AR-News: Need Your Help with Florida Rodeo Battle

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

Dear  Friends:

Rodeo Mafia thugs are pulling a fast one in central Florida, and  just may 
succeed without your help.  They’ve apparently either bought off  or struck some 
other underhanded deal with individuals responsible for  protecting innocent 
animals.

Here’s what happened: A SHARK volunteer  attended the Citrus Dodge Tampa Bay 
Championship Rodeo in February.  She  caught on camera some of the worst 
instances of tail twisting and hot prodding  we’ve seen to date.  Little calves 
(3-4 months old) confined in chutes  prior to release in the calf roping event 
had their tails twisted and bent to  the point of 
breaking in order to enhance their “performance” once  released.  Other 
animals likewise confined in the chutes, were hot  prodded over and over and over 
again.

SHARK turned the video, along with  a formal complaint, over to the 
Agricultural Unit of the Pasco County Sheriff’s  Office. They had a large animal 
practitioner who is quite possibly a rodeo  vet, and a local state’s attorney view 
the footage. The possible rodeo vet  says what appears on the video does not 
constitute animal cruelty and the  state’s attorney is happy to go along.

SHARK investigator Pat  Vinet talked to Manny Garcia, the state attorney, 
yesterday. He says  that the vet has assured him that calves don’t mind having 
their tails twisted  and bent at all. He said that it didn’t hurt a bit. Pat 
then asked,  “If that’s the case, then why did the cowboys bother doing it?”  
Mr. Garcia  had no answer. 

He went on to say that shocking animals with hot  prods wasn’t animal abuse 
because it didn’t result in broken bones, bleeding or  scars.  Mr. Garcia is 
either attempting to pull our leg, or he is ignorant  of some pretty basic 
facts.  Fact one is that humans or other animals can  be tortured and even beaten 
to death without breaking bones or skin, or causing  any bruising whatsoever.  
It is done in Third World countries on a regular  basis.  So to claim that 
there has to be broken bones, bleeding or scars  for an animal to be mistreated 
is ridiculous.

Perhaps Mr. Garcia got his  start in government bureaucracy by working in a 
Turkish prison. Electric shock  is their torture of choice for the very same 
reason.  He also said that  using electric shock was how they got animals to 
move.  When Pat reminded  him that the animals couldn’t move because they were 
confined in small holding  chutes while they were 
receiving the shocks, he again had no  answer.

SHARK supporters, this is nothing short of outrage!   Torturing innocent 
animals is bad enough, but to manufacture lies and excuses so  utterly ridiculous 
as to insult the intelligence of anyone with even a shred of  common sense 
pushes us beyond our tolerance threshold.  We hope it pushes  you over yours as 
well.  Please call or write the following people and let  them know what you 
think of animal abusers and their apologists.

PLEASE  CONTACT: 

VETERINARIAN:       Dr. Matt  McKercher, Daniels and Daniels Veterinary 
Service, 6211 Dean Dairy  Road, Zephyrhills, FL 33539    Phone: (813)  
779-1061  Fax: (813)  779-0321

STATE ATTORNEY:   Manny Garcia, State’s  Attorney, Florida State’s Attorney’
s Office, 38053 Live Oak  Ave., Dade City, FL 33523   Phone: (352)  521-4333   
Fax: (813) 929-1227

Please let us know if  you get a response.

Kindest Regards,

Steve  Hindi






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