Help Save the Wild Horses & Burros

Okay Gentle Readers – It’s been quite  while since you’ve heard from me – and all I can say is I wonder how many more atrocities are we going to witness in this country toward animals before we stand up and say ENOUGH!

Besides working with several groups who are doing everything possible to stop the insanity of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the massive destruction of wildlife from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, there are days when it feels shameful to be part of the human race that creates such devastation on creatures who can’t fight back.

So my post today, and future ones as well, will be to bring the information that has been gathered to your attention and open up the discussion for any ideas you may have that all of us have missed. Starting with the BLM: 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act.
Wild Horse Annie Act – Public Law 86-234
Use of aircraft or motor vehicles to hunt certain wild horses or burros; pollution of watering holes
(a) Whoever uses an aircraft or a motor vehicle to hunt, for the purpose of capturing or killing, any wild unbranded horse, mare, colt, or burro running at large on any of the public land or ranges shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
(b) Whoever pollutes or causes the pollution of any watering hole on any of the public land or ranges for the purpose of trapping, killing, wounding, or maiming any of the animals referred to in subsection (a) of this section shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
(c) As used in subsection (a) of this section—
(1) The term “aircraft” means any contrivance used for flight in the air; and
(2) The term “motor vehicle” includes an automobile, automobile truck, automobile wagon, motorcycle, or any other self-propelled vehicle designed for running on land.

Public Law 94-579, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act dated Oct. 21, 1976, amended the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971 to allow the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to use or contract for the use of helicopters and motorized vehicles to manage wild horses and burros on public lands, thus bypassing the Wild Horse Annie Act.

Now we have an Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar, who has chosen to ignore the laws of our land and the vocal outrage by the people themselves by moving ahead with insane ideas of moving them all to the midwest – purchasing land for a “wild horse preserve” and sticking them into a part of the country that’s totally different than what they’ve always known – very reminiscent of how the Native American tribes were removed from their land and sent to places like Florida where many died from diseases they never heard of. We also now know that a pipeline is being planned to run through that “public land” (note: we the public supposedly OWN that land!) and that’s part of the reason the horses need to be removed, plus the Ruby Pipeline plan is something BP (Gulf of Mexico) is ALSO involved in!!! Where do WE draw the line and say ENOUGH!?

If you are not up to date on this information, join Wild Horses and Burros Group or American Indian People For Wild Horses on Facebook to find out what’s going on in defiance of what WE THE PEOPLE are saying (remember, WE pay the salaries of the government officials!).

There’s an injuction in place that’s being ignored, they were to leave herds alone that had new foals, but the plan is in motion to round them up tomorrow (Sat 7/10/10) with foals that are only days old. Get involved – may noise – write your representatives (for whatever good they do anymore) and stop this insanity on land … since we can’t seem to stop the insanity that happening in the gulf. The time has come that we need to step up and be heard. They don’t have a voice to protest – we can do that for them. Thanks – and feel free to post anything that might help in any way. I’m back and I’m angry about what’s taking place. Hope you are too. Blessed Be!

Anyone Seeing The Big Picture?

Hi Gentle Readers!  I can’t believe I’ve lost track of time and have been buried with projects lately.  However,  I have still kept up on news and found myself thinking there’s been enough going on for several blogs! The one I had planned will come after this, as there’s a trend out there that concerns me. 

It seems with people out of work and losing their homes, the animal shelters are becoming overloaded with unwanted pets.  The shelter in the nearby town to me opened last year and immediately had the rule of charging people who wanted to surrender their pets to the shelter (good plan!).  However, there seem to be two issues for me at this time. 

The first one is a friend of mine who is close to 60 years of age and on disability (some $800 a month total) who wanted to help by adopting a small chihuahua mix from her local shelter.   When she called to ask about one she saw in the paper, she was told the adoption fee was $350!!   When she was on a very limited income, but would voluteer a number of hours at the shelter to offset part of the price, she was told (somewhat rudely) that wasn’t how they did business.  She was in disbelief when she called me – she had seen purebreds in the paper for $200!  Needless to say, she didn’t get a dog.

Second, I  haven’t seen much on discounted prices for spaying and neutering, or mobile clinics, etc.  So the animal population continues unchecked in most areas.  I ended up agreeing to foster week old kittens after the wild mother was killed (another reason for me not writing…LOL) and will be shopping for an affordable “package price” on getting them fixed before anyone adopts them. 

So what I’d like to know is if any of you have a shelter that adopts out for a more affordable fee in your area, or has spay/neuter clinics that give discounts or lower fees to help people afford the cost in these challenging economic times.  I’d also be open for any thoughts or suggestions anyone has for turning this situation around for both animals and humans.   I keep reading that the shelters are overcrowded and having to put down record numbers of animals.  Common sense for me would be to lower the adoption fees (or sliding scale based on family’s ability to pay?) if you want to place more animals than you kill. 

Everyone was thrilled when they got the slaughter houses closed for horses last year – without any backup plan for what was going to happen to the crippled, old, or unwanted horses people had.  Now we have horses across the country starving to death in back pastures, or in my area – being turned loose in the desert to fend for themselves!  Rescue groups have formed everywhere, but they’re operating on tight budgets as well.   All but two of the 8 animals  I have were  rescued  (horses, mules, dogs, cats) and now I sit here with 4 2-month old kittens. LOL 

Is it just me, or are people not thinking things through to possible conclusions about what might work or not, what the ramifications down the road could be?!  Anyone have any ideas about getting some sort of “movement” going to find an affordable way of increasing the spay/neuter options, or making it a bit more affordable to adopt from shelters?  Please let me know and I’ll post any ideas you might have to make this more of a win-win situation for all the animals that are sitting in cages or kennels waiting to see whether they will get to go through DOOR #1 or#2…a loving home or heaven.   If we put our heads together, we should be able to come up with some sort of workable plan – or if you have one in your area that’s working – please share!

Fuzzy Abuse

Hi there, Gentle Readers.  I read an article called “Coping with Fuzzy Lines in Animal Neglect”, by Hilary S. on Care2.com last week.  At that time I was dealing with the Michael Vick issue of the “punishment not fitting the crime” of the dog fighting and resulting killing he did of his dogs that “didn’t win” or were torn up to bad to live.  We all are horrified by the actions of Vick and the resulting actions of HSUS and SPCA holding him up as a poster boy for change.  When I read Hilary’s article I found myself looking even closer to home.

She asked what constitutes “abuse.”  What about those situation when an animal is being contained 24 hrs a day in a yard, or never taken out for walks,  or never let in the house, or on a long chain attached to an outside dog house year round?  I know last year people in my area moved away, leaving a large dog chained to a tree with a water bowl, a single bed mattress to lay on, and a 50 pound bag of dog food dumped on the ground.  And it had rained for 3 days before we found him.  It took us another two days of   animal control to come out and get him – they kept saying, “if he has food and water there’s nothing we can do.”  We finally called enough times that they sent an officer out to shut us up - and she took one look at the pile of wet, swollen dog food (it looked like elephant dung!), the soaking wet mattress (it had been raining for several days before we found him), and said, “Oh, poor baby!,” then loaded him in the truck to take in – saying he would be easy to adopt out.  Mission accomplished – but the words on the phone kept haunting me – if there was food and water available the animal’s situation was considered fine with them.  Alone, chained to a tree, in the rain – but he had food and water.

How many other times do the lines get blurred on what is considered abuse, and people hesitate to speak up or “don’t want to get involved” in a situation?   I once rescued a 6 week old minature goat being kept in a dog crate – lady said her kids had been a petting zoo and played with the minature goats there (adults!) and loved them – so she went to a farm and bought a baby for them and it just wouldn’t play with them like the ones in the petting zoo did!  I managed to get the baby out of there without decking the husband or her!

Where DO we draw the lines that constitute “abuse” anymore?  Often the animals are considered property, non-important issues, or just throw-away.  Please be alert for situations that constitute abuse beyond the basics required by police or animal control officers.   Also remember that people who are abusive to animals are often that way family members as well.   Watch carefully for those “fuzzy lines” being crossed.

TIME TO WRITE A LETTER OR TWO

The following subject was not what I planned to write about today, but you have to know it blew every other subject off my desk when I read a blog sent to me by a friend in California.  The gentleman who wrote this blog post is Nathan J. Winograd, Director of the National No Kill Advocacy Center in the San Francisco Bay Area (winograd’s page). According to his profile he is a graduate of Stanford Law School, an author, and is a frequent media spokesperson on animal sheltering issues.  He is my hero for making this information available to the public! 

What I’m upset about is the news that Michael Vick has been reinstated to the NFL after serving out his 23 month prison sentence after being arrested in 2007 and convicted on federal dog fighting charges.  I ask everyone reading this to send a letter to Roger Goodell, The Commissioner of the Natonal Football League (NFL) protesting this reinstatement.  I would point out that Pete Rose never was allowed to return to baseball, and O.J. Simpson never played football or regained the financial status of his glory years (as Michael Vick will be doing if this comes to pass!) 

I also strongly urge letters be written to Ed Sayres, President of the ASPCA, who is quoted as saying: 

“[T]he Commissioner has been particularly thoughtful and has weighed every factor in his deliberations. The ASPCA can only offer him our gratitude for the gravity to which he has lent the issue of animal cruelty, as well as the provisions that the Commissioner has set forth to ensure that Mr. Vick has a positive impact on the NFL and his community…Opportunities for redemption are rare—but that is exactly the opportunity that awaits Mr. Vick…”

 As well as Wayne Pacelle, the CEO for HSUS.  It is reported he appeared on San Francisco radio station to DEFEND Vick’s reinstatement to the NFL!  HSUS then took another giant step and announced that Vick will become a spokesperson for the agency!

 Mr. Winograd’s Oakland-based Center protested the decision to reinstate Vick, stating the Commissioner’s decision, nor the views of HSUS and the ASPCA, “reflect the values of the hundreds of thousands of animal rescuers throughout the country, nor the millions of animal loving Americans who were not only heartbroken and angered by the egregious acts of sadistic animal cruelty perpetrated by Michael Vick, but the NFL’s recent decision to reinstate him as well.”

 I ask that you join with me and everyone else in writing a letter to these two major animal rescue organizations and let them know you are not willing to allow such horrific atrocities as those perpetuated by Michael Vick and his cronies to be treated with a slap on the hands. 

 Please click on the following link for a complete list of what the various ways Vick and his “associates” killed the dogs before burying them on his property:

 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/contribute/sn/persona?User=winograd&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckUserId=winograd&plckPostId=Blog%3awinogradPost%3a9b62621c-4dd4-4604-9c4d-24a3085f6eef&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest

Petland Employee drowns rabbits

Well, Gentle Readers, I was thinking the other day what I might do if I ever ran out of things to write about concerning animal welfare issues (dance in the streets, came to mind…).  Sad to say, I don’t see that happening anytime soon. 

The latest news to hit the airways concerns a young woman, Akron Petland employee Elizabeth Carlisle, who is “accused” of drowning two rabbits in the store, posing for pictures with the drenched, dead animals, and (if that was not enough!), Carlisle then posted the pictures on her Facebook page with a big smile on her face!  I find myself wanting to ask, “Was she born this way, or did they have to PUMP AIR into her brain?!”  However, that is not the most important question here. 

In my younger days (and yes, I CAN remember them!) the most horrific thing was a boy’s habit of pulling wings off flies.  And that was sickening even then!  Now we have young people (not kids, but young ADULTS) who seem to think that putting a kitten in an oven to get even with a boyfriend, or drowning two rabbits who might not be feeling well, is  “ acceptable behavior” for an employee of a business devoted to providing people with supplies for their pets.  The fact that this young woman saw it as something to literally “brag about” on her facebook page sickens me – and she’s really stupid to think that someone would not turn her in after she publicized what she did. 

When I think about all the people who donate hundreds of VOLUNTEER hours to all the pet stores across the country to help find GOOD homes for all sorts of animals (mainly cats and dogs, but I’ve seen rabbits, hamsters, etc.), I find myself wondering what they think about a story like this.  And if they consider throwing up their hands in disgust and giving up.  Probably not, because they come from their hearts in wanting good homes for these creatures large and small with people who will find out how much love and joy there can be in such a small package.

My continual horror was reading about  a former employee who is speaking out and saying the same practice of killing “ sickly animals”  has been done before at the Youngstown-area Petland.  Probably why, whoever this person is that has the courage to speak up, they are a FORMER employee!  I can only hope that anyone else in the pet store industry have the same courage…right after they give notice and get the hell out of the store.

It makes me question what kind of raising these young people got when they were children.  Did they have parents who failed to teach them any sort of reverence for life?  Or is our society reaching a point where that is not even an issue anymore?  Soldiers are taught that killing “an enemy” is not like killing another human, movies and TV shows thrive on blood and guts story lines – and now it has filtered down to children who see nothing wrong with killing anything – even each other.  As Ghandi was quoted many years ago:  “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”  

Well, Gentle Readers, our “greatness” is definitely in question at this point in time.  Please consider taking a few minutes to go to Care2.com and sign the petition there Punish Elizabeth Carlisle to the Full Extent of the Law – The Petition Site today.  And then share it with everyone you know and ask them to do the same.  Maybe, just maybe, we can turn this sort of situation around… one signature at a time.

Dolphins and Whales, oh my!

Dolphin lovers – have you heard about the new documentary that’s out called THE COVE?  I have no idea if I could actually sit through watching the movie, as I had a hard time just listening to the interviews and discussion about it on National Public Radio a few days ago!  Actually turned the radio off when they were going to play a tape of the frantic, terrified squeals of the dolphins that had been herded into the tank area from the open sea on a tiny island in Japan.  The island is a tourist attraction for dolphin and whale enthusiasts with a park, statues of dolphins, etc.  However, in the center of the “park” is a hidden tank where they drive the dolphins in from the open sea.  Babies that can’t keep up the pace coming in are left out in the ocean alone.  Representatives (trainers!) from sea parks (ie Sea World) get to choose the best/healthiest dolphins first – they will be transported to the various parks.  Then the fisherman move in to start slaughtering what’s left for the sale of the meat (sometimes advertised as whale meat).   Tests have shown the level of mercury in this “meat” is way higher than it should be for human consumption!  However, this is once again a “tradition” that has gone on for many years – and even the Japanese word for whales and dolphins translates to “monster fish” – they do not see them as mammals that are self aware.  Care2.com has petitions going to alert the Japanese government and the people of the country about this situation (current opinion is the majority of people in Japan have no idea this is happening and would be totally against it.  Obviously they do not have the kind of media coverage we are cursed with in the US…LOL).  These incredible creatures, along with whales, have actually SAVED humans in situations out on the open seas – and they are definitely “self aware.”  The ex-trainer interviewed on NPR talks about seeing whales and dolphins in parks that just lay against the side of the pools like logs, when they are not “performing” for the crowds, from sheer depression!  He has also had one commit suicide in his arms – just made itself stop breathing and sunk to the bottom.

Have you heard about this new documentary or seen it?  What are your thoughts about this situation and what we can do to bring an end to it?  Speak up – if you don’t, who will?

We’re off and running!

Thanks for the comments on the “birth” day of this blog!  I hope you will share it with others who are putting unpaid time and effort into the issues that are hitting the main news reports as well as the smaller incidents that don’t always make headlines.  Speaking of headlines,  a post yesterday touched on the horses being stolen and slaughtered during the night in Florida.  Anybody think this is a backlash of closing all the slaughterhouses awhile back – without addressing the issue of 1)countries that still consider horse meat as much a delicacy as we seem to consider beef in the US, and 2) the fact that people are now having trouble finding homes for horses they no longer can afford, are old and crippled, are not capable of “working” anymore – and stories abound about rescue ranches being overloaded and in my area they are finding horses in the desert with their brands sliced or cut off as well as tattoos on the underside of the top lip – so they can’t be traced back to the person who dumped them out there.  Is this another example of not thinking an idea through to some possible conclusions in this country?  Does anyone have any suggestions on how this situation can be changed, or at least modified?  Please share your thoughts and ideas with all of us.  And be sure to check out Care2.com for petitions you can sign to help alleviate some of the abuse and cruelty being applied to animals every day in this country as well as others.

Hello world!

I am an animal activist and communicator.  I have rescue animals in my life (horses, dogs, cats) and work hard to find homes for those I can’t take in.  I’m appalled by the numbers (ranging from 2.9 to 13.5 MILLION) of animals put down in this country every year.  I dont’ think that animals are “disposable items.”  I applaud the people who have put their lives into rescuing/fostering the “throw-away” critters of all sizes and support them in whatever way I can.  I want people to start talking about what is going on in your area and what you are doing to stop/help/publicize the abhorent actions of people who see animals as having no value – be it dog fighting, backyard breeders, horses with brands cut off being dumped in wilderness areas, race horses off the track – pick one – there are so many issues!  By coming together and sharing information and ideas I believe we can ALL make a difference in the lives of these wonderful creatures who seem to love us unconditionally even when we don’t earn it or deserve it.  Look forward to hearing from you!