Story by Steven Long ~ Author/Publisher of Horseback Magazine LIVE LINK
CSU Faculty Member Caught in BloodFest Cloud of Controversy
Humane Slaughter Expert Dr. Temple Grandin of Colorado State University
HOUSTON, (Horseback) – A nationally know animal behaviorist, Dr. Temple Grandin of Colorado State University, has asked that her name not be linked to pre-publicity for controversial gathering of ranchers, horse breeders, and representatives of the meat industry and industry wanabes who will gather in Las Vegas shortly after the New Year.
Yet Grandin will speak at the event.
“Temple is attending the meeting and will be presenting, said the famed professor’s spokeswoman, Cheryl Miller. She gave no further explanation why Grandin is reluctant that her name be used in advance publicity which has been widely circulated to the press. In notes sent to anti-horse slaughter advocates Miller said the Colorado State faculty member had asked event organizer Sue Wallis, a Wyoming legislator that her name not be used in pre-publicity for the event.
Organizers of the event are hoping to build a legal horse slaughter plant in Wyoming. Grandin gained fame by designing a system which tricks cattle into a state of well being as they are led to slaughter by a captive bolt gun, a device that sometimes misses its mark and leaves animals maimed.
Other guests touted to speak at the summit include Bob Abbey, director of the federal Bureau of Land Management, an agency under fire for allegedly attempting to drive the wild horses of the American West to extinction in favor of providing cheap grazing land to farmers and ranchers.
Recently ethics complaints have been filed against Summit organizer Wallis R, Wyoming with her state legislature alleging self dealing and possible IRS violations of the 501(c)3 non profit status of her groups. The complaint was filed by wild horse advocate Pat Fazio, Ph.D.
Another Summit participant, BLM’s lead helicopter chase contractor, Dave Cattoor, once plead guilty to the misdemeanor of illegally capturing wild horses which were later allegedly sold for slaughter.
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Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
OK…this is just weird. Anyone want to explain to me what exactly is going on here?
IOW, it seems like very illogical behavior to me.
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It makes no sense to me either outside of the fact that only a week away and the “Scummit” is already beginning to loose steam and crumble…but of course, if it does it will be the evil animal “activist’s” fault and not the fact that the issue of horse slaughter is NOT welcomed by the American public. There is no ownership or accountability there, what so ever.
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wonder if Temple Grandin knows that Sue Wallis used her name as endorsing their horse-killing methods..Sues “charity horse-slaughter” used Temple Grandins’ name in several newsletters she sent out over the past 2?years!!
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I would take that as somewhat of a compliment to the power of the people who have the true concern for the horse. We can shut down a summit, guess we can also bankrupt an online newsletter no matter that “She” had $300,000 stake. For Grandin to decide at the last minute not to have her name used is pretty absurd, the damage to what name she has is already done. If she declined to speak or allow her name to be used at all under threat of suit (which Sue couldn’t afford to pay anyway) would be a bit more noble stance.
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I often wondered who it was that wanted to set the length of rope for hangings, the right amount of electricity to electrocute someone, or chemicals to do it humanly. I know a police sniper who sat in a cold field in anxious apprehension of an order to “take him out”. I have tipped so far in my repulsion that I became a vegetarian and as sick as it may seem to some gave up the killing of any life form even insects, because I feel who gives any of us the authority to set the bar at what level that is acceptable? Seems some people accept that responsibility and justify it as necessary, or someone has to do it. Animals must be managed, right? Are we alone going to ultimately be alone on this planet because of the managers who set the appropriate management levels. Bastards one and all.
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We wouldn’t be alone for long. Animals can live very well without man but man could never survive without all the good that animals do.
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Words or wisdom.
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Why is she even attending?
Could it be she gets to design her alternative method for slaughter?
Its all about money folks!!
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Very interesting! TGrandin, is someone, who atleast speakes out for *Animals*..The least she can do for this meeting in Los Vegus. She does have logic and interesting, things to say..And, it is, of-course her own personel right, if she doesn,t want her name plastered everywhere in advanced publicity. *Thats her right, just like everyone has their right to things.. These proslaughter meetings, have no logic sides to it, its all about cruel killing and $$$.. Lets hope 2011 will bring more light to cruelty..
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Everyone wants to pat Temple on the back because she “thinks like a cow”. But, she is missing the part where the cow is murdered against his/her own will. Just because she can manipulate them into a more calm state does not mean that they want to die.
And, making any kind of slaughter seem all warm and fuzzy is just misleading the public into thinking that animals don’t mind being murdered. Last time I checked, not one volunteered.
This whole thing is a farse…..
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Me, too! DITTO Valerie!
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http://www.vegansoapbox.com/i-am-scared-and-dont-want-to-die/
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Ditto – Everything Valorie says!
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I see the BLM has used Temples wavey design in one of their holding lots. Temple did you notice there are some holes (rusted through?) and the horses pile up at those spots and peek out. The wavey shute anyways ends up in the blms small open panel ‘waiting’boxes before the auto-pressure squeeze-box. Then the horses are all up-set again,bashing around. So the wavey shute is pretty much a waste.
Temple Grandin please think of the human side of the horse-slaughter industry.Most people can accept beef, pork and chicken as a food industry animal.
To most humans slaughter as an end of life for any horse is as horrific as if ‘they’ (the horse-eaters) wanted to kill Americas ‘unwanted’ dogs and cats for meat and furs.
It’s not right to ever have end of life for any horses be a slaughter house.
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THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT THINKING OF THE HORSES ONLY WHAT THEY CAN MAKE FROM THEM ALIVE OR DEAD. MONEY IS THEIR ONLY GOD AND SEEING AN ANIMAL IN PAIN IS THEIR BIG THRILL. YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT THEY WOULD DO WITH PEOPLE IF THEY HAD CONTROL. MAYBE THE REASON SLAUGHTERHOUSE SUE IS SO FAT IS BECAUSE OF ALL THE HORSE MEAT SHE EATS. OUR HORSES ARE IMPORTANT TO THE WORLD AND TO US AND WE MUST KEEP FIGHTING FOR THEM.
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Maybe TGrandin will have insight on these proposals, both professional and ethical. I do want to hear her and hope she has the sense to ‘see’ America has taken her own direction away from horse slaughter. Why should TG design equipment and methodology when this is an illegal act in the USA now?
Come on, Temple. Show us you have not defied the public that has accepted you so by respecting the wild horses and our domestic horses have been legally freed of this death sentence here. Don’t plan against their new found freedom from slaughter in the USA! mar
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Mar, despite my cheeky advice about the “flu”, I agree it will be interesting to hear her positions. I can only hope she addresses not only ethics and inhumane practices, but also licensing, inspections, pollution, long-term viability, and costs to design, build, and maintain the facility(s).
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Temple has already been used in publicity for this event. She has given her stamp of approval on this event by attending. She has written bestselling books with major publishers, had movies made about her life and if you think she doesn’t have a lawyer that could get her out speaking at this event, especially in light of the ethics cloud hanging over Wallis, you are mistaken. Horse slaughter is illegal in the US. If she wants to speak out for the humane slaughter of horses, I suggest she take up residence in Canada or Mexico. For her to speak about how to “humanely” slaughter horses in a country where it is illegal is akin to Michael Vick using his rehabbed celebrity speaking out about how to make dogfighting more humane. It’s ILLEGAL, Temple. Shame on you and your handler Cheryl Miller. Guess Cheryl knows a cash cow when she sees one.
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I totally concur with your statement, as well as most of those above…..I am no fan of Temple Grandin.
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Thank you for posting that video. I have heard she is an amazing lady. I wish I could hear her speak!
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If TG is smart, she’ll couch her comments about slaughter. If she’s REALLY smart, she’ll come down with a sudden case of flu!
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I keep seeing statements that horse slaughter for human consumption is illegal. It’s not, unfortunately. That’s why H.R. 503/S. 727 are so important. When I was in D.C. in July to help lobby legislators, I was given a document (issued by the Congressional Research Service), by a legislative aide to one of the Senators we spoke with: Horse Slaughter Prevention Bills and Issues, author Tadlock Cowan, Analyst in Natural Resources and Rural Development, January 11, 2010. The Summary on the first page of this document states: In 2006, two Texas plants and one in Illinois slaughtered nearly 105,000 horses for human food, mainly for European and Asian consumers. In 2007, court action effectively closed the Texas plants, and a state ban in Illinois closed that plant. Meanwhile, activists have continued to press Congress for a federal ban.
>>>Lawmakers have prohibited the use of funds or user fees for inspection of horses for human food in several years’ appropriations measures, including FY2010 (P.L. 111-80). Pending at the start of the second session of the 111th Congress are bills (H.R. 503, s.727) that would make it a crime to knowingly possess, ship, transport, deliver, or receive any horse, carcass, or horse flesh intended for human consumption.”
Sue Wallis is trying to find a way around the necessity for USDA inspections in the state of Wyoming by changing a state law or laws there. I don’t have handy the information on that, but I clearly read this, perhaps even in this blog…not sure, but I could find it if asked to do so. It might take a few hours.
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so, it’s not illegal as far as the federal government is concerned, there are just no funds presently allocated for slaughter plant inspections. In this economy, that’s not likely to happen because the demand for horse meat isn’t great in this country. If funds were allocated in the federal budget for these insepections, there would be nothing stopping anyone from building another slaughtering facility for horse meat for humans, except for in Illinois or in any other subsequent state that passed legislation making these facilities illegal in that specific state.
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Annie, you are always so legally informed, I love it! Thanks for always having that kind of statistics ready! You rock!
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I didn’t sit and READ ALL the comments so if I am reiterating what some else said, then forgive me. lol
I think it is possible that Temple Grandin, was used a little bit, in their political arena, and personal agenda. I think, a lot of this is a strategy on Sue’s and Dave part, to create an illusion of having more support than they really do. I.E. on her letters/emails, to herself concerning this lawsuit with P Fazio. I watch their website, and it’s mostly the same people over and over posting, not to mention that they delete anybody that has even the slightest opinion against them. I think they are counting on most people being sheep, and they are able to spoon feed most of the people the information that they want them to have, and thus their for have undue influence on these people. If you also had into the fact, that Wyoming has gotten hit hard in the economics of this country, they are pretty much grabbing at whatever Sue and Dave are putting out their as potential jobs.
They are playing on peoples, fears and vulnerability at this time. I think Temple Grandin is now being smart and Re thinking her association with them, since they are getting such bad reviews. Yet, she is in the indubious position of wanting to implement her plans and programs. She’s walking a middle of the road, and or thin line here. Not saying that she is completely innocent, but I have always felt that they were using her, for their own means. At Least with her plans, the animals stand a chance of at least a Humane Slaughter, if you can say there is such a thing. Yet, like all other plans, this must be regulated and enforced, or it will go the way of all the others, sorry to say that in some Humans, their greed gets the best of them. As it stands now, we have enough laws, and regulations to not be dealing with this as such a nasty and cruel process, yet here we are! We can have all the laws and regulations we can handle, but if there not enforced and or enforceable then what do we have?
Anyway, I think it is very much a small Victory within itself, especially along side of the lawsuit. I think this is just the beginning of the fall of their illegal empire, that they are attempting to construct. Personally I hope it falls down on top of them, brick by brick, and if we are really lucky some of these crooks will end up in Prison, where they belong? Who knows, but I think we need to keep the pressure on and keep pushing and exposing these people, over and over until, it’s so blatant that no body can pretend not to see! The real person that needs to be taken down, is Ken Salazar and Abbey, with out them they would have no power. Sue and Dave are just another one of their cronies, and bought off, for their own interest!
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I agree they are using and taking advantage of “Temple Grandin”. They have used her name several times over the years to endorse their ‘horse-slaughter charity’ business.
Temple needs to understand Sue and her buddies are ‘horse traders’ first and the term “horse-trader” never meant honesty in america.
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:):) Ditto!
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Something else I would like to implement here is, don’t forget there are other animals/livestock that are also being Slaughtered; and Temple has designed the same facilities for them, with adjustment for the uniqueness of individual species. So far it’s the best we got for Humane slaughter for Beef, Dairy, Pigs and so on. So even thought we focus on the Equine species, within this group, there are other livestock animals at steak here (pun intended). If you think, the Equine is horrendous, watch some of the Beef and Dairy Cows videos on the handling and Slaughter of these animals. I advocate, humanity for all animals slaughtered, it just doesn’t need to be as abusive and cruel as it is, presently. Not to mention, what we are teaching our children and society about what is acceptable in the handling of and empathy and compassion for other beings misery! If they can abuse an animal on that level, they can certainly abuse a person as well. Same personality profile!
I myself am not a vegetarian, and I’m not sure that I can go in that direction. I do not eat a lot of meat, just from a personal perspective, but I would never classify myself as a Vegetarian. I think Temple Grandin, has something to offer, and shouldn’t be thrown out with the bath water, but at the same time, I think the slaughter of Equine is a unique and separate issue. No other livestock holds, the same unique role, as one hoof in livestock and one hoof in companion animals.
The law has been slow to catch up with the changing, and duel roles of the Equines’. Then you have the slaughter issues ,all intertwined with the Wild Mustangs and the unethical and criminal actions of the BLM for nothing more than Greeed. Personal and Political Greed!.. The political motives run so much deeper than most people suspect; concerning the BLM and their role, as protector of our Wild Mustangs. That’s another topic, better saved for later. These Mustangs are just simple victims of this political agenda and arena that going on behind the scene.
The people that are being dubbed by Sue and Dave are not looking beyond their immediate needs for relief from their current economy crises, in part directly due to Sue and Dave smoke screens, that they are presenting to their followers. The followers will eventually figure it out, but by then it will be to late. The damage will be done. If we don’t stop them now, this will turn into a nightmare, we will regret!
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Some of you may know Temple and know more about her than I. I read her book Animals Make Us Human, have read some of her articles on the Internet (there is a lot of repetition between the book I read and the articles I found). I also watched the HBO movie of her life, and later watched a couple of on-line videos, one by the BBC.
I am familiar with autism and one of the problems Temple may have with this (maybe not) is the affective (feeling) side of the horse slaughter issue or having the kinds of attachments that a lot of us do to horses and what they represent to us. Horses evoke all kinds of feelings and associations in us that even a person who functions as well as Temple does intellectually may not experience affectively. On the other hand, none of us are alike, and it would be unfair to assume what she might or might not feel. I do not think she would see horses as food animals where she clearly sees pigs, cattle, poultry, and some wild animals as food animals. In her book, she compares horses more with deer which helps her make the point about the psychology of being a prey animal.
She has done interesting work, and I believe she is motivated in part by her desire to prevent animals from unnecessary suffering. However, having spent a lot of her time on her aunt’s cattle ranch, she may have a very pragmatic approach to the slaughter of livestock.
No doubt she is aware of the therapeutic role horses have played in the lives of autistic people, and she may understand this issue in ways that we can’t. However, I would hope her “handler” would have her radar up to investigate situations that might compromise Temple or the hard earned reputation she has built. To an extent, she, too, also needs an advocate, someone who will not sell her out to get grant money or special favors.
It seems possible to me that once the United Horsemen were (she was) able to secure Temple’s commitment, they were (she was) able to lure other people to event trading on Temple’s name to make the conference seem legitimate. It may well be that Temple did not know what she was getting into. She does a bit of public speaking (spoke at conference on autism here in October) and, it may be, that she assumes the requests come from legitimate sources until she finds out otherwise.
She said in her book that one of the the things that is discouraging about her work with the cattle industry is that while she is present and training the staff how to use her methods, she gets good results, but there is a high rate of recidivism if there is no one keeping regular records or making regular checks of plants actually using her methods because it is just so easy to do things the way they have always been done. If her ultimate goal is to make life and death more humane for animals, she may fear a backlash from the cattle industry in adopting and using her methods. She may fear that more than she fears a law suit.
Shame, shame, shame on sly wolves baiting the lamb—
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Christie,
I think your assessment of Temple Grandin, is fairly accurate, and concise. I think time will tell, sorry to say. Prayers’ never hurt, and just maybe do some good! Sue Wallis and Dave Duquette, are just wicked people, and know no bounds to their incestuous behavior and criminal acts. At time’s I lose hope in this Judiciary system, of ours, but sometimes it comes through. Here’s hoping!
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All these individuals advocating slaughtering of our wild horses and/or cruelty in their roundups are low lifes that deserve to suffer the cruelist of all deaths. I, for one, wouldn’t mind witnessing it on behalf of the horses and donkeys. These people don’t deserve to breath another day of living because of their inhumane views and the deceit and self serving actions they are doing. As I’ve said from the beginning, the BLM needs dismantling and the Congress, if any of them have any guts, should immediately stop all roundups, release all wild horses back to their ranges, and pass a law prohibiting any transportation of any kind, inside the U.S., of horses to slaughtering plants. Our Congress is not, as is now, caring about its people that they are supposed to answer to. We are demanding the stoppage of all cruelty to our horses, wild or domestic and no more transportation to slaughterhouses – PERIOD. I firmly believe rescues, sanctuaries, and groups having horses for autistic children could take all of our horses that need homes. All we need is one Congress person to have the GUTS TO STAND UP AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THE FIRST STEP IS TO FIRE SALAZAR, ABBEY AND DISMANTLE THE BLM. THE NEXT STEP IS TO PROHIBIT ANY LOBBYISTS REPRESENTING CATTLEMEN OR OIL OR GAS COMPANIES FROM HAVING LOBBYISTS ON THE CAPITAL’S STEPS.
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Hip Hip Hooray. There is just no other word for those kind of people but just EVIL, and they are running rampant.
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There is just no other word for “those” kind of people, but just EVIL, and they are running rampant.
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