Sturgis Group leads National Push to Legalize Horse Slaughter

Comment at the link:
http://www.kotatv. com/global/ story.asp? s=10531630

Sturgis group leads national push to legalize horse slaughter

By Matt Hunter

It was earlier this year when local thoroughbred breeder Dale Simanton
was called to a neighbor's farm to look at a horse the owner believed to
have colic, a potentially fatal disease.

"I went down to look at the horse and told him this horse isn't sick,
he's starving to death," Simanton says.

Simanton says the animal was one of several on the property that were
unfed and malnourished. One had already starved to death and another
bled to death because it was too weak to stand up and escape from dogs
that chewed its hind-end. Simanton later went back to the property with
the Butte County Sheriff and agreed to purchase the remaining horses.

Simanton believes the owner did not have the financial wherewithal to
properly care for the horses. Three of them were purchased at auction
for a combined $10.00 after failing to generate bids individually.

The story mirrors that of the farm in New Underwood where authorities
found several dead and starving horses in December.

"It's not a pretty situation and it's been created by people who don't
care about a horse," Simanton says.

Horse abuse and neglect is a growing problem locally and nationwide.
Three cases were reported in Pennington County in 2008, up from none the
year before.

While the issue has been made worse by the recession, many feel Congress
created the problem in 2006 when it banned horse slaughter in the U.S.,
leading to a spike in the horse population.

"No market works without some kind of floor, some kind of bottom in the
market," American Horse League CEO Chase Adams says. "When we got rid
of the horse processing option here in the United States, we lost the
bottom in the market. That in-turn rippled across the market and now
we've got more abuse and neglect than ever before. We see this as a
humane alternative to basically restore our market."

Two months ago, the American Horse League was formed in Sturgis with the primary goal of legalizing horse slaughter within the United States.
It's estimated nearly 100,000 horses are shipped across the Mexican and
Canadian borders to be slaughtered each year. That's led to talk on
Capitol Hill of making it illegal to transfer horses across the border.

While groups like PETA and the American Humane Society believe slaughter
is inhumane, American Horse League members believe the current system,
which leads to more starving horses, is worse.

"The fact of the matter is that we are the animal welfare folks, we are
the ones that don't want to see any animal suffer, any abuse, any
neglect," Adams says. "We want to make sure that we've got the options
in place both here in the state and across the country to ensure that
happens."

"It's not whether or not these horses live or die but how they live and
how they die," Simanton says. "Starving to death or having dogs eat you
up is no way I'd want to die."

On Sunday Simanton brought one of the rescued horses to the St. Onge
Livestock Auction. A rollover auction was held, where bidders
continuously bid on the horse without obtaining ownership. The $2,500
raised will benefit the American Horse League, however, Simanton and
Adams say the real goal is to raise awareness.

"If we had our slaughter houses here, at least the USDA could keep an
eye on them and make sure things are done humanely," Simanton says.
"This is not an inhumane business, but it is a business."

Alternatives to slaughter are euthanasia or sending a horse to a rescue
farm, however, vet and burial fees are expensive and most American
rescue farms are full to capacity and struggling financially.
The effort to legalize slaughterhouses is supported by the South Dakota
Legislature. In 2008 lawmakers overwhelmingly supported a resolution
supporting the legalization of slaughterhouses in America.

Documents Reveal BLM Secret Plan to Destroy Wild Horses

Documents Reveal BLM Secret Plan to Destroy Wild Horses

From Cloud Foundation:

PRESS RELEASE
June 11, 2009- for immediate release

Documents Reveal BLM Secret Plan to Destroy Wild Horses

Documents obtained from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) via the
Freedom of Information Act by a Phoenix-based non-profit, The
Conquistador Program, reveal shocking and detailed plans to destroy healthy wild horses in government holding facilities as well as those still remaining in the wild on public lands.

BLM employees as well as a USDA veterinarian held weekly
"Implementation Team" meetings beginning in July of 2008 in
which they discussed and developed strategies aimed at ridding BLM of
thousands of mustangs. In October they completed a 68 page document
entitled "Alternative Management Options". Tactics included in
this document are reminiscent of those used to wipe out Native American
tribes in the 1800s.

The BLM team created scenarios for killing mustangs using barbiturates,
gun shots, or captive bolts. Bodies would be disposed of through
rendering, burial or incineration. They discussed killing 1200-2000 wild
horses per year. The document states that "the general public would
be prohibited from viewing euthanasia." Additionally, the Team felt
that "increased support from public relations and management staff
would also be needed to insulate those doing the actual work from the
public, media and Congressional scrutiny/criticism. "

"Minutes from these meetings as well as the Draft Plan reveal what
amounts to `the final solution' for the American mustang,"
states Ginger Kathrens, filmmaker and Volunteer Executive Director of
The Cloud Foundation. "Despite a huge outcry from the American
public last year regarding BLM plans to kill wild horses in holding, the
agency is still pressing forward with a plan to destroy our American
mustangs both on and off the range."

Division Chief of the Wild Horse and Burro Program Don Glenn told The
Cloud Foundation that "no decision has been made to move forward on
a large scale with this plan, yet."

BLM meeting minutes speak for themselves. "Security at facilities
and at gathers would need to be increased to combat eco-terrorism.
Having the people that are willing to put down healthy horses at gather
sites could be a problem. Having vets putting down healthy horses at
preparation facility[ies] could also be a problem." Meeting minutes
reveal the psychological toll that employees would pay—"have
counseling for employees and contractors that have to euthanize the
healthy horses because it is very stressful."

The report created an option in which wild horses of all ages could be
sold "without limitation". In other words, horses could be sold
directly to killer buyers in unchecked numbers. The Team admitted that
"some wild horses will go to slaughter".

"Once they are gone, they're gone" says Karen Sussman,
President of the International Society for the Protection of Mustangs
and Burros. "To lose this incomparable species would be a
travesty."

Team Members formulated ways in which they could circumvent the National
Environmental Policy Act, asking "How many (wild horses) could be
euthanized during a gather (roundup) without having NEPA?" BLM
discussed ways to circumvent the federal carcass disposal law (43 CFR
4730.2). Conversations included how many wild horses could be rendered
at the Reno Rendering plant or "disposed of in pits". The Team
concluded that "there will not be large numbers of horses euthanized
during gathers or in the field. This is due to state environmental
laws."

Recommendations include the creation of gelding herds, and sterilization
of mares to create non-reproductive herds in the wild in place of
natural herds. The team recommended changing the sex ratio from the
normal 50% males and 50% females to 70% males and 30% females. Then the
experimental two-year infertility drug, PZP-22, would be given to all
mares that are returned to the wild. Plans call for rounding up the wild
horses every two years to re-administer the drug.

"Mares on the drug will cycle monthly and, with the altered sex
ratio, the social chaos will be dangerous and on-going," Kathrens
explains. "Any semblance of normal wild horse society will be
completely destroyed."

Kathrens has spent 15 years in the wild documenting mustang behavior for
her PBS television documentaries which chronicle the life story of
Cloud, the now famous pale palomino stallion she has filmed since birth.
"Even Cloud and his little herd in Montana are in serious danger if
BLM implements these options," she continues. "The BLM plans a
massive round up in Cloud's herd beginning August 30, 2009."

The BLM will not guarantee that Cloud and his family will remain free.

The BLM documents referred to above and photos of wild horses are
available from The Cloud Foundation.

The Cloud Foundation, Inc.
107 South 7th St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80905
719-633-3842
719-633-3896 (fax)
info@thecloudfounda tion.org info@thecloudfounda tion.org>
www.thecloudfoundat ion.org <http://www.thecloud foundation. org/>