Friday, August 5, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Kentucky Supplier to horse slaughter: "Horse Capital" or Safe haven for kill buyers?
Animals' Angels
Kentucky is marketed to would-be tourists as the Horse Capital of the World, the state with "unbridled spirit." The logo sports a horse galloping through the word 'Kentucky.'
Ironically, Kentucky is among the worst states in terms of animal cruelty laws. Last year's MSNBC article titled "5 worst states to be an animal: Abuse laws lax", opens with, "What's the punishment for being cruel to an animal? In five states - Idaho, Hawaii, Kentucky, Mississippi and North Dakota - the law's response is, 'Not much.'"
"Not much" is thoroughly corroborated by AA's recent investigations in KY.
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| Mayfield Auction |
KY law even prohibits veterinarians from reporting animal abuse or neglect, pointing to the client's right of confidentiality, which is completely at odds with the Veterinarian's oath swearing "...the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering."
When the law was passed in 2009, many claimed the outcome was "unintended" and promised it would be corrected in 2011. But the revision bill did not pass this spring (There were in fact, no bills opposed by the Kentucky Farm Bureau that passed during the 2011 legislative session), and the perversion of client confidentiality continues to the detriment of animals.
During June and July, AA spent 14 days on the road and found 14 different horse slaughter-related operations. Many of the 14 were simply chanced upon as investigators rounded a corner to find another grim, manure-filled paddock with 50 or more thin horses, wearing slaughter tags, and semis pulled up to large loading ramps.
Some of What AA Investigators Found
It turned out there is a history of complaints against Browning about starving horses on his property. Animals' Angels obtained photographs taken at the Browning premises on June 15th. , that show extremely emaciated horses with life threatening body scores of 1.5 or less.
However, only a few days after the photos were taken, a KY Department of AG inspector visited the property and reported there was "nothing alarming", complaints were "unfounded", there was "adequate quality hay", and that all horses had a body score of 3.5 and above. No pictures were included in the inspectors report.
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| Transport Injury |
+ AA investigators identified a large 350 horse auction in Smith's Grove, KY, apparently managed by known kill buyer Tim Ryan. Ryan ordered employees around and was later observed drawing blood for Coggins' testing, a blatant violation of regulations. Several other kill buyers were present at the auction. Outside, it was 86 degrees with no breeze and almost 100% humidity. Inside was worse with no fans running, lots of dust and no food or water for any animal. Handling was rough as horses were forced through a chute 3 at a time. Kill horses were kept away from the public eye, in pens all the way in the back of the barn. Several of these horses were very thin, one had a gashed, bleeding forehead, an apparent transport injury. Kill horses sold very quickly around midnight after most of the public had left.
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| Slaughter horses shortly before transport |
+ The investigation continued at facilities with records of Transport to Slaughter Violations including R & R Livestock in Murray, Ryan's Horse Company in Rineyville and Wrights Farm in Sturgis. Documents show that many KY horse traders supply some of the biggest kill buyers in other states like Ohio, Minnesota and Louisiana. According to documents Animals' Angels obtained from the USDA, at least two facilities provide horses to large scale kill buyer Jeron Gold in Michigan.
In Kentucky, it seems those associated with horse slaughter can operate with little to worry about. Laws do nothing to protect animals but offer major protection to those guilty of animal cruelty. The animal cruelty statute in KY is waived if killing an animal by mutilating, beating, failing to provide water and food, etc., is "incident to processing for food or some other commercial purpose... [or] sporting activity."
Where to now
AA's first KY investigation has revealed some of the main kill buyers and documented conditions of the horses and the sites. But this is just the start, more investigations will follow. Our goal is to collect and use evidence to create significant public awareness and to push hard for better laws and better enforcement, and to target offenders in the courts. When the time comes, AA's investigations and evidence will be ready for KY's next legislative session.
KY deserves a lot of our attention. It is truly needed here. To be in a real sense the "horse capitol of the world" requires genuine leadership and responsibility, not just a logo. KY should live up to the name they have given themselves.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
BLM Caves to Lawsuit and Abandons Unscientific Plan to Castrate Free-Roaming Wild Horses
American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign
Environmental Groups Challenged Interior Department’s Plan to Manage Wild Horses to Extinction
For Immediate Release…Washington, DC (August 2, 2011) . . . This morning, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that it was withdrawing a controversial and unscientific plan to castrate free-roaming wild stallions and convert two viable wild horse populations in the White Mountain and Little Colorado Herd Management Areas (HMAs) in southwestern Wyoming to “minimally-reproducing” herds comprised primarily of geldings.
The announcement was made during a status conference call today on a lawsuit against the plan, which was filed on July 25, 2011 in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by the public interest law firm Meyer, Glitzenstein and Crystal on behalf of the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, the Western Watersheds Project a local Wyoming couple and wildlife photographer Carol Walker.
“By galloping ahead with this destructive plan, the BLM ignored over 10,000 public comments and the opinion of experts who warned of the irreparable harm that would be inflicted on these wild horse populations, but the agency could not ignore a federal lawsuit,” said Suzanne Roy, Campaign Director of the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign.
Under the proposed action, the BLM would have rounded up every horse that it could find in the two HMAs – or an estimated 900 mustangs, permanently removing 723 of them and returning just 177 castrated stallions to the range.
“The BLM’s plan to sterilize wild Wyoming mustangs made clear the agency’s intent to manage wild horses to extinction, in flagrant violation of the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act,” Roy continued. “It’s a shame that citizens must turn to the courts to force this agency to respect and uphold federal law.”
Plaintiff Carol Walker, author of Wild Hoofbeats; America’s Vanishing Wild Horses, stated, “The plans that the BLM had in the works to geld stallions and release them back onto the range, creating sterilized, non-reproducing herds would surely spell the end of America’s wild horses. The BLM’s change in plans means that, for now, sterilized herds are not on the table, and that public opposition to this devastating direction for the BLM will not be denied.”
Roy indicated that the plaintiffs would now consider their options for further action once the BLM issues a new decision record, a move that is expected by the end of the week. It will be the fourth action proposed by the BLM’s Rock Springs Field Office for these HMAs and the third decision record issued for this roundup plan. The agency has agreed to postpone any roundup activity until September 1 or later. The roundup had been scheduled to begin on August 16.
Last week, scientists and other experts filed declarations detailing the harmful impacts the proposed action would have on the individual horses, the wild horse herds and the environment in the White Mountain and Little Colorado Herd Management Areas. The declarations were attached to the plaintiffs motion for a Preliminary Injunction and Temporary Restraining Order.
For background on the legal action, including news coverage, new releases and copies of the complaint, please visit the AWHPC website here.
AWHPC is dedicated to preserving the American wild horse in viable free-roaming herds for generations to come, as part of our national heritage. AWHPC’s grassroots efforts are supported by a coalition of over forty historic preservation, conservation, horse advocacy and animal welfare organizations.
Western Watersheds Project (WWP) is a 501c3 group that is devoted to protection of public lands, values, watersheds and wildlife in the American West. WWP has over 1200 members, many of whom recreate on portions of these lands and enjoy their scenic beauty, wildlife and other attributes.
# # #
Environmental Groups Challenged Interior Department’s Plan to Manage Wild Horses to Extinction
For Immediate Release…Washington, DC (August 2, 2011) . . . This morning, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that it was withdrawing a controversial and unscientific plan to castrate free-roaming wild stallions and convert two viable wild horse populations in the White Mountain and Little Colorado Herd Management Areas (HMAs) in southwestern Wyoming to “minimally-reproducing” herds comprised primarily of geldings.
The announcement was made during a status conference call today on a lawsuit against the plan, which was filed on July 25, 2011 in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by the public interest law firm Meyer, Glitzenstein and Crystal on behalf of the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, the Western Watersheds Project a local Wyoming couple and wildlife photographer Carol Walker.
“By galloping ahead with this destructive plan, the BLM ignored over 10,000 public comments and the opinion of experts who warned of the irreparable harm that would be inflicted on these wild horse populations, but the agency could not ignore a federal lawsuit,” said Suzanne Roy, Campaign Director of the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign.
Under the proposed action, the BLM would have rounded up every horse that it could find in the two HMAs – or an estimated 900 mustangs, permanently removing 723 of them and returning just 177 castrated stallions to the range.
“The BLM’s plan to sterilize wild Wyoming mustangs made clear the agency’s intent to manage wild horses to extinction, in flagrant violation of the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act,” Roy continued. “It’s a shame that citizens must turn to the courts to force this agency to respect and uphold federal law.”
Plaintiff Carol Walker, author of Wild Hoofbeats; America’s Vanishing Wild Horses, stated, “The plans that the BLM had in the works to geld stallions and release them back onto the range, creating sterilized, non-reproducing herds would surely spell the end of America’s wild horses. The BLM’s change in plans means that, for now, sterilized herds are not on the table, and that public opposition to this devastating direction for the BLM will not be denied.”
Roy indicated that the plaintiffs would now consider their options for further action once the BLM issues a new decision record, a move that is expected by the end of the week. It will be the fourth action proposed by the BLM’s Rock Springs Field Office for these HMAs and the third decision record issued for this roundup plan. The agency has agreed to postpone any roundup activity until September 1 or later. The roundup had been scheduled to begin on August 16.
Last week, scientists and other experts filed declarations detailing the harmful impacts the proposed action would have on the individual horses, the wild horse herds and the environment in the White Mountain and Little Colorado Herd Management Areas. The declarations were attached to the plaintiffs motion for a Preliminary Injunction and Temporary Restraining Order.
For background on the legal action, including news coverage, new releases and copies of the complaint, please visit the AWHPC website here.
AWHPC is dedicated to preserving the American wild horse in viable free-roaming herds for generations to come, as part of our national heritage. AWHPC’s grassroots efforts are supported by a coalition of over forty historic preservation, conservation, horse advocacy and animal welfare organizations.
Western Watersheds Project (WWP) is a 501c3 group that is devoted to protection of public lands, values, watersheds and wildlife in the American West. WWP has over 1200 members, many of whom recreate on portions of these lands and enjoy their scenic beauty, wildlife and other attributes.
# # #
Monday, August 1, 2011
Wild Horses: Pryor Mountain Herd Targeted for Removals AGAIN!
The Cloud Foundation
Cloud in his home on the Pryor Mountains
After spending 3 days on top of the mountain with Cloud’s herd I arrived home to a letter from the Bureau of Land Management:
Scoping Notice For Capturing and Removal of Wild Horses in the Pryor Mountains.
Yes, again – even though the herd was rounded up as recently as in August of 2009, even though they have been administering birth control in the form of pzp utilizing field darting, still this is not enough for the BLM.
This notice is dated July 28, 2011 and is NOT on the Billings BLM Field Office Website. They are proposing a “non-helicopter capture and removal operation of wild horses” which “could include bait trapping, water trapping, herding or a combination of techniques.”
A stallion and foal cannot get through the fence to reach their historic summer and fall range
The reasoning behind this proposal is that AML (Appropriate Management Level) for the Pryor Mountain Herd is between 90 – 120 horses, excluding the current year foal crop, and right now the population is exceeding this AML. This is supposed to “prevent deterioration of the range” and “maintain a thriving ecological balance.”
There is no mention of how many horses they plan to remove, nor is there any mention of when this removal is supposed to take place, this year or next year.
The timing is very interesting and not at all surprising given the presence of the new fence which now cuts this herd off from its historic and annually used summer and fall range, onto the Forest Service Lands. If the BLM does do their Environmental Assessment this late summer while the horses are milling around, trying to find a way to their normal range and not being able to, and then grazing down the Herd Management Area on top of the mountain, it will be easy for them to prove that there is degradation of the range – degradation that they have caused by erecting this monstrosity of a $300,000 fence.
“The public is encouraged to participate throughout the EA process.”
You may make comments in writing to:
Jim Sparks, Field Manager
BLM – Billings Field Office
5001 Southgate Drive
Billings, MT 59101
Fax 406-896-5281
“Questions should be directed to: Jared Bybee, Wild Horse and Burro Specialist: 406- 896-5223.”
They make a note that “submissions in the form of petitions are not considered comments. Submission of form letters or talking points is typically considered as one comment, since they repeat the same thing and typically originate from the same source.”
Will this foal be removed from the Pryors?
In other words, the BLM is making it as hard on the public to comment as possible – no document posted on the website, no email address for comments, just mail and fax. This will not stop the public from commenting against this proposed action.
Cloud in his home on the Pryor Mountains
After spending 3 days on top of the mountain with Cloud’s herd I arrived home to a letter from the Bureau of Land Management:
Scoping Notice For Capturing and Removal of Wild Horses in the Pryor Mountains.
Yes, again – even though the herd was rounded up as recently as in August of 2009, even though they have been administering birth control in the form of pzp utilizing field darting, still this is not enough for the BLM.
This notice is dated July 28, 2011 and is NOT on the Billings BLM Field Office Website. They are proposing a “non-helicopter capture and removal operation of wild horses” which “could include bait trapping, water trapping, herding or a combination of techniques.”
A stallion and foal cannot get through the fence to reach their historic summer and fall range
The reasoning behind this proposal is that AML (Appropriate Management Level) for the Pryor Mountain Herd is between 90 – 120 horses, excluding the current year foal crop, and right now the population is exceeding this AML. This is supposed to “prevent deterioration of the range” and “maintain a thriving ecological balance.”
There is no mention of how many horses they plan to remove, nor is there any mention of when this removal is supposed to take place, this year or next year.
The timing is very interesting and not at all surprising given the presence of the new fence which now cuts this herd off from its historic and annually used summer and fall range, onto the Forest Service Lands. If the BLM does do their Environmental Assessment this late summer while the horses are milling around, trying to find a way to their normal range and not being able to, and then grazing down the Herd Management Area on top of the mountain, it will be easy for them to prove that there is degradation of the range – degradation that they have caused by erecting this monstrosity of a $300,000 fence.
“The public is encouraged to participate throughout the EA process.”
You may make comments in writing to:
Jim Sparks, Field Manager
BLM – Billings Field Office
5001 Southgate Drive
Billings, MT 59101
Fax 406-896-5281
“Questions should be directed to: Jared Bybee, Wild Horse and Burro Specialist: 406- 896-5223.”
They make a note that “submissions in the form of petitions are not considered comments. Submission of form letters or talking points is typically considered as one comment, since they repeat the same thing and typically originate from the same source.”
Will this foal be removed from the Pryors?
In other words, the BLM is making it as hard on the public to comment as possible – no document posted on the website, no email address for comments, just mail and fax. This will not stop the public from commenting against this proposed action.
BLM Names Horsewoman as Chief of Wild Horse and Burro Program
Horseback Magazine
WASHINGTON, (BLM) – Bureau of Land Management Director Bob Abbey announced today the selection
BLM Director Bob Abbey Announces Selection of Joan Guilfoyle,
WASHINGTON, (BLM) – Bureau of Land Management Director Bob Abbey announced today the selectionof Joan Guilfoyle to be the new chief of the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro
Division. Guilfoyle, who is currently Service First National Coordinator
for the BLM and three other Federal agencies, succeeds Don Glenn, who
retired in December 2010. Guilfoyle will report to her new position on
August 15.
Abbey said Guilfoyle brings a diverse set of skills, experience, and
expertise that will enable her to meet the formidable challenges facing the
BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program.
“Joan has demonstrated a commitment to accountability, transparency, and partnering with stakeholders in her work,
and she will advance our agency’s effort to create what I have called a
‘new normal’ for doing business in wild horse and burro management.”
Guilfoyle said, “I am pleased to have been selected for this critical BLM
position in a program that is under the bright light of public scrutiny. I
will implement the ongoing reforms of the Wild Horse and Burro Program in
the most effective manner possible so that we can put this program on a
sustainable track.”
In her current position in Washington, D.C., as Service First National
Coordinator for the BLM, USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, and
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Guilfoyle has provided leadership on
streamlining and integrating agency processes to improve customer service,
enhance natural and cultural resource management, and increase efficiency
within and between agencies.
Guilfoyle previously served in several key
Federal positions, including Supervisory National Park Service Ranger for
the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area in St. Paul and
Minneapolis, Minnesota; Acting Executive Director of the Southern Nevada
Agency Partnership, Service First offices in Las Vegas and Boulder City,
Nevada; Information and Education Specialist/Outreach Coordinator and
Deputy Assistant Regional Director for Public Affairs for the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service in Twin Cities, Minnesota; and Deputy District Public
Affairs Officer and Supervisory Park Ranger for the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers in St. Paul, Minnesota, and St. Louis, Missouri.
Guilfoyle earned her Bachelor’s degree in Zoology/Ecology from Southern
Illinois University in 1979 and her Master’s degree in Environmental
Learning and Leadership from the University of Minnesota in 2002. An avid
outdoorswoman, Guilfoyle enjoys hiking, kayaking, and horseback riding,
among other activities. Guilfoyle volunteers with horse care and exercise
duties at the National Park Service’s mounted park police program based in
Rock Creek Park, Washington, D.C., and is involved in a wounded warrior
program known as “Ride Well,” which offers equestrian-based rehabilitative
services for returning servicemen and women through area veterans’
hospitals. Read MORE....
Wild horses find pasture in Oklahoma
NewsOK
In the late 1980s, John Hughes' family cattle operation was struggling.
One morning, he opened up the newspaper and found a story about a South Dakota rancher who had landed a U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) contract to keep unadopted wild horses on his land.
Hughes asked the bureau about doing the same and soon received a two-inch stack of application papers in the mail.
“For a country boy, it was something,” he said.
Hughes became the second contractor to handle wild horses for the government.
He and his son, Robert, both animal science grads from Oklahoma State University, used the homeland around Bartlesville and leased additional thousands of acres so they could incorporate the horses into their cattle business.
Horses of all shapes and various shades of red, dun, gray, brown, paint, and even palomino snorted and galloped or trotted away as his white sport utility vehicle cruised through the green pastures outside Catoosa.
He talked about “Englebert,” a funny-looking, ornery white gelding who caught his fancy. Like many of the mustangs, the thick-hided, sturdy-hoofed gelding will be over 30 when he dies.
“They really are amazing animals,” Hughes said.
Ranch hand Wes Young said he rode a bay mustang named JC14. Young returned the gelding to the herd when the horse got that “back to the wild” look in his eye.
Living the wild lifeThe Hughes family runs about 4,300 wild horses — all geldings or castrated males — on about 10,000 acres in three northeastern Oklahoma counties. They raise fescue-Bermuda hay and also feed alfalfa to the mustangs in the winter. They currently have no cattle.
The horses are treated as if they are in the wild. No vaccinations, hoof care or veterinary care. A sick or severely injured horse is shot if it doesn't improve.
The West Nile virus hit Hughes' ranch horses a few years ago, and he worried the disease would wipe out the wild horse herd. One did get sick, staggered and fell down.
When Hughes drove out to check him, the gelding jumped up and galloped away. And he's still alive.
Is Hughes getting rich from the mustang program?
“I wish,” he said, laughing. “We're very proud of the job we do. We didn't have anything to do with lobbying Congress to pass the Wild Horse and Burro Act. We're simply a bidder. If Congress has a problem with the costs and so forth, they can always change the law. In the meantime both BLM and their contractors, we're going to do the best job we can taking care of the horses.”
Though profit is affected by the weather, the income is virtually guaranteed, unlike most agricultural businesses.
Now there are 21 grassland ranches in the Midwest handling BLM wild horses, with 13 of those in Oklahoma.
Costs add upContractors average $1.30 per horse per day for pasture over each horse's lifetime. That works out to about $475 yearly per horse or close to a half-million dollars for 1,000 horses.
The bureau also contracts for an average $5.25 per horse per day for short-term holding pens to keep horses that are headed for adoption. Oklahoma has one such facility in Pauls Valley. Some of these operations receive about $1 million yearly for keeping the horses but veterinary care, feed and other expenses of keeping the horses healthy until they go to their new homes are included.
In the late 1980s, John Hughes' family cattle operation was struggling.
Wild horses owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management live out their lives on John Hughes' land in Catoosa. CHRIS LANDSBERGER
Multimedia
NewsOK Related Articles
Hughes asked the bureau about doing the same and soon received a two-inch stack of application papers in the mail.
“For a country boy, it was something,” he said.
Hughes became the second contractor to handle wild horses for the government.
He and his son, Robert, both animal science grads from Oklahoma State University, used the homeland around Bartlesville and leased additional thousands of acres so they could incorporate the horses into their cattle business.
Horses of all shapes and various shades of red, dun, gray, brown, paint, and even palomino snorted and galloped or trotted away as his white sport utility vehicle cruised through the green pastures outside Catoosa.
He talked about “Englebert,” a funny-looking, ornery white gelding who caught his fancy. Like many of the mustangs, the thick-hided, sturdy-hoofed gelding will be over 30 when he dies.
“They really are amazing animals,” Hughes said.
Ranch hand Wes Young said he rode a bay mustang named JC14. Young returned the gelding to the herd when the horse got that “back to the wild” look in his eye.
Living the wild lifeThe Hughes family runs about 4,300 wild horses — all geldings or castrated males — on about 10,000 acres in three northeastern Oklahoma counties. They raise fescue-Bermuda hay and also feed alfalfa to the mustangs in the winter. They currently have no cattle.
The horses are treated as if they are in the wild. No vaccinations, hoof care or veterinary care. A sick or severely injured horse is shot if it doesn't improve.
The West Nile virus hit Hughes' ranch horses a few years ago, and he worried the disease would wipe out the wild horse herd. One did get sick, staggered and fell down.
When Hughes drove out to check him, the gelding jumped up and galloped away. And he's still alive.
Is Hughes getting rich from the mustang program?
“I wish,” he said, laughing. “We're very proud of the job we do. We didn't have anything to do with lobbying Congress to pass the Wild Horse and Burro Act. We're simply a bidder. If Congress has a problem with the costs and so forth, they can always change the law. In the meantime both BLM and their contractors, we're going to do the best job we can taking care of the horses.”
Though profit is affected by the weather, the income is virtually guaranteed, unlike most agricultural businesses.
Now there are 21 grassland ranches in the Midwest handling BLM wild horses, with 13 of those in Oklahoma.
Costs add upContractors average $1.30 per horse per day for pasture over each horse's lifetime. That works out to about $475 yearly per horse or close to a half-million dollars for 1,000 horses.
The bureau also contracts for an average $5.25 per horse per day for short-term holding pens to keep horses that are headed for adoption. Oklahoma has one such facility in Pauls Valley. Some of these operations receive about $1 million yearly for keeping the horses but veterinary care, feed and other expenses of keeping the horses healthy until they go to their new homes are included.
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