HoofPAC NewsFrom: Newsletter
Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2004 7:23 PM
Subject: Newsletter message
HoofPAC ALERT
The following is a response to the
AAEP from HoofPAC member Priscilla Clark of Tranquility Farm. During the
California campaign Priscilla and I took on no less than fifteen editors from
the 'Bakersfield Californian' during an Editorial Board and got their support...
And Bakersfield was the home of the largest Southern Californian slaughter
auction!
TRANQUILITY FARM
The Harry A. Biszantz Memorial Center
for Thoroughbred Retirement
P.O. Box 210 Tehachapi Ca 93581
661-823-0307
www.tranquillityfarmtbs.org
Open Letter to the American
Association of Equine Practitioners.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you for providing me with your
position paper on HR 857, which would make the commercial slaughter of horses
for human consumption and other purposes illegal in the United States. In
response, I would ask that you consider the following:
In recent years two of America's most
beloved equine champions met untimely deaths while serving at stud duty in
Japan. Sunday Silence lost his life after being unsuccessfully treated for a
persistent foot infection. He was euthanized by lethal injection, and while the
American public mourned his loss, they were assured that his death was merciful.
The death of Ferdinand in a Japanese
slaughterhouse, however, shook the racing world to its very core, and cries of
outrage are still being heard wherever horse lovers express their views. The
terror and suffering he endured in the slaughterhouse sparked a profound soul
searching in the racing community, and has contributed tremendously to the
growing political momentum to protect all American horses from such a fate.
Why was there such a disparity in the
reaction to the deaths of these two great horses? The answer is quite simple;
the American public understands the difference between humane euthanasia by
lethal injection and being bludgeoned to death by a captive bolt in a
slaughterhouse. The American public is not confused about the consequences of
administering these two very different means of rendering death. The American
people understand implicitly that the horse, a highly intelligent animal, is
also not fooled and dies fighting for his life in the slaughterhouse instead of
peacefully passing by tranquilizers administered in a stress- free environment.
How the American Association of
Equine Practitioners, you who are entrusted to protect the welfare of horses by
the American public, could fail to make this distinction and equate slaughter
with humane euthanasia, is nothing short of remarkable.
It is clear that the overwhelming
majority of Americans, whenever they have an opportunity to express their
preferences, choose euthanasia by lethal injection as the only acceptable means
of death for the animal that has partnered with them to build this country. No
opinion poll has ever shown evidence to the contrary. Horses are raised solely
for recreational and aesthetic value in the United States, they are neither a
food nor fiber animal, and to endorse the butchering of American horses for
consumption in foreign countries is a betrayal of our American values.
Further, I find the arguments put
forth in the AAEP position paper on HR 857 specious in declaring that funding is
not available for the care of unwanted or confiscated horses. In the first case
a similar situation exists with unwanted dogs and cats. Unfortunately our
society must necessarily perform euthanasia on thousands of dogs and cats each
year precisely because funding is not available for their continued care. They
are put to death, however, by lethal injection rather being killed and sent to
foreign countries for meat because that is the only means of death considered
humane by the American public. The benefit of outlawing the slaughter of
American horses is not that every horse will be cared for ad infinitum by public
moneys, but that their manner of death shall be swift and merciful.
It has been empirically demonstrated
that in California, where the transportation of horses for slaughter has been
outlawed since 1998, that no loads of horses have been confiscated and placed
into protective custody. The costly vaccinations, Coggins test, and health
certification legally required to move horses over national boundaries
effectively removes the marginal profits to be made smuggling horses long
distances into Canada or Mexico.
The specter of thousands of
confiscated horses draining public funds exceeds credulity.
I urge you to reconsider your opinion
on HR 857 and to work positively with horse professionals and the American
people who are so desirous of humane treatment for horses. Please uphold the
faith entrusted in your organization and work to truly protect the welfare of
the American horse.
Respectfully,
Priscilla Clark, President
Tranquility Farm
Let's Keep America's Horses In The
Stable and Off The Table!!!
Cathleen Doyle, founder
HoofPAC
Keep America's Horses In The
Stable... And Off The Table!
For information please contact:
savethehorse@earthlink.net
Thank you for caring about America's
horses,
Cathleen Doyle, founder
HoofPAC
Join us today at www.HoofPAC.com and
go to our HoofPAC Store at www.HoofPAC.com and purchase merchandising which will
help support the campaign.
Thank You.
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