THEY REALLY DO SHOOT HORSES, DON'T THEY?

Late last year, I came across a story that makes me happy I'm alive. I shared with you guys the local story of a 16 year-old girl whose love and compassion helped save a blind horse that was scheduled to be sent to a slaughter house. Last September 18th, she won the Cincinnati Dressage Event without telling the judges or the crowd her horse was sightless (due to an infection that turned the horses large blue eyes a puffy white color). Once on the course, Jenna McVey, 16, guided the horse she calls "Nelly" using pressure with her legs to urge the horse to steer itself right or left. Mary Dobrin, a Judge at the event said, "We didn't know it was a blind horse until it was already on the course. This horse did everything this little girl wanted. I stood there with three volunteers and we cried". As I took my daily "power-walk" I wondered what I would BLOG about. I still have the newspaper clipping scotch-taped to my office wall until I get the software I need to load photos like most of you are able to do. As some of you know, one of my BLOGS in 2005 was a tribute to my Cousin who was born with a God-given gift as a tiny girl to love all animals. She spent her life rescuing and nursing dogs, cats and birds back to health and boarded two horses. When I was a kid, she'd drive me in her red sports car--a Triumph-- to the stables and teach me some basics. My Cousin died of Cancer in 2001. Like many of you who love animals, this ASPCA Letter made me respond and I embellished it a bit. It isn't long. But I felt like sharing it with you. We have enough insanity in this world without slaughtering horses. If you agree, respond with your thoughts. Better yet, scroll down the right margin of this BLOG site and click on the ASPCA Logo for more information. If not, thanks for taking the time to read a different point of view. Have a GREAT weekend, wherever you are!

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Jan 19, 2006

Secretary Michael Johanns

Office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture

1400 Independence Avenue SW

Washington, DC 20250

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Dear Secretary Johanns:

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As a concerned citizen, I am writing to urge you to reject any plan on the part of USDA to allow for horse slaughter in fiscal year 2006. It has come to my attention that the USDA is giving serious consideration to a petition submitted by the three foreign-owned horse slaughter houses in the United States to allow for the continuation of the slaughter of American horses for the foreign horse meat market. I am surprised that your agency would seriously consider such a request, as it flies directly in the face of Congressional action on this issue. Last year, after a tremendous public outcry, Congress overwhelmingly passed an appropriations bill that effectively stopped horse slaughter for fiscal year 2006 by cutting funding for USDA inspections of slaughter plants that slaughter horses. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives overwhelming passed this measure, after hundreds of thousands of citizens contacted Congress --generating more phone calls and letters than both Supreme Court nominees and the Iraq war -- because they want to see an end to horse slaughter in the United States. Congress listened to the American people. As is mandated in the agriculture appropriations bill, the horse slaughter ban is set to take effect on March 10, 2006.

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I am deeply concerned that the USDA would consider a petition that so flagrantly ignores Congress's intent to stop horse slaughter. My late Cousin taught me as a young child the love of animals generally, and horses more specifically. Last year, the American people voted with their feet in denouncing Foreign Interests imposing their will to slaughter horses in our country. Please, I urge you to look to your heart and the nation's with compassion on the subject of the humane treatment and care of this beautiful God-given animal that has historically contributed so much to the develelopment of our nation's industry and continues in many more roles helping to inspire young people with the gift of compassion and the spark of life.

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I strongly urge you to ensure that USDA rejects the petition submitted by the Foreign-Owned slaughter plants and that your agency implements a complete cessation of any inspections of horses for slaughter no later than March 10, 2006, as is mandated by Congress.

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Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Michael Manning