3,000 Wild Horses Need Your Help

All Americans please take action and consider this post seriously as only you can sign up for this particular link.

Violating their own protocol of waiting until mid-August (after the foaling season) to begin helicopter roundups of wild horses, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) started a Nevada roundup in the blazing July heat last summer, resulting in the deaths of at least 21 horses. Several other horses required treatment for painful colic and brain swelling due to dehydration and exhaustion.

Despite this tragedy, the BLM is planning to do early roundups again this July. Thousands of additional wild horses and burros--including newborn foals--are slated for removal in frightening and dangerous helicopter roundups in California, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada, Wyoming and Utah just weeks from now--paid for with the federal tax dollars.

Help stop this massacre of America’s wild horses! Contact your U.S. Representatives and Senators and urge them to:

1. Call on the Interior Department and President Obama to halt the BLM’s summer roundups; and
2. Use their appropriations authority to strip funding for this abusive practice while the National Academy of Sciences conducts its independent review of the program (to be completed by 2013).

Robert Everett Keck given prison time for aggravated animal abuse

An Alexander man has been sentenced to 2 years in the Ark. Department of Correction after pleading guilty to aggravated cruelty to a horse.

Robert Everett Keck was accused of 'severe neglect' of several horses, dogs and a pony that were found on his property in Oct. 2009.

Police received a report of several horses without food and water out at Keck's residence on West Lawson Road. Neighbors told detectives that the animals' condition had been deteriorating for some time.

The Pulaski County Humane Society took custody of 4 horses and 5 dogs that police said were in need of immediate medical attention because of starvation and neglect.

The Humane Society reported that all the animals were given emergency medical treatment to stabilize their condition, and placed under observation.

A miniature horse that was seized could no longer stand up, and was believed to be past rescue; however, after several weeks of intense care the horse recovered. After a preliminary hearing, the animals were deemed to have been neglected and custody was given to the Humane Society.

According to the Arkansas Department of Correction, Keck's plea is one of the first for aggravated animal cruelty where a prison sentence as been imposed.

Source:

http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=139117&catid=2

Baptism of fire: The festival of San Bartolomé de Pinares

The Luminarias Festival in Spain is a celebration of the patron saint of animals where Spaniards ride their horses through bonfires. It is religious celebration that takes place every year on the eve of Saint Anthony's Day in the village of San Bartolomé de Pinares.

According to tradition, people ride their horses through fire to purify the animals, insisting that animals are never hurt, instead they are protected for the coming year by the smoke and flames.

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am contacting you regarding the annual tradition that takes place in San Bartolomé de Pinares, where villagers ride horses, donkeys and mules through bonfires as part of the Luminarias celebration.

This cruel tradition, that has already been condemned by several equine welfare experts and animal welfare groups, causes the animals unnecessary stress and poses a danger to the animals and to the participants. There has been a tacit agreement under which the riders have agreed not to leap over the flames, but to pass around the burning logs. Even under such conditions, the event will undoubtedly cause a tremendous stress and suffering to the animals, due to their great natural fear of fire. It is a common occurrence that the rider has been thrown off the animal, due to the animal's distress of being engulfed in 8 ft of flames. It is well possible that the rider may, under such circumstances, be thrown directly into the flames. Many horsemen do not follow this agreement and instead leap through the flames, which can easily lead to severe burns or worse.

Tradition is no excuse for animal cruelty. Please put an end to this practice and find an alternative way to celebrate the patron saint of animals, specifically a way that is based on compassion and respect for all living beings, and that does not endanger the lives or welfare of the participants.

Sincerely,

[Name]

CONTACT

Mayor of San Bartolomé:

VICTOR GÓMEZ MARTÍN

DIRECCIÓN ADDRESS

C/LA VIRGEN, Nº 1 C / LA VIRGEN, No. 1

CP: 05267. CP: 05267.

SAN BARTOLOME DE PINARES.

Telephone / Email

920 270 001 270 920 001

sbartolomepinares@diputacionavila.es

http://www.diputacionavila.es/diputacion/correos.php

E-mail block (paste into BCC):

presidencia@diputacionavila.es, secretaria@diputacionavila.es, turismo@diputacionavila.es, sbartolomepinares@diputacionavila.es

Save NYC carriage horses from the kill auctions

There are over 200 horses in the NYC carriage trade. The number varies but not by much. Approximately one third falls off the Department of Health registry every year. What does this mean? When an owner decides he wants to get rid of a horse, the existing NYC administrative code is very weak in regulating how this is done.

In the last five years, well over 300 NYC carriage horses have disappeared from the Department of Health rolls.

The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages is asking the City Council to consider just that section on disposition -- §17-329 Disposition of licensed horse -- , with an amendment to the code, which would require horse owners to sell or donate their horses to private individuals who will keep them as companions or to an animal sanctuary. Carriage horse drivers and owners repeatedly insist that their horses are well cared for and loved. Here's their chance to prove it. Anyone who cares about an animal wouldn't be willing to put her through the torturous trip across the border to a brutal slaughterhouse. So, there's no excuse for opposing a bill that ensures these horses get a humane retirement. It's time to bring this dark side of the carriage horse industry out of the shadows. Ask the New York City Council to save carriage horses from slaughter. Please sign the petition.

http://animals.change.org/blog/view/save_new_york_citys_carriage_horses_from_slaughter

Once you’ve clicked on the above link…You have to click on ‘Sign petition’ to sign it. Thank you!

Here you can read the entire story:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs054/1101376025369/archive/1104217205066.html