Tag Archives: Equine Protection

Breeds, Wild Horse Sources

Comments Needed Immediately for NAS Study Review

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Tentative Panel Stacked against Wild Horses

Two wild horses from the White Mountain herd in southern Wyoming

Dear Friends of our Wild Horses and Burros,
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is accepting comments on their provisional committee members. The study will be reviewing the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program. However, the current provisional committee makeup is vastly unbalanced.

An NAS committee is supposed to be balanced and free of conflicts of interest, as mandated by federal law. But the current committee members chosen for this study do not represent this impartiality. Some of the committee members have strong ties with largely anti-wild horse organizations, such as the Nevada Cattleman’s Association and the Wildlife Society.

The future of America’s wild horses and burros may rest in the hands of this NAS study. The scope of the study itself is expected to take two years to complete and is to include information on total populations, genetic diversity, annual growth rates, population control, immunocontraception, appropriate management level (AML) establishments or adjustments, and managing a portion of a population as non-reproducing.

I encourage everyone to make their own comments (which are only being accepted electronically here) on these tentatively selected committee members. Below are some talking points you can make in your comments.

You can submit your comments here no later than September 26th.

Continue reading Comments Needed Immediately for NAS Study Review →

Breeds, Conferences, Rescue/Protection Sources, Wild Horse Sources

Madeleine Pickens Scheduled as Keynote Speaker at Equine Welfare Conference in Alexandria, VA

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Madeleine Pickens, the Founder of Saving America’s Mustangs, will be a keynote speaker at this year’s Equine Welfare Conference in Alexandria, VA on September 28th, 2011.

Other distinguished speakers include: Congressman Jim Moran, Senator Landrieu’s Aide, State Senator Dave Wanzenried, Congressman Burton’s Aide, Paula Bacon the former mayor of Kaufman, TX, Ann Marini, Ph.D., M.D., Ginger Kathrens of The Cloud Foundation, Michael Blowen of Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Facility, Keith Dane with The Humane Society of the U.S., Lonita Stewart with Canadian Horse Defence Coalition, Katie Fite with Western Watersheds Project, and authors Deanne Stillman and Alex Brown.

A complete list of the presenters can be viewed here.

Event Location:
Marriott Residence Inn
1456 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

CONFERENCE AGENDA
Registration Fees:
All 3 days, includes Tuesday night banquet $150
Individual Day $75
Student: All 3 days, includes Tuesday night banquet $75
Student: Individual
Day $40

note: banquet is only included with 3 day registration

Registration is now closed, but you can receive more information by contacting: iec@equinewelfarealliance.org.

website: www.equinewelfarealliance.org

Rescue/Protection Sources

Children at Risk from Slaughter of US Horses

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September 19, 2011 – Chicago (EWA) – As Senator Max Baucus and the horse slaughter lobby make a concentrated effort to persuade Congress to reverse the 2007 defunding of USDA horse slaughter inspections, evidence is growing that the main consumers of US horse meat are not likely to welcome the move.

An Irish Veterinary Journal white paper, released in December of 2010, has recently come to light. The paper gives an inside account of the EU (European Union) deliberations that are leading to tough new restrictions on drug residues in animals, including horses, intended for human consumption. The new EU regulations clearly define food animals and the risk to humans, particularly children, of ingesting horse meat containing banned substances.

Focusing on one such banned substance, phenylbutazone, the paper outlines the extreme dangers to children and warns veterinarians, “It is a statement of fact that if the European Commission on its audit of this country find evidence of bute use in animals not excluded from the food chain, then the product will immediately lose its license Europe-wide. If samples prove positive for phenylbutazone or its metabolite in equine meat of Irish origin, it will be traced back, and the prescribing veterinary practitioner will be in the firing line of prosecution.”

The paper states “The difficulty with phenylbutazone is that it, or its metabolite, can cause aplastic anemia in children. If a child were to consume an animal-based product containing even the minutest amount of bute or its metabolite then the child may develop aplastic anemia.”

Continue reading Children at Risk from Slaughter of US Horses →

Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Diana de Rosa, Media/Radio/TV Sources, Webinars

Healthy Horse Tip – What to Do When the Panic Is On!

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Hurricane, Fire, Toxicity, Infectious Disease: KAM’s Next FREE Webinar – September 26, 2011

September 1, 2011 — KAM’s Equine Learning Circle FREE webinars have covered numerous topics such as gut health, feed and supplements, teeth, joints, worming, fungus and so much more.  The response has been extremely positive with lots more to come.  The next webinar on September 26 will focus on preparing for an emergency situation.  Take a moment now and sign up for this next free webinar by going to www.kamanimalservices.com.

In this webinar the panelists will talk about infectious disease, hurricane evacuation, fire and smoke, environmental toxicity and biosecurity.  When we are faced with any of these situations it’s critical that we be prepared for the “worst.”  This webinar will guide you through the steps you need to take to be prepared.

Title: When the Panic Is On – What to Do!
Date: Monday, September 26, 2011
Time: 5:30 PM PST, 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM CST, 8:30 PM EST

Continue reading Healthy Horse Tip – What to Do When the Panic Is On! →

Rescue/Protection Sources

Senator Baucus Dons His Horse Slaughter Suicide Vest

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Newspapers from coast to coast are carrying stories about doomed Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) pleading for the Congress to bring horse slaughter back to America. Baucus is calling for an end to a ban on the funding of USDA horse slaughter inspections that has kept the industry out of America since 2007. In doing so Baucus is taking part in a growing tradition of political penance for disgraced members of the secretive horse slaughter caucus, one of the few remaining bipartisan institutions of Congress.

On August 28th, 2007, Senator Larry Craig became the first victim of the caucus when he was arrested in a restroom of the Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport for soliciting sex from an undercover officer. The incident was made all the more embarrassing by the fact that Craig had long crusaded against all forms of gay rights.

His career doomed, Craig (R-ID) was called upon to do his penance. Instead of resigning and slithering out of the searing glare of the public spot light, he was made to finish out his term as a senatorial road block against the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.

Thus Craig stood in the contemptuous gaze of his fellow senators and refused to allow the bill forward by denying “unanimous consent”. Now it is Senator Max Baucus’ turn to don his political suicide vest and go out in a final act of obedience to his keepers.

A career politician, Max Baucus was first elected to the Senate in 1978. He is up for re-election in 2012, but there is a roadside bomb waiting for his campaign to drive by and his keepers in Washington must know it will almost certainly be fatal.

Continue reading Senator Baucus Dons His Horse Slaughter Suicide Vest →

Rescue/Protection Sources

Protect America’s Horses and Promote Responsible Government!

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Please tell your Senators to Support the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act

Turn on the news and much of what you will hear from our elected officials in Washington, D.C. is “cut federal spending,” “stop wasteful federal programs,” or “decrease federal regulation.”  For those truly interested in cutting waste, we have a winning issue: banning horse slaughter.  Not only does the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S. 1176) help end the abuse of over 100,000 American horses being hauled to and slaughtered in Mexico and Canada for human consumption, but this bill would also eliminate a federal program while saving the American taxpayer millions of dollars a year.

Amazingly, however, while some in Congress talk about cuts, a few of the same politicians are quietly trying to restore a USDA program that was eliminated six years ago.  At the time Congress shut this program down, it was costing taxpayers $5 million a year, almost exclusively for the benefit of foreign interests.  Restoring it now would cost much more — and require an increase in federal bureaucracy to boot.  It is time for the American people to stand up for horses while taking  a stand against those in Congress working both sides of the issue when it comes to federal spending.

Contact your Senators TODAY in support of S. 1176, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.  For more background on the issue and the legislation, please visit www.awionline.org/horseslaughter.

What You Can Do:
Call both of your Senators today and urge them to help end horse slaughter, while saving the American taxpayer millions of dollars a year, by cosponsoring S. 1176, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.

Continue reading Protect America’s Horses and Promote Responsible Government! →

Rescue/Protection Sources, Uncategorized

GAO Follows Horse Slaughter Lobby down the Rabbit Hole

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September 7, 2011 – Chicago (EWA) – The long awaited Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on horse welfare fell far short of the respectable reporting we have come to expect from the GAO, even raising questions as to the agency’s credibility.

The Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) and Animal Law Coalition (ALC) have issued an exhaustive analysis and executive summary, demonstrating the embarrassing and shocking lack of evidence for GAO’s findings.

The analysis concludes that the GAO report is “disturbing” as it is filled with speculation, anecdotes, hearsay and unsupported opinions. The GAO sources appear to be largely known slaughter proponents.

“The GAO’s pro-slaughter bias is clearly evident in the report’s defamatory accusation that the Cavel fire in 2002 was started by so-called anti-slaughter arsonists,” states co-author and EWA vice president, Vicki Tobin. The cause of the fire was never determined and it was Cavel’s owners who benefitted from the fire, claiming $5M when the damages were estimated at $2M.

The EWA/ALC analysis details how, instead of doing the hard work of gathering actual data, the GAO relied on chitchats with a handful of state veterinarians with a few livestock board and other state officials and on information provided by pro-slaughter organizations.

Continue reading GAO Follows Horse Slaughter Lobby down the Rabbit Hole →

Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Diana de Rosa, Media/Radio/TV Sources, Webinars

Healthy Horse Tip – What to Do When the Panic Is On!

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Hurricane, Fire, Toxicity, Infectious Disease: KAM’s Next FREE Webinar – September 26, 2011

September 1, 2011 — KAM’s Equine Learning Circle FREE webinars have covered numerous topics such as gut health, feed and supplements, teeth, joints, worming, fungus and so much more.  The response has been extremely positive with lots more to come.  The next webinar on September 26 will focus on preparing for an emergency situation.  Take a moment now and sign up for this next free webinar by going to www.kamanimalservices.com.

In this webinar the panelists will talk about infectious disease, hurricane evacuation, fire and smoke, environmental toxicity and biosecurity.  When we are faced with any of these situations it’s critical that we be prepared for the “worst.”  This webinar will guide you through the steps you need to take to be prepared.

Title: When the Panic Is On – What to Do!
Date: Monday, September 26, 2011
Time: 5:30 PM PST, 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM CST, 8:30 PM EST

Continue reading Healthy Horse Tip – What to Do When the Panic Is On! →

Awards, Breeds, Community/Charity, Products/Services, WHIN, Wild Horse Sources

WHINNY Awards to Honor Animal Rights Advocate Madeleine Pickens

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The Women’s Horse Industry Network has announced that Madeleine Pickens has been selected to receive a WHINNY award. The awards dinner will be held on Thursday, October 6, 2011 at the Radisson Hotel Opryland. It will be videotaped as part of a one hour special on HRTV.

“We are very happy to present this award to Madeleine. This woman not only works hard to help animals and horses but has put her money where her boots are and where her passion lives. People like Madeleine deserve to be recognized and applauded for their efforts.  We will do everything we can to help promote her and her efforts.  It definitely will be my pleasure to hand her this award,” states WHIN’s Executive Director, Catherine Masters.

Animal rights advocate Madeleine Pickens started her career in horse racing in 1983, a passion she shared with her late husband and Gulfstream Aerospace founder, Allen E. Paulson. They achieved enormous success in racing and had a total of 800 horses, including breeding and racing World Champion and U.S. Hall of Fame inductee, Cigar. They achieved much esteem for their successes racing many champion Thoroughbreds, breeding many brood mares, and creating three successful farms from the ground up. Together, they owned a breaking and training farm at Ocala and a breeding farm at Brookside North in Kentucky where many of their champions were raised. They also had one more facility in California. Madeleine managed all the business aspects, farm decisions, and race decisions for the entire operation. The Paulsons owned more than 115 winners of graded stakes races. To this day, they still hold the record for the leader of the most ‘Breeder’s Cup’ champion horses and earnings.

Today, she is still breeding a few racehorses, but adamantly opposes horse slaughter and the use of the drugs in these animals. Until that is cleared up, she won’t ever participate in the race world like she had once been.

Continue reading WHINNY Awards to Honor Animal Rights Advocate Madeleine Pickens →

Conferences, Rescue/Protection Sources

International Equine Conference on Equine Welfare and Food Safety

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Chicago (EWA) – A coalition of animal welfare groups including the Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) and the Animal Law Coalition has announced the first International Equine Conference (IEC) to be held September 26-28 at the Marriott Residence Inn, Old Town Alexandria, Va.

The three day event will feature renowned experts on the welfare and preservation of both domestic and wild equines, legislators and medical experts. Presentations will address many aspects of the field ranging from horse slaughter to wild equine preservation and will include related human and animal health concerns.

“Few subjects have been clouded by so much misinformation as these,” says John Holland of the Equine Welfare Alliance. “We intend to provide a forum where attendees can get a documented, factual understanding of these complex issues.”

Among the many distinguished speakers will be Madeleine Pickens of Saving America’s Mustangs, Senator Mary Landrieu, Congressman Jim Moran, State Senator Dave Wanzenried, Paula Bacon the former mayor of Kaufman, TX, Ann Marini, Ph.D., M.D., Ginger Kathrens of The Cloud Foundation, Michael Blowen of Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Facility, Keith Dane with The Humane Society of the U.S., Lonita Stewart with Canadian Horse Defence Coalition, Katie Fite with Western Watersheds Project and authors Deanne Stillman and Alex Brown. A complete list of the presenters can be viewed at http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/Int_l_Equine_Conference.html.

Continue reading International Equine Conference on Equine Welfare and Food Safety →