Second Slaughter Mouthpiece Installed to Head "Unwanted" Horse Coalition
CHICAGO, (EWA) - The recent appointment of Dr. Douglas Corey to the top spot of the Washington lobby group, The Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC), has made their loudly proclaimed stance of being neutral on the contentious issue of horse slaughter difficult to swallow.
Corey follows Dr. Tom Lenz, former head of American Association of Equine Practitioners, (AAEP). Both Lenz and Corey pull no punches on their enthusiastic support of horse slaughter. The two veterinarians with close ties to animal agriculture refer to horse slaughter as an end-of-life option that is needed. Regrettably, with the UHC parent group, The American Horse Council, this front for unscrupulous breeders and the meat industry, often has the ear of Congress and is considered a respected and respectable humanitarian organization.
The daring hypocrisy of both organizations is stunning and Corey's own words prove it. Few equine rescue organizations are members of the UHC, shunning the prohibitive cost of membership to join. Rescue groups, dependent upon donations, would prefer to spend their funds on feed and hay.
The Unwanted Horse Coalition is controlled by breed associations who happily send their culls to slaughter, the horse racing industry which happily disposes of tens of thousands of healthy races horses after their career is over and the livestock industry whose sole purpose is selling meat on the hoof.
During his testimony in 2008 before the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security for the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008, Cory said, "Because of the large population of unwanted horses in the U.S., the AAEP believes that the processing of unwanted horses is currently a necessary end-of-life option and provides a humane alternative to allowing a horse to continue a life of discomfort and pain or endure inadequate care or abandonment."
To the AHC and UHC the word, "processing" is a benign mask for the horror of a horse's final hours in a slaughter house.
Corey further insulted prospective horse owners by stating "many of the individuals that adopt horses are not financially secure enough to adopt and provide proper care and feeding for a horse." Corey didn't offer an explanation as to why owners and breeders that are financially secure choose to send their horses to slaughter rather than provide proper care.
Both Corey and Lenz are well aware of the labeling on horse medications; "not intended for use in food animals." They are also well aware that animals given those medications cannot be slaughtered for human consumption and yet, they continue to support horse slaughter.
The European Union recently placed tight controls on the import of American horses because of the wholesale use of dangerous drugs in their everyday lives.
During his testimony on behalf of AAEP, Corey blithely claimed the closure of the US horse slaughter plants resulted in "increased equine cruelty in the form of abuse, neglect, and abandonment."
That is a ludicrous statement. If there are increases in abuse, neglect and abandonment, it is has nothing to do with the closure of the plants. Closing the plants did not stop or slow down the number of horses slaughtered. In fact, 2008, the year Corey testified, had the second highest number of horses slaughtered since 1995.
The same number of horses laden with FDA and European Union banned drugs are flowing across our borders to slaughter plants in Canada and Mexico. All the while, Corey and Lenz still blame the closure of the plants instead of those that are causing the overpopulation of horses.
Actions speak louder than words and consistently appointing outspoken slaughter proponents to head a "neutral" organization speaks volumes.
Leading Horse Slaughter Proponent Calls Undercover Video a Fabrication
CHICAGO, (EWA) - The Canadian Horse Defence Coalition (CHDC) recently released hidden camera footage from an investigation that took place at the two largest horse slaughter plants in Canada, Bouvry Exports and Viande Richelieu.
So horrific are the conditions depicted at both plants that they have prompted Bill desBarres, Chairman of the Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada (HWAC) and a long time proponent of horse slaughter, to declare he believes the footage was fabricated by groups opposed to "any animal agriculture".
Bill desBarres and his organization have repeatedly praised the CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) and its inspectors for their diligence in assuring that horses are treated humanely at the slaughter plants and his organization lists the CFIA as a "resource partner" on their web site. The Horse Welfare Alliance appears to be nothing more than a front for the horse slaughter industry.
CHDC's Eastern Region Director, Shelley Grainger said of the footage, "The evidence provided compelling proof that puts into question the effectiveness of the assembly-line slaughter of horses. The evidence demonstrates that both the facilities in Alberta and Quebec fail to meet humane slaughter standards."
The footage is incontrovertible. In a court of law it would stand the test of cross examination as evidence.
Now, faced with such absolute evidence of the true nature of the slaughter process, desBarres has elected to use the Nixon Gambit and make the outrageous suggestion that the video is somehow fabricated. "One has to wonder," says EWA's John Holland, "does desBarres believe the CHDC tortured horses in staged mock-ups of the plants or does he think they hired Steven Spielberg to produce a digital fantasy?"
"The evidence obtained on the footage at both facilities was random - these instances we see of horses suffering terribly happened on those random days, and we can be certain they happen every day. As there are only two government-approved methods of stunning horses in Canada - captive bolt gun and rifle - and both methods have been shown to cause prolonged suffering in horses, it is evident that these animals cannot be slaughtered humanely in today's slaughterhouse assembly lines" says Grainger.
Grainger's conclusion is supported by similar under cover footage from a Mexican slaughter plant and appalling photos of horses at a US plant released by the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) under a response to a citizen request through the U.S. Freedom of Information Act.
The revelations are even more problematic for the CFIA who has yet to respond publicly to findings of a study published recently in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology showing that horses given the banned carcinogen Phenylbutazone had routinely slipped through the inspection process and been slaughtered for human consumption.
The CFIA has been more circumspect than the HWAC, indicating only that such actions are unacceptable and that they will investigate the abuse issue.
Shelly Grainger commented, "As of July 31st, all slaughter bound horses in Canada must have an Equine Identification Document (EID) verifying they have not received Phenylbutazone, Clenbuterol, or various other drugs and steroids. As well, there is an extensive list of medications that require a 6-month withdrawal period."
The dual controversy comes as bills have been introduced into several state legislatures in support of horse slaughter. "They are just ignoring reality," says EWA's Vicki Tobin, "They can't keep ignoring the drug concerns, the horrific conditions at the slaughter plants and the cruelty inherent with the entire slaughter pipeline. The only states that want horse slaughter are those who have never experienced it."
It is time to take back our horses from the predatory slaughter industry. EWA urges all horse owners to contact their legislators and insist that the federal horse protection legislation be passed immediately.
Equine Welfare Alliance Releases Study Refuting Horse Slaughter Hype
CHICAGO, (EWA) - The Chicago based Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) released a study of horse slaughter trends analyzing data from 2006 through October, 2009. The study documents and analyzes monthly horse slaughter totals as reported by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Canadian horse meat exports as reported by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
The findings refute the "facts" horse slaughter proponents have been circulating on the impact on the horse industry since the plants closed by showing that the closings had no impact on slaughter totals.
Graphs in the study show exports quickly replaced domestic slaughter during 2007. In fact, 2008 was the second highest year for slaughter since 1995.
The study shows that the export of slaughter horses remained relatively steady until the fall of 2008 when the banking collapse precipitated a worldwide economic decline. A few months later exports began to fall off markedly.
One of the interesting relationships found in the study was that lower horse prices after the economic downturn did not bring higher slaughter sales, but just the opposite. The export of slaughter horses to Mexico and Canada were down approximately 20% for 2009, corresponding to a similar decrease in horse meat exports from Canada to the EU and Japan.
The findings prove that the number of horses slaughtered is not related to the number of "unwanted horses", but to the demand for horse meat.
The economy will continue to take a toll on the horse industry as with other businesses. "Breeders, like other producers, will simply have to cut back on production or suffer the consequences", explains EWA's John Holland, "The findings should serve as a warning to communities that are being coaxed by slaughter proponents to build horse slaughter plants in Montana and other states."
With current capacity at the horse slaughter plants underutilized, it couldn't be more evident that opening multi-million dollar plants is not going to solve the problem nor be good investment. Natural Valley Meats in Canada suffered a $42M loss before it closed.
The increased awareness of prohibited drugs commonly given to US horses has also precipitated changes for US slaughter horses. In July, enforcement of the European Union rules go into effect that will require the tracking of drugs given to slaughter horses, a requirement that is likely to further reduce the demand for US slaughter horses.
Slaughter proponents must face and address the cause of excess horses and realize they simply cannot slaughter their way out of the mess they have created.
Slaughter Supporters Call for Boycott of Some of America's Most Beloved Horsemen and Most Effective Horse Organizations
Willie Nelson, Carrie Underwood, Pat Parelli, Sheryl Crow, Vigo Mortenson, Barbie Twins, USEF, Humane Society, PETA Under Attack From Obscure Animal Agriculture Group
CHICAGO, (EWA), - Some of America's most prominent horse lovers were verbally assaulted and accused of malfeasance today for exercising their right of free speech over the ongoing decimation of the wild horse herds and their opposition to horse slaughter. The unprecedented attack came in a release issued today by little known Wyoming State Representative, Sue Wallis of United Organizations of the Horse (UOH), and left many in the horse industry scratching their heads.
The rambling diatribe called for a boycott of the respected United States Equestrian Federation, legendary horse trainer Pat Parelli, Willie Nelson and others for speaking up for the humane treatment of horses and protection of Mustangs. The release accused them of taking "dirty money" and selling out to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), but offered no specifics or proof.
The attack comes on the heels of a week of growing press coverage of nationwide demonstrations against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and its removal of wild horse herds from the American West. In an earlier release, Wallis praised the BLM's actions in removing the horses and she has suggested they be slaughtered and fed to the world's hungry. Currently, horse meat sells for $30 per pound in Europe, making such a humanitarian offering unlikely.
Curiously, neither the USEF, PETA, nor the HSUS, has taken part in the recent demonstrations or law suits against the removal of mustangs in the Calico complex of Nevada. Notably missing from the list of organizations attacked in the release were those who actually did participate, including In Defense of Animals, The Cloud Foundation, the Equine Welfare Alliance and numerous other groups. Over 200 organizations, dignitaries and celebrities as well as over six thousand individuals have signed-on to a Unified Call for a moratorium on round-ups.
EWA's John Holland explains, "I suspect this attack has more to do with hyping State Representative Wallis' own campaign contributions than anything else. They love to use the PETA/HSUS boogieman to coax money out of their base. "Even so" continued Holland, "such an attack has the unmistakable aroma of desperation about it."
Disguised as a plea to come to the aide of animal agriculture, the demand for a boycott attacks one of the farmer's and rancher's most consistent humanitarians. Singer Willie Nelson has raised millions for farmers and stockmen facing foreclosure during hart times.
It also attacked Parelli, a former champion rodeo cowboy who went from riding bucking horses to pioneering a more gentle and cerebral form of horsemanship. Parelli clinics fill coliseums from coast to coast and abroad with horse lovers intent on learning to think like a horse,
The tax status of Wallis' organization is under a cloud. Donations are funneled through a questionable tax deductible 501(c)(3) charitable group. Such groups are legally limited to the amount of its income (15-20%) that can be used for lobbying. To date, all UOH efforts appear to be related to lobbying for horse slaughter and against wild horse protection.
"If this is the way they are going to raise money" offered Holland, "I would suggest they squirrel away most of the proceeds in a legal contingency fund."
The Equine Welfare Alliance is a dues free, umbrella organization with over 90 member organizations. The organization focuses its efforts on the welfare of all equines and the preservation of wild equids.
www.equinewelfarealliance.org
NY Demonstration Spurred by Discovery of Continuing BLM Deceit
CHICAGO, (EWA), - The perfect storm of protests spurred by Bureau of Land Management's clearing of horses from its Calico Mountain complex will continue into the first week of the new year.
Wild horse advocates have been outraged by a federal plan to remove most of the horses from the area driven in a snow blinded stampede from their natural habitat. A protest demonstration is planned for Thursday, January 7 from 11am to 1pm in front of the Capital Building in Albany, NY. Additional information is available at www.equinewelfarealliance.org. Protests are also planned for Denver and Lexington next week, as well.
The EWA urges citizens concerned over the planned extinction of our wild horse heritage, to attend these demonstrations.
Despite a federal judge's recommendation to cancel the Nevada Calico Complex round-up and the discovery of testimony showing the agency is knowingly distorting the impact of wild horses on the environment to justify their removal, the BLM is moving full steam ahead with the controversial round-up of 3,000 horses. As reported in Horseback Magazine, director Bob Abbey gave the go-ahead to proceed with the round-up. One horse and one foal have already died.
Concerns have also been raised by academic veterinarian Nena Winand of Cornell University regarding a condition known as metabolic syndrome when horses are removed from their native habitat and placed in more nutrient rich pastures. She said, "Once I addressed this with the BLM wranglers that auction horses here every year or two when I suggested that they mention this syndrome in their presentation to potential adopters so that they would be better prepared to manage their horse's needs. They looked at me like I was an alien - they had no clue."
On December 30th, the BLM invited members of the national press to view the round-up operations. Photos taken by a BLM contract photographer showed frightened horses in holding pens with sweat soaked coats generating clouds of vapor in the frigid air. The photos caused a storm of criticism from horse experts and were quickly removed.
The BLM spokesman exaggerated to the media saying said that 600 to 800 of the horses were to be returned to the wild when in fact, their official written plan calls for the return of only about 380 to their natural habitats. This statement comes on the heels of a statement attributed to BLM on National Public Radio that claimed the overall goal was to remove 25 percent of the horses during FY 2010, when the paper trail left behind by BLM's Nevada managers indicates the agency intends to remove 45 percent, a whopping 20 percent discrepancy.
The demonstration was organized after learning of BLMs, Glenda Eckel's May 13, 2009 testimony, which was ignored and buried by BLM. "Eckel's testimony," said EWAs Cindy MacDonald "reflects that despite the wild horse population being over BLMs "established levels" by 500%, monitoring objectives were being met."
Ms. Eckel testified that she was surprised at the number of horses after a fly-over because the significantly larger population was not evident in their forage consumption.
The test for appropriate wild horse population levels is whether they achieve and maintain a thriving ecological balance on the public lands. The law does not require BLM to maintain specific numbers of animals but does require specific research and analysis for determining removals.
Based on Eckel's testimony, there was no justification to reduce the wild horse population at Calico.
Concerned Americans continue to contact the White House and elected officials with no response. The Albany protest hopes to bring increased awareness to the growing outrage over the BLMs obvious plan to exterminate our wild horses and burros and the lack of response from our government.
www.equinewelfarealliance.org
Will American Congress and Canadian Parliament Allow Europeans To Consume Tainted Horse Meat?
CHICAGO, (EWA), – European horses sent to slaughter require a passport that chronicles every drug the horse has received since birth.
Canada and the U.S. do not regulate nor track this information in equines and American horse meat is potentially poisoning European consumers. Worse still, the American government is abetting the process. In 2008, 134,059 American horses were sent to Canada and Mexico for slaughter for consumption in the European Union with no regard as to the drugs they had received.
The EU is now insisting that the countries supplying this meat follow guidelines it issued in April, but it is apparently relying on the US and Canada for enforcement of an affidavit system.
For the past eight years, Congress could have ended the slaughter of American horses for human consumption in Europe. Despite strong bipartisan support, production agriculture has been allowed to stop the bills dead in their tracks preventing a vote on the floor of either one house or another.
On August 25, the Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) and the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition (CHDC) issued a press release questioning the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on how the European Commission (EU) guidelines issued in April would be enforced. The guidelines, issued to “third” countries outlined requirements for equines intended for food production, including a system of identity verification, a prohibition on banned substances and a minimum 6-month withdrawal period for drugs commonly used by American horsemen.
EWA has now learned the EU will accept affidavits from killer buyers and haulers employed by the offshore slaughter industry as proof that animals have passed the quarantine period.
It is inconceivable that the EU is prepared to trust the word of killer buyers and haulers, many with criminal records, to protect the health of European consumers. Currently, there is no mechanism in place to keep these profiteers honest.
The overwhelming majority of North American horses have received toxic wormers, drugs like phenylbutazone (PBZ), the “aspirin” of the horse world and even fertility drugs that can cause miscarriages in women – all banned substances in animals intended for food.
“PBZ is a known carcinogen and can cause aplastic anemia (bone marrow suppression) in humans”, says EWAs Food Safety Subject Matter Expert, Dr. Ann Marini, Ph.D./M.D.
EWA’s Vicki Tobin added, “If these animals were livestock, the USDA would never allow them to enter the food chain in the United States. I don’t understand how our government is allowing Europeans to consume horse meat with banned substances.”
CHDC’s Sinikka Crosland said simply "Drug-free equine meat from these horses is not an attainable goal, and without any enforcement mechanism the proposed system will be totally ineffective.”
This year, a bill to ban the slaughter of American horses for human consumption has been delayed until March to allow the GAO time to study the impact that the closing of the US plants may have had on horse welfare. The study does not even address the tainted meat Europeans will be allowed to consume. The EWA implores Congress to pass the legislation before it (HR 503 and S 727) and stop the export of our work, sport, therapy and companion equines to slaughter.
