Category Archives: Rescue/Protection Sources

Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

Absence of Logic

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December 28, 2010 – It is said that you cannot teach someone common sense.

This is the case with the mantra of illogical statements we hear from horse slaughter supporters. The statements, spoken with such authority, in fact either lack common sense or amount to nothing more than finding a piece of jello they can nail to the wall.

The “unwanted” horse stories would lead the country to believe that millions of horses are running loose in our streets. Every sound bite and every article warns of unwanted horses. Another favorite is to start articles with “since Congress banned horse slaughter” or “because of the slaughter ban.”

When the unwanted horses are combined with the ban on horse slaughter, it provides a powerful statement in favor of horse slaughter. That is, until you look at the facts. One need not be a horse owner to see the lack of logic behind the statements of slaughter supporters.  This illogic is as easily detected by a New York apartment dweller as a seasoned horse owner.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12848

*Featured/Spotlights, Breeds, Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

Wyoming Resident Files Complaint against State Rep. Sue Wallis

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December 19, 2010 – CHICAGO – Wyoming resident Patricia Fazio, Ph.D. has filed a complaint with state officials, requesting an investigation of alleged violations of ethics laws and securities fraud by Wyoming State Rep. Sue Wallis (R-Campbell). Animal Law Coalition (ALC), Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) and Habitat for Horses Advisory Council (HfHAC) applaud Dr. Fazio and join in the call for authorities to investigate Wallis’ activities.

The complaint alleges Rep. Wallis is improperly and even fraudulently abusing her position as a Wyoming legislator. The complaint further alleges that Rep. Wallis not only neglected to recuse herself or disclose her personal financial interest in votes, but that she has actually “sponsored” bills that would materially benefit her or her family.

Wallis has publicly claimed to be forming a business under the name Unified Equine LLC, which she says will slaughter horses and sell the meat within Wyoming. At the same time, in her capacity as a legislator, she is promoting legislation that would deregulate, promote and favor horse slaughter operations.

Continue reading Wyoming Resident Files Complaint against State Rep. Sue Wallis →

Breeds, Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

Budget Spells Disaster for Wild Horses — Act Now!

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Dear Animal Advocates,
As you may know, Congress is currently trying to pass a federal budget for fiscal year 2011. Unbelievably, although the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program is widely known to be broken and unsustainable, the House of Representatives has approved increasing its funding.

The BLM plans to use this funding to remove another 10,000 wild horses from public lands next year. If this happens, the population of mustangs warehoused for life in government holding facilities would swell to 45,000 — to the tune of $50 million in taxpayer money. Meanwhile, privately owned herds of cattle are allowed to graze on the same land that was “overcrowded” with wild horses.

We do have a chance to stop this: the Senate is still debating the 2011 federal spending bill, but the deadline to make changes and pass it is midnight on Saturday, December 18.

Continue reading Budget Spells Disaster for Wild Horses — Act Now! →

Conferences, Contributors/Press, Events, Rescue/Protection Sources

2011 Homes for Horses Coalition Conference in Orlando, Florida, May 4-7, 2011

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December 16, 2010 – Dear Homes for Horses Coalition Member and Interested Equine Rescues:
It is hard to believe that the Homes for Horses Coalition is preparing to host its 5th annual national conference in Orlando, Florida!  We are sure that this upcoming event will continue to build on the solid foundation you and so many others have helped establish, making the Homes for Horses Coalition the leading horse advocacy coalition in the country.

The Homes for Horses Coalition is unique when it comes to equine advocacy groups.  It is made up of actual horse owners who are involved in all aspects of the horse industry and equine rescues and sanctuaries community caring for and finding good homes for America’s horses.  While there are a few other so-called horse coalitions who talk about horse welfare, none bring the actual hands-on involvement, experience and commitment that make the Homes for Horses Coalition (HHC) one of a kind!  With your continued involvement, we look forward to building on these accomplishments and making a more substantial difference for the horses in 2011!

Continue reading 2011 Homes for Horses Coalition Conference in Orlando, Florida, May 4-7, 2011 →

Breeds, Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

Midwest Ranchers Find Gold in Nevada’s Wild Horses

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by Valerie James-Patton

November 19, 2010 – A two sentence article appearing in the Nevada Ely Times, November 3, 2010, only stated that “Chairman of the Governor’s Wildlife Commission, Scott Raine of Eureka, has designated a new Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners’ Feral Horse Committee “consisting of” what Raine calls “five of the foremost experts on the issue of feral horses in the State of Nevada.” The Chairman is Mike Stremler and members Commissioner Hank Vogler, Wayne Hage, George Parman and Floyd Rathbun.”

The title of the article was “Wildlife Commission subcommittee to oversee wild horse issues”, which begs the question: which horses and what issues?  More importantly, what is the purpose of this committee and what is the goal regarding feral horses?

With no information available on this committee on the internet, a quick search on the committee “experts” revealed rather startling information, although nothing that appeared to qualify these men at experts on wild or feral horses.

Continue reading Midwest Ranchers Find Gold in Nevada’s Wild Horses →

Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

Unwanted Horse Coalition Media Roundup

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November 3, 2010 – Edition 14 – This Unwanted Horse Coalition news summary is provided as an educational service to those interested in the issue of the unwanted horse. The articles do not reflect the opinions of the Unwanted Horse Coalition or any of its employees. The listing of events does not constitute an endorsement of a particular event. If you see an article or event that may be appropriate for inclusion in Media Roundup, please e-mail it to ecaslin@horsecouncil.org.

Unwanted Horse Coalition’s Operation Gelding Clinics Taking Place across the U.S.
The Unwanted Horse Coalition’s (UHC) Operation Gelding program is off to a successful start. The program, which was launched in August 2010 with the help of seed money from the American Association of Equine Practitioners Foundation and the UHC, is designed to offer funding assistance to organizations, associations, and events that wish to conduct a public gelding clinic under the name and guidelines of Operation Gelding. An organization that has completed an Operation Gelding clinic will receive funding of $50 per horse, $1,000 maximum, to aid in the costs associated with the clinic.
Read More…

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Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

The Perfect Time to End the Slaughter of American Horses

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September 1, 2010 – At the moment, the news is rife with stories about the level of equine neglect in the United States, with many of the articles blaming the “unintended consequences” of closing the US horse slaughter plants and calling for them to be reopened. But in reality, we are coming up on a once in a lifetime opportunity to get rid of this abominable practice once and for all. To understand this apparent paradox, one needs to get past unsubstantiated myths to the real forces at play in the market.

First, one needs to understand that it is completely impossible to blame the current glut of excess horses on the closing of the slaughter plants because the closings simply sent the horses over the Mexican and Canadian borders for slaughter. In 2006, the year before the closings, 142,740 American horses were slaughtered, and that number only dropped by 14% the year the plants were closed. By 2008, slaughter was back to the second highest level in almost ten years.

Next, it is necessary to understand what really causes neglect, and that is unemployment. After years of studying the relationship between neglect rates and slaughter volumes, I had concluded that there was no relationship whatever. Then I looked at the rates of neglect in Illinois in comparison with unemployment in the state. The correlation was striking.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12051

Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

As Study Begins, the Animal Welfare Institute Calls on BLM to Halt Wild Horse Roundups

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Washington, DC (September 1, 2010) – While the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) welcomes the recent news that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has asked the National Academy of Sciences National Research Council (NAS/NRC) to review its National Wild Horse and Burro Program starting January 1, 2011, we are deeply disappointed with the agency’s blatant disregard for calls to halt wild horse roundups pending completion of the review.  AWI first recommended this outside review along with a moratorium on roundups over a year ago given the widespread problems being reported in the BLM’s management of wild horses.

“While we are grateful that the BLM has finally realized the urgent need for advice from scientific experts, we continue to be disappointed at their stubborn refusal to halt the massive wild horse roundups they are conducting at an alarming rate,” said Chris Heyde, deputy director of government and legal affairs for AWI.

In testimony to the House and Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittees, AWI laid out its reasoning and criteria for an independent study by the NAS, a moratorium on all non-emergency roundups, and the critical importance of maintaining language preventing the BLM from killing tens of thousands of healthy wild horses.  In July, similar concerns were raised with the BLM in a bipartisan letter from House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D-WV), National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee Chairman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and 52 of their colleagues.

Continue reading As Study Begins, the Animal Welfare Institute Calls on BLM to Halt Wild Horse Roundups →

Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

Urgent Appeal from Habitat for Horses

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It isn’t often that I come to you with an urgent appeal, but these are not ordinary times. We need your help, now more than ever. Please listen to your heart as you read about Prince.

Sincerely,
Jerry Finch
Habitat for Horses

When a law enforcement officer calls for help with a situation involving horses, we respond as rapidly as possible. That’s why we considered the call urgent. “There’s a horse down and from the looks of it, he’s almost dead. Can you respond and see what you can do?”

Within a few minutes we were on the scene. Quite frankly, it looked far worse than I had imagined. According to the owner, the horse had been down a couple of days, but from the looks of the ground and the appearance of the horse, it had been far longer. There was very little life left in this guy. Lying in the hot sun for days on end, he was so wasted away that he looked like a shadow.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

Do Something Wild This Summer — Save the Wild Horses!

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Dear Humanitarian:

One of the most successful components of any grassroots campaign is the involvement of our youth and that couldn’t be truer than with our current efforts to protect America’s wild horses.  Kids, with their passion and honesty, are welcome and critical additions to spreading the word.  Anyone working on this issue has probably heard how massive letter writing campaigns by children all over the U.S. helped Wild Horse Annie get Congress to pass the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act in 1971.  Many adults fighting for wild horses today got their start at that time.  We need to reignite that passion because if we don’t act soon, the children of today might not be able to enjoy wild horses for much longer.

To help get more young people involved, AWI has turned its recent “Home on the Range?” ad into a coloring page for kids.  Our goal is to get this to as many children as possible so they can color it in and mail it to the Senators and Representative of the Congressional district where they live and to President Obama.  If kids are particularly enthusiastic they can also send copies to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and to us at the Animal Welfare Institute.

Continue reading Do Something Wild This Summer — Save the Wild Horses! →