Category Archives: Rescue/Protection Sources

Rescue/Protection Sources

Urge Your Representative to Vote NO on HB 5382

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A Bill to Reopen Cruel Horse Slaughter Plants in Illinois

Urgent calls are needed to protect equine welfare in the state of Illinois. Please contact your Illinois State Representative to help preserve the 2007 Illinois ban on horse slaughter, which ultimately resulted in the closure of the last remaining horse slaughter plant in the United States.

On February 9, State Representative Richard Morthland (R) reintroduced a bill to overturn the 2007 Illinois ban on horse slaughter. The bill has been assigned to the House Committee on Agriculture and Conservation, which has not scheduled a hearing on the measure. A similar bill has been introduced every year since the original ban, only to be soundly defeated each time. It is an issue that has been discussed and voted on many times before and the facts remain the same – the slaughter process subjects horses to extreme cruelty and an inhumane death, and should remain illegal.

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Auctions, Fundraisers, Rescue/Protection Sources

DreamCatcher Horse Ranch to Host EggStravaganza and Silent Auction in South Lake

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On Sunday, April 1, DreamCatcher Horse Ranch and Rescue Center will be hosting a family friendly free event. The EggStravanza and Silent Auction serves as a spring fundraiser for DreamCatcher, but also is a fun and unique Easter themed carnival with events for everyone.

This year’s activities include Pony Rides, Games, Horse Riding Demonstrations, meet the rescued horses, and tour of the facilities. Food and Drinks will be available and unique to this year’s event is the silent auction.

In addition to horse supplies and tack available to purchase, the silent auction will feature tickets and passes to Disney, Tampa Bay Rays Baseball, Orlando Grand Prix; stays and packages to Stowe Mountain Resort, Charlotte Inn, Martha’s Vineyard, Peabody Orlando, Heron Cay B&B, Alling House B&B, Lake Buena Vista Best Western Resort, Grand Lake Orlando Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriot; Majestic Orlando Balloon Rides; Kristina Grimm Photography Photo Sessions; Yuengling Golf Bags; Gift Cards to premier Central Florida Restaurants; and much, much more.

Continue reading DreamCatcher Horse Ranch to Host EggStravaganza and Silent Auction in South Lake →

Rescue/Protection Sources

House to Consider Ban on Hauling Horses in Double-Deck Trailers

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Calls Urgently Needed to Oppose Gardner Amendment

Dear Humanitarian:
At long last, the U.S. House of Representatives is poised to consider a ban on the use of trailers with more than one level for hauling horses. This week, the House is expected to take up consideration of the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, H.R. 7. At present, language explicitly banning ALL hauling of horses on double-deck trailers is included in the bill – a safe and sound measure. However, opponents are trying to undermine this modest yet important legislation. Representative Cory Gardner (R-CO) has offered an amendment to strip the double-deck trailer ban from the bill and allow this inhumane practice to continue.

Support for banning the use of double-deck trailers is strong, and includes the American Veterinary Medical Association, National Black Farmers Association, Animal Welfare Institute, and Veterinarians for Equine Welfare. Equine rescue, humane, and professional organizations all realize it is cruel and dangerous to haul horses on double-deck trailers. Even the U.S. Department of Agriculture has expressed opposition to double-deck hauling of horses, stating that, “We do not believe that equines can be safely and humanely transported on a conveyance that has an animal cargo space divided into two or more stacked levels.” (9 CFR Parts 70 and 88). In fact, the USDA has already prohibited the use of these trailers to transport horses to slaughter, but its rule does not cover horses being transported for any other purposes. All horses, regardless of where they are going, deserve this important protection, and the language included in the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act will provide it.

Continue reading House to Consider Ban on Hauling Horses in Double-Deck Trailers →

*Featured/Spotlights, Breeds, Rescue/Protection Sources

Victory for Wild Horses in North Carolina

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February 8, 2012 (Washington, D.C.) – The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) commends the House of Representatives for unanimously passing H.R. 306, the Corolla Wild Horses Protection Act, introduced by Representative Walter B. Jones (R-NC).  This bill will provide for a new management plan for the free-roaming Corolla wild horses in and around the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

The Corolla horses’ presence on the island is thought to coincide with the arrival of the Spanish explorers on the American coast in the early 16th century.  Today, these beautiful horses roam over 7,500 acres of public and private land in coastal Currituck County, North Carolina.

“This critical piece of legislation will enable the protection and responsible management of a prized herd of Colonial Spanish Mustangs,” noted Chris Heyde, deputy director of government and legal affairs for AWI. “Wild horses have held a significant role in North Carolina and our nation’s history and this bill will ensure their preservation.”

Continue reading Victory for Wild Horses in North Carolina →

*Featured/Spotlights, Rescue/Protection Sources

Horse Sense Prevails: House Committee Approves Bill with Ban on Double-Deck Trailer Transport

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Friday, February 3, 2102 – Washington, D.C. — The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is pleased to report that the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, H.R. 7, approved earlier today by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, includes a prohibition on the hauling of horses via double-deck trailers. The move to incorporate this prohibition within the larger transportation bill was strongly supported by AWI and championed by Representative Andy Harris (R-MD) and Committee Ranking Member, Nick Rahall (D-WV). The entire bill now goes before the full House of Representatives for a vote.

While the overall transportation bill is by no means an unqualified success and contains many unsavory elements from an animal welfare perspective, final passage of this ban on double-deck transport in interstate commerce would represent a clear and important victory for horse protection. AWI has long fought to have this inhumane practice outlawed, and in the present instance AWI worked to fend off a last-minute attempt by committee member Representative Rick Crawford (R-AR) to amend the bill so as to strip out the double-deck transport ban.

Continue reading Horse Sense Prevails: House Committee Approves Bill with Ban on Double-Deck Trailer Transport →

Rescue/Protection Sources

Poll Finds Big Ag Horse Slaughter Promotion Has Backfired

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February 3, 2012 – Chicago (EWA) – A poll conducted in January by Lake Research Partners for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) found that 80% of Americans are strongly opposed to horse slaughter. The highly respected research group based its survey on 1,008 voters giving the results a 3% margin of error. The poll found opposition was consistent across all sectors, including horse owners.

The findings are all the more remarkable given the huge media effort that was mounted by the horse slaughter lobby following the closing of U.S. based horse slaughter plants in 2007.

While the effort appeared to have worked on Congress, causing them to restore funding for horse slaughter inspections, it had the opposite effect on voter opinion. A similar poll performed a decade earlier indicates that opposition to horse slaughter has increased by almost 10%.

Continue reading Poll Finds Big Ag Horse Slaughter Promotion Has Backfired →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Maclay, National Horse Show, Phelps Media Group, Rescue/Protection Sources, Show Jumping

Alltech National Horse Show Announces 2012 Dates and Locations for ASPCA Maclay Regionals

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Sarah Milliren of Sapula, OK, won the 2011 ASPCA Maclay National Championships. Photo Credit: Rebecca Walton/PMG

Lexington, KY – February 1, 2012 – The Alltech National Horse Show, 129th edition is pleased to announce the dates and locations for this year’s ASPCA Maclay Regional competitions. The horse shows’ qualifying classes determine which riders will compete in this year’s ASPCA Maclay National Championship, which will be held at the Alltech Arena in Lexington, Kentucky on November 4, 2012.

The ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship class has been held since 1933, and it is one of the most prestigious competitions for junior riders in the United States. Its winners are some of the biggest names in equestrian sport. Previous winners include: William Steinkraus in 1941, Frank Chapot (1948), George Morris (1952), Leslie Burr Howard (1972), Stacia Klein Madden in 1987, and Nicole Shahinian Simpson in 1992. The 2010 ASPCA Maclay National Championship winner was Hayley Barnhill, and in 2011 Sarah Milliren was named the winner.

Continue reading Alltech National Horse Show Announces 2012 Dates and Locations for ASPCA Maclay Regionals →

*Featured/Spotlights, Rescue/Protection Sources

Calls Needed Today in Support of Ban on Hauling Horses in Double-Deck Trailers

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House Committee to Consider Bill on Thursday

Monday, January 30, 2012 – At long last, a ban on the use of trailers with more than one level for hauling horses is on the verge of being considered by Congress… It is also on the verge of being derailed. While language clearly banning ALL hauling of horses by double-deck trailers is included in the Surface Transportation Extension Act, opponents are trying to undermine this modest yet important legislation.

Support for banning the use of double-deck trailers is strong, and includes the American Veterinary Medical Association, National Black Farmers Association, Animal Welfare Institute and Veterinarians for Equine Welfare. Equine rescue, humane, and professional organizations realize it is cruel and dangerous to haul horses on double-deck trailers. Even the U.S. Department of Agriculture has come out against their use: “We do not believe that equines can be safely and humanely transported on a conveyance that has an animal cargo space divided into two or more stacked levels.” (9 CFR Parts 70 and 88). In fact, USDA has prohibited using these trailers for transporting horses to slaughter, but its rule doesn’t cover horses being transported for any other purposes – or those supposedly being hauled for another purpose. All horses, irrespective of where they are going, deserve this important protection, and the language included in the Surface Transportation Extension Act will provide it.

Continue reading Calls Needed Today in Support of Ban on Hauling Horses in Double-Deck Trailers →

Rescue/Protection Sources

The Face of American Horse Slaughter: Shady Dealer Shifts Species but Modus Operandi Remains Unchanged

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Washington, DC (January 23, 2012) – Some politicians in Washington feel that restarting a horse slaughter industry on American soil is a good idea. We’d like to offer a small window into how the horse slaughter industry currently operates, as shady players make deals amongst themselves while duping innocent people into giving up their horses to be butchered.  Read on…

A story recently surfaced about a 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman, Kelsey Lefever, who faces felony charges after allegedly collecting over 120 retired racehorses from well-meaning owners, promising them she would find good homes for the horses.  Her intention all along, however, was to sell them to killer buyers. Their “good homes” turned out to be a slaughterhouse in Canada, where they met with a gruesome death in order to become a “delicacy” at restaurants abroad. In the police report, a witness indicates that Lefever told her, “I killed every one of those (expletive) horses — over 120 of them. If they only knew, every one of them is dead.”

Continue reading The Face of American Horse Slaughter: Shady Dealer Shifts Species but Modus Operandi Remains Unchanged →

Community/Charity, Rescue/Protection Sources

Children’s Writing Campaign Building Groundswell of Support

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January 16, 2012 – Chicago (EWA) – The Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) children’s letter writing campaign to end horse slaughter, first announced on January 5th, has now received the support of The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) Humane Education Committee.

The Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) was contacted by the committee to offer their support and to obtain additional information on the campaign. The committee enclosed a letter from one of their teachers with an email voicing support from Senator Joe Lieberman.

The EWA will provide information to help support, update and expand lesson plans developed by the committee. The plans can be found on the EWA’s new Children’s Page, along with fun and educational videos about famous horses.

Continue reading Children’s Writing Campaign Building Groundswell of Support →