Call to Action from Vicki Tobin – VP of Equine Welfare Alliance
Fringe Equine Blood Cult Attempts to Mislead Missouri Governor
Dave “Doink” Duquette, alleged horse trainer and self-avowed horse eater ~ photo not taken by R.T. Fitch
Normally, we just ignore these because they are so off the wall but we think this is one we should act upon.
Duquette sent an email to call the governor in Missouri that started with:
“Why is Missouri Governor Jay Nixon listening to D.C. beltway anti-agriculture special interest animal rights groups instead of Missouri agriculture?”
Well, that’s an easy one to answer, Dave. It’s because the “animal rights groups” have the facts and you don’t.
Let’s call the governor and thank him for doing the right thing. Horse slaughter plants have proven they cannot comply with environmental regulations. In addition, there is no way to guarantee that food safety in US horses because they are not raised as food animals.
573.751.3222
Here’s the rest of his drivel in case you’re interested. A lot of name calling and as usual, asking for for more money – LOL!
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Tell Governor Nixon that Missouri agriculture stands with the horse industry and are absolutely united-for the sake of our horses, and of agriculture-you cannot hold up a humane and economically beneficial solution on the whim of out of touch radicals who offer zero solutions. In fact, it is as a direct result of failed HSUS policies that horses are suffering, have lost all value…the blood of thousands of starved, abandoned horses is on the hands of HSUS and on theirs alone.
Governor Nixon needs to hear load and clear how holding up a beleaguered small family business ready to provide jobs, and a humane and economically beneficial solution for the horse industry, is wrong for Missouri, wrong for the horses, and wrong for agriculture!
Upon considering the facts, a federal judge completely discredited the spurious fabrications of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and delivered a decision “with prejudice” that should have allowed horse processing to commence immediately in Missouri, Iowa, New Mexico and elsewhere. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) stands ready to provide the rigorous inspection and enforcement of the U.S. Humane Methods of Slaughter laws, the highest animal welfare standard in the world, as well as the Federal Meat Inspection Act, which requires that every animal processed for food be healthy, wholesome, and absolutely free of contamination.
Facts and the rights of legitimate industries don’t matter to HSUS. Governor Nixon should not be beholden to radical special interest groups…
In spite of this, Governor Nixon and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources are holding up what should be the routine renewal of a long-standing permit to use a closed lagoon system to handle wash down water at the Rains Natural Meats plant in Gallatin. The Rains plant has been using the lagoon system for the past fourteen years in their business of processing livestock of all kinds. There has never been a discharge to any river or steam from that lagoon. And yet, HSUS has filed to stop this routine renewal based on their claim that “every horse to be processed would be so full of veterinary drug residues that the by-products of their slaughter would be discharged into nearby rivers and streams polluting waters so badly it would kill fish and hurt people.”
Never mind that the food safety plan approved by FSIS for the Rains plant includes the third party laboratory testing of every single carcass guaranteeing that there will be zero drug residue in their product.
Never mind that the closed lagoon system used by Rains has never discharged to any waterway, ever.
Never mind that the federal judiciary has emphatically discredited HSUS claims. And never mind that the 10th District Appellate Court-HSUS filed for an appeal immediately in their effort to continue to harass and defame legitimate small businesses-just denied and completely vacated HSUS’ request to continue preventing FSIS from performing the inspections they are mandated by law to do.
Never mind that HSUS with their millions of dollars of ill-gotten gains offer ZERO solution to the problem of unwanted horses, or any solution to the hard hit horse industry.
On the other hand, United Horsemen and the horse people of Missouri and the entire nation, continue to advocate for the only viable solution, a solution that retains the intrinsic value of every horse ensuring their humane handling whatever their final fate.
Some horses will die of natural causes, some will be put down as a beloved family pet, but for thousands of horses otherwise at high risk of abandonment, neglect, or killed and left to rot at a total loss because there is nothing else to be done…how much better to be rendered instantaneously unconscious in a facility designed for the purpose, by trained professionals, under the constant inspection and regulation of federal officials, in a system that is designed to handle the unique characteristics of equines with an absolute minimum of stress and no pain?
How much better for the horse industry to have a viable, economically beneficial, option that not only undergirds the value of their livestock, but provides a wanted and needed traditional meat used around the world, and across the country, by a broad cross section of people who appreciate cheval for its culinary appeal, nutrition, and affordability?
Stand with us! We need your help more than ever as we ring in the New Year facing a full court press in state and federal courts, on Capitol Hill, and in state capitols as well. Your tax deductible donation will be put to maximum and most effective use immediately to stand up to this coercion and fabrication
We need your support for the legal and legislative battles. Please renew your membership or just donate to the cause. There will be a big need for financial support in the next few months
Sincerely,
United Horsemen
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Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
urghhh seeing or hearing his evil pos name ruins my day, I do not HATE anyone but this guy is VERY close to it and to me he is on the same level as al qaeda, he is pure evil and a terrorist!! I have NO respect and do not even call this evil POS an American and he is NO COWBOY ( A real cowboy would NEVER treat horses the way this guy does NEVER)! I have no compassion or empathy for him and if anything happens to him, HE HAD IT COMING (no I do not wish ill will on him can’t as a Christian but if it happens he deserves it)!
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One word…Neanderthal!
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Never understood how slaughter increases the value of horses. The ones starving now are kept by hoarders who wouldn’t be sending these horses to slaughter anyway. I just cringe every time I hear United Horsemen pontificate on the humane aspect of horse slaughter, the trained employees, and the absolute guarantee of untainted meat for all across the country and the world. He is a delusional fool at best, who wraps himself in the American Flag, and tells everyone how “christian” he is. UGH!!!!!
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The ones starving are not only kept by “hoarders”. They are intentionally starved to death by kill buyers as a no-cost way to dispose of horses that are in too poor condition to be sold to slaughter. Kill buyers either turn unwanted horses loose by the borders where they’ve been rejected by the slaughterhouses, or intentionally starve them somewhere far from the public eye, left to decompose where they won’t be noticed. Why don’t kill buyers just turn these unwanted horses over to rescue? Why don’t they try to find homes for them? Because if anyone saw the horses, the kill buyer would be arrested for animal cruelty and neglect. There is no compassion in a kill buyer. The horses are dead no matter what. He’s just out for making the most profit with the least expenses.
We need to put kill buyers out of business. Then there would be few horses starved to death.
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I suppose this guy is so ensnared in his allegiance to ignorance that he will not acknowledge the rescues funded by (millions of dollars in personnel, equipment, vet care, housing and food) of horses neglected and starved (by pro slaughter or just eqally stupid horse industrialists), sanctuaries and grant money for private sanctuaries and rescues, backing of litigation to bring abusers to justice, the call to stop recklessly breeding, intelligent public debates by HSUS leaders to awaken the public to the bad management and practices of those handling horses and more are all HSUS activities. It is this man’s “horse industry” that make what any of us do seem inconsequential against the constant abuse of the horse for their pocketbook, violations of law at every level, and worse, corruption of the political process.
I wish I could lie like he does. I’d love to just say stuff. But the truth is, we don’t have to lie – the facts of the horse “industry” as it has been revealed in practice and that this man holds so dear would make any intelligent society reel with revulsion.
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Why yes Dave if no one else Owns a horse Yours become more valuable. We know how slaughter worksand who for!
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One more word ~ delusional
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DD
Definitely comes by his name honestly. I think he’s gotten into one too many horses and were seeing the result.
Agreed he is disturbing.
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Jan, we are reeling with revulsion already.
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Please ONLY call if you are a Missouri resident. Outsiders calling hurts our cause.
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CanAmFam:
I beg, with respect to differ with you on your assertion that you can only comment/call the Governor if you are a Missourian.
A HCHS operation involves many states, many state line crossings and the Federal dollars that involve state highway and enforcement funds for an export product. In addition, the Feds would be involved in many aspects of this operation (USDA, ICE, FDA, etc).
When a state intends to operate an industry that includes multiple state and Federal assets….YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CALL THE GOVERNOR with your concerns. All states take Federal dollars (and rightfully so) for internal operations…hardly secular in a state’s reason for being.
Polite, factual, brief and to the point would be the better advise. After all, if anonymous PACs can found local, state and Federal elections, the voters of this Nation have the right to present their opinions in a civil manner. Your advice sounds like those creeps (you are not a creep) in the House and Senate that say our advocacy is not a part of their constituency, yet they vote on National impact bills EVERYDAY.
Can’t have it both ways.
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Agree — this is becoming a national problem. Every state needs to get involved.’!!
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Denise, I agree since there are outside politicians working against MO citizens, this is clearly a national issue. Even better if MIssourians speak up loudly but not alone.
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http://saraannon.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/lies-damn-lies-statistics-and-horse-slaughter-3/
making sure the politicians have to complete horse slaughter picture only helps them understand the actual degree of criminal activity and deception involved.
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Thank you, CanAnFarm. I am a Missourian and I agree with you.
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The First Amendment gives every American citizen the RIGHT to petition our government. It does not say – petition only state government about issues affecting only your own state. Do politicians LIKE hearing from those out of state? Who cares if they like it or not. How can it hurt our cause??? (It’s not like we’re calling a senator from Connecticut and complaining about a street light in Hartford…) Horse slaughter is a National issue and we have a Constitutional RIGHT to petition our Federal, State, and Local government to oppose it.
I say CALL ALL POLITICIANS until they LISTEN to us and horse slaughter is stopped.
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No pain? Really? Has this delusional moron ever been inside a slaughterhouse? He calls himself a horse trainer. I can’t think of a single trainer of any other animal that would eat the animal later. I pity any horses in his care. There are solutions to the overpopulation of every companion animal, including horses, which are companion animals. Stop indiscriminate breeding. DD = Dumbass Duquette.
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Ok Here is my 2 cents— I am 74 years old this year and have had animals in my life that long and I know they have feelings and care for us as much as we care for them. These people that say they love horses are just blowing hot air they could care less about their welfare or they would NOT want them slaughtered for food when they are not raised or regulated for food- Come on you people! Get real! Also animals have short life spans and deserve a life to live. I will NEVER eat horses and I am totally against horse slaughter and I hope it never happens here in the good ole USA!
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Well, shirley smith…it IS happening here.
And you don’t have to love an animal to respect it, care for it and give it a dignified, humane death; although empathy is a good start. Traditional livestock slaughter needs clean, safe and responsible end of life, qualified food purity and waste enforcement. I suspect this is why the Big Ag Hags are covertly fighting for the preservation of HCHS…they know they have problems at the lowest level without the equines.
Some people just don’t have empathy. Not a problem if the authorities would enforce food handling and purity standards…which they are not with much of our food, especially equines.
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If they are a member of the agriculture industry then they should understand the chain of custody of animals intended for consumption. Horses are not raised to be used for human consumption. Records are not kept on the medications given and the animal can not be certified as safe for slaughter. The beef industry works hard to ensure the animals sold are safe and free of medications that are an imminent threat to our health. Bute, wormers and other medications administered to horses during their life stay in their bodies and are then passed to anyone consuming their flesh. This is a proven fact and I do believe FDA requirements do not allow animals to be used for consumption if they have been given these medications. We must work hard to ensure the integrity of our food supply. We can not allow anyone to undermine the regulations simply to make a profit. I applaud the Missouri Governor and the New Mexico Attorney General for their work in ensuring regulations of the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency are followed for us, our children and future generations to be healthy.
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http://moran.house.gov/press-release/moran-statement-usda-decision-allowing-re-opening-us-horse-slaughter-facility
Moran Statement on USDA Decision Allowing Re-Opening of U.S. Horse Slaughter Facility
According to the USDA, each horse slaughter facility opened in the U.S. would cost U.S. taxpayers over $400,000 per year in operation costs.
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http://www.kaufmanzoning.net/Where%20Would%20All%20The%20Horses%20Go.htm
Where Would All The Horses Go? (excerpts)
However, one way or another thousands of Thoroughbreds meet this end; many through a lack of awareness on the part of their owners, some through misrepresentations of those who buy them, and some through theft. There are those who are apologists for slaughter and wedded to the status quo. One of their most commonly heard arguments is “where would all the horses go? Our concern is to keep them from being mistreated.”
All the Thoroughbred auction houses in North America have weighed in. The board of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, comprised of every national Thoroughbred organization, voted unanimously to support a ban on the slaughter of Thoroughbreds. And industry leaders such as Ted Bassett, Reiley McDonald, Gary Biszantz, Nadia Sanan, and Nick Zito have all come out definitively opposing horse slaughter, correctly labeling it “unconscionable,” “gruesome,” and “barbaric.” More recently the New Jersey Racing Commission, the New York Breeding and Development Fund, and, by unanimous vote of its trustees, the New York Racing Association, have specifically endorsed the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. We feel that the time has come for all of us in our industry who call ourselves horse lovers to take a leadership role and end this institutionalized cruelty.
Where would all the horses go? They would be retired, adopted out, or euthanized. We have no desire to point a finger at anybody or hurt anybody, but the lowest common denominator cannot be allowed to prevail any longer. We must end the slaughter of horses. The ever-expanding network of rescue agencies operated by horse lovers from coast to coast will put their shoulders to the wheel to make this work.
John Hettinger is a member of The Jockey Club, a trustee for the New York Racing Association, and a director of Fasig-Tipton Co. He formed Blue Horse Charities, which raises money for adoption and retirement programs through Fasig-Tipton sales. Owner of Akindale Farm in New York state, Hettinger was honored with a Special Eclipse Award in 2000
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One has to wonder a couple things. If there are so many unwanted and abandoned horses in MO, why are they still overbreeding them, and why Stan Palmer was so happy to take truckloads from the Sheldon Wildlife Refuge and haul them to MIssissippi? Missouri is quite a lot closer…
Also wondering about “testing every horse” and what that entails. If done post mortem it would seem to take some time to verify… so means storing a lot of meat for some time, and somehow disposing of that which doesn’t pass the tests. Where does that meat end up in per the slaughter house plans?
Just sayin’
https://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6931/p/dia/action/public/index.sjs?action_KEY=15738
http://www.habitatforhorses.org/horse-preservationists-allege-stan-palmer-remains-slaughterhouse-middleman/
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IcySpots, there are not a bunch of “unwanted and abandoned horses in Missouri..” I live here, and I know. This is just complete fabrication.
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Also, from what I have read, Rains plans to test for two drugs — ivermectin and phenylbutazone — but I don’t believe he can do that effectively. Also, birth control in horses lasts for four years, and they’re not planning to test for this.
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Morgan, great to hear there is not a surplus of so-called unwanted horses in MO. Testing for two drugs, even if they could do it effectively and quickly, doesn’t even scratch the surface of the over 100 standard drugs and vaccines used in horses. This whole scheme seems like a house of cards to me. Hope MO folks will speak up and out, and loudly, to reject this.
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It is my understanding that there are 17 drugs besides Bute that need to be tested for including Furacin products. Interestingly most all horses at one time or another have had Bute for pain or inflammation and Furacin products for wounds.
The refrigeration/freezer compartments at these US slaughterhouse sites ought to be bigger than the total of the whole entire site. The reality of what is supposed to be and what is has no similarities.
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This guy should have a restraining order on him that he should stay 500 feet away from a horse. He eats them! sounds like cannibal lector to me. horse trainer really!
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What’s the matter, Dave? Did your pony buck you off when you were a kid and you never quite got over it. Dust yourself off, get over it and act like a man. Stop trying to kill America’s horses and contaminate our water supply. Get a job you’re better suited to. Walmart greeter maybe?
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Dave says, “The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) stands ready to provide the rigorous inspection and enforcement of the U.S. Humane Methods of Slaughter laws, the highest animal welfare standard in the world, as well as the Federal Meat Inspection Act, which requires that every animal processed for food be healthy, wholesome, and absolutely free of contamination.”
So much for the sick, neglected, emaciated horses which is the mantra sung by all the PROs including the AVMA.
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…don’t forget the “old” horses… They often claim that a lack of this barbaric and rogue industry in the U.S. eliminates a “useful” end of life option. This is a claim made by the cattlemen’s associations who testified for Valley Meats. Which is complete BS. Who in the Ag Industry does not have the funds to humanely euthanize any horse at end of life? NONE of them! They are lying about everything, including the fact that USDA, FSIS “stands ready!” The Food Safety Inspection Service has not even started training Veterinary Inspectors for commercial horse slaughter! HSUS has even got that wrong in some of their recent statements to the Press. Because of severe budget issues at the USDA, they are not going to allow for the expenditure of training the personnel until they are ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN this industry is going to be allowed to operate by local, state and federal authorities. The training of Veterinary Slaughter Inspectors for a new product is very costly and TAKES AT LEAST 30 DAYS! So, all this drivel about “standing ready,” “viable,” “legitimate” is really made up of whatever slop drips off this sycophant’s ugly beard. This guy is a TOTAL idiot.
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BTW: The statement that was made by HSUS to Press sources regarding USDA Inspectors was a mistake in identification made by HSUS, likely due to a general lack of knowledge of operation and procedure detail often misunderstood by a large advocacy organization that does not specialize in any one industry or animal. The “inspectors” that were referred to were Veterinary Transportation Inspectors, the people who inspect rigs and trailers of livestock being transported across state lines for slaughter. Veterinary Slaughter Inspectors on the kill floor of a specific species slaughterhouse are in a completely different category, and for commercial horse slaughter, they do not yet officially exist. Their training has not been implemented, and it will not be implemented until the USDA is completely certain it will not be a waste of already extremely thin resources.
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