Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Where do the GOP Candidates Stand on Animal Issues?
Humane Society Legislative Fund
The Humane Society Legislative Fund has not yet made any recommendation in the 2012 presidential race, but over the coming months we will be evaluating President Obama’s animal welfare record during his first term and looking at where the major Republican candidates stand on animal issues. Three of the major candidates remaining are current or ex-governors, one is a former U.S. Senator and House member, two serve in the U.S. House, and one served in the House and was Speaker of the House.
In short, each one has a record on animal welfare issues, and it’s an especially good time to examine the issues with the Iowa caucuses on Tuesday evening, and primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina later in January. Animal advocates should factor animal issues when they evaluate the candidates and make a final decision.
Michelle Bachmann: Bachmann has generally gotten low marks on animal issues in Congress, earning an 8 percent (out of 100) on the Humane Scorecard for the 110th Congress, a 13 percent for the 111th Congress, and she’s on track to get 13 percent again for 2011. She has supported only a handful of animal protection bills during her congressional career, voting for measures to make animal fighting a federal felony, to ban commerce in animal crush videos, and to pair veterans with service dogs for therapy. She also supported an amendment in the House this year to limit agriculture subsidy payments to factory farms. She has, however, opposed most animal welfare measures, including modest reforms to ban the trade in dangerous primates as pets, to stop the commercial sale and slaughter of wild horses from public lands, to prohibit the import of sport-hunted polar bear trophies from Canada, and to assist conservation programs that protect rare cats and dogs, cranes, marine turtles, and sea otters. She also voted to use tax dollars to kill wildlife as a subsidy to private livestock ranchers, and to block the Environmental Protection Agency from collecting data on greenhouse gases from factory farms.
Newt Gingrich: Gingrich earned a 21 percent on the Humane Scorecard for the 103rd Congress, but did not have scores for subsequent sessions since the Speaker of the House typically does not vote. He did vote to allow sport hunting in the Mojave National Preserve, and to allow foreign aid dollars to be used to promote trophy hunting of elephants and other species. On the positive side, he cosponsored legislation to strengthen the Endangered Species Act, and when he was Speaker helped to prevent the weakening of endangered species protections. Gingrich is, so far, the only presidential candidate who has actively talked about the importance of the human-animal bond while on the campaign trail. He launched a web site called “Pets with Newt,” and he is widely known to be a fan of zoos. Gingrich wrote the foreword to the guidebook “America’s Best Zoos,” and often stops by to visit the local zoo when he’s in a new city.
Jon Huntsman: During his time as governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009, Huntsman signed a number of animal protection bills into law, including measures to create a dog and cat spay and neuter fund, to allow out-of-state veterinarians to assist during emergencies, and to ban the remote-controlled shooting of live animals over the Internet. He did more than sign bills, and actively used his leadership position to move an important policy toward enactment: At a time when Utah was one of a handful of states that did not have felony-level penalties for animal cruelty, Huntsman called a special session of the legislature in 2007 to address, among other issues, a felony animal cruelty bill known as Henry’s Law, named after a tortured dog. His spokeswoman said the governor supported the bill and that “Gov. Huntsman believes this legislation is very important and a progressive step in the right direction in how we can all better treat animals.” When he signed a bill in 2008 creating a first-offense felony penalty for abusing dogs or cats, he praised the animal advocates for their persistence in advocating for the new law, and stated, “As we treat our animals, so do we treat our fellow human beings. There is a connection there that I think is undeniable.”
Ron Paul: Like Bachmann, Ron Paul has consistently received low marks on animal issues in Congress: He earned a 10 percent on the Humane Scorecard for the 108th Congress, a 14 percent in the 109th Congress, a zero in the 110th Congress, a 7 percent in the 111th Congress, and he’s on track to get a 25 percent for 2011. He has voted to allow the slaughter of American horses for food exports, the killing of Yellowstone National Park bison, the trophy shooting of bears over piles of bait on federal lands, the commercial sale and slaughter of wild horses from public lands, the import of sport-hunted polar bear trophies, and the slaughter of downer livestock too sick or injured to walk on their own. He voted to block EPA from collecting data on factory farm emissions and voted against conservation legislation to protect rare cats and dogs, cranes, marine turtles, and sea otters. He was one of only a handful of lawmakers who opposed legislation to ban commerce in animal crush videos, to provide for pets in disaster planning, to ban the trade in dangerous primates as pets, to make dogfighting and cockfighting a felony, and to fund the enforcement of the federal animal fighting law. He has supported a handful of animal protection measures, to bar the trade in big cats as pets, to pair veterans with service dogs, and to cut funding for several government programs that harm animals, such as agriculture subsidies, lethal predator control, trapping on national wildlife refuges, and trophy hunting programs in foreign countries.
Rick Perry: During his time as governor of Texas over the last decade, Perry has amassed a very strong record on animal protection, signing a number of animal protection bills into law, including measures to strengthen the animal cruelty and animal fighting laws multiple times, to regulate the private ownership of dangerous captive wildlife, to require the inclusion of animals in disaster plans, to protect bats, to allow the establishment of pet trusts, and to restrict the tethering of dogs, among others. The most recent legislative session was a banner year for animal protection lawmaking in Texas, and Perry signed bills in 2011 to regulate large-scale commercial dog and cat breeders, to ban attendance at cockfights and possession of cockfighting weapons, to require people convicted of cruelty to reimburse shelters for the costs of holding animals, and to allow pets and companion animals to be included in protective orders. The cockfighting industry and large-scale dog breeders urged him to veto these bills, and he tossed aside their concerns. He did veto a bill that would have allowed counties with populations greater than 450,000 to adopt ordinances regulating the roadside sale of animals. Perry famously paused while on a morning jog last year to shoot a coyote, and the state recently authorized the shooting of feral hogs from helicopters as well as the shooting of feral burros in Big Bend State Park. His staff members, however, are working with HSUS staff on the burro issue, and they have indicated that they are open to non-lethal approaches.
Mitt Romney: Romney attracted the ire of animal advocates when they learned that during a 1983 vacation, he put the family’s Irish setter, Seamus, in a carrier and strapped him to the roof rack of the station wagon. When the terrified dog urinated and defecated during the 12-hour drive, Romney pulled over, hosed down the dog, and continued the voyage from Boston to Ontario. As chief executive of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Romney also came under fire from animal protection groups for allowing a rodeo exhibition that included calf roping. His term as Massachusetts governor from 2003 to 2007 was mixed, and Romney did not distinguish himself on animal issues. He appointed a raft of animal-unfriendly people to the state Fisheries and Wildlife Board, even though Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly passed a ballot measure calling for more balanced wildlife policy. He vetoed a bill that would have given students the right to choose alternatives to animal dissection in the classroom. He did, however, sign a number of animal protection bills into law, including measures to strengthen the animal cruelty and animal fighting laws and prevent a convicted animal abuser from getting the animal back.
Rick Santorum: Of all the candidates who have served in Congress, Santorum was arguably the most active on animal protection issues. He earned a 60 percent on the Humane Scorecard for the 108th Congress, and an 80 percent for the 109th Congress. But more importantly, he was the lead sponsor of the Pet Animal Welfare Statute (PAWS) to crack down on large-scale commercial puppy mills, and held a hearing on the bill when he was the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Research, Nutrition and General Legislation. He was also a leader in the Senate urging adequate funding for the enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, the federal animal fighting law, and other animal welfare programs. He cosponsored legislation to establish federal felony penalties for dogfighting and cockfighting, cosponsored legislation to require the addition of a bittering agent to antifreeze and engine coolant to prevent the poisoning of pets, and voted to stop the slaughter of American horses for food exports.
It’s clear that Santorum, Perry, and Huntsman have the strongest animal protection records. They showed leadership and active support for our issues, and HSLF commends them for their past performance. Bachmann and Paul have demonstrated a consistent hostility or indifference to these concerns. Romney has largely been indifferent and has not been an active supporter. Gingrich has been a bit enigmatic, but he understands the power of the human-animal bond and has taken action to protect some of the most charismatic species.
The Humane Society Legislative Fund has not yet made any recommendation in the 2012 presidential race, but over the coming months we will be evaluating President Obama’s animal welfare record during his first term and looking at where the major Republican candidates stand on animal issues. Three of the major candidates remaining are current or ex-governors, one is a former U.S. Senator and House member, two serve in the U.S. House, and one served in the House and was Speaker of the House.
In short, each one has a record on animal welfare issues, and it’s an especially good time to examine the issues with the Iowa caucuses on Tuesday evening, and primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina later in January. Animal advocates should factor animal issues when they evaluate the candidates and make a final decision.
Michelle Bachmann: Bachmann has generally gotten low marks on animal issues in Congress, earning an 8 percent (out of 100) on the Humane Scorecard for the 110th Congress, a 13 percent for the 111th Congress, and she’s on track to get 13 percent again for 2011. She has supported only a handful of animal protection bills during her congressional career, voting for measures to make animal fighting a federal felony, to ban commerce in animal crush videos, and to pair veterans with service dogs for therapy. She also supported an amendment in the House this year to limit agriculture subsidy payments to factory farms. She has, however, opposed most animal welfare measures, including modest reforms to ban the trade in dangerous primates as pets, to stop the commercial sale and slaughter of wild horses from public lands, to prohibit the import of sport-hunted polar bear trophies from Canada, and to assist conservation programs that protect rare cats and dogs, cranes, marine turtles, and sea otters. She also voted to use tax dollars to kill wildlife as a subsidy to private livestock ranchers, and to block the Environmental Protection Agency from collecting data on greenhouse gases from factory farms.
Newt Gingrich: Gingrich earned a 21 percent on the Humane Scorecard for the 103rd Congress, but did not have scores for subsequent sessions since the Speaker of the House typically does not vote. He did vote to allow sport hunting in the Mojave National Preserve, and to allow foreign aid dollars to be used to promote trophy hunting of elephants and other species. On the positive side, he cosponsored legislation to strengthen the Endangered Species Act, and when he was Speaker helped to prevent the weakening of endangered species protections. Gingrich is, so far, the only presidential candidate who has actively talked about the importance of the human-animal bond while on the campaign trail. He launched a web site called “Pets with Newt,” and he is widely known to be a fan of zoos. Gingrich wrote the foreword to the guidebook “America’s Best Zoos,” and often stops by to visit the local zoo when he’s in a new city.
Jon Huntsman: During his time as governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009, Huntsman signed a number of animal protection bills into law, including measures to create a dog and cat spay and neuter fund, to allow out-of-state veterinarians to assist during emergencies, and to ban the remote-controlled shooting of live animals over the Internet. He did more than sign bills, and actively used his leadership position to move an important policy toward enactment: At a time when Utah was one of a handful of states that did not have felony-level penalties for animal cruelty, Huntsman called a special session of the legislature in 2007 to address, among other issues, a felony animal cruelty bill known as Henry’s Law, named after a tortured dog. His spokeswoman said the governor supported the bill and that “Gov. Huntsman believes this legislation is very important and a progressive step in the right direction in how we can all better treat animals.” When he signed a bill in 2008 creating a first-offense felony penalty for abusing dogs or cats, he praised the animal advocates for their persistence in advocating for the new law, and stated, “As we treat our animals, so do we treat our fellow human beings. There is a connection there that I think is undeniable.”
Ron Paul: Like Bachmann, Ron Paul has consistently received low marks on animal issues in Congress: He earned a 10 percent on the Humane Scorecard for the 108th Congress, a 14 percent in the 109th Congress, a zero in the 110th Congress, a 7 percent in the 111th Congress, and he’s on track to get a 25 percent for 2011. He has voted to allow the slaughter of American horses for food exports, the killing of Yellowstone National Park bison, the trophy shooting of bears over piles of bait on federal lands, the commercial sale and slaughter of wild horses from public lands, the import of sport-hunted polar bear trophies, and the slaughter of downer livestock too sick or injured to walk on their own. He voted to block EPA from collecting data on factory farm emissions and voted against conservation legislation to protect rare cats and dogs, cranes, marine turtles, and sea otters. He was one of only a handful of lawmakers who opposed legislation to ban commerce in animal crush videos, to provide for pets in disaster planning, to ban the trade in dangerous primates as pets, to make dogfighting and cockfighting a felony, and to fund the enforcement of the federal animal fighting law. He has supported a handful of animal protection measures, to bar the trade in big cats as pets, to pair veterans with service dogs, and to cut funding for several government programs that harm animals, such as agriculture subsidies, lethal predator control, trapping on national wildlife refuges, and trophy hunting programs in foreign countries.
Rick Perry: During his time as governor of Texas over the last decade, Perry has amassed a very strong record on animal protection, signing a number of animal protection bills into law, including measures to strengthen the animal cruelty and animal fighting laws multiple times, to regulate the private ownership of dangerous captive wildlife, to require the inclusion of animals in disaster plans, to protect bats, to allow the establishment of pet trusts, and to restrict the tethering of dogs, among others. The most recent legislative session was a banner year for animal protection lawmaking in Texas, and Perry signed bills in 2011 to regulate large-scale commercial dog and cat breeders, to ban attendance at cockfights and possession of cockfighting weapons, to require people convicted of cruelty to reimburse shelters for the costs of holding animals, and to allow pets and companion animals to be included in protective orders. The cockfighting industry and large-scale dog breeders urged him to veto these bills, and he tossed aside their concerns. He did veto a bill that would have allowed counties with populations greater than 450,000 to adopt ordinances regulating the roadside sale of animals. Perry famously paused while on a morning jog last year to shoot a coyote, and the state recently authorized the shooting of feral hogs from helicopters as well as the shooting of feral burros in Big Bend State Park. His staff members, however, are working with HSUS staff on the burro issue, and they have indicated that they are open to non-lethal approaches.
Mitt Romney: Romney attracted the ire of animal advocates when they learned that during a 1983 vacation, he put the family’s Irish setter, Seamus, in a carrier and strapped him to the roof rack of the station wagon. When the terrified dog urinated and defecated during the 12-hour drive, Romney pulled over, hosed down the dog, and continued the voyage from Boston to Ontario. As chief executive of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Romney also came under fire from animal protection groups for allowing a rodeo exhibition that included calf roping. His term as Massachusetts governor from 2003 to 2007 was mixed, and Romney did not distinguish himself on animal issues. He appointed a raft of animal-unfriendly people to the state Fisheries and Wildlife Board, even though Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly passed a ballot measure calling for more balanced wildlife policy. He vetoed a bill that would have given students the right to choose alternatives to animal dissection in the classroom. He did, however, sign a number of animal protection bills into law, including measures to strengthen the animal cruelty and animal fighting laws and prevent a convicted animal abuser from getting the animal back.
Rick Santorum: Of all the candidates who have served in Congress, Santorum was arguably the most active on animal protection issues. He earned a 60 percent on the Humane Scorecard for the 108th Congress, and an 80 percent for the 109th Congress. But more importantly, he was the lead sponsor of the Pet Animal Welfare Statute (PAWS) to crack down on large-scale commercial puppy mills, and held a hearing on the bill when he was the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Research, Nutrition and General Legislation. He was also a leader in the Senate urging adequate funding for the enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, the federal animal fighting law, and other animal welfare programs. He cosponsored legislation to establish federal felony penalties for dogfighting and cockfighting, cosponsored legislation to require the addition of a bittering agent to antifreeze and engine coolant to prevent the poisoning of pets, and voted to stop the slaughter of American horses for food exports.
It’s clear that Santorum, Perry, and Huntsman have the strongest animal protection records. They showed leadership and active support for our issues, and HSLF commends them for their past performance. Bachmann and Paul have demonstrated a consistent hostility or indifference to these concerns. Romney has largely been indifferent and has not been an active supporter. Gingrich has been a bit enigmatic, but he understands the power of the human-animal bond and has taken action to protect some of the most charismatic species.
Arizona! PLEASE call Senator McCain!
From Annie Mond on Facebook:
ARIZONA! ARIZONA! ARIZONA! ....EVERYONE IN ARIZONA!!
Would you mind helping reach out to friends and subscribers of yours IN ARIZONA?
Senator John McCain will be receiving a briefing on the horse slaughter issue this Thursday the 5th in his Phoenix office. It's VERY IMPORTANT that he receive phone calls from people who live in AZ simply saying -
... "I live in Arizona and I'm calling to ask Senator McCain to co-sponsor The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act."
The number is (602) 952-2410
This won't take two minutes for anyone who will call. They add up for/against calls. It's important. "
ARIZONA! ARIZONA! ARIZONA! ....EVERYONE IN ARIZONA!!
Would you mind helping reach out to friends and subscribers of yours IN ARIZONA?
Senator John McCain will be receiving a briefing on the horse slaughter issue this Thursday the 5th in his Phoenix office. It's VERY IMPORTANT that he receive phone calls from people who live in AZ simply saying -
... "I live in Arizona and I'm calling to ask Senator McCain to co-sponsor The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act."
The number is (602) 952-2410
This won't take two minutes for anyone who will call. They add up for/against calls. It's important. "
War Horse: An Unbreakable Bond Between a Boy and His Horse : The Humane Society of the United States
War Horse: An Unbreakable Bond Between a Boy and His Horse : The Humane Society of the United States
Steven Spielberg's moving new film is a reminder of why horses have earned our protection, not betrayal.
Steven Spielberg's moving new film is a reminder of why horses have earned our protection, not betrayal.
Movie-goers who flock to Steven Spielberg's must-see film "War Horse" this holiday season are certain to be moved and inspired by this epic celebration of the unbreakable bond between a young man and his horse.
An age-old fact and a burning question
Much like the "Black Beauty," "War Horse" is destined to become a classic portrait of our special connection to horses. Joey, the title character, exemplifies a fact that those who love horses already know: Horses are sensitive, loyal companions for life, capable of engendering compassion and devotion from people, even in a time of war. But as they leave the theater, filmgoers may want to ask themselves how, then—as a nation of horse lovers—can we possibly allow Congress to turn back the clock and pave the way for the resumption of horse slaughter on American soil?
Congress is putting horses in danger
The Agriculture Appropriations bill passed by Congress and signed into law last month stripped the House-approved language prohibiting the use of U.S. Department of Agriculture funds for horse slaughter inspections, a defunding provision which had been in every agriculture spending bill since 2005.
Do you want to bring horse slaughter back to America?
What Congress has done is reverse 6 years of U.S. policy against subsidizing foreign-owned horse slaughter plants. And what this could do is pave the way for the return of horse slaughter to America. Allowing federal funds—an estimated 5 million of your tax dollars per year—to be used to inspect horse-slaughter plants is a waste of tax dollars. It's also a step backward. Americans don't eat horses, and they don't want them inhumanely killed for human consumption in Europe or Asia.
Horse slaughter isn't humane
More than 70 percent of Americans are against horse slaughter. They understand that horses are not raised as food animals but as our companions. Horse slaughter is not equivalent to humane euthanasia. The slaughter process is horribly cruel; many horses suffer inside the bloody, panic-stricken environment of a slaughterhouse, especially during the misguided and often repeated attempts to render them unconscious. Prior to closure of the last domestic slaughter plant, USDA inspectors documented numerous instances of cruelty.
Horse slaughter is a betrayal
Slaughter is a horrible betrayal of horses who, like Joey, have faithfully served mankind with loyalty and trust throughout history. The cruel and predatory slaughter industry is motivated solely by profit, with no regard for animal welfare, making the transport and killing of horses for their meat a brutal practice—not humane euthanasia.
You can be a hero for horses
Help prohibit the slaughter of American horses in the U.S. as well as the export of American horses for slaughter.
Urge your federal legislators to co-sponsor the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act »
Churchill's mission to rescue the war horses and how he made officials bring tens of thousands home
UK Mail Online
By Chris Hastings
Last updated at 10:06 PM on 31st December 2011
Winston Churchill intervened to secure the safe return of tens of thousands of war horses stranded in Europe after the First World War.
The heroism of the million-strong army of horses that served alongside British troops – often in hellish conditions – is celebrated in Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster War Horse, which opens in the UK this month.
And now, historic documents uncovered by The Mail on Sunday reveal many of them were to owe their lives to Churchill’s compassion. Read MORE...
By Chris Hastings
Last updated at 10:06 PM on 31st December 2011
Winston Churchill intervened to secure the safe return of tens of thousands of war horses stranded in Europe after the First World War.
The heroism of the million-strong army of horses that served alongside British troops – often in hellish conditions – is celebrated in Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster War Horse, which opens in the UK this month.
And now, historic documents uncovered by The Mail on Sunday reveal many of them were to owe their lives to Churchill’s compassion. Read MORE...
Joey Ogburn (formerly of Luv Shack) Update
Dear Friends:
I wanted to take a moment to speak you about what has been happening in my life and with Luv Shack.
First, thank you so very much for your amazing support over the years. Your financial generosity, your prayer support, your counsel and wisdom - your many kind gifts of your treasure and time and talents have blessed me so much more than I could ever convey to you. You made my work with the amazing horses and precious children possible. Thank you! I have chosen to resign from the organization I started. I don't want to rehash the things that have caused me to get to this very sad point. However, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to call me.
As we have discussed, my work with the horses and kids - the work that you have been supporting so faithfully - is continuing in a way far beyond what I could have ever imagined or dreamed. Here I was hoping and praying that I would find a team to help me, I just didn't realize when answered it wouldn't look anything like I anticipated, it just got better! I am now part of a truly powerful organization called REIGNING GRACE RANCH. I have accepted the position as the Director of Horse Rescue, Rehabilitation & Adoption. I will also be working side by side with Amanda Moore who is the Director of the Children's Programs at Reigning Grace.
Those of you who know me well,know I don't let any "grass" grow under my feet and only a week with Reigning Grace Ranch, we ended 2011 rescuing 6 miniature horses- Jasper, Indi, Raleigh, Brookland, Page, and Charlotte. They are the cutest! Their owner could no longer take care of them due to the economy. Medical care is much needed for these little beauties- two are stallions and need to be gelded, dental work, hoof care and vaccine. Please, if you are able to donate in honor of these amazing creatures, o to our website http://www.reigninggraceranch.org/ click on How you Can Help. Stay tuned because our newest rescues will be featured on our website soon!
Again, thank you for your past support and I am so excited to be able to let you know that the work you have loved and supported is continuing. : )
The address of Reigning Grace Ranch is 30514 North 162nd Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85262
My new email address joey@azrgr.org.
Thanks again! Together we will make a difference in this world by following our purpose!
--
Joey Ogburn
Director of Horse Rescue, Rehabilitation & Adoption
602 400 0826
http://www.reigninggraceranch.org/
Reigning Grace Ranch
I wanted to take a moment to speak you about what has been happening in my life and with Luv Shack.
First, thank you so very much for your amazing support over the years. Your financial generosity, your prayer support, your counsel and wisdom - your many kind gifts of your treasure and time and talents have blessed me so much more than I could ever convey to you. You made my work with the amazing horses and precious children possible. Thank you! I have chosen to resign from the organization I started. I don't want to rehash the things that have caused me to get to this very sad point. However, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to call me.
As we have discussed, my work with the horses and kids - the work that you have been supporting so faithfully - is continuing in a way far beyond what I could have ever imagined or dreamed. Here I was hoping and praying that I would find a team to help me, I just didn't realize when answered it wouldn't look anything like I anticipated, it just got better! I am now part of a truly powerful organization called REIGNING GRACE RANCH. I have accepted the position as the Director of Horse Rescue, Rehabilitation & Adoption. I will also be working side by side with Amanda Moore who is the Director of the Children's Programs at Reigning Grace.
Those of you who know me well,know I don't let any "grass" grow under my feet and only a week with Reigning Grace Ranch, we ended 2011 rescuing 6 miniature horses- Jasper, Indi, Raleigh, Brookland, Page, and Charlotte. They are the cutest! Their owner could no longer take care of them due to the economy. Medical care is much needed for these little beauties- two are stallions and need to be gelded, dental work, hoof care and vaccine. Please, if you are able to donate in honor of these amazing creatures, o to our website http://www.reigninggraceranch.org/ click on How you Can Help. Stay tuned because our newest rescues will be featured on our website soon!
Again, thank you for your past support and I am so excited to be able to let you know that the work you have loved and supported is continuing. : )
The address of Reigning Grace Ranch is 30514 North 162nd Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85262
My new email address joey@azrgr.org.
Thanks again! Together we will make a difference in this world by following our purpose!
--
Joey Ogburn
Director of Horse Rescue, Rehabilitation & Adoption
602 400 0826
http://www.reigninggraceranch.org/
Reigning Grace Ranch
Monday, January 2, 2012
Treachery of Congressional Horse Slaughter Cabal Exposed in Ad Campaign
Straight from the Horse's Heart
nformation Supplied by the Equine Welfare Alliance
Chicago (EWA) – Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) launched a major campaign on December 30 to expose the underhanded move by Rep. Jack Kingston (GA) and Sens. Kohl (WI) and Blunt (MO) that reinstated horse inspections and opened the way for horse slaughter to return to US soil.
On a must pass bill, the three legislators in a tiny committee, quietly removed the language that prohibited the use of taxpayer dollars to fund horse inspections. The action effectively legalized horse slaughter in the US without a debate in the full house and senate, where a straight vote would have failed.
The ad campaign was launched in major theaters running the War Horse film in the legislator’s districts and also reached out to Montana and Wyoming to cover Sen. Baucus and state Rep. Sue Wallis who has become the face of horse slaughter as well as Wallis’ Representative Cynthia Lummis of WY.
Featured in the ad is a remarkable Korean War hero; an equine named Reckless. The ad uses this one remarkable equine and her war time heroism to make the point that horses are our animal partners and not just “livestock”, explains EWA Vice President Vicki Tobin.
Sgt. Reckless hauled supplies to Marines, carried wounded off the battle field, was wounded twice, and performed many of her duties without a handler. Staff Sergeant Reckless was a beloved legend of the Marine Corps. She was promoted to sergeant in 1957 and then to staff sergeant in 1959 by the Commandant of the Marines. She was retired in 1960 to Camp Pendleton and when she died in 1968, she was buried at Camp Pendleton with full military honors.
Rep. Jack Kingston excused his action saying horses were “just like cows”.
If the funding move was designed to deal a death blow to the anti-slaughter movement it appears to have had the opposite effect. “We were able to raise the funding for the campaign and produce it in just two weeks”, explained Tobin.
The move has not been popular with Congress either. With an all time low approval rating, members did not need such a blatant example of pandering to special interests. Over 50 Congressmen and Senators signed on as cosponsors of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 2966 / S. 1176) after the language was removed.
John Holland, president of EWA stated “This is not the end. We want to send a message that if you betray our horses we will haunt you to the ends of the earth. We will continue to attack these individuals as long as we have resources and they are in office.” When asked why the EWA was attacking Senator Kohl, given that he has announced he will not run for reelection, Holland said “We want his successor to have an example.”
nformation Supplied by the Equine Welfare Alliance
Pro-Horse Advocates Strike Back at Bloody Politicians
Sgt Reckless the real War Horse
On a must pass bill, the three legislators in a tiny committee, quietly removed the language that prohibited the use of taxpayer dollars to fund horse inspections. The action effectively legalized horse slaughter in the US without a debate in the full house and senate, where a straight vote would have failed.
The ad campaign was launched in major theaters running the War Horse film in the legislator’s districts and also reached out to Montana and Wyoming to cover Sen. Baucus and state Rep. Sue Wallis who has become the face of horse slaughter as well as Wallis’ Representative Cynthia Lummis of WY.
Featured in the ad is a remarkable Korean War hero; an equine named Reckless. The ad uses this one remarkable equine and her war time heroism to make the point that horses are our animal partners and not just “livestock”, explains EWA Vice President Vicki Tobin.
Sgt. Reckless hauled supplies to Marines, carried wounded off the battle field, was wounded twice, and performed many of her duties without a handler. Staff Sergeant Reckless was a beloved legend of the Marine Corps. She was promoted to sergeant in 1957 and then to staff sergeant in 1959 by the Commandant of the Marines. She was retired in 1960 to Camp Pendleton and when she died in 1968, she was buried at Camp Pendleton with full military honors.
Rep. Jack Kingston excused his action saying horses were “just like cows”.
If the funding move was designed to deal a death blow to the anti-slaughter movement it appears to have had the opposite effect. “We were able to raise the funding for the campaign and produce it in just two weeks”, explained Tobin.
The move has not been popular with Congress either. With an all time low approval rating, members did not need such a blatant example of pandering to special interests. Over 50 Congressmen and Senators signed on as cosponsors of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 2966 / S. 1176) after the language was removed.
John Holland, president of EWA stated “This is not the end. We want to send a message that if you betray our horses we will haunt you to the ends of the earth. We will continue to attack these individuals as long as we have resources and they are in office.” When asked why the EWA was attacking Senator Kohl, given that he has announced he will not run for reelection, Holland said “We want his successor to have an example.”
The funding action is seen by the EWA as just one more example of how special interests are running our country and through the ad campaign, the EWA is joining the growing chorus shouting “enough is enough”. Legislation should be enacted because of its merits, not the deep pockets of Big Agriculture or any other special interest group. Our horses belong in the horse industry, not a foreign meat business.
EWA and equine advocates across the country are calling on President Obama to stand up against special interests as he promised and issue an immediate executive order to ban the slaughter and transport to slaughter of America’s domestic and wild horses.Link to the ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tlv7P6xWekE
Link to ad referral site: www.realwarhorse.com
Link to EWA site: http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/Real_War_Horse.html
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Renowned Expert Downer Challenges BLM’s Management of Pryor Mountain Mustangs Citing Extinction Threat
Horseback Magazine
By Steven Long, Photo by Terry Fitch
HOUSTON, (Horseback) – Respected naturalist Craig Downer issued a year end challenge to the federal Bureau of Land Management to curtail plans to further deplete the storied herd of Pryor Mountain Mustangs in Montana. The herd is known worldwide through three PBS “Nature” documentaries by filmmaker Ginger Kathrens.
During the last “gather” of the horses In the Priors the Mustangs were stampeded down the mountain by a roaring helicopter. Among them was the band stallion “Cloud” who was featured in all three of Kathrens films. The older stallion Conquistador, also prominent in the PBS specials, was captured and not returned to the herd in an act described by wild horse advocates as “unspeakable cruelty” to an aging horse
Since that time, the National Forest Service, which manages part of the mountain, has put up a fence which denies the horses their ancestral territory and breeding grounds.
Geneticists have stated the likelihood that the herd, categorized as a breed unto itself in breed books, is already genetically depleted to the level of possible extinction. Downer cites the dwindling numbers as an unhealthy action against the herd’s future viability in a New Years Eve letter to Jim Sparks, field manager in the Billing’s Montana field office of the BLM.
The horses are scheduled to a further “gather” this year. Downer wrote:
December 31, 2011
Mr. Jim Sparks, Field Manager
BLM Billings Field Office, 5001 Southgate Drive
Billings, MT 59101
Re: “Pryor EA Comments” re: proposed roundup of Pryor Mtn. wild horses in 2012
Dear Mr. Sparks:
Greetings for 2012! Hopefully this will be a year to reinstate true fairness for the wild horses of the Pryor Mountain and elsewhere. I have just reviewed your Environmental Assessment and am very much opposed to your proposed plan to remove thirty mustangs from one to three years of age. There is absolutely no necessity for doing this, and this removal jeopardizes the long-term survival and adaptation of this very small herd in future times. The Pryor herd is presently stable at ca. 150 horses, and these horses are well on their way to filling their niche and self-stabilizing according to the natural world’s criteria that confer long-term survival value, rather than the artificial selection by man. There were eighteen births balanced by eighteen deaths in this herd in 2011, indicating utterly no need for gathering these returned North American native species. The 92-117 Appropriate Management Level is a non-viable one, even according to the substandard standard BLM generally puts forth, i.e. 150 total population for an effective breeding population (Ne) of 50. And as a wildlife ecologist well informed on this subject, I consider this level of 150 to be way low in itself, as far as long-term viability. I further consider the taking of this age group as an unwholesome undermining of the herd’s natural vitality, social well-functioning, and resilience in face of both short- and long-term survival challenges (e.g. approaching winter). I wonder just exactly what your motivations are in treating this unique and universally appreciated herd so niggardly!
The Pryor Mountain herd is a world attraction. It should not be cut to the quick, most of all for the individual horses’ sake. This would accord with the true intent of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971—an act we should now be celebrating, though actions such as you propose are only causing fair-minded and sensitive people to lament what has happened to this program for national heritage species in the wild.
Please give me a cause for celebration on the 40th anniversary of the act by adopting the NO ACTION alternative and exerting your authority to convince Custer National Forest officials to tear down that abominable fence that illegally keeps the Pryor Mountain mustangs from realizing their traditional, seasonal migrations that are guaranteed by the act, for long-realized by the wild horses both during 1971 and for many generations prior.
As one who has directly observed the Pryor Mountain mustangs and intends to continue doing so as well as to fend for their higher, fairer population numbers and resource provision, I wish you a happy and progressive New Year.
Sincerely,
Craig C. Downer, AB, MS, PHD cand.
P.O. Box 456, Minden, NV 89423-0456. Email: ccdowner@yahoo.com
By Steven Long, Photo by Terry Fitch
HOUSTON, (Horseback) – Respected naturalist Craig Downer issued a year end challenge to the federal Bureau of Land Management to curtail plans to further deplete the storied herd of Pryor Mountain Mustangs in Montana. The herd is known worldwide through three PBS “Nature” documentaries by filmmaker Ginger Kathrens.During the last “gather” of the horses In the Priors the Mustangs were stampeded down the mountain by a roaring helicopter. Among them was the band stallion “Cloud” who was featured in all three of Kathrens films. The older stallion Conquistador, also prominent in the PBS specials, was captured and not returned to the herd in an act described by wild horse advocates as “unspeakable cruelty” to an aging horse
Since that time, the National Forest Service, which manages part of the mountain, has put up a fence which denies the horses their ancestral territory and breeding grounds.
Geneticists have stated the likelihood that the herd, categorized as a breed unto itself in breed books, is already genetically depleted to the level of possible extinction. Downer cites the dwindling numbers as an unhealthy action against the herd’s future viability in a New Years Eve letter to Jim Sparks, field manager in the Billing’s Montana field office of the BLM.
The horses are scheduled to a further “gather” this year. Downer wrote:
December 31, 2011
Mr. Jim Sparks, Field Manager
BLM Billings Field Office, 5001 Southgate Drive
Billings, MT 59101
Re: “Pryor EA Comments” re: proposed roundup of Pryor Mtn. wild horses in 2012
Dear Mr. Sparks:
Greetings for 2012! Hopefully this will be a year to reinstate true fairness for the wild horses of the Pryor Mountain and elsewhere. I have just reviewed your Environmental Assessment and am very much opposed to your proposed plan to remove thirty mustangs from one to three years of age. There is absolutely no necessity for doing this, and this removal jeopardizes the long-term survival and adaptation of this very small herd in future times. The Pryor herd is presently stable at ca. 150 horses, and these horses are well on their way to filling their niche and self-stabilizing according to the natural world’s criteria that confer long-term survival value, rather than the artificial selection by man. There were eighteen births balanced by eighteen deaths in this herd in 2011, indicating utterly no need for gathering these returned North American native species. The 92-117 Appropriate Management Level is a non-viable one, even according to the substandard standard BLM generally puts forth, i.e. 150 total population for an effective breeding population (Ne) of 50. And as a wildlife ecologist well informed on this subject, I consider this level of 150 to be way low in itself, as far as long-term viability. I further consider the taking of this age group as an unwholesome undermining of the herd’s natural vitality, social well-functioning, and resilience in face of both short- and long-term survival challenges (e.g. approaching winter). I wonder just exactly what your motivations are in treating this unique and universally appreciated herd so niggardly!
The Pryor Mountain herd is a world attraction. It should not be cut to the quick, most of all for the individual horses’ sake. This would accord with the true intent of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971—an act we should now be celebrating, though actions such as you propose are only causing fair-minded and sensitive people to lament what has happened to this program for national heritage species in the wild.
Please give me a cause for celebration on the 40th anniversary of the act by adopting the NO ACTION alternative and exerting your authority to convince Custer National Forest officials to tear down that abominable fence that illegally keeps the Pryor Mountain mustangs from realizing their traditional, seasonal migrations that are guaranteed by the act, for long-realized by the wild horses both during 1971 and for many generations prior.
As one who has directly observed the Pryor Mountain mustangs and intends to continue doing so as well as to fend for their higher, fairer population numbers and resource provision, I wish you a happy and progressive New Year.
Sincerely,
Craig C. Downer, AB, MS, PHD cand.
P.O. Box 456, Minden, NV 89423-0456. Email: ccdowner@yahoo.com
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