will post the link so you can listen.  I’d like to call your attention to the last sentence of the news release:  “In Fiscal Year 2013, the BLM generated $4.7 billion in receipts from public lands.”  I wonder how much the BLM got from selling off our public lands in 2014.

And just a quick reminder, there are both state and Federal government transparency “Sunshine Laws.”  You can read the text of the U.S. Government in the Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. 552b)  HERE.   The subject matter (agenda) must be made available for the public ahead of the meeting.  You are allowed to audio and video record meetings.   If meetings are “closed” to the public, you can obtain transcripts of the closed meetings.  Also check the state laws where the meeting is taking place, because they will also specify what you can do (like carry big signs into the meeting room).  If you are unable to drive to your local BLM Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) and subcommittee meetings, call the BLM and ask them to use a cell phone so you can listen and comment during the public comment time.

“The open meeting requirement of the Act mandates that, except as provided in the Act’s 10 exemptions, “every portion of every meeting of an agency shall be open to public observation.”

_____________________________________________

SOURCE:  BLM

Release Date: 03/23/15
Contacts: Tom Gorey , 202-912-7420
BLM Sets Meeting of National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board for April 22-23 in Columbus, Ohio

The Bureau of Land Management’s National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board will meet on April 22-23 in Columbus, Ohio, to discuss issues relating to the management and protection of wild horses and burros on Western public rangelands. The two-day meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 22, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday, April 23, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (The meeting times are local time; Columbus is in the Eastern Time Zone.) The upcoming Advisory Board meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency Columbus, 350 N. High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215; phone number: 614-463-1234. The meeting will be live-streamed (at http://www.blm.gov/live).  The agenda of the meeting can be found in the March 23, 2015, Federal Register (athttp://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-03-23/pdf/2015-06517.pdf). The Advisory Board provides input and advice to the BLM as it carries out its responsibilities under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. The law mandates the protection and management of these free-roaming animals in a manner that ensures healthy herds at levels consistent with the land’s capacity to support them.  According to the BLM’s latest official estimate, approximately 49,200 wild horses and burros roam on BLM-managed rangelands in 10 Western states. The public may address the Advisory Board on Wednesday, April 22, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., local time. Individuals who want to make a statement at Wednesday’s meeting should register in person with the BLM by 2 p.m., local time, on that same day at the meeting site.  Depending on the number of speakers, the Board may limit the length of presentations, set at three minutes for previous meetings. Speakers should submit a written copy of their statement to the BLM at the addresses below or bring a copy to the meeting.  There may be a Webcam present during the entire meeting and individual comments may be recorded.  Those who would like to comment but are unable to attend may submit a written statement to: National Wild Horse and Burro Program, WO-260, Attention: Ramona DeLorme, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno, Nevada, 89502-7147. Comments may also be e-mailed to the BLM (atwildhorse@blm.gov); please include “Advisory Board Comment” in the subject line of the e-mail. For additional information regarding the meeting, please contact Ms. DeLorme, Wild Horse and Burro Administrative Assistant, at 775-861-6583.  Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may reach Ms. DeLorme during normal business hours by calling the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339. The Advisory Board generally meets twice a year and the BLM Director may call additional meetings when necessary.  Members serve without salary, but are reimbursed for travel and per diem expenses according to government travel regulations. In its management of wild horses and burros under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, the BLM is implementing recommendations made by a June 2013 report of the National Academy of Sciences. For instance, the BLM is taking actions to increase the use of population growth-suppression measures on overpopulated herds roaming Western public rangelands and implementing methods developed by the U.S. Geological Survey for more accurate population estimates.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations under our mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield. In Fiscal Year 2013, the BLM generated $4.7 billion in receipts from public lands.

Urge Congress to Pass the Horse Transportation Safety Act to Halt Cruel Transport Method

Animal Welfare Institute

Date: 

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Dear Humanitarian,

The Horse Transportation Safety Act (H.R. 1282/S. 850), has been reintroduced in the House of Representatives by Congressmen Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Ed Whitfield (R-KY) and in the Senate by Senators Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ). The Horse Transportation Safety Act amends Title 49, United States Code, to prohibit the transportation of horses in interstate commerce in a motor vehicle containing two or more levels stacked on top of one another (commonly known as "double-deck trailers.")

"When we allow animals to be mistreated or disrespected, we also devalue our own humanity," said Congressman Cohen. "Horses cannot be safely or humanely transported in double-deck trailers that are built for much smaller animals, and our laws should reflect that. I am proud to sponsor the Horse Transportation Safety Act, which will ensure that these beautiful creatures are treated humanely."

Hauling horses in double-deck trailers is dangerous and inhumane. These trailers do not provide sufficient headroom for horses to stand upright. As a result, they often endure long journeys in cramped positions and suffer serious injuries. There have also been several horrific traffic accidents involving these trailers, resulting in severe injuries and brutal deaths of many horses.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, "double-deck trailers do not provide adequate headroom for equines, with the possible exception of foals and yearlings. We do not believe that trailers that have two or more permanent levels that are not collapsible can be adequately altered to accommodate adult equines, especially tall equines."

What You Can Do:
Please contact your representative and both senators and ask them to support and cosponsor H.R. 1282/S. 850, the Horse Transportation Safety Act, to prevent the use of double-deck trailers for hauling any horse.

You can send an email to your legislators through AWI's Compassion Index by clicking here.

Please be sure to share our “Dear Humanitarian” eAlert with family, friends and co-workers, and encourage them to contact their senators and representative, too. As always, thank you very much for your help!

Sincerely,

Chris Heyde
Deputy Director
Government and Legal Affairs

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