Horse Slaughter

[Mr. Midnight's Mom]

Good for you!

[kaitlynnb95]

i wonder what goes through people's minds when people abuse, or make a horse suffer.

[Mr. Midnight's Mom]

Probably a lot of things. Some people don't think anything of it - it's just normal for them. Others maybe, sad to say, enjoy it

[kaitlynnb95]

my mom says that there are alot of sick people in this world

[Mr. Midnight's Mom]

Unfortunately, that is very true

[fxtrtrgrl]

Including the BLM and the contractor who is head of the round-up of the wild horses.

[kaitlynnb95]

Have any of you ever been to www.ISPMN.org? It kinda relates to what we're talking about. Shoshine is SO pretty.

[Mr. Midnight's Mom]

I hadn't heard of it before you posted it - it looks like a great site - thank you again for the information.

[IMustBeCrazy]

cool, a new site to check out. Thanks Kaitlynn!

[fxtrtrgrl]

Can't seem to pull it up. Will keep trying.

[Mr. Midnight's Mom]

copy and paste and remove the question mark - that's why the link doesn't work

[fxtrtrgrl]

I'll try again, Penny.

[Mr. Midnight's Mom]

I've been helping the last several weeks with the Camelot Auction house saves - 4 weeks - all pulled from the Kill Pen. One of the amazing people I've met is Sharon Crumb - who through Facebook and sheer determination has raised thousands of dollars to bail these horses and find them homes. A friend of hers set up this website for folks who are not on Facebook - it has some VERY good information on horse slaughter on it - as well as the current Camelot Auction Horses

http://horserescue.yolasite.com/

[fxtrtrgrl]

Nice group of horses. Good save for all of them.

[Mr. Midnight's Mom]

There will be more this week and right up until Christmas

[fxtrtrgrl]

[kaitlynnb95]

www.ISPMN.org

[DoxieLover]

New EU rules may end slaughter of American Horses



CHICAGO, (EWA) – The European Union (EU) and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) have announced that the rules on slaughtering horses for human consumption are about to change radically due to concerns regarding contaminated horse meat.

The new EU rules will become effective in April 2010, requiring that either slaughtered animals have complete health records showing they have not received banned substances or a 180 day quarantine for the horses. Claude Boissonnealut, head of the CFIAs red meat programs, has indicated that Canada will likely abide by the 180 day quarantine, as mandated by the EU.

Equine welfare advocates have warned of the contamination of American horse meat for years. Substances banned from food animals range from toxic wormers to phenylbutazone (PBZ), the “aspirin” of the horse world, and even include fertility drugs that can cause miscarriages in women. “PBZ is a known carcinogen and can cause aplastic anemia (bone marrow suppression) in humans”, says Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) member, Dr. Ann Marini, Ph.D., M.D.

But the list of contaminants is not limited to conventional drugs. “Some of the garbage ‘treatments’ that are given to performance horses included iodine-peanut oil injections along the spine, anabolic steroids, cocaine, amphetamines, opioids and even snake venom”, explains Dr. Nicholas Dodman, DVM at Tufts University.

The new rules will mean that horses coming from auctions and other sources in the US will have to be kept drug free on a feedlot for half a year. Producers estimate that feeding horses that long will more than double their cost, making them less competitive with horses from other sources. And that is likely to be only half their problem.

EWA member Christy Sheidy, of Another Chance 4 Horses, routinely rescues slaughter bound horses from Pennsylvania’s New Holland auction. Sheidy warns, “Outbreaks of diseases like strangles and shipping fever will be inevitable in these quarantine feedlots. Left untreated, many horses may die before they can be slaughtered.” Treating the horses would restart their quarantine time.

In recent years, European authorities have cracked down on horse meat producers within the EU, requiring a “passport” system that specifically documents whether a horse has received such substances. Owners must state that their horses are intended for slaughter.

USDA statistics show that in 2008, the US exported 56,731 horses to Mexico and 77,073 horses to Canada for slaughter, resulting in the second highest slaughter total since 1995. Diners abroad have no idea whatsoever what dangerous chemicals they are eating in the American horsemeat that is shipped from plants across our borders.

In an interview with EWA, Henry Skjerven, a former director of the Natural Valley Farms slaughter operation in Saskatchewan, Canada, said: “Unfortunately, North America, US and Canada, were never geared for raising horses for food consumption. The system as it stood when we were killing horses was in no way, shape or form, safe, in my opinion.”

Skjerven went on to say, “We did not know where those horses were coming from, what might be in them or what they were treated with. I was always in fear - I think that it was very valid - that we were going to send something across there [to the EU] and we were simply going to get our doors locked after we had some kind of issue with the product.”

Skjerven’s plant began killing horses in September of 2007 for the Belgium’s Velda Group following the closing of their Cavel slaughter plant in DeKalb, Illinois. Natural Valley’s horse slaughter plant was closed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in January of 2009, for health issues.

Unlike Canada, horses going to Mexico are killed in two types of slaughter plants. The three largest plants export the meat to the EU and will fall under the same new rules. Mexican authorities have yet to announce whether their smaller plants, that provide meat for domestic consumption, will be required to follow the new rules.

“We don’t need to eat horses. Horses are for riding, jumping and doing a whole lot of great things. They’re not food”, concluded Skjerven.

Contacts: John Holland
540.268.5693
john@equinewelfarealliance.org


Vicki Tobin
630.961.9292
vicki@equinewelfarealliance.org

www.equinewelfarealliance.org

[Mr. Midnight's Mom]

Fingers crossed - but I'm also hearing that when this goes into effect (and IF it's enforced) that we'll see ZOO FOOD plants open HERE!!!

[fxtrtrgrl]

[DoxieLover]

Already have the Zoo thing going on here. Has been for a long time. It is kept very hush hush..
Got a confirmation on it durning the summer by acting as if I had horses to get rid of.

[DoxieLover]

From: Americans Against Horse Slaughter (aahsus@gmail.com)
Sent: Mon 4/19/10 8:03 PM
To: webedoxies@charter.net





Awesome News Courtesy of Animal Angels



Belgian and Dutch consumers were shocked to learn of widespread horse slaughter-related cruelty in North and South America. Undercover video footage aired on three major news programs showed horses designated for slaughter are routinely starved, dehydrated, injured and abused.

Horse meat is commonly available in Belgium and the Netherlands where consumers are almost completely unaware of the cruelties of horse slaughter. Most believe what suppliers claim on their websites, that the meat on their dinner plate comes from contented, grass-eating, healthy horses. The story begins by asking, "Do they [consumers] really know where it comes from?

The 8½ minute news segment was produced by GAIA, a respected animal welfare organization from Belgium, with much of the footage provided by Animals' Angels USA. The dire conditions of horses at slaughter plants, feedlots and markets in Mexico, Brazil and the U.S., have generated talk of boycotts and moratoriums on the import of horse meat from these countries.

Viewers are told "Cruelty goes hand in hand with incompetence" , as undercover video shows a worker knowingly crushing the lower leg of a live horse as he forces the iron gate of an overcrowded trailer shut.

An English version of the story is available on youtube:

http://www.youtube. com/user/ GAIAforanimalrig hts#p/u/0/ DyaF65cPqQU

Consumers responding on television websites demanded action. "They [importers] told us the meat is of superior quality because the animals live a life of luxury and freedom on green pastures...well cared for with plenty of food. But it's a horrible lie."

On importer Chevideco's website, horses are said to be treated with respect and to live without stress. An accompanying photograph depicts well-proportioned horses standing knee deep in grass. Importer such as Visser & van Walsum make similar claims.

Within hours of the story's broadcast, supermarkets responded with promises to investigate. Delhaize, the second largest retailer in Belgium asked their supplier to remove affected meat from their shelves. Two other major grocers have told consumers they do not import horse meat from outside Europe.

Fenavian, the Federation of Meat Producers in Belgium, issued a response denying any wrongdoing and offering reassurances that adherence to safety and European Union animal welfare rules were standard practice.

"However, the evidence is quite overwhelming, " said Sonja Meadows, president of Animals Angels U.S. "Up until recently, officials may have been able to claim that to their knowledge, the animals were treated properly. But now such claims are quite obviously false. Unfortunately we have plenty of documentation to prove that animals caught up in the horse slaughter pipeline are horribly abused."

Animals' Angels' began focusing efforts on the issue of European consumers' awareness about horse slaughter in November 2009 after meeting with the European Commission. AA shared with committee members evidence of extreme cruelty uncovered at Mexican horse slaughter plants, U.S. feedlots and government export facilities. AA filed an official complaint with the commission soon after the meeting.

Last month Gaia asked Animals' Angels for footage from Mexico and the U.S. to help with a European campaign to publicize the conditions endured by horses in the slaughter pipeline. Gaia had recently finished undercover investigations in South America and had gathered their own ample evidence of brutality.

Other organizations in the Netherlands and France are also launching consumer awareness campaigns. Most national and regional newspapers have published the story and photographs. Fueled by concerns from both consumers and animal welfare advocates, many more European news outlets are expected to pick up the story.

"I really doubt I'll ever eat horse meat again," said one man. "They may say they fixed the problem, but I'll never trust them again."

[Rowdy]

You need to remove the extra spaces to make the link work.
http://www.youtube.com/user/GAIAforanim ... yaF65cPqQU

Made me sick watching it...I wish I could PERSONALLY SAVE THEM ALL.

[IMustBeCrazy]

And now for a bit of GOOD news!

POSTED: Monday May 17th 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Florida Horse Protection Bill Signed by Governor On Friday

Florida horses assured a safer future

While other States (notably Montana, Wyoming, Tennessee, Missouri) are working furiously to bring horse slaughter houses into their environs, Florida has made our great State safer for them and the people who love them.

The Florida Horse Protection Bill that we all worked so hard for was signed into law by Governor Crist on Friday, May 14. It becomes effective July 1, 2010 as Chapter 2010-87 of Florida Statutes.

There are so many people to thank I hardly know where to begin. For starters, the media, local, national and international, pressed hard to inform the public of the horrible slaughter of horses in South Florida. To Dr. Sara Pizano, director of Miami-Dade Animal Services, who invited us to a meeting with Miami-Dade Sen./Commissioner Javier Souto, to discuss the matter. To the entire Miami-Dade County Commission who unanimously voted to send the bill written by Commissioner Souto to Tallahassee. To State Representatives Luis Garcia and Joseph Abruzzo who co-sponsored the bill in the House and to State Senator Victor Crist who sponsored the bill in the Senate. In fact, thank you to the entire Florida Legislature that voted unanimously to send the bill to Governor Crist.

And, thank you to Governor Crist for signing it into law.

Special thank you to Capt. Scott Andress of Miami-Dade Police Ag Patrol for his valuable input in the writing of this legislation. Scott asked for enforceable laws with significant penalties. That’s what this new law does. This bill increases penalties from misdemeanor to felony, including minimum sentencing of one year in prison with a $3,500 fine. The new law criminalizes butchering horses for personal use and commercial uses and closes a loophole in current law to protect all horses in Florida.

The new law also protects polo ponies from the ghastly scene of horses staggering and dying at a Wellington polo match last year after ingesting an improperly mixed and dosed substance that had been given to them. The new law requires these substances to be administered by a qualified equine veterinarian.

Last, but not least, thank you to some very brave and courageous SFSPCA members who documented these grisly horse slaughter atrocities first-hand at considerable personal risk.

Thank you, thank you to all of you. This is a proud day for Floridians.

[kaitlynnb95]

http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_ ... r_embedded