Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2004 1:59 AM
Subject: AAEP & AVMA disappoint horseowners
To the AAEP & AVMA:
Regarding the AAEP's article in The Horse
magazine - online -
Defining Livestock, please, look it
up. Livestock does not mean food animals, it means animals raised
commercially for food or pleasure. Even pet shops refer
to their "inventory" (stock) of (live) animals as livestock.
No one in the anti-horseslaughter community is asking to reclassify horses,
that's not an issue.
(as well as the first issue posted on
your website)
You are aware you do not speak for all of your
member vets on this issue and I respectfully request you educate
yourselves on the reality of neglect. The slaughter industry does not
deter neglect (it devalues the animal and promotes this 'throw away'
mentality). Please read this recent article in the Houston Chronicle and
explain how slaughter is the answer to this growing problem even right there
in the slaughterhouse capital of the U.S. deep in the heart of Texas -
Rescuing the horses
Neglect on the rise in Texas and other states
Only strict laws and tough enforcement of laws can
combat neglect cases and that's what your organizations should be promoting -
not killing the animal to save them from lawbreakers, that's advocating
killing the victim of a crime. What kind of rationalization is
that? Should we kill the children of child abusers too so that they
no longer have to suffer?
Not to mention the fact that you all should be
held accountable for allowing horses into the human food chain to begin with
knowing full well they receive drugs throughout their lifetimes that are
banned from being given to food animals. Drugs that you administer
and prescribe yourselves such as bute and wormers, etc. Have you
ever administered bute to a horse and then informed its owner to not allow it
to go to slaughter? Do you give bute to cattle? Are you allowed
to? Of course not.
Please, rethink your positions on this
issue. With more and more respected and prominent individuals in the
horse industry coming out against horse slaughter including many racing
associations, race tracks, and even breed associations now, the
time is long past due that you in the profession of providing health
care to horses live up to your own sworn oaths and join us against
this barbaric slaughter industry and stop trying to justify it. It's the
right thing to do.
Terry Watt
Lake Havasu, Arizona