Press Release from The Cloud Foundation
BLM Director Bob Abbey to speak at pro-horse slaughter convention
Las Vegas, NV (December 23, 2010)—The Cloud Foundation voices its concerns today over the significant BLM participation in the early January “Summit of the Horse”, better known as the “Slaughter Summit”. BLM Director, Bob Abbey, will be a keynote speaker at the conference, which purportedly ties wild horse management to the “solution” of horse slaughter. American wild horses must be protected from groups trying to profit from their slaughter. Director Abbey’s taxpayer-funded trip to Las Vegas to participate in a conference supporting horse slaughter is concerning.
“The BLM’s significant participation in this slaughter summit is truly troubling,” states Cloud Foundation Director, Ginger Kathrens. “The BLM needs to change course and begin listening to the American people who are calling for the protection and preservation of our wild herds, not to those who would profit from their flesh.”
Joining Director Abbey is the BLM’s longtime primary roundup contractor, Dave Cattoor, who, in 1992 pled guilty to one federal misdemeanor of “aiding and abetting” the use of an aircraft to illegally capture wild and free horses. The horses were sold to a Texas slaughter plant. Despite this conviction, BLM continued to award Cattoor millions of dollars in roundup contracts. Other speakers of note at the conference include current BLM Wild Horse and Burro Public Advisory Board member, Dr. Boyd Spratling DVM and Larry Johnson, who served on the Advisory Board for over ten years and made no bones about supporting the euthanasia of healthy wild horses in government holding facilities.
Organizers of the Summit promote the building of horse slaughter plants in the USA that would export horsemeat to Asian and European markets. Wild horses, essentially “grass fed”, are not tainted by drugs and dewormers, thereby making them more vulnerable to slaughter. The European Union, tightening food safety regulations, currently prohibits all wild equid meat except for that of zebras. Despite BLM assertions to the contrary, wild horses are sent to slaughter in Mexico and Canada regularly (link to video).
“How many of our wild horses sent to long term holding have ended up in slaughter houses?” questions Kathrens. “BLM lacks a transparent tracking system in order to account for the thousands of animals sent to numerous facilities around the country. To make matters worse, independent observers are denied access to these facilities to confirm the total number of animals being held.”
Horse slaughter is illegal in the US where horses are not consumed. The majority of horses sent to slaughter are young, healthy animals while others are barely able to walk and may be old and infirm, deserving of humane euthanasia—not slaughter.
The Master of Ceremonies for the Summit is agricultural talk show host and former disgraced pork factory farmer, Trent Loos. Conference organizers include the leading advocate of horse slaughter, Sue Wallis, Republican State Representative of Wyoming. Wyoming resident, Patricia Fazio, Ph.D. recently filed a complaint with state officials for alleged violations of ethics laws and securities fraud by Representative Wallis.
“They call the wild horses ‘feral’ and the slaughter horses ‘unwanted’ to denigrate them,” explains author RT Fitch. “The proponents of horse slaughter complain about the cost of wild horses in holding, but completely ignore the hundreds of millions of dollars shelled out by taxpayers to subsidize privately-owned livestock on public lands.”
The Cloud Foundation requests transparent tracking of all American wild horses removed from the wild and held by the BLM as well as an independent count of the estimated 40,000 wild horses in long and short term holding corrals and pastures. Wild horses cost little on our public rangelands but more than $40 million annually when incarcerated in government holding. Meanwhile, subsidized privately-owned livestock graze the majority of the wild horse ranges, at a net loss of at least $123 million per year. Restoring wild horse and burros to the more than 24 million acres removed from them over the past 40 years along with reinstatement of the more than 150 “zeroed out” herds while managing ranges “principally” for wild equids would effectively solve the “wild horse problem,” created through decades of mismanagement by the BLM.
Currently the BLM is removing the last of America’s wild horses and burros from Western public lands at enormous taxpayer expense—animals that Congress intended to remain free and unharmed. Population estimates, based on BLM’s own data, reveal a wild population of less than 20,000 wild horses and burros remaining now on American western public lands—at least 5,000 fewer than roamed free in 1971 when Congress decreed wild horses and burros to be “fast disappearing” and unanimously passed the Wild Horse and Burro Act. In 1971 there were more than 8,000 burros. Today BLM reports there are 4,7000 but likely far fewer. The BLM’s target population is only 1,200 burros.
On December 10th the US House of Congress agreed to a budget increase for BLM, giving the broken program $75 million to continue the roundup/removal of America’s wild herds. However, this week the Senate held BLM funding at 2010 levels until March by passing a Continuing Resolution. This resolution did not include the additional $12 million requested by BLM and did continue the prohibition to not allow the use of federal dollars to kill healthy wild horses or sell them for slaughter.
The Cloud Foundation will continue to push for a “defunding of the roundups” as legitimized by a recent independent report on the BLM’s mismanagement. Economist Dr. Caroline Betts of Southern California University estimates that wild horses and burros will undergo rapid extinction in as little as 11 years if BLM is allowed to continue on the current track of removals.
Links of interest:
R.T. Fitch www.sfthh.com
Trent Loos http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/uploads/Abbey-Summit.pdf
Independent Report to Defund Roundups: http://bit.ly/gCyiu0
WY Resident Files Complaint against Wallis http://bit.ly/hZPccF
Stampede to Oblivion: An Award Winning Investigative Report from CBS Las Vegas: http://bit.ly/iiNNYs
American Herds – “What’s Left?” http://americanherds.blogspot.com/2009/12/whats-left.html
Congress Sends Letter for Wild Herds to Secretary Salazar: http://bit.ly/54sign
Roundup Schedule: http://bit.ly/roundupsched
Mestengo. Mustang. Misfit. America’s Disappearing Wild Horses – A History: http://bit.ly/8ZCk8e
Public Lands Grazing Costs http://www.sagebrushsea.org/pdf/factsheet_Grazing_Fiscal_Costs.pdf
Short link to this release: http://bit.ly/dVMNZB
Past Cloud Foundation releases: http://bit.ly/9XD0TE
Related Articles
- BLM Director Bob Abbey Endorses Vegas Summit by Accepting Invitation to Speak (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- OIG Fails in Investigation of BLM (thecloudfoundation.wordpress.com)
- Delusional… (artandhorseslauraleigh.wordpress.com)
- “Slaughterhouse” Sue Wallis Fawns over Pro-Slaughter BLM King Pin (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- BLM Official Says No Bigwigs Have Accepted Slaughter Summit Invitation (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Wyoming Legislator Faces Ethics and Fraud Allegations Over Horse Slaughter Plans (animals.change.org)
- BLM told to designate ‘wild’ lands ()
Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Please Send this info to your State Senator, Information is power. It all depends on how you use it. These people sicken me.
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All,
Please make a New Years resolution and send Abby a note nest week before the summit and tell him it is just wrong that he attend this Summit of Horse Slaughter as he has 40,000 wild horses sitting in long term holding and there are no records of them. Tell him you want more transparency and will not stand for these animals to go to Slaughterhouse Sue. Let him know we know what is going on and will be tracking the safety of our wild horses and will continue to work to stop all horses from going to slaughter.
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You all realize the BLM will have to pay contractor Dave Cattoor to appear at this conference. It is bad enough that BLM staff is attending taking away precious staff time that could best be used for meeting with scientists, experts, range maintenance managers, but to pay a CONTRACTOR to attend is really poor use of your tax dollars. What does Dave Cattoor have to offer? Will he be talking about his old ways where he used to illegally round up wild horses to send to slaughter? Please write Mr. Abbey at director@blm.gov to voice your opposition to paying hired help to attend, along with his own attendance, course.
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Robert_Abbey@blm.gov
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The Cattoors began a huge roundup in Nevada yesterday, …Eagle Complex out of Ely District, but may have been snowed out. Hopefully…. if they worked they would gave made triple time for the holiday and it being a Sat. They will remove over 700 horses from herds totaling over 800. What they leave will be a ‘sex ratio adjustment’ of more stallions than mares. They will remove older horses who deserve to live out their lives on their range and all the young. Those released will likely be pzp-22’d also. This herd is done for.
Then, in a few weeks, out of Elko District, the Antelope Complex roundup will do the same thing to the herds of over 1400 horses and remove over 1300 of these horses. Another large herd area gone.
Laura Leigh is the only person showing up out there to witness for the wild horses and to tell us what she sees. Please support Laura in the field by asking Maureen at Grass Roots Horse to send your donation to her directly. Gas is her biggest expense and can run up to $100. a day during a roundup…. she needs a room and food, too. All she has been able to do comes from us. Thanks, mar
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Mr. Abbey,
Your stance to ignore the American public’s wishes and the gross failure to protect our wild horses is an act that shall haunt you for the rest of your life. To attend the Summit is yet one more highly inappropriate gamble on your part, to further shock the nation as your role is not to explore slaughter but to protect mustangs. Is it you play Russian Roulette with our wild horses as to manifest your failure to preserve our herds ? Wouldn’t that energy better be used to finally and ever step up as America is aware of the shortcomings of BLM ? Your actions are driven by greed, ignorance and deception. There are no words to express our disgust. Not that this matters to you in the first place. But we all lost faith in our government due to corrupt minds such as yourself.
The lies, failure, brainwash and mis-management of BLM will go down in history. You are part of it. How can you sleep at night ? I pray your actions will catch up with you, in a different place, at a different time.
Shame on you – forever. Your name is smeared now with the wipe out of our horses, deceiving your nation and betraying the very ones YOU were assigned to protect, not extinct. Corrupt government is what you stand for. You ought to focus on how to stop scapegoating our wild horses and burros for hamburger and gasoline and not lower yourself even deeper by attending some event where you in your position have no business in the first place.
Are you proud to be American ?
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I was planning to write Bobby-Boy about his speaking at an absolutely PRO-slaughter “Summit” when he isn’t supposed to be thinking about slaughter. He knows what SSue is all about. They both were at the meeting last summer when SS kept speaking out of turn.
Besides that, Ms. Wallis is under a cloud now. Does he REALLY want his name associated with hers?
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This is what I wondered, Suzanne. Why in the world would he still be on the roster for this event?
Knowing that Mrs. Wallis has had a formal complaint filed against her and that she’s under increasing scrutiny for ethics violations, as well as ignoring food safety issues, you’d think that Mr. Abbey would bow out of the upcoming summit. After all, if the BLM is truly concerned about its public image, being associated with pro-slaughter organizations seems like a bad public relations move.
Glad to hear that Temple Grandin backed out. That’s good news at least…
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Nora:
I don’t like saying this, but I (like many here) am more than experienced in the best and worst of human behavior:
(1) Abbey, Salazar, Gorey, etc do it because they can and have been allowed to behave this way and NO ONE with power has ever called them out; and,
(2) I wouldn’t celebrate the Grandin situation quite yet….let’s see exactly what transpires first.
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When did TG back out? Did she give a reason why??
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” You are known by the company you keep!”
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Really? Temple Grandin is out?? I think that may say she is concerned with the legitimacy of this meeting… like all of us… the threat to our wild horses is the obvious
theme… and to push the old Dying of thirst and hunger and destroying the range while overpopulating (very tiny) spaces… goes on as if it were somehow true.
Happy Christmas my friends! love, mar
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Go to Horseback or EWA websites and read that Grandin will speak.
The proverbial, “don’t count your chickens, before they hatch”. I am not happy posting this, but let’s see what she speaks about before some want to condem.
Another point, this women is in the meat business. While she may quibble with the meat summit hosts about details (and knowing her personal situation), I never believed that she (or her handlers) wouldn’t find a path for her to personally participate.
Folks, this lady makes serious cash by speaking and writing books; the majority of which revolve around production slaughter of traditional livestock. She is so far up the USEF’s and NCBA’s butts I fear she needs them to all wear glass bellybuttons.
I will say one thing: I want to publically see her equine slaughter design (hard to find last I checked) AND the economic numbers that support profitability AND hamane euthanasia concurrently.
In closing, this paradigm of humane slaughter has never publically (free) published her equine slaughterhouse plan/design or made a public comment on the current situation of equine slaughter that I know of. Please advise if I am incorrect because if that is the case, Dr. Grandin would appear to be suffering from “ethics and morals ain’t a problem until I get my cash”….you know, pay me first disease. and since the meat industry is psychotic on equine slaughter….you won’t hear one contrary word from this so-called slaughter savant.
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Sorry….
NOT “USEF” (god forbid)….should have read “USMEF” (United States Meat Export Federation….and every other meat industry in the US).
NCBA is National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (I think I got that right).
BTW…there is a story out of AP that shows the DOI is still screwing up the Gulf Oil Disaster. I’ll try to find link. Why is it important? Because it talks about collusion, lack of transparency and the status quo of shennanegins at DOI when it comes to truth and competency. BBTW…I thought that troll Slaughterczar was supposed to be gone?!?!? Talk about teflon!
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Please remember that Nevada has recently created a state group made up of old mustangers who are now the ‘experts’ on record for the wild horses in Nevada. I hear the Ag Department is getting the boot also; bye bye Lesperance. Remember the Chinese are coming to Nevada and the ranchers in the way are getting the boot from the water sources they have been using for generations….
Big changes are coming to Nevada! But if you have been out there on public lands you would know the changes have been coming on strong for many years… mar
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I wouldn’t waste one keystroke on these equine killin’ trolls.
No one should be surprised that the major force behind the extermination of our American Icons may be attending a “horsemeat convention”….that’s the business they are in! They are the furthest thing from “caretakers” any thinking and ethical person could imagine. But any concerned citizen certainly has the right to be outraged; funnel the outrage at the White House and the Congress….you ain’t gonna’ get SQUAT from the killers!
Thank you TCF.
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I do not believe TC has ever even designed an equine slaughter facility, let alone discussed it. I’m not even sure she INTENDS to do so. As far as anything solid on Sue’s “state-of-the-art” plant, I don’t think there is anything even remotely solid on that. Seems to me it’s all fantasy horse slaughter.
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First order of Business Monday Morning is for me to send this to every official In the State of Ohio……..Mr. Abbey s participation in the Insane Summit is a direct hit right in the American Taxpayers Face, for him to Justify the Further wasting of The Taxpayers dollars on this RIDICULOUS Charade is a total embarrassment of American People, after we have paid to preserve and Protect our Icons and symbols of Freedom Murder them unmercifully , have Murdered innocent Foals , and KILLED Precious Stallions guarding their Herds, THEY have all lost their MINDS….MY GOD !!!! NOW this Atrocity!!! All on The American Taxpayers Dime…………….. Just who in the Hell does he think he is……………. For the sake of all the means anything good in this World, will some official somewhere here in the US Save these Precious Wild Mustangs…………………….. Dismantle the senseless BLM>>>>>>>>>>>>> and take HSUS investigate them also for their participation with The PZP>>>> This PZP must be studied and Annalise for its true worth, or maybe HSUS and the BLM should test it on their families…. If they think its so wonderful………… Then and only under strict guidlines should it be used… When ever using any drug on any living breathing thing there must be Guidelines strictly followed !!!!Any use sage in any other form should be prohibited………….. When they can do this then it will be a go……….not one minute before !!!!!
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BTW, IF the head wild equine killer shows, it becomes more fuel to add to the outrage bonfire….more documented ammo on their (DOI/USDA) true intent.
I still think they are selling mustangs and burros to slaughter…short AND long term holding POWs.
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Yep, and there are new ways we have found that are used to accomplish this… and the BLM worker bees do not always know the score… but others do.
Sale Authority horses are in constant danger of sale to Kill Buyers and the horses are taken to slaughter. They use covers and stories of who and what they are and what will
become of the loads of horses. Just more records being hidden from the public of what really goes on. mar
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I donot think there is or has been any doubt about the intentions of the BLM toward the Wild Horses, once the secret document was disclosed-“the infamous’ “Alternative Management Options” The Blm spent a year, traveling around the west-conducting secret meetings, countless taxpayer dollars, not to develope a “management plan” but how to dispose of the wild horses..literally their lives and bodies, and how to “manage” that information and conduct-stating in their own words-that “the American public would be outraged”..but posing the question-“DO WE CARE”..This document could stand alone as ample evidence to support removing the BLM as caretaker of this nations wild horses, and i suggest that every member of congress -the White House and Eric Holder..ATT Gen..have this put on their desks
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For those of you who have not seen lauras documentation on the recent roundups going on in Nevada..go take a look at those horses being held in the gather corrals,,standing in puddles with sleet freezing rain and snow-and look for the photo of the recently weaned colts and the foal standing off next to a big piece of equipment left parked inside the pen-pressing his body against the tounge of that trailer trying to seek comfort and protection from the storm..where in the wild he would have been pressing up against his mother..there is no warmth and comfort from that machinery..but that is all he has…and I want people to demand..Where is the HSUS and the ASPCA while this is occurring? There is no Merry Christmas while this is going on
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You are SO right, Sandra. I have spent way too much time looking at that poor, lost thing, pressing up against that cold machine. It’s heartbreaking. If one HAS a heart that is.
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Absolutely!!!! How is Wish this would not be this way !!!!!!
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Put “BLM Killing Horses” in your search bar– there are many articles on “the solution”. BLM has 40,000 horses in LTH–the mares are not PZPed and the other herd is geldings. And they are on private property ( basically stolen from the American public–yet you pay for them?? hunh?). SHS+BLM= profit By his very silence, Pres. Obama has sent you a message. Does anyone know why there is a request for no one to sign petitions against Sue?
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Like I said, when an individual (citizen) is involved with having to deal with a lunatic (DOI/USDA, etc) that is fouling your life(country), you don’t plead and beg or try to reason with the lunatic…..you demand action from the head (Prez/Congress) of the asylum (Executive and Legislative Branches). And in time, if they don’t listen….you fire the staff(vote and protest, legal action, media, etc)!
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There are TWO men, and two men alone, who can stop this madness- KEN SALAZAR and BARACK OBAMA. All others involved- including Abbey, are just mindless robots programmed to not think, not use common sense, and not feel guilt or remorse. They are well paid mercernary soldiers marching blindly to evil orders.
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You’ve got it right, Elaine! They could put a stop to this, if they really wanted to. Obama could end this with a stroke of a pen, but like everything else, this is just another policy he’s putting through without the consent of the people. Do we really believe he’s concerned about the welfare and future of our American wild horses? This whole situation is deeply troubling and I’m extemely concerned about their fate.
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And here, what else is new?, is one more cause….it never ends……overwhelming. However, I have posted this link. Please read. I know there are tons of stories like this. But, the reason I am broadcasting this, is because – just days after this new rescue , and one week before Christmas- Judy Glore, the founder of this non-profit horse rescue, was apprised of a horrific motorcycle accident in which her 20-something year old son was involved. Although he has survived, it is touch and go…multiple surgeries – and I heard he was getting a feeding tube. She is up in Phoenix with him – very critical, outcome uncertain. He was not wearing a helmet – he had given it to his girlfriend – who escaped pretty much unscathed. Heart of Tucson board members, as well as volunteers, are stepping up to help fill the gap. Please send prayers, and any donation, if you can, would be greatly appreciated….WHY is it the needs are so much greater ? Although there seems to be many unconcerned people, with lots of dispensable income, and whom are not on these sites….(forgive my cynicism) .Miracle please – for ALL- human & dear, innocent animals – that need it this Christmas Eve.
http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/nicanor/archive/tags/dyna+king/default.aspx
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Audrey, I read “Gifted’s” blog. Hope all goes well for him. I sent a small donation.
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From WILD HORSE AND BURRO WARRIORS:
George Knapp on Big-Oil, Gas & Wind & the BP, DOI, MMS & BLM Wild Horse-Killing Connection
http://vodpod.com/watch/4053107-is-bp-killing-wild-horses-for-oil
Posted by Mz.Many Names at 4:19 PM
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Here is one email address to contact. Does anyone know of any other?
website@aspca.org
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It is SHOCKING that Bob Abbey will be a Horse Slaughter keynote speaker!! guess he wants ANOTHER- free vacation in Las Vegas in a casino hotel!!
So sickening all the 40,000 wild horses crammed in BLM ‘longterm holding’ many thousands in pens inside prison grounds…..not a chance for public viewing..not even offered for adoption!!
There was a trailor wreck last week, with 40 wild horses on the way to BLM longterm holding. The horses were fine, however I did notice in the pictures some of those wild horses were yearlings?? Those are adoptable horses!! why aren’t longterm holding wild horses pictured, listed on the BLM website and offered for adoption!!??
Bob Abbey instead of chatting and taking a vacation in Vegas with horse killers…why not take some pictures of those yearlings!! in your blm longterm holding and work on getting some homes?
Bob Abbey wastes time trying to find ways to KILL horses and he won’t spend a few mins a day to PROMOTE ADOPTIONS!!
Bob Abbey I hope you spent YOUR Christmas standing in ice water, 6 degree weather-WIND- like you left the rounded-up wild horses over Christmas.
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Trailer Hauling Wild Mustang Mares to BLM Long Term Holding Crashes.
BLM reports the mares were captured in the Calico roundup.
http://www.wildhorsepreservation.org/news/?p=2958
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And the Ponca paper characterized them as “dangerous animals” And “sharp shooters ” were stationed there in case any should escape. ” WHAT THE H…..LL!!!!
No tranquilizers????
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OOOooops! We just happened to lose a few more.
Yeah! Right! And chickens have teeth!
These killers are in a frenzy to make these American Icons disappear faster than we can find out. Planned crash? Don’t think so, but who knows if what happened isn’t because advocates can’t check up, Congress ain’t auditing, contractors are scumbags and they won’t throw some others on the trucks or hide more numbers of dead, dying or butchered in their corrupt counts.
This is just sick…read Horseback about Grandin.
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Everyone knows that Abby and Salazar are scumbugs. THe only thing that can stop them is lawsuits that bring about all the mistreatings and underhanded happenings at the roundups and holding pens, not to mention the trailering of the horses. This needs to be brought out to the attention of the American public. How about a TV special about the BLM, their coharts, and what is happening at the holding pens. IT might be worth it. Maybe some of the wealthy that love horses would COUGH up funds to start places for these wild horses and burros to go where they can’t become a number that is missing. God Help Us to achieve this.
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The petition is still growing
http://www.change.org/petitions/view/call_on_wy_authorities_to_investigate_ethics_and_fraud_allegations_against_rep_sue_wallis
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“Instant karma’s gonna get you
Gonna look you right in the face
Better get yourself together darlin’
Join the human race …”
From “Instant Karma” by John Lennon
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