“Horse slaughter supporters are apologists for cruelty and deceptively lay claim to being defenders of animals rights”
In a strongly worded attack on the horse slaughter lobby, Wayne Pacelle, the society’s president and chief executive, says it is an inescapable conclusion that the horse slaughter industry is disreputable and predatory.
Sadly, if you have been unfortunate enough to be around the issue of predatory horse slaughter, for any length of time, you have had no choice but to run into the name of bloody, pro-slaughter extremest Dave Duquette the witless sidekick of equine terrorist Wyoming State Rep. “Slaughterhouse” Sue Wallis. With Wallis leading the way down a path of blind lies, self-serving statements and threats against the horses of the United States Dave “Doink” Duquette has been right behind her picking up on scraps and never coming forth with an original thought, the veritable “lap dog” of all that is sick and perverse with American society today. Allegedly a horse trainer, Doink would brag and extol upon the pleasures of brutally killing and eating the very companion animals that he is said to earn his income through breeding and training. If you ever wanted a nasty email, sprinkled with expletives and uneducated rants, simply write to ole Doink and your wish would be granted but then…he disappeared.
Memories and photographs are all that remain of Rhapsody Rhose.
Jaime Cowan, who rode the purebred Arabian since childhood, clings to these as if grieving the death of a family member.
“I can still smell her,” she said. “I can still feel her breath in my hair.”
Rhapsody’s demise is layered with betrayal by a friend and indifference by others. It also is an economic treatise shaped by America’s prevalent view of equines as companion animals, the overseas desire for horse meat and the buyers, packers and shippers seizing opportunity.
Last Friday, while the BLM concluded their farce of an Advisory Board meeting in D.C. and their helicopter stampede contractors fired up to end the free lives wild horses and burros in Nevada, Terry and I spent the day surrounded by loving, rescued equines at the Todd Mission Ranch only 15 miles from our farm. Marjorie Farabee, ranch equine Manager and Director of Wild Burro Affairs for Wild Horse Freedom Federation, had kindly asked us to stop by and check out the local four legged inhabitants, some 100+ which does not include the rescued dogs and cats. I must admit, it was a moving experience.
OpEd by R.T. Fitch ~ Author/President of Wild Horse Freedom Federation Lack of Interest, Qualifications, Concern Permeate Wild Horse Adversary Board Once again, the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) special interest “Advisory Board” meeting is over and the fat lady has sung…won’t divulge her name but she IS […]
Well, it’s that wonderful time of year, again, where hand picked hunting, cattle and grazing interests sit around and listen to BLM representatives spout erroneous numbers, rumor and innuendo while concerned American tax payers get kicked in the teeth when they attempt to articulate the facts on wild horse and burro issues. Ain’t it sweet? Nothing like being called a lier while you watch and listen to the real government paid liers smearing the truth and painting any picture that they deem fit to paint, usually the planned extinction of the last of our wild equines on public lands.
Last spring, the Butterfield Canyon Wild Horse and Burro facility, in Herriman Utah, gained worldwide attention when wild horse advocate Lisa Friday video taped and uploaded to YouTube through the Cloud Foundation a heart wrenching recording which documented the local wild horse prisoners so mired in mud and manure that they could nor did did move during her four-hour visit. Friday’s calls for assistance went unheeded until the video went public and only then did the BLM launch another of their infamous internal investigations where it was determined by the BLM that the BLM was, of course, not at fault but it was noted that an excess of mud and manure had accumulated but it was the fault of local weather conditions.
Gov. Rick Perry — who’s bragged about gunning down a coyote on a morning jog (to save his daughter’s dog, he said) — is steering clear of a controversy over the shooting of burros in Big Bend Ranch State Park by Texas government workers.
This report was quietly leaked out into the press by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on the exact same day that a Federal Judge responded to plaintiff Laura Leigh’s, of Wild Horse Freedom Federation, request for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) was granted against the BLM’s stampede contractor for allegedly operating in an inhumane manner. This was an obvious knee-jerk, self-preservation move on the part of the BLM and the report fell flat as it was performed by “hired guns” of the federal agency. The only reason that this particular piece is presented, here, is because it DOES acknowledge our legal action and it DOES acknowledge potential flaws on the issue of “appropriate care” which is exactly what Ms. Leigh’s ongoing legal action is all about. Consider the fact that an agency that is in cahoots with another and that very agency then brings up potential problems, doesn’t that speak to just how serious said issues could be? Me thinks so.
Over the past several weeks a wonderful story has been circulating across the internet about a Montana trail guide horse, Tonk, who along with his rider, Erin Bolster, fearlessly intervened in a Grizzly attack and saved a little boy from what would have been a gruesome bear mauling.
I have intended to run the story, here, but other issues have reared their heads and we have been charging forward with the ongoing battles of equine advocacy, until last night when I noticed that both Erin and Tonk were scheduled to be on the David Letterman show so I broke tradition and stayed up a little later in hopes of catching a glimpse of this brave equine and his stout female partner. I was not disappointed and was actually impressed that Letterman managed to pull off a relatively normal interview without either being glib or demeaning Erin and Tonk’s brave actions, but he did come off as a bit of wimp being, himself, obviously afraid of good ole Tonk. Hat’s off to Tonk for being a mildly nervous but perfect gentleman in front of the lights, cameras and clapping crowd.
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