AR-News: Equine Protection Network Newsletter for Jan. 26, 2004

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Equine Protection Network
www.equineprotectionnetwork.com
January 26,2004

EPN Newsletter-Permission to Crosspost

Children's Horse Books to Benefit the EPN!
IL Horse Slaughter Legislation Update & Action
EPN Merchandise
Save America's Horses National Billboard Campaign Rides into Largest 
Shopping Mall on East Coast!
EPN Event Schedule 2004
PA Horse Cruelty Convictions
EPN Sanctuary Program!
Private Horse Cremations Available
Letters to EPN
STOLEN HORSES
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Children's Horse Books to Benefit the EPN!

The EPN appreciates the generous donation by Syncopated Press of 
several copies of the children's books, "Heart, Hoof, & Soul" 
and " Forelocks, Fetlocks & Horse Tales" to the EPN. 

Your purchases of these books helps to support the EPN in our 
efforts to improve the welfare of horses and to end horse slaughter. 

http://www.equineprotectionnetwork.com/book.htm

Books are also available for purchase at our booths at the PA Horse 
World Expo, Ft Washington Horse Expo & Schuylkill 
County Fair.

Support the EPN: 
http://www.equineprotectionnetwork.com/saveamericashorses/donate.htm
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IL Horse Slaughter Legislation Update:

IL Legislature Link to Molaro Bill Status:

http://www.legis.state.il.us/legislation/billstatus.asp?
DocNum=1921&GAID=3&DocTypeID=SB&LegID=5052&SessionID=3

The Chicago Sun Times reported earlier this month that Arlington 
Park chairman Richard L. Duchossois confirmed that lobbyists for 
Arlington Park and other IL racetracks will work to pass legislation 
banning horse slaughter in IL.

News Story from the Illinois Leader:

http://www.illinoisleader.com/news/newsview.asp?c=11455

The vote on Illinois Senate Bill 1921 and its First House Amendment, 
to ban horse slaughter in Illinois has again been postponed until 
mid-February. Residents please contact your senators and 
representatives and ask them to co-sponsor or support SB1921. Ask 
your friends, family, coworkers to also contact their legislators. 
Businesses & organizations can also be asked for support, this is 
VERY important & they do not have to be horse related!

The issue to ban horse slaughter is a cultural one, Americans do not 
eat horses, nor are they raised, bred, or taxed as food and fiber 
animals.

SUPPORT SB 1921 AND ITS FIRST HOUSE AMENDMENT

Write, fax, call & or e-mail Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.

Illinois Executive Mansion
410 East Jackson
Springfield, Illinois 62701
(217) 782-2525. 

Request that IL Department of Agriculture delay issuing Cavel a nee 
state license until after SB 1921 has been voted upon.

1. Bill has strong support in the IL Legislature;
2. IL voters if given the chance would vote in support of SB 1921 & 
would ban horse slaughter;
3.Cavel has previously falsified information on license application;
4.IL Department of Agriculture has been misinforming legislators as 
to the intent of Cavel's reopening, falsely stating that 

Cavel will not reapply when in fact; Cavel intends to reapply if 
they have not already.

Contact Information for IL courtesy of Barn to Wire:

Representatives:

http://www.barntowire.com/stophorseslaughter-Illinois-reps.html

Senators:

http://www.barntowire.com/stophorseslaughter-Illinois-sens.html

For more information on the IL effort:

Contact: Gail Vacca, 815-761-4937, glv190 at aol.com 

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EPN Merchandise is available at:

http://www.cafeshops.com/equineprotet6

The EPN receives on average $2.00 for each purchase.

Shopping at the EPN Online Shopping Mall Raises Funds for the EPN 
including Back in the Saddle & Jeffers Equine:
http://www.equineprotectionnetwork.com/saveamericashorses/store.htm
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Save America's Horses National Billboard Campaign Update

The Save Americas Horses Billboard Campaign continues to ride across 
America! 

We have received several requests for bumper stickers of the 
billboard and we are pleased to announce that bumper stickers are 
now available at the EPN Store.

In January the campaign moved indoors to the largest shopping mall 
on the East Coast, the King of Prussia Shopping Mall in 
King of Prussia, PA! The images are fabulous and are on are website 
at:

http://www.equineprotectionnetwork.com/saveamericashorses/kop.htm

We also have pledges for billboards in Alabama & Washington!

The Florida billboard has prompted one horse farm owner to add the 
Save America's Horses website address to their farm sign!

Billboards can be viewed at:

http://www.equineprotectionnetwork.com/saveamericashorses/billboard.h
tm

Current billboards are up in Philadelphia & Pittsburgh, PA & Florida.

You can be part of the Equine Protection Network's national Save 
America's Horses billboard campaign by sending a tax-deductible 
donation of $500.00 that will allow us to place our billboard near 
you!

Donations of less than $500.00 are accepted and will be combined 
towards a billboard.

Send your donation marked "Billboard Campaign" to:

Equine Protection Network, Inc.,
P. O. Box 232, Friedensburg, PA, 17933 
Phone and Fax: 570-345-6440

The EPN extends our appreciation to HoofPAC & Save The Horses for 
the use of their slogan, 
"Keep America's Horses in the Stable...& Off the Table!

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Support the EPN by shopping online at Igive.com! Over 500 of your 
favorite stores!

When new supporters use the EPN join link to join iGive, the EPN is 
automatically pre-selected to benefit! The EPN join link is listed 
below & is also on our website
http://www.igive.com/EPN
Remember, shop At IGive.com! Your purchases support the EPN!
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EPN 2004 Event Schedule

Horse World Expo, Harrisburg, PA February 27th - February 29th 2004
Booth 820
Christine Berry 
Horse Slaughter - An American Tragedy, Not a Necessary Evil

Ft Washington Horse & Pet Expo in Ft Washington, PA March 12-14th 
2004

Schuylkill County Fair, Summit Station, PA
August 2, 2004 - August 7, 2004
Indoor Midway
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PA Horse Cruelty Convictions

On 22, September 2003, the Adams County SPCA served a search warrant 
to seize 4 horses owned by Ashley Edmondson of Thurmont, MD and 
boarded in PA on field board.

A hearing scheduled for December 9, 2003 at Magistrate Bowman's 
Office in Bonneauville, PA resulted in a settlement out of court 
prior to the hearing with Edmunson agreeing to pay for restitution. 
It was learned that 2 of the horses did not belong to Edmunson and 
were returned to their owners.

One of the seized horses, named Monte died of complications due to 
his neglected condition. The other horse, a mare named Madison is in 
guarded condition. 

According to the SPCA Edmunson claimed to be operating out of 
Fairwinds Farms when in reality she was field boarding the horses 
with no access to shelter which is in violation of the PA Cruelty 
Law, Title 18, Section 5511(c).

The SPCA is in need of donations for the care of these horses.

Adams County SPCA
11 Goldenville Road
Gettysburg, Pa. 17325
717-334-8876
Attention:Horse fund
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EPN Sanctuary Program!

http://www.equineprotectionnetwork.com/saveamericashorses/sanctuary.h
tm

The EPN has established a Sanctuary Program for unwanted, neglected, 
abused and slaughterbound horses. Horses in the program are not 
available for adoption, but are in need of people willing to make a 
financial commitment to help the EPN provide for these horses for 
the remainder of their lives. Horses accepted into the program must 
meet certain qualifications. The EPN focuses on horses that have 
been the victims of neglect and cruelty in situations where there 
has been an investigation by law enforcement resulting in the 
forfeiture of the horse due to a court order.

The EPN has set these guidelines due to our philosophy that owners 
must be held accountable for their actions if we are to truly make a 
difference for the welfare of horses.

The EPN can only accept a limited number of horses due to financial 
resources and space limitations. The cost of caring and feeding for 
each of our horses in the program runs $250.00 a month for a total 
of $3000.00 a year. This includes feeding and sheltering the horses, 
and veterinary, farrier and dental care.

Sponsorship

Individual Sponsorships:

You can sponsor one of the EPN Sanctuary horses for as little as 
1.65 a day! This is great project for riding clubs, schools, youth 
groups and other organizations. Sponsorships can also be shared.

Individual sponsorship does not cover the entire cost of maintaining 
horses in our program, but it does help to offset the cost. One 
horse needs five individual sponsors at $50.00 a month to cover the 
entire cost of caring for one horse.

Each of our horses has an important story to tell, please take the 
time to visit their pages, and remember your donation ensures these 
horses a sanctuary for the rest of their lives.

Corporate Sponsorship:

A donation of $3000.00 covers all expenses involved to maintain an 
EPN Sanctuary Horse for one year and provides a website link to your 
company's website.

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Private Horse Cremations Available

We have expanded our listing of companies offering private cremation 
of horses. Our listing now includes several companies in the 
Northeast, Midwest, Southeast and the United Kingdom. Several of 
these companies also offer burial at a horse/pet 
cemetery. The following webpage has more information, including 
contact information and links to their websites:

http://www.equineprotectionnetwork.com/saveamericashorses/cremations.
htm
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The EPN is a proud supporter of Hoofpac. Visit Hoofpac.com for more 
information & visit their online store! 

Keep America's Horses in the Stable & Off the Table!

For more information on the EPN's position on horse slaughter, visit 
our FAQ page:
http://www.equineprotectionnetwork.com/faqs.htm

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Letters to the EPN

January, 2004 

They need to keep killing all of these crippled good for nothing 
horses. How can you say they are cruelly slaughtered? They are 
killed in the same manner as cows. What good is a broken down race 
horse, an old foundered horse who can barely walk, it isn't the 
killer buyers who foundered these poor horses it is the guy or woman 
trying to sell them. These are the people you need to harass, or the 
big business men who own the crippled race horses that no longer are 
any use to them and apparently no one else. You all need to wake up 
and torment and harass the original horse owner, not the meat buyers 
trying to clean up the market.

Signed Dusty

EPN Response to Dusty:

Dusty,

You obviously have not read our website. 

We agree that not all horses need to be kept alive.  What you & I 
disagree on is the method of death.

If you were to read our website you would read that the EPN strongly 
supports the enforcement of cruelty laws and has assisted law 
enforcement in the enforcement of these laws. The law applies to all 
people, whether they be killer buyers, dealers, horse owners or 
rescues. Criminals come in all shapes and sizes.

The EPN strongly advocates for personal responsibility. 

As for your defense of meat buyers, I have yet to see one of them 
cooperate with law enforcement on prosecuting the people who starved 
or neglected the horse.

If the meat buyers and the auctions were sincere about their care 
and concern for these crippled and neglected horses they would NOT 
PARTICIPATE in the selling, buying and transporting of these horses. 
Instead they participate and profit from the horse's continued 
suffering. When law enforcement does step in to stop the illegal 
sale and transport of these horses, by their owners, the auction, 
rescues, or the killer buyers, these same people resort to lying and 
are uncooperative with law enforcement. I have personally witnessed 
and documented killer buyers treat sick and injured horses brutally-
they are just as guilty of cruelty as the person who caused the 
original problem.

Torment? Harass? I find your choice of words interesting. I'm sure 
many people would use the same words to describe how the killers and 
dealers treat the horses during the collection process, at the 
auction, and at the slaughterhouse.

Dusty, horses are not cows. They do not behave like cows, they are 
not raised like cows, they are not taxed like cows, nor are they 
viewed by Americans the same as cows. The slaughter of America's 
horses will end because it is against our culture, and believe it or 
not, people like you in the horse industry are helping us do it. The 
words you use to describe these horses speaks volumes about you as a 
person. The average American is shocked and disgusted at yours and 
the pro slaughter industry's attitude toward the horses that you 
profess to "love and admire". 

What have you done when you have seen a neglected or abused horse? 
Have you worked to see the owner prosecuted? Have you taken the time 
to try and change the way the racing industry handles the horses 
that are no longer able to race? What have you done about 
overbreeding? What have you done when you see a starved horse 
brought to a sale or standing in a field? Have you worked to see 
that the person responsible is held accountable? 

As for cleaning up the market, how long do you propose the cleaning 
up is going to take? As long as the horse industry continues to make 
a mess it seems the market will never be cleaned up. Slaughter is 
not going to make owners responsible, or "clean up the market", it 
only gives owners, breeders, dealers and trainers a monetary outlet 
for what they have ruined or discarded. When horse owners are held 
accountable and have to pay to euthanise their own horses, then the 
industry will be cleaned up.

As for judging the worth of these "broken down racehorses & crippled 
good for nothing horses", better people than you have been wrong 
about their worth. 

Seabiscuit
Nirvana 
Snowman
Catch 22

All broken down & judged worthless. 
The list is endless and not everybody judge's a horse's worth in the 
money they can bring in the auction ring.

Christine Berry
EPN


*******************************************************
STOLEN HORSES
Your Horse is Missing--What Now? - Debi Metcalfe in The Horse
http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.asp?fid=4897&dpt=5

Horse Theft Education Starts Here
Horse Theft. Been There--Done That now available on site now.
Stolen Horse International 
www.netposse.com
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