Washington Trip & Wild Horse Sanctuary Plan Details

Dear Friends,

I've just returned from Washington DC where we met with senators and their staff to present our Wild Horse Sanctuary business plan. We feel that it was well received and look forward to further cooperation with elected officials and the BLM. At this time, we are eagerly anticipating the appointment of the new head of the BLM. While this transition is in progress, we continue to build momentum in Washington DC to support the Sanctuary (which will save American taxpayers millions), and rescue the thousands of wild horses that are held in captivity and at risk of slaughter.

Now more than ever, we need to put public pressure on the BLM for the sake of these wild horses and burros. The thousands of emails and letters you've sent have made a tremendous impact. We're still on target to reach 5,000! If you have not yet contacted Salazar and the BLM, please click here to send them a message in support of the Wild Horse Sanctuary. Again, please forward this email to as many people and groups as possible.

In addition, we have recently posted on www.MadeleinePickens.com updates on the Wild Horse Sanctuary Plan. This provides more details on the Plan as well as addresses many of the questions and suggestions you've submitted. Please click here to read more.

As always, thank you for your support and passionate concern for America's wild horses and burros. All of our efforts are making a difference to save the lives of these extraordinary animals.

With gratitude,
Madeleine Pickens
The National Wild Horse Foundation
www.MadeleinePickens.com

P.S. To take action, visit http://www.MadeleinePickens.com and click Take action now.

Follow us on Twitter! http://twitter.com/mpickens

Become a Fan of the "Madeleine Pickens Wild Horse Sanctuary" Facebook Page! http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Madeleine-Pickens-Wild-Horse-Sanctuary/163062350007?ref=mf

BILL TO BAN HORSE SLAUGHTER INTRODUCED IN UNITED STATES SENATE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, DC (March 26, 2009) – A bill to ban horse slaughter was introduced in the United States Senate today. Sponsored by Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and John Ensign (R-NV), the Landrieu-Ensign "Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act" will end the slaughter of American horses here and abroad. The sponsors, who have long championed the cause, have the bipartisan support of 14 colleagues who are co-sponsoring the bill.
The legislation comes at a time when horse slaughter no longer occurs on U.S. soil, but each year tens of thousands of American horses continue to be hauled to Canada, Mexico and further abroad. Reports show that horses regularly travel for hundreds or even thousands of miles to the slaughterhouses on double-deck cattle trucks without food, water or rest. At some Mexican slaughterhouses horses are stabbed repeatedly in the spine until they are paralyzed, after which they are butchered while still fully conscious. This country’s three remaining horse slaughter plants – two in Texas and one in Illinois – were shut down in 2007 under state law. Since then, the pro-slaughter camp has led a concerted and disingenuous effort to resurrect the industry domestically, and has used scare tactics in an attempt to defeat the federal ban. The federal legislation is desperately needed to stop the slaughter of American horses, irrespective of where the killing takes place.
"America's horses are being beaten and dragged across the border into Mexico and Canada so that they can be inhumanely slaughtered for food. I will continue to fight in Congress to end this brutal practice and ensure that American horses will no longer be savagely slaughtered for human consumption," said Senator Mary Landrieu.
While horse slaughter no longer occurs on U.S. soil the absence of a federal statute means that horses are shipped out of the country for slaughter. Reports show that horses regularly travel for hundreds or even thousands of miles to the slaughterhouses on double-deck cattle trucks without food, water or rest. At some Mexican slaughterhouses horses are stabbed repeatedly in the spine until they are paralyzed, after which they are butchered while still fully conscious.
"The time to put an end to the practice of slaughtering horses in America is long overdue," said Senator John Ensign said. "Horses have an important role in the history of our country, particularly the West, and they deserve our protection. As a senator and a veterinarian, I am committed to doing what I can for these magnificent animals."
The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act will amend Title 18 of the U.S. Code to acknowledge horse slaughter as a form of animal cruelty. The legislation includes stiff civil and criminal penalties and gives law enforcement officials the authority to apprehend and charge violators.
“We have great confidence that the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act will move quickly. The bill, which has had strong support from a majority of Congress and the American public, is long overdue. For years I have pleaded with the pro-horse slaughter camp to stop misleading the public but they are more concerned with wringing a few bucks from a suffering animal than doing what is right. Thankfully we have the majority of Congress advocating for change and this is the year that will happen,” said Chris Heyde, Deputy Director of Legislative and Government Affairs for the Animal Welfare Institute. “AWI commends Senator Landrieu, Senator Ensign and their colleagues for introducing this very important measure.”
An identical version, HR 503, was introduced earlier this year in the House of Representatives by House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Representative Dan Burton (R-IN). There are currently 112 bipartisan cosponsors of the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act in the House of Representatives. To take action on this important bill visit AWI's Compassion Index.
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For More Information:Chris Heyde, 202-446-2142
For over 58 years, the Animal Welfare Institute has been the leading voice for animals across the country and on Capitol Hill. Please join us in our ongoing campaigns to reduce the sum total of pain and fear inflicted on animals by humans. Sign up for AWI eAlerts to receive the latest news on what you can do to help us protect all animals: www.awionline.org/join

http://www.awionline.org/news/2009/sentate_introduces_horse_slaughter_ban.htm

Dear Friends,
Thanks to you, we now have sent nearly 1200 emails to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar! Our goal is to reach 5,000. This is an incredible start. As a testament to our collective voice, we now have the support of Senators Dianne Feinstein and Mary Landrieu.If you have any other friends, networks or groups, please pass our message along. Remember, this is a grassroots effort and it is the grassroots vote that makes the difference. Please tell them to take action at http://www.madeleinepicken/s.com. It's been truly amazing to see your extraordinary response. Also, thank you for your personal comments and suggestions. We value your input and will be addressing your questions in the near future. I'm off to Washington, DC on Monday for further talks with Senators and key decision makers. Be on the lookout for updates on our progress with the Bureau of Land Management. I am deeply touched and very grateful for your outstanding passion, and for your courage to speak up on behalf of America's treasured wild horses and burros. We have launched on a path that we can see only to its fruition - a sustainable horse sanctuary for thousands of wild horses and burros.
With gratitude,
Madeleine Pickens
PresidentNational Wild Horse Foundation
P.S. To take action, visit http://capwiz.com/madeleinepickens/utr/1/APOXKCLGOV/EREBKCLKVQ/3082718426 and click Take action now.

PRO SLAUGHTER STATES

Rep. Sue Wallis & the Wyoming State Legislature


Sponsored by:Friends of Equines Society FOES of Equine Slaughter

Wyoming Lawmakers decry interference in horse slaughter

AP Fri, February 6, 2009 12:59:57 PM CST
A resolution asking Congress not to interfere with the shipment and slaughter of unwanted horses has received preliminary approval. House Joint Resolution 8 urges Congress to keep out of state oversight of the transport and processing of horses. Rep. Sue Wallis, R-Recluse, WY who introduced the resolution, said it's a response to a federal bill that seeks to limit horse transport to Mexico and Canada. Americans currently send unwanted horses to the neighboring countries for slaughter, because slaughterhouses in the United States have closed. Wallis said the proposed Conyers-Burton Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009 would be a threat to Wyoming's horse and livestock industries. She said the industries have already been hurt as domestic slaughterhouses have closed due pressure from animal rights organizations. "It's absolutely decimating to the horse industry," Wallis said. There are an estimated 100,000 unwanted or unusable horses in the United States, according to supporters of the resolution.But Nancy Perry, of the Humane Society of the United States, said horses transported to Canada and Mexico are often young and slaughtered for horse meat. "Horses that wind up going to slaughter are not old, broken down horses that reach the end of their utility," Perry said. She said the Humane Society would rather see old or unwanted horses euthanized.She said the bipartisan Conyers-Burton bill has more than 80 co-sponsors and continues to gain support. The Wyoming House would need to approve the state resolution two more times before it would go to the Senate. This state-by-state organising for horse-slaughter is the work of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) who held a meeting last Decemeber to initiate their pro-horse slaughter agenda on a state-by-state basis. The "Pro-slaughter" states are asking Congress NOT to interfere with their "right" to slaughter horses. We MUST meet these individual proposals head on and to let Congress know that the majory of Americans are against horse slaughter. Here is a link to the state of Wyomings Legislature, Agricultural Subcomitte where you can contact the legislators and let them know that you VOTE and are against horse-slaughter; http://legisweb.state.wy.us/LegislatorSummary/CommitteeMembers.aspx?StrCommitteeId=05
Then please check out these other petitions as against the NCSL and the other states that propose to want horse-slaughter. We must meet them at every turn!
The National Conference of State Legislators;http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/natl-conference-officially-supports-horse-slaughter
Arizona;http://tinyurl.com/dza7v5
Arkansas http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ak-legislature-asks-for-horse-slaughter-plant
Illinois;http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/illinois-seeks-2-reinstate-horse-slaughter
Kansas http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/kansas-legislature-supports-horse-slaughter
Minnesota; http://tinyurl.com/alv2tn
Missouri; http://tinyurl.com/cjkwwy
Montana; http://tinyurl.com/aomggs
North Dakotahttp://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/north-dakota-to-get-horse-slaughter-plant
South Dakota;http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/sd-legislature-wants-horse-slaughter-plant
Tennessee;http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/tenn-rep-promoting-horse-slaughter
Utah;http://tinyurl.com/bh3m5q
UNITED WE STAND!

Walk Across America for the Horses

Kremer to make strides for welfare of horses
BARN NOTES • By JACK IRELAND • March 14, 2009

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090314/SPORTS09/903140321

Kristina Kremer is on a mission to save unwanted and neglected horses from slaughter houses, and her endeavor starts at 9 a.m. today in Newark.
Kremer, from Capulin, Colo., will begin her Walk Across America for Horses near the Main Street underpass in an effort to raise awareness of the threat of slaughter and daily abuse, and to improve the welfare and better treatment of all horses.
Kremer is deeply involved in the treatment and rescue of unwanted horses. She owns and operates the Snowy River Animal Rescue Farm, a 120-acre facility housing 120 rescued horses in Capulin, Colo. Kremer will walk down Main Street, then onto Route 273 to Fair Hill, Md., where she will take part in a luncheon with interested horsemen and horse rescue enthusiasts.
Her first major goal of the walk will be to get to Washington, D.C., and attempt to deliver approximately 1,200 letters, written mostly by children, asking President Barrack Obama to support the rescue of all horses and to stop efforts by certain factions in this country to re-open horse slaughter houses to the U.S. She hopes to finish the walk in six to eight months in California.
"This letter-writing campaign comes from children and families throughout the United States and that definitely includes Delaware," said Kremer. "The very least I can do is find a way to get someone to deliver these letters to the White House and the President when I reach Washington. I am serious, and I'm not some eccentric. Anyone out there who can help me accomplish that, please contact me or a member of our support group."
For updated information and to follow Kremer's walk each day, go to www.awalkforhorses.webs.com or call local contact Susan Pizzini of West Grove, Pa., at (610) 869-3629 or (610) 999-1990.

Equine Welfare Alliance

CAUTION: Many details and visuals contained in the reports on this page are extremely graphic.

Animals’ Angels Sugarcreek Auction Investigation Jan.16-18 2009

Animals’ Angels 10.2008 Mexico Transport and Slaughter Investigation

From Animals’ Angels FVO inspection report from Mexico visit reveals insufficient national measures to control drug residues in horse meat!
Read the eMail Alert Read the Report

Animals' Angels Investigative Report on the Mize Horse Sale and the Rowan horse feedlot in Mississippi. Read the Report

SLAUGHTERGATE Exposed!
Our own Julie Caramante and Steve Long on KHOU TV
Thousands of US Horses Slaughtered in Mexico
Video of KHOU TV News Report

From Animals’ Angels (FOIA from the USDA)
Horse Transport Violations at Beltex Plant in Texas

Humane Slaughter Act Violations at Cavel Plant in Illinois

PRESS RELEASE From Animal Law Coalition
FOIA Request Uncovers Unprecedented Evidence Horse Slaughter is Inhumane

From our friends in Canada. An investigative report by the Canadian Horse Defense Coalition covering April 27-May 1, 2008.
Black Beauty Betrayed: The Slaughter of US and Canadian Horses

Canadian Horse Defense Coalition Investigative Report on Natural Valley Farms in Canada.
Natural Valley Investigation 02 & 03 2008

Anne Russek Auction Reports
Sugarcreek 10.17.08
Sugarcreek Abuse Update
New Holland 11.03.08

Animals' Angels Investigative Report on the Morton, Texas horse feedlot.
Read the Report
View the Video

More from Animals’ Angels
Nickerson Feedlot June 2008
Eagle Pass Export Pen June2008
Washington State Slaughter Horse Industry May 2008
Mexico Investigation 08.31.07-09.08.07

From Voluntary Instinct
What About the Horse? Video Series

** From Valerie James-Patton
Case Study of Suspected Illegal Exports of Geldings to Mexico

Deleting the Fiction (from kaufmanzoning.net)

Deleting the Fiction: False Claims of Abandoned Horses 12.23.07

Deleting the Fiction: False Claims of Abandoned Horses Part 2 March 2008

Deleting the Fiction: Short Paper February 2008

The Texas Massacres

http://www.vickitobin.com/id18.html Until They Are Safe...

LANDRIEU PRAISES "PROJECT UNWANTED HORSE'

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 06/20/2008
Effort disproves slaughter's proponents' claims that horses are unwanted.
WASHINGTON -- United States Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., today commended the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA) for the partnership they launched this week to help find homes for the so called "unwanted horses" on farms operated by NBFA members.
"I am so glad that AWI and NBFA have started this partnership, flying in the face of the horse slaughter industry's argument that the push to end the killing of horses has created a surplus of horses without homes in this country," Sen. Landrieu said. "This new effort, 'Project Wanted Horse,' proves that these animals can find loving homes here in America, and need not be shipped across the border to be killed."
Sen. Landrieu's bill, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, S. 311, would prohibit horse slaughter for human consumption. Although the last horse slaughter facilities have closed their doors in the U.S., more than 100,000 American horses were exported to Canada and Mexico in 2007 to be slaughtered, processed and exported to Europe and Asia for human consumption.
"Project Wanted Horse" directly disproves the bill's opponents, who claim that slaughter is necessary to control the excess population of horses that has resulted since they are no longer sent to slaughter.
The effort will ensure that horses rescued from the slaughter pipeline or from other forms of abuse by equine protection organizations will be placed on farms operated by NBFA's 94,000 members across the country. AWI will oversee the placement of horses, and each animal will be accompanied by a contract that ensures quality lifetime care, and a commitment that they will not be resold into slaughter.