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Idaho: Dead horses dumped on public land

Disturbing news from southwestern Idaho this week:

Dead horses found dumped with brands cut off [link]
05:21 PM MST on Thursday, February 5, 2009
KTVB.COM with NewsChannel 7’s Ysabel Bilbao

Horse owners can't afford to feed them

BOISE - Someone is leaving domestic horses on public land, without a way for the animals to eat or survive.

The latest case involved 15 dead horses dumped on Bureau of Land Management property in Gem County in the past few weeks. BLM officials say the animals were found dead about six miles southwest of Emmett near County Line Road. The animals were found with the brand cut off the carcasses so their owner could not be identified.

Overall, the BLM says 32 horses have been left dead or let loose on public land across southwestern Idaho recently. A BLM law enforcement ranger speculated that increasing hay prices and decreased demand for horses have left owners unable to pay to feed the horses, and unable to sell them - so instead they are illegally releasing them on public land.

"It's kind of a hard time for some individuals... with the price of hay even though it's starting to go down," BLM Law Enforcement Ranger Lee Kliman said. "The economic times are harder, it's hard to sell horses, it's hard for a lot of individuals to find homes for horses."

The horses are domesticated and cannot fend for themselves in the wild.

Anyone found responsible could be charged on the federal level with unlawful commercial dumping, and on the state level with dumping of horses. The charges come with a $100,000 fine.

In the Gem County case, the Bureau of Land Management is working with the Gem County Sheriff's Office to determine who is responsible for the illegal dumping.

And just yesterday, someone was trying to convince me that there's no such thing as "unwanted horses" ... that there was no "hard data" ... so, what exactly are 15 carcasses, then?

Soapbox time.

Regardless of papers or performance, I hate to think of anyone breeding horses when thousands are being neglected and starved to death across the country because there are so many unwanted, or in many cases, well-loved but owners are simply unable to afford their care.

Why roll the genetic dice when you can pick up a great prospect -- in any breed, for any discipline, any age or color -- for pennies on the dollar compared to what they were valued at just a few years ago?

America's horse population has nearly doubled in 10 years to over 9 million and now with fuel and feed prices high and incomes low, there is a huge *need* for horse lovers to rescue and rehab rather than breed.

I'm XP, and I approve this message.

Michigan: Malnourished horse abandoned.

Too close for comfort, this story begins within an hour away, and ends just a few miles from home.

This story broke with a frantic plea for help on Craigslist:

I am in need of a caring person to give this horse a forever home. This is the story:

Two nights ago in the middle of the night I was woke up by my dogs barking and my little filly hollering. I ran outside to check on all my animals to make sure everything was ok, i just had a bad feeling ... what I found was disturbing.



It was a VERY, VERY skinny TB mare standing on the edge of the road eating grass, quiet as can be—just enjoying the food presented to her. After brain-storming and looking around the road, putting everything together I figured out she had just been dropped off like a stray dog and then when I found the halter laying on the edge of the road I really knew that she was literally just dropped off.



She is the most gentle, loving mare ever and seems to be sound and healthy, besides being very underweight. I am guessing she is in her mid to upper teens. She is great with one strand of hot wire and the other horses.



I would really love to keep her but I just don't feel like I can truly give her what she needs. She needs special grain and lots of groceries. Her feet are good and she has a upbeat personality. She is around 15.3 HH.

I am hoping I can find someone with the time and funding to bring her back and give her a chance ... if you're that special someone PLEASE contact me!!

Thanks you so much for taking the time to read this! Hope to hear from you ...

A fellow horse lover on a message board copied the post, and the ad submitter joined the board and shared additional information.

Over the course of several posts and replies, it was revealed that months earlier the horse had been rescued by the farm it was returned to, after having been adopted out to a "forever" home.

This is a picture of her before I re-homed her in June. I had her for 2-3 weeks. She has lost a lot of weight since then. I feel even worse for her now ... I originally obtained her because people couldn't feed her anymore; they were losing their house. I took her in, and re-homed her to ****. She was starved and dropped off at my house this weekend ...

It is assumed that the adopter could no longer care for the horse, and—not wishing her to die slowly of starvation or be dumped at auction with a good chance of leaving on a one-way trip to Canada—chose to leave her with the former owner under cover of night.

Another message board regular, after responding to the Craigslist ad along with dozens of other concerned horse lovers, stepped forward to take on the rehabilitation of this skinny mare. This story will most likely have a happy ending.


Now, what should happen next?

Some say the law should be alerted, that animal cruelty charges should be filed.

The horse could have been killed, or even worse, caused a fatal car accident involving innocent human lives as well.

However, I see another side to the issue.

I imagine these are the actions of someone desperate, rather than criminal-minded.

Dumping a horse by the road is a bad choice—no two ways about it—but there are worse fates awaiting horses that cannot be adequately cared for by their well-meaning owners or adopters.

I put it this way:
Better a baby in a basket on the porch,
than a baby in a dumpster.

I would hesitate to further punish the person who could no longer care for the horse and likely saw their actions as saving her life, because the next person who could no longer feed their horse could be scared away from leaving it somewhere it could be saved and may instead dump it at auction, in a remote area where it could be days or weeks before the horse gets care, or even keep it in a barn or remote field for weeks while it slowly starves, out of sight of those who could help.

But I see things differently than many.

Illinois: Doctor found guilty.

Anyone have details on this case? I find it hard to believe that horses walking through mud constitutes animal cruelty ... muddy spots can be found on most equestrian trails at state parks, and if that is cruelty we're all guilty.

Also, many horse owners feed large round bales of hay, and the outer layer of those not stored indoors may be moldy, but inside that "crust" of wasted hay is hundreds of pounds of good quality hay just like those who feed square bales give their horses.

Surely there is more to this story.

Doctor guilty of dozens of animal cruelty charges [link]
Associated Press | Sept. 21, 2008

CHARLESTON, IL—A Coles County judge has found a doctor guilty of dozens of misdemeanor animal cruelty charges stemming from the mistreatment of horses.

County animal officials testified the underfed horses on Ernest Rose's farm near Charleston had to slog through mud to find water and were fed only moldy hay.

Rose was charged in 2007 with nearly 200 misdemeanor offenses including violation of owner's duties, cruelty to animals and the improper disposal of dead animals.

Circuit Judge Mitchell Shick found Rose guilty of most of the charges. The judge said the 72 horses found on Rose's farm "were in distress for a number of weeks, if not months."

Defense attorney Michael Tague says he and Rose are disappointed in the ruling. Rose's sentencing is slated for November 21.

Will be watching for that outcome.

Oklahoma: Horses seized, 'appeared' malnourished.

Another reason to keep your horses where they can't be seen from the road? My horse could "appear" to be malnourished, the way he will reach as far as he can under the fence for the greener grass on the other side. I mean, if authorities don't have equine training, how do they know it doesn't mean he's starving?!

Horses seized in northeast Norman [link]
Tom Blakey | Sep. 19, 2008

Norman animal welfare officers, with the assistance of Norman police, Friday served a search warrant at 14400 E. Bethel Road in far northeast Norman, and seized eight horses and one dog from a man already facing six felony counts of animal cruelty.

Norman Police Capt. Leonard Judy said animal welfare officers earlier in the week observed and photographed from the road horses that "appeared to them to be malnourished" and contacted investigators.

To better evaluate the horses and look for other animals in possible need of care, officials drafted and presented a search warrant to court officials, and a district court judge Thursday signed the warrant, Judy said.

"Police and animal welfare officers served the search warrant Friday morning, and in the course of serving the warrant, seized eight horses and one dog that, in the opinion of animal control officers, appeared to be in poor condition or were being kept in poor conditions and without what they needed for their health and welfare," Judy said.

A return on the warrant will be filed in Cleveland County District Court, citing what was found on the property, and it will be up to the district attorney to decide whether to file animal cruelty charges, Judy said.

"The welfare of the animals is our main concern," he said.

No arrests were made at the scene, Judy said.

Norman resident Leslie Paul Lambeth, 71, is facing six counts of cruelty to animals, after police and animal welfare officers went to the same property March 25 and reported finding 27 horses in various stages of malnutrition. Four dogs also were taken into custody at the time, officials said.

The animals were returned to Lambeth in April, following a motion filed in civil court and subsequent hearing. The court ruled it was proper for the animals to be returned under certain conditions, put in place to ensure their care and welfare, city officials said. The parties were required to agree on conditions pertaining to the animals' care and supervision.

According to the previously filed charges, Lambeth failed to provide necessary food and/or water and/or veterinary care for a 21-year-old mare, a 1-year-old mare, a 4-year-old mare, a 2-year-old paint horse, a 15-year-old Arab horse and a 2-year-old Rottweiler dog.

The animals seized Friday were being kept at a secure location where they were receiving veterinary evaluation and care, police said.

Lambeth's preliminary hearing on the previously filed charges has been continued to 9 a.m. Oct. 27 before Special Judge Rod Ring. Lambeth is being represented by attorney Fred Shaeffer. Prosecuting the case is City Attorney Brian D. Hall.

Will see if I can find something on the March charges involving 5 horses out of 27.

Oregon: Rescued horse finds home.

Anyone from Oregon want to comment with the going price for a bale of hay?

Abused Horse Adopted [link]
Carolyn Carver | Sep. 19, 2008

One of four severely malnourished horses rescued about a month ago is now recovering with a new adopted family.

Five horses were originally rescued from a Central Point home by animal control toward the end of August.

One died of starvation almost immediately.

The Equamore Foundation in Ashland took in the other four horses.

The two mares and two stallions showed signs of starvation and their unkempt feet and manes showed long term neglect, the organizations volunteers said.

But with the costs of caring for horses going up, Sarah, the healthiest of the four horses was adopted by one of the organizations volunteers, Barbara Reel.

And taken home to finish the long road to recovery.

"She seemed to be so appreciative of the good care. it's hard to describe, I mean horses sometimes don't show a lot of emotion but she was definitely happy to be rescued," Reel said.

Now Sarah is living at an Eagle Point ranch with eight other horses.

But reel said she would like to know more about Sarah's history so that she help her recover the best she can.

Volunteers at the Equamore Foundation said the other three horses are still recovering and they are starting to feel more comfortable and confident around people.

I couldn't help but highlight how reporters think that an "unkempt mane" is a sign of neglect. I'd like to show one how I can have my horses' long, thick mane absolutely perfect one day, and he can have a mass of wind snarls (like dredlocks) the next. If they don't have bows and barrettes like a toy dog they're clearly abused?

Likewise, my horse is "definitely happy" to be covered from head to hoof in mud. I know this because if a drop of water from a hose touches him, he immediately goes and rolls in the only bare spot in the entire pasture.

New York: Seized horses returned.

SPCA cannot properly accommodate horses, but hold necessary paperwork hostage?

GRAND ISLAND: Sparks’ horses back at the Post [link]
After favorable ruling, Spark’s homecoming almost aborted

Niagara Gazette | September 19, 2008

In a matter of hours on Friday the Spark’s Trading Post gang went from uncertainty to exaltation interrupted by surprise followed by frustration back to the sheer joy of taking their seized horses and sheep home again.

“Nipper snickered as soon as he saw the trailer,” said Debbie Plumeri, who drove the big horse rig from Bedell Road on Grand Island to the SPCA facility on Ensminger Road to reclaim “their babies.”

“Our barn is complete again,” she said a few hours after the homecoming—that almost didn’t happen.

After easily loading the horses onto the trailer, SPCA officials said they would not release the results of blood tests/health screenings for the horses that are required before being transported.

“It could have delayed getting the horses to the ranch by days if not weeks,” said Patrick Wesp, attorney for Peter Sparks. “And we weren’t going to transport them illegally.”

A call to SPCA attorney Thomas Viksjo resolved the matter, however, advising the SPCA to release the results of the tests, which screen for an equine disease similar to HIV.

In addition to the return of his 12 horses and five sheep, Sparks is also off the hook for $10,000 in seizure and boarding costs accrued by the Erie County SPCA.

However, the criminal case against Sparks that he neglected the 17 animals — which were transported off his ranch Aug. 12 — continues.

Even so, Wesp expects the case to be dismissed because of what he said is the SPCA’s faulty search warrant. He says the violations listed on the warrant do not match what they cited to take the animals away.

According to Frentzel’s ruling, the horses were being returned to Sparks mainly because the Ensminger Road location “lacks the necessary facilities to accommodate 12 horses for an extended period of time.”

“Had the horses been stabled at other facilities or barns the courts’ opinion in this case may have been different,” he said.

Frentzel went on to authorize regular visits to Spark’s “to ascertain if the animals are receiving necessary food, water and shelter, including proper medical care.”

Most counties lack the facilities to accomodate horses ... animal control is primarily in the business of dogs, cats and other small household pets. Livestock should be governed by an agency familiar with agricultural norms and large animal husbandry practices. Most animal control officers have no experience with large animals, and in many cases of seizure—it shows.

POLL: Horses only for the rich?

I want you to view a brief YouTube video article from the Wall Street Journal, and then comment on this poll question:

Should horse ownership be a luxury limited to those persons with $100-400 a month in "expendable income" per horse?

Mississippi: Owner under attack.

Incredible. More ignorance. Hard luck, or hardened criminal? Watch the video.

Hungry Horses [link]
Cheryl Lasseter | Sep 17, 2008

Joseph Tucker of Church Road in Fannin admits his horses are hungry, but he says they're not starving. 3 On Your Side saw two of his horses Wednesday, and neither of them looked healthy.

"Any time they lose weight their ribs are gonna show," he told us.

Tucker says he doesn't have enough grass to keep them fat. He says he feeds them horse feed every day, but right now he can't provide enough grass because new development behind his property is eroding his land.

"There was a creek taking water all around me, now it's washing the property away," he says.

Tucker says an animal control officer came to his residence on Monday. He told the officer he was making plans to move the horses to a bigger pasture on Holly Bush Road next week. Tucker told the officer he had arranged for a veterinarian to visit his home Wednesday evening to assess the horses' health.

As we were talking, Tucker's son approached and advised his father not to speak to our news crew.

"They just want to show their side of the story," the son said. Tucker initially said he wanted to continue talking to us, then changed his mind.

We talked long enough to learn that Tucker has owned one of the horses for six months, long enough to breed a mare. Rankin County Animal Control tells us he owns three horses and one colt.

Animal Control says, while the horses may be eating, they shouldn't be as thin as they are. Animal Control is waiting to hear back from the veterinarian. If they don't hear back by Monday, September 22, the horses will probably be seized.

WHAT?! These horses are NOT malnourished, not even CLOSE to emaciated. Yes, they look to be a little underweight, but not in danger. Tucker's son was right to be concerned. The clearly horse-ignorant reporter was gunning for a sound byte, a slip, something to make the owner into a heartless abuser rather than the victim he seemed to be in this situation.

Cheryl, you made yourself look like a fool to all of us who know horses.

If Rankin County Animal Control chooses to seize these horses, there will be public outrage.





These two show a horse that is slightly under ideal weight, maybe. Hard to tell at this distance. But if it were malnourished, you would be able to see signs.




Another of the horses. Most of the video, he is in shadow, but you can see him walk and he also does not seem to be more than slightly underweight.

A third horse pictured, pinto or paint, was mainly obstructed by foliage and I didn't screencap the image, but you can see it in the video. Nothing said "malnourished" in any of the footage.



(Hey Cheryl, that's three horses, not two ... did you perhaps mistake one "dark colored" horse for another? I'd like to know what vet school you went to—what makes you qualified to deem a shiny, fed horse "unhealthy" from a distance?)

You bet I sent an email ... will keep you all posted on any responses.

Washington: update on Stevens County case.

re: Horse Slaughter Debate: Washington - malnourished horses.

Another article on the case. Once again, horses are finding new homes before the defendants have their day in court. What happened to innocent until proven guilty?

I'm still skeptical, maybe by nature or maybe from experience... one horse was for sure malnourished, but the other two seemed simply underweight and not in danger.

Abused horses are on the road to rehab [link]
KXLY.com | Sep 17, 2008

SPOKANE—Less than two weeks after being rescued from Stevens County, three malnourished horses are on the road to recovery.

After rescuers found three horses starving and underweight, they're starting new lives with new names.

"I couldn't believe I was seeing it in real life," said Dan Olson, who adopted one of the horses. "I don't know, I can't even explain it."

Two weeks ago, Rocky Stallion and Cinderella got a second chance. Both were severely malnourished after being rescued from Stevens County. The smallest of the two barely able to stand.

Now both horses have new outlooks and new names. Rocky now answers to "Chance" and Cinderella's new nickname is "C.C."

"We hemmed and hahhed and hemmed and hahhed, and we knew it was going to be a huge task," said Kim Olson.

C.C. was taken in by the Olson's, but the horse has a long way to go. She's about two years old, but is only half the size she should be.

"She's going to be pretty fragile, and not really out of the woods for about four months," said Kim.

Chance is a lot better off but still underweight.

"I have horses myself, and you can't see their ribs," said Joleen Williams who adopted Chance. "Looking at my mare the other day, I couldn't even feel some of the bones you see on him."

Williams' adopted Chance after hearing about the malnourished horses. She hopes he'll become her riding companion.

"He isn't halter broke, hopefully get some weight on him during the winter, send him to a trainer, so I can start riding him," she said.

And for C.C., those who've grown to love her say a happy ending is planned.

"I'd really like her to pull a cart, and take her to kids camps and little junior parades because of her deformities and her Cinderella story," said Dan.

Many local businesses and individuals have been helping with the horse's rehabilitation. The third horse, IB Spotless, may soon be adopted by a new owner.

Um, if you can't feel your horses' ribs, the horse is OBESE. That's really not a good thing. That is no healthier than being somewhat underweight, and in some cases, it is far worse. (See the Obese Horse of the Day blog.)



"Rocky/Chance" is underweight. Does underweight mean, needs to be rescued? Not always. If being obese is worse than being somewhat underweight, should animal control also be seizing "fat" horses? If no, why not?

The trend of losing your horse because you can see ribs, regardless of other issues, is very disturbing. Facing felony charges and having horse-ignorant judges and juries determine your fate is alarming.





Look at "Cinderella/C.C." just two weeks after the original video and screencaps. See how much better she looks after just two weeks? Truth is, a horse can go downhill just as quickly, and we don't know why she was skinny when seized or even if the owner she was taken from is the party responsible for her scarred nose.

In addition, a two year old of a certain breed, or even a bloodline within a breed, is genetically predispositioned to be larger or smaller than a horse the same age with different lineage. You can't put a pair of horses the same age next to each other and expect them to be the same size. If you're going to try to make a point, at least make it a valid one.

I want to know more about this case. Why has there been no coverage of the previous owner and the situation that led to this "rescue"?

Oregon: 9 million horses in U.S., supply exceeds demand.

This is news because there is a solution to the problem, but no one wants to talk about it.

Economy puts horses in peril [link]
Elissa Harrington | Sep 18, 2008

JUNCTION CITY, Ore. - The horse industry has hit a low. Experts say horses are just too expensive to keep and supply exceeds demand.

"There's 9.2 million horses in the United States," says Bruce Anderson of the Eugene Livestock Auction. "The problem is there's not 9.2 million people who want them."

More horses than ever are being sold, auctioned for as cheap as $20, malnourished, and even abandoned.

"They're finding dead carcasses with shoes on which means it's people abandoning horses," says Anderson. "I guess people feel good sending them back to the wild. That's probably the saddest part. They think they're saving themselves money and doing something good for the horse by turning it loose but it's probably a far crueler demise for a horse than anything I've ever heard of."

So just how did it get this bad? Experts I talked to say three main reasons.

One, the price of fertilizer and hay have skyrocketed. Feed prices have doubled and it now costs around 100 dollars a month to feed just one horse.

Two, record high fuel prices. This affects farmers who grow the feed as well as horse owners who haul the animals to rodeos and shows. "It costs a lot of money to cone from Washington, Idaho, and California," says Dewey Hofar of H & E Feed in West Eugene. "So the numbers at shows are dwindling."

Three, the recent ban on U.S. horse slaughter. Explains Hofar, "If you have an older horse you have nothing you can do with it. Now you're flooding the market with horses."

So what's being done? There are some local horse rescue agencies but Anderson and Hofar tell me, unless the economy drastically improves, the future of these animals could be in jeopardy.

People agree on one and two. The emotion reaction to three keeps horses in danger of a slow, lingering death by neglect and malnutrition.

By the way, there is no federal ban on horse slaughter, however, a ban on transporting a horse to slaughter could effectively end that option.

New Mexico: neglected horses' owners sought.

How did the boarders not notice this sooner?

Sheriff's deputies looking for owners of neglected horses [link]
KVIA | Sep 18, 2008

SOCORRO -- The Animal Cruelty Heartline of El Paso (ACHE) has spent close to $3,000 caring for two horses seized from a Socorro property late August, according to court documents.

What was supposed to be an eviction notice in Socorro turned into an animal rescue operation. Sheriff officials were looking Norberto Roldan to serve an eviction notice at his property, which is located at 999 Rio Vista in Socorro.

When they arrived, Roldan was gone, detectives discovered he had left behind 21 horses and 3 goats at his property. Roldan was not the owner of the any of the horses, documents state.

Detectives with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office said the animals were all in need of food, water and a clean place. The area was infested with flies and covered in manure, they added.

Documents state two of the horses were severely neglected and awarded permanent custody of them to the ACHE. Authorities are still trying to track down the owners of those two horses.

Roldan was ordered to pay $82 dollars in court costs.

If you board your horses, you still need to check up on them. It is incredible that none of the owners of these 21 horses knew that the property manager was being evicted.

Brief on bill.

News tidbit.

House Judiciary Committee debates horse slaughter bill [link]
Drovers.com | Sep. 17, 2008

Many segments of the livestock industry oppose the ban on horse slaughter, citing implications for meat processing in other species, as well as the unintended consequences of the bill on horse welfare. NCBA sent a letter to House Judiciary leadership detailing the legislation’s flaws, saying, “This bill is the most recent attempt to eliminate a humane animal management option by banning the processing of horses for reasons other than safety or public health. The legislation was introduced to protect horse welfare, but the provisions of this bill will do more to harm horses than it will to protect them.”

Since state laws have banned horse processing, the number of abandoned, neglected and starving horses has increased, according to many reports.

XP

Kentucky: update on recent case.

More on a case reported earlier this week.

Animal cruelty case heads to grand jury [link]
Brad Hicks | Sep. 17, 2008

The Knox County couple facing multiple counts of cruelty to animals after dead and malnourished animals were found on their property was in Knox County District Court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing. Their case was sent to the grand jury.

Last week, officials from the Knox County Sheriff’s Department responded to a complaint of malnourished horses at the Jarvis-area residence of Earl Enlow, 24, and Melanie Rogers, 22. There, officials discovered at least one horse, a rabbit, five dogs, one cat and three roosters dead on the property. Only the cat had been buried, and the other animals had decomposed throughout the yard. Officials from the Knox-Whitley Animal Shelter also seized 13 living dogs and six horses.

Enlow and Rogers were arrested Wednesday and are now facing 19 counts of first-degree cruelty to animals each. Recently, laws were changed to make these charges felonies in the state of Kentucky.

A grand jury could possibly return indictments against Enlow and Rogers on Sept. 26 in Knox County Circuit Court.

XP

Unintended consequences indeed.

More...

Horse Industry Opposes Bill That Would Criminalize Sale Or Transport Of Horses For Processing [link]
Judiciary committee set to vote on horse legislation.

Jason Vance | Sep. 17, 2008

A vote that was originally scheduled for last week will be held by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. Up for debate and vote is H.R. 6598, which would make it a felony to sell or transport a horse for the purpose of slaughter. The bill is not supported by the horse industry including the American Veterinary Medical Association, American Association of Equine Practitioners and other agricultural groups.

"In the last week the AAEP has been communicating to its membership about the pending vote in the Judiciary Committee and urging them to contact their representatives and share their opposition to the bill," says Sally Baker, AAEP director of public relations. "We've really been using grassroots efforts to let them know from a veterinarian's perspective what the negative impact is going to be on the unwanted horse population."

Since state laws were used to close the few remaining processing plants for horse, the number of unwanted and neglected horses has risen dramatically. Tom Lenz, a veterinarian and former president of the AAEP, says the bill doesn't really address the core issue which is what to do with these horses that are no longer wanted or needed.

"If we are going to prohibit people selling or transporting the horses to a processing plant, then who is going to provide funding or infrastructure to take care of them, because obviously the owners can't or they wouldn't be selling them," Lenz says. "I think that's why most of the horse industry opposes this legislation; it's not that they're pro-slaughter, but they don't have the funding to take care of the horses that would result from this legislation."

Several members of the Judiciary Committee have already signed on as co-sponsors of the legislation and Lenz expects the bill to likely be passed out of committee and go to the House floor. Baker says AAEP agrees with Lenz's assessment and is continuing to work to educate members of Congress.

"Veterinarians are the people that in this whole process are the voice and the individual that has the best concern for the welfare of the horse," Baker says. "We hope Congress will listen to the many members of not only our organization, but others who have similar credentials, and hear their concerns about the unintended consequences that we are already seeing to some degree because of the closure of the plants in the U.S."

XP

Montana: slaughter bill questioned.

More than just a few vets are concerned.

Horse slaughter bill concerns some veterinarians [link]
Billings Gazette/Associated Press | Sep. 17, 2008

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Some veterinarians worry that a bill banning horse owners from knowingly sending the animals to slaughter would increase abuse and neglect.

The House Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on a bill today that would send horse owners, dealers or veterinarians to prison if they send a horse to slaughter knowing that the meat may be consumed by humans. Horse meat is considered a delicacy by some in Europe and Asia.

A first offense would be a misdemeanor, but a second could mean prison time. The bill would be subject to approval by the U.S. House and Senate if it passes through the judiciary committee.

Court rulings and pressure from such groups as The Humane Society have closed the final three U.S. slaughter plants. That forced owners to ship unwanted horses to Canada or Mexico.

Doug Corey is an Oregon horse veterinarian and a former president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. He says making slaughter a crime would force some people to turn their domestic horses loose to face death on the roads or starvation. He also says increased hay costs and lower horse resale prices are making it harder to care for the animals.

Don't let extremist groups force sweeping legislation.

HR 6598 updates today.

Updating on H.R. 6598

Some Committee Members Puzzled By Horse Trafficking Bill [link]
CattleNetwork.com | Sep. 17, 2008

Readers have been asking us about the results of the Judiciary Committee's vote on H.R. 6598, the Equine Cruelty bill. We had alerted readers that the Committee had scheduled a vote for last Wednesday, Sept. 10.

The bill would criminalize the knowing possession, sale, delivery or transport of horses for slaughter for human consumption across state lines or international borders, punishable with fines and prison terms from one to three years.

The committee conducted only a little discussion of the bill during their session but did not vote. Several days later the committee had still not published any transcripts. Sources on Capitol Hill tell us the discussion the committee did conduct raised some of the same questions we asked in our last Sentinel. Committee members asked why this issue was coming up in front of the Judiciary Committee, instead of some more germane committee and why Congress was considering at all the criminalizing of selling horses that might be consumed by humans.

Of course, part of the reason for this strange route for a bill affecting farmers, ranchers and horse owners is the subject matter. When Humane Society of the U.S. CEO Wayne Pacelle appeared last year before a House subcommittee with some knowledge and appropriate jurisdiction over animal agriculture, he did not get the reception he wanted.

The hearing regarding the welfare of animals in agriculture was held in May 2007 by the Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry. Afterwards, Pacelle called the hearing "sophomoric," and said, "the Agriculture Committee's knee-jerk hostility to modest animal welfare measures simply means we will have to do an end [run] around the committees or do it on the floor," according to agricultural political correspondent Jerry Hagstrom ("Farm, Animal Welfare Groups Clash Over Animal Protection" Congress Daily, 5/9/07).

So, apparently, this route for H.R. 6598 is one of Pacelle's end runs. His testimony last year covered production animal agriculture, like laying hens, gestation crates, veal calves, foie gras and downer animals, as well as poultry slaughter and dog and cat issues.

Pacelle was promoting legislation even then that used the power of the federal government's food purchasing, for programs like the school lunch program, to force back door changes in animal production practices. The bill would have required producers to not use certain production practices if it wished to sell to the federal government (H.R. 1726- Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act). The bill did not make it out of committee.

The Judiciary Committee has not indicated when it will re-schedule a vote on H.R. 6598.

Latest news is the committee would vote today ... will be watching for results.

Oregon: expect more horses to be turned loose.

Anticipated abandonment increase due to costs of feeding horses skyrocketing out of many owners' reach.

Officials expect more abandoned horses [link]

ED MERRIMAN | Sep. 15, 2008

As fall approaches, Oregon officials expect more horses will be abandoned as a result of record-high hay prices, higher transportation costs, and the closure of the nation's last horse slaughtering plants.

Don Hansen, state veterinarian, said horse abandonment cases rose last year after hay prices shot up to $200 a ton.

Most such cases occur during the fall and winter, Hansen said, when pasture grasses go brown and owners have to feed hay to sustain their horses.

He said horses have been abandoned across the state, including Northeastern Oregon, where he said horses "tend to be abandoned on public lands."

Matt Shirtcliff, Baker County district attorney, warned anyone considering abandoning a horse that if they are convicted of animal neglect they could face penalties of up to a year in jail and a $6,250 fine.

"We had a couple of animal neglect cases recently," Shirtcliff said. "We are starting to get a few additional complaints."

"It's not the big ranches that are doing this. It's the people with a few horses," Shirtcliff said. "We had one lady last year who wasn't feeding her horses. She couldn't afford the feed."

Rodger Huffman, the state brand inspector with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, said he is aware of several horse abandonment cases that occurred last fall and winter across the state, including some cases in Baker County and other parts of Northeastern Oregon.

As with some other crops, Huffman said hay prices have been driven to record highs due in part to soaring costs for fuel, petroleum-based fertilizers and pesticides, equipment and labor, and other factors.

So far, most of the horse abandonment cases in Northeastern Oregon have occurred in Malheur County, Huffman said.

"It is not as much of an issue in Baker County at this point, but I anticipate that as fall turns into winter, this is going to be a growing problem," Huffman said.

"These horses just show up on public lands. Because they are not marked, we have not been able to find the owners," Huffman said.

He said ODA officials have met with BLM employees to discuss the problem, because many of the horses abandoned in Northeastern Oregon were turned out on public land BLM manages.

"Hay is even higher this year at $150 to $200 a ton, compared to $120 to $175 last year," Huffman said, adding that a combination of higher hay prices and rising unemployment are likely to prompt more people to abandon horses in 2008.

The closure of the last three horse slaughtering plants in the United States — one in Illinois and two in Texas — due to stricter state and federal laws, essentially eliminated the last markets for horse meat within the United States, Huffman said.

Since those three plants closed, horse traders who used to buy horses for slaughter in the United States have had to ship them to Mexico and Canada; however, that is only economically feasible for horses with plenty of meat on their bones, Huffman said.

"With no more slaughter of horses in the United States, that took away a market that gave horses value at an auction. That has been a big problem," Hansen said.

There's no market left anywhere in the United States, or at export markets, for young and thin or old and thin horse, Huffman said.

The thin horses have traditionally been used in the pet food industry (labeled animal parts or animal by-products) because the whole carcass can be used in pet food products.

"The problem is there's no market for real thin or real old horses because they don't carry enough flesh for human consumption, and the other parts have no value because transportation costs are more than the carcass of a skinny old horse is worth for dog food," Huffman said.

XP

Kentucky - rescue gone wrong?

This is exactly what I fear will happen more and more with the glut of skinny horses being sold at auction for $5, $10, $25 a head.

Animal graveyard [link]
Knox couple charged with 16 counts of animal cruelty after starved, dead dogs and horses found

Samantha Swindler | Sep. 12, 2008

Animal Shelter Manager Amy Young pokes through a collections of teeth and bones and finds a small spinal column — still wearing a rusted choke collar around what was once the creature’s neck.

In a nearby barn on the same property, Young guessed that a mostly-decomposed horse — probably about five years old — died eight months ago, still wearing its harness. More than a dozen other animals, dogs and horses in poor health but still alive, were also removed from the property.

It’s the most grisly animal abuse scene Knox County officials say they’ve witnessed, and a young couple is now facing a total of 16 felony animal abuse charges because of it.

Police were first called out to the Jarvis area home of 24-year-old Earl Enlow and 22-year-old Melanie Rogers Wednesday afternoon after receiving a call that several horses were starved on the property.

“Officer Chad Gregory with the Knox County Sheriff’s Department received a complaint on malnourished horses,” said Carl Bolton, Knox County constable and animal control officer. “He came out here, could not find anybody home, actually found the horses, looked at them, and contacted me. I came out and looked, and we found approximately 15-16 dogs that, some of them were in real, real bad shape. They were being fed but not fed enough. They had sores and stuff like that on them.”

Bolton also discovered the dead horse, left where it had died in a nailed-shut stall. Officials weren’t sure if the stall had been sealed before or after the animal died.

While officers were searching the property, Enlow and Rogers returned to the trailer they were renting and were arrested at approximately 3 p.m. Wednesday. Enlow was charged with 11 counts of animal cruelty and Rogers with five. Recently changed legislation now makes each of these counts a felony in the state of Kentucky.

“We’ve impounded the dogs, we’re in the process of moving the horses to another farm,” Bolton said. “All we could find for the horses to eat was two bales of hay. What field they’ve got out here is not adequate. It’s just a real bad situation. And we’re getting more and more complaints from people in the county about situations like this.”

Bolton noted that a single horse could go through a bale of hay in one day.

Five of the most severely malnourished dogs were seized Wednesday. Eight more dogs, five horses and one pony were retrieved by members of the Knox-Whitley Animal Shelter Thursday morning.

“It’s on the verge of death,” Young said of one of the horses, adding that the dogs had mange, were dehydrated, and some had kennel cough.

In addition to the horse, officials discovered at least five dogs, one rabbit, one cat and three fighting roosters dead on the property. The rabbit and roosters were found dead, still in their cages. Only the cat was given a shallow grave. Young said she just couldn’t understand how the couple could live in the home so close to where the animals were dying.

“You’d have to hear the cries, you’d have to live with it, you’d have to smell it,” she said.

James Earl Smith, an uncle to Enlow who lives nearby, was on scene Thursday morning and had offered to care for some of the horses. Smith said Enlow “has a good job” but has been off work lately due to an injury. Smith claimed he didn’t know about the horses’ condition, but said Enlow had bought them roughly a year ago for about $25 each because they were already malnourished.

“He (Enlow) just basically said he was trying to take care of them and really didn’t have the money to take them to the vet,” Bolton said.

Young said it would take months for the animals to fully recover, but once they do — and after criminal proceedings are completed — the dogs would be available for adoption. The horses will be staying with a foster caregiver, but the shelter is asking for donations of hay and feed to help with their care.

“This is probably one of the worst scenes I’ve seen since I’ve been an animal control officer,” Bolton said.

Enlow and Rogers have been released from the Knox County Detention Center after posting 10 percent of their $2,500 bonds. A phone number listed for Earl Enlow was disconnected.

Photo shows what is reported to be the worst-off horse taken from the property.

Simply put, a huge overpopulation of horses—caused by many varying factors—is at the very core of this problem.

What will solve it?

* UPDATE can be found here