I first became aware of MP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex Lianne Rood when she appeared in an AGRI – Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food meeting video on the issue of live horse export. As you might expect of a Conservative MP and one who is wholly in favour of this disgusting trade, her comments are a template of idiocy. She believes that expensive competition and sport horses are shipped the same way as slaughter-bound horses – in wooden crates with no food or water. Her comments in the committee suggest that she believes that every horse owner “recovers the cost” of their horse by selling them for live export at the end of their careers. In the AGRI standing committee meeting she actually asked Animal Justice’ Kaitlyn Mitchell if she had ever been on a flight with the horses to Japan, as if that were ever an option for any interested observer.
This former farmer, who served as the shadow minister for Agriculture and Agri-Food (2020), and Deputy Shadow Minister (2019), for Agriculture and Agri-Food, is also a member of the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group, and is simply a bad actor who is making a career out of spreading disinformation. Who do Conservatives advocate for? Certainly not animals or the environment.
Most recently, Rood, who gets paid six figures, has decided that she’s unhappy about paper coffee lids, in effect bringing American Republican culture wars to Canada, where inanimate objects are considered “woke” – a code for any Conservative grievance. Rood’s post is a work of daft frivolity: it succeeds at showing the pettiness of Conservatives, and their utter disregard for the environment, in a single post. Does a sitting MP have nothing better to do than vent about lipstick on a cup lid?
Every day, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world’s oceans, rivers and lakes, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The UNEP says plastic pollution can alter habitats and the natural world, reduce ecosystems’ ability to adapt to climate change and directly affect livelihoods and food production for millions of people, when they release microplastics into the environment. But Ms. Rood is hardly concerned with her cup lid taking 200 years to bio-degrade in a landfill. After all, there is rage to be farmed…
It’s free to send mail to any MP in Ottawa. That includes sending any single-use plastic waste that we find, to her for free. You could also send her a sippy cup, even though she makes about $200,000 a year, this option has never occurred to her.
Mail any single-use plastic waste you have (or send her a message detailing your opposition to live horse export, or both), to:
Lianne Rood M.P – House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1A 0A6
Part of the re-election campaign Prime Minister Trudeau included a commitment to ending the trade of horses for the production of horsemeat for export. The 2021 Mandate Letter to then-Minister Bibeau stipulated that she be committed to fulfilling this ban, but she failed to execute the ministerial mandate letter. The government has acknowledged that it has been stung by criticism for its inaction on this mandate. The lack of fulfilment has since been identified as a trade irritant (any issue or policy that creates tension or friction in international trade relations between countries) between the EU and Canada through a little-known mechanism of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
Further embarrassment for the Liberals continued – in December of 2022, the Globe and Mail published an article that highlighted the inaction by the government in fulfilling this election promise, while underscoring calls for action by public figures. Another such piece the Globe and Mail published further condemned the practice and called for the realization of this campaign promise. The failure to implement this commitment was interpreted by the federal government as a future issue in the next election cycle.
For more than two years, the Government of Canada has been reviewing (at a glacial pace) the legal and policy framework to address the Liberal mandate to ban the live export of horses for slaughter. Unfortunately, much of this 1,200+ page series of FOIA documents has highlighted the degree of obstruction due to the complexities and inefficiencies of bureaucratic systems within government agencies. Disappointingly, an entire team from the CFIA/AAFC/Legal Services, and Canadian Border Services Agency crafted the typical self-congratulatory response letter we’re all too familiar with, about the CFIA maintaining high standards, The Health of Animals Act (HAR) ensuing humane transport, variations of which was sent to Japanese agencies.
Health of Animals regulations are the absolute minimal standards for shipping an animal. The HAR does not ensure humane treatment. Politicians are shocked to discover that competitive horses are shipped with food and water, often in a single compartment, sometimes with their own dedicated veterinarian who travels with them through to their designated stop.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada also endorsed and disseminated misleading information from pro-slaughter individuals and organizations that has been debunked more than a decade ago. One wonders why so much effort has gone into this analysis when the trade largely benefits only a few individuals, and the government’s own legal analysts have stated that the process to end trade seems reasonably straightforward and a decision not necessarily requiring bilateral agreement:
“Article 12.1 of the WTO agreement on agriculture provides that a member must notify in writing and in advance of implementing an export restriction or prohibition, as well as consult with another Member that has a substantial interest as an importer (e.g. Japan) that requests it. The notification is the include the rationale and duration of the measure.”
Excessive redaction of the most important information in this FOIA will raise questions about transparency and accountability. Notable redactions include the certification process to export horses, any information about the exporters themselves, and perhaps most importantly, Japanese response to the prospect of ending the trade. There have been some Japanese media reports about reports made in Canadian and UK media regarding the concerns over transportation of these animals but there is no Japanese opinion provided anywhere.
History of Trade Relations with Japan:
• Japan is the fifth largest importer of agri-food and seafood products in the world, and Canada’s third largest market for agri-food and seafood.
• Horse meat is a traditionally eaten food in Japan. In particular, in Kumamoto Prefecture where horse meat is considered a centre of local cuisine that has been part of the culture for over 400, consumption is focused on fresh horse meat. MAFF promotes horse meat as a low-fat, low-calorie, high-protein food rich in minerals such as iron,calcium, and zinc.
• Since 2012, Canada’s exports of live horses for slaughter have been almost entirely destined for Japan, and Canada has been Japan’s largest supplier in most years with a market share ranging from 29% to 46% over the years. Japan receives about two shipments per month of livehorses for slaughter from Canada, and on average, a shipment contains 100-125 horses. Foals from 6-9 months are transported to feedlots where they remain until the age of 2. Then they are flown overseas from Edmonton, Calgary, and Winnipeg.
• With the lowest food self-sufficiency level ratio among G7 countries (38% in FY 2021/22), food security is a major concern for Japan. This concern was further aggravated by the spate of export restrictions on agricultural goods that governments implemented as supply chains were roiled by COVID-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• Canada and Japan are both members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and share a likeminded view regarding an international rules-based trading system.
• Any Canadian exporter who has successfully negotiated a commercial contract with an importer in Japan and who can comply with Japan’s import conditions (as specified in an established health certificate) may export horses to Japan. What is required to meet these expectations was redacted from the FOIA.
• In 2021, Canada was the world’s eighth largest exporter of horse meat, with exports valued at $28.6 million.
Understanding and mitigating unintended consequences is important for effective governance and policymaking. Whenever you read any claims about horse slaughter from the following groups, you know they are going to be about as impartial as David Duke’s critical review of Alex Haley’s “Roots.” Most exasperatingly, AAFC included numerous references to outdated and debunked articles, from as far back as 2006 (preceding the cessation of horse slaughter in the US). It’s unclear why promotional material for horse slaughter was included at all, since most horses shipped for export are purpose-bred or are “byproducts” of an industry that breeds horses for other purposes.
These supplemental materials included:
• A 2006 document from Animal Welfare Council, Inc. Colorado Springs, Colorado.
• An assortment of refuted references and pro-slaughter organizations who want to convince you to upgrade to a new $5,000 AQHA horse, but need to provide you with a pathway to dispose of your $500 horse who is stubbornly clinging to life.
• Canadian Meat Council, prepared in consultation with Bouvry Exports and Jennifer Woods of J. Woods Livestock Services.
• The inclusion of an article from BEEF magazine blaming horses for irreversibly damaging rangelands, and proclaiming slaughter as needed for “good horse welfare.” The author, Courtney L Daigle, an Assistant Professor of Animal Welfare at pro-slaughter Texas A&M University, claims that horse slaughter is “doing the right thing for the animals.”
These pro-slaughter articles, which somehow found their way into a discussion on live horse export, are very familiar to those of us who have been advocating against slaughter and live export for years. Over time, the purported claims became truth to many in the horse industry who were saddened to hear of such reports, and while conflicted about slaughter, began to believe that it was the better alternative for horses facing such neglect and abuse.
The “Horse Welfare” Alliance of Canada, which churns out its own brand of pro-slaughter propaganda and receives hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants from the Canadian government, asserted that live export is needed to enrich 347 breeders who provide purpose-bred horses, 25% being indigenous. A request for clarification on the number of indigenous exporters was answered by the CFIA National Issues Manager, who stipulated that there are no known indigenous producers of horses for export. While 347 breeders seems like a huge number of suppliers in this industry, the reality is that there are only 4 active exporters and the 2 largest breeders for export are in Ontario. The bulk of the profit from this industry goes to Ontarians, including WillJill Farms.
These primary exporters purchase horses from a few hundred producers (the remaining 343 approved “exporters”) from different farming situations. Most horse breeders supplying this market breed horses for other purposes and comprise a very small secondary market in an industry that is less than 20 years old.
There is little support by humane agencies and the general public for the continuation of this barbaric trade. A poll conducted by the BCSPCA found that only 22% of those polled want to continue the export of live horses. Equestrian Canada was approached as part of the stakeholder communication process and acknowledged that most of their members opposed horse export for slaughter. The BCSPCA also weighed-in with their opposition to the transport of horses overseas. Katherine Curry – President Racetracks Canada, announced full support for the Bill. Toolika Rastogi, PhD, senior manager, policy and research for Humane Canada, also reached out to decry the trade. Other stakeholders included the Winnipeg HS, The Canadian Horse Defence Coalition, and Animal Justice, who has recently carried out a successful private prosecution of live shipper Carolyle Farms (a legal avenue that would not be necessary had the CFIA decided to take action themselves). The government also acknowledges receiving letters in the “tens of thousands,” from individuals opposed to live export. Also included in the FOIA documents were several redacted letters from the general public.
Bill C-355 has passed the Agriculture Committee; once this process is complete, the chairperson of the committee submits a report back to the chamber and will move onto its third and final reading and vote at the House of Commons. It will go for a final vote in the House before moving to the Senate. Once the Bill receives Royal assent it wouldn’t come into force for 18 months. Senator Dalphond’s concurrent Senate Bill S-270 is also active.
Well-said, Senator!
Reading the contents of the FOIA and watching debates of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, reminds us of how vigilant we must be challenging propaganda. At numerous points in the aforementioned debate, groups and individuals needed to correct the record on horse transport and the HAR as being some sort of divine document that ensured humane treatment. It’s exasperating to hear that politicians believe the standard of care for high-value, competitive horses is to ship them 4 at a time in flimsy wooden crates without food or water, just like slaughter-bound horses. Refuting incorrect information is essential for combating deliberate disinformation campaigns aimed at manipulating public opinion and sowing division. It requires vigilance, transparency, and a commitment to accuracy from all stakeholders, including governments, media organizations, educators, and individuals. Many groups and private individuals have written to correct the public record on predatory horse industries, including John Holland of the Equine Welfare Alliance. If you’re new to this discussion, please read some of his analytical writings, which directly address many of the falsehoods perpetuated by the above groups.
There is a growing international movement to end live export of animals, driven by concerns for animal welfare, ethical treatment, and environmental sustainability. Canada implementing a ban would signal its commitment to aligning with these global trends and adopting progressive policies:
The foot is holding its own heart to “scratch back” at one’s enemies.
Animal sacrifice is a practice associated with certain folk religions or witchcraft, including branches of Voodoo, particularly in some regions where it has been syncretized with other religions or cultural traditions. Voodoo, also known as Vodou or Vodun, is a complex belief system with roots in West Africa and the Caribbean. Similarly, Santeria is a religion that originated in the Caribbean and was brought to the Americas by slaves.
Individuals who practice Santeria also participate in animal sacrifices for many reasons, including black magic rituals, religious ceremonies involving curses, and even requesting assistance from spirits. Practitioners also believe that rituals will help couples to reconcile and improve their relationship and sex life, as well as a way to expunge sins or the pain that comes from being involved in criminal activity.
Dried chicken feet are used revenge spells supposedly to torment other people and “crush their lives.” Of course, none of this will work against an enemy. It’s distressing that Etsy allows the product category at all, and made worse by permitting sellers to use such violent language.
Recently there has been a huge increase and rise in ritualistic religions throughout the United States, and in the past 20 years there are hundreds of thousands of people engaging in rituals that included animal sacrifices and the use of animal body parts. In the online world, cottage industries have sprung up to provide animal parts to believers, claiming to help customers achieve their wishes, which sometimes consist of taking revenge on enemies.
While eBay typically does not allow these types of sales (exceptions being for some packaged food products and “charms” like rabbits’ feet), the Etsy marketplace permits it, and allows animal parts to be sold as “handmade and artisanal products.” As the result of a petition to stop the sale of animal body parts, the biggest concession by Etsy was to disallow the sale of endangered species. But every other species is acceptable.
On the more “harmless” scale of product offerings, some vendors sell mock animal figurines (cost $83 CDN), which may be impregnated with incense and oils, and then burnt as a sacrificial offering. By the way the sacrificial animal burns, the seller claims to be able to determine whether the purchaser’s gift is accepted, whether their wish will be fulfilled, and whether difficulties await them along the way. While no animal has died for this superstitious nonsense, the idea is (to me at least) still highly distasteful due to the symbolic/visual aspect.
Real animal parts are far more numerous on Etsy. Dried chicken feet, for example, are used in the practice of Hoodoo, as well as other magical traditions, for protection and for enemy work. The feet are believed to be powerful protection against evil doers and are believed to work by magically “scratching” one’s enemy. Many practitioners will use a chicken foot as part of an anti-theft spell which is usually hung in the open, such as from a rear-view mirror or above a door. Chicken feet can also be used alone as part of a charm, fetish, or for inclusion into a mojo bag, a cloth pouch practitioners believe provides protection, luck, love, prosperity, or spiritual cleansing.
What better way to say you love someone then by giving a real bloody heart? The seller tells us that “The hearts are ethically sourced from adult turkeys and professionally preserved. A translucent red water-based lacquer brings out the color.”
The procurement of animal parts for use in voodoo ceremonies varies depending on cultural practices and local availability. In some cases, practitioners may obtain animal parts through hunting, fishing, or farming. The demand for animal body parts fuels practices such as poaching, trapping, and illegal hunting, which can lead to the suffering and endangerment of wildlife populations.
Many of the Etsy merchants claim the animal parts of obtained through “ethical means,” which could also mean that they obtain the body parts from slaughterhouses. But how do merchants explain their possession animal parts that do not originate from typical “food animals?” Numerous species of exotic bird body parts are offered on Etsy, and many of these could originate from African Voodoo markets. There is also a proliferation of bird wings and heads, and dried or taxidermied bodies on offer, with no explanation of how they died or were acquired.
Exotic animal parts are OK with Etsy, just as long as they aren’t from endangered animals! Merchants can make any claims they choose about the ethics of obtaining these animal parts, and there is no means to confirm any of it. Even if, in their belief, their products are “ethically obtained,” my own opinion as a vegan is that all the aforementioned activities are not only cruel, but dangerous for communities as they perpetuate myths about the effectiveness of spells and incantations. The sale of animal body parts can also pose risks to public health through the spread of diseases and zoonotic infections. Handling and consuming animal parts without proper hygiene and safety measures can lead to the transmission of pathogens and pose health hazards to individuals and communities.
The ethics of performing spells to harm others (even if they aren’t actionable) are highly debated and depend on various factors, including cultural beliefs, personal values, and the intended consequences of the action. In many ethical frameworks and moral philosophies, the desire to intentionally cause harm to others through metaphysical means, is considered unethical and morally wrong. Many ethical systems, such as utilitarianism or deontology, emphasize the principle of minimizing harm to others. Intentionally casting spells to harm individuals would generally be considered a violation of this principle. Ethical considerations also involve respecting the autonomy and free will of others, including animals who are killed for these purposes. Using spells to manipulate or harm individuals without their consent infringes upon their autonomy and moral agency.
I just want to cry. Why?
IMO, the whole idea of using any form of supernatural or magical means to seek revenge on others reflects deep-seated issues within society:
Lack of empathy and understanding: When individuals feel wronged or hurt, they may not have the emotional maturity or support to deal with those feelings constructively. Instead, they may resort to seeking revenge as a way to alleviate their pain or regain a sense of power. This lack of empathy for humans extends itself to animals as well.
Social norms and media influence: In some cultures or communities, revenge might be glorified or portrayed as a justified response to perceived injustices. This can normalize vengeful behaviour and make it seem like an acceptable or even desirable course of action.
Feelings of powerlessness: People who feel marginalized, oppressed, or disenfranchised may turn to voodoo or other forms of magic as a means of asserting control over their circumstances or seeking justice when they feel powerless within existing systems.
Misguided beliefs: Some individuals may genuinely believe in the efficacy of voodoo or other supernatural practices for influencing others or causing harm. These beliefs can be reinforced by anecdotal evidence, cultural traditions, or misinformation.
Psychological factors: Revenge can be driven by complex psychological dynamics, including feelings of anger, resentment, or a desire for validation or retribution. These emotions can cloud judgment and lead individuals to prioritize harming others over finding healthier ways to address their grievances.
These raccoon feet are almost certainly the result of trapping.
Selling animal body parts for rituals raises ethical questions about the treatment of animals and the commodification of living beings. It’s also in conflict with ethical principles of compassion, respect for life, and stewardship of the natural world. Animals may be killed inhumanely or exploited for profit without regard for their well-being, for useless “trinkets” in rituals.
Since Etsy has ignored complaints about the selling of non-endangered animal parts, the responsibility lies with the consumer, who is responsible for determining the demand for products sold on online marketplaces. It’s essential for consumers to educate themselves about the ethical and legal implications of purchasing animal parts, reject superstitious beliefs, to make informed choices that align with their values, and distinguish between scientific findings and pseudoscience.
This type of “training” technique is one that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNR) has been phasing out since 1997: dogs running down terrified captive coyotes, foxes and rabbits who are kept penned in tiny enclosures in between torture sessions where they are mutilated. There are now 33,000 members in the Ontario Sporting Dog Association, which lobbied the government over the past year on the training and trialing licenses. (David McNew/The Associated Press).
Hunter grins while his dogs attack a coyote
These facilities should be illegal – this is animal cruelty plain and simple, and disgusting that anyone would refer to it as a “sport.” Additionally, dogs that are forced to participate can also suffer from injuries or even death at these events. Penned dog hunting licenses are banned in every other province. Moreover, how will dogs who are trained to be vicious, distinguish between coyotes, foxes, and rabbits and innocent smaller breeds of dogs, especially in provincial parks?
Newmarket Today published this excellent letter by Sharon Willan of Aurora, and she follows up with a request for readers to contact their MP:
“If you found your child torturing a cat, dog, bird, or any animal, you would be very concerned. In the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the American Psychiatrist Association cites harming animals as a sign of conduct disorder. The technical term is Zoosadism, pleasure derived from harming animals.
Why then is penned dog hunting considered a sport for adults? Wild animals are taken from their environment, placed in small cages and held in barns. They are released only to have dogs chase them to exhaustion and possibly kill them. If the wild animal survives, they are recaptured, placed in cages and sold to another penned dog organization to be hunted again and again.
In 1997, penned dog hunting was banned. However. there are 24 still operating in Ontario. Instead of closing these down, the government of Ontario is expanding the licensing so that more animals can be tortured.”Penned hunting is widely condemned, controversial, and causes extreme and unnecessary stress, suffering, and death to wild animals, while posing threats to public health and safety at the same time.” All other provinces and many states in the U.S. have banned this cruel practice but the extreme segment of “hunting lobby groups like the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and the Ontario Sporting Dogs Association are pushing the government to reverse the ban so that new dog hunting pens can open up, and existing pens can sell to new owners.” (Animal Justice, June 23, 2023)The members of these associations should read about the mental disorders associated with this torture of animals.
What kind of people have we elected who would allow this kind of antisocial behaviour to be the law? What are we teaching our youth about respecting life including the lives of animals?
Anyone who has owned a pet has grieved over their pet’s illness and pain. They have seen the suffering the animal is going through. Wild animals are no different — they suffer. The dogs who are forced to join in the hunt also suffer. Under normal circumstances, they would not be part of this heinous act.
If you are appalled about this law, please write to your local MPP and demand an end to penned dog hunting.”
Sharon Willan Aurora
Society should do everything possible to protect wild animals, they have a place within the ecosystem and should never be subjected to this kind of torture, for the amusement of humans.
Netflix has a new true crime docuseries out that profiles scandals within the sports industry with first-hand accounts from those involved. Episode 6 – “Horse Hitman” profiles Tommy Burns, AKA “The Sandman,” who was responsible for the killings of expensive sport horses at the behest of their owners, to perpetrate insurance fraud. The horse killings were discovered by the FBI incidentally while they were investigating the disappearance of Brach candy heiress Helen Brach in the late 1970s. The investigation, which centered on a racketeering scam where wealthy heiresses were convinced to invest in horses worth up to 750,000 (who were later killed for insurance), led them to Burns, who subsequently made a deal with investigators where he would provide all the horrible details that implicated him, and would only be charged with one crime (but if the FBI discovered he lied about any detail, he would be charged for all the killings).
Tommy’s intel led to the conviction of many individuals who contracted with him to kill their horses. But Burns was hardly a role model; he was really a deeply/flawed anti-hero, who had literally no empathy for horses when he could enrich himself by killing them. But in watching the Netflix episode, you may find that his dialogue creates the same sense of justice being served that a traditional hero might.
As a young adult, Burns had a long history of making bad decisions. Starting in the horse industry by doing manual labour at farms, he moved through the ranks of anti-hero archetypes, crossing almost all moral lines. He initially began working for Barney Ward, who owned Castle Hill Farm, and was a former member of the US Equestrian Team and US World Cup team, which gave him close insights to others in the horse industry. He developed a strong loyalty to Ward. Through his connections, he left Barney’s employ and went to work for lawyer Jim Druck, who operated Eagle’s Nest Farm near Ocala Florida, where he bred show horses. Rielle Hunter (formerly Lisa Druck) was his accomplished teenaged equestrian daughter. In 1981, Lisa/Rielle was riding a show horse named Henry The Hawk. Henry had been purchased and insured for $150,000; he was one of the top hunters in the country at the time.
Vintage Photo of Henry the Hawk
Tommy Burns became obligated to Jim Druck when Druck got him off an assault with a deadly weapon charge – “You owe me.” Druck confronted Burns about having an affair with his wife, and he now needed money for the divorce settlement. Druck got an offer to sell Henry the Hawk for less than the amount he was insured for. So Druck determined that “Henry’s Gotta Go.” The horse’s fate was thus sealed.
Very ironically, Druck’s legal practice consisted of defending insurance companies against claims. He knew that if a horse were electrocuted in a certain manner, it would be very difficult for a veterinary pathologist to find signs of foul play, unless the animal was necropsied by someone who knew to look for a burn mark, the death would be chalked up to colic. Electrocuting a horse mimics colic – the twisting of the horse’s gut that comes on very suddenly without symptoms. Druck counselled Burns exactly how to do it – with an extension cord split down the middle, with alligator clips attached to the ear and rectum of the horse. It was the “perfect crime,” from which Druck profited with Burns as the facilitator.
After the killing of Henry the Hawk, Burns was out-of-control. He was stealing saddles and credit cards, all centered around horse shows and the horse industry. Druck encouraged him to leave town because the cops were suspicious, so he reached out to his friend Barney Ward, who he claimed had a legitimate interest in helping him.
Around this time, Burns made a connection with horse trainer Paul Valliere (who trained Canadian Olympian showjumper Eric Lamaze). Valliere offered Tommy $5,000 to kill his horse Roseau Plattier. The insurance policy on the horse was about to lapse, so apparently this was the reason he needed the horse dead ASAP. So he was also electrocuted. Then, horse people started calling Tommy on a weekly basis, and his fee went up considerably.
Tommy Burns’ Tools of the Trade. He traveled the show circuit, visiting stables with his bag full of electrocution equipment, to make “problem” horses go away.
George Lindemann Jr was from of one of the richest families in Palm Beach – his father was a billionaire. To kill George Lindemann Jr’s horse Charisma, he was paid $35,000 plus expenses. For $5,000, Burns had an accomplice break the leg of a horse named Streetwise, whose owner just didn’t like him. Burns, who justified electrocution as “painless,” apparently drew the line at breaking a horse’s leg with a crowbar, so he subcontracted that one out, knowing that a veterinarian would have to euthanize the horse. Streetwise had had a colic operation previously, and as colic was excluded from his insurance policy, the jumper cables couldn’t be used.
“Break his fucking leg.” She was heartless. ~Tommy Burns
By 1991, Tommy was under surveillance, and he and his accomplice were arrested at the conclusion of the beating of Streetwise. Police took his confession and reported the killings to the Insurance Crime Bureau. Paul Valliere admitted to the crime of contracting with Burns to electrocute Roseau Plattier and defraud the insurance company of $75,000. In his deal with prosecutors, Valliere agreed to wear a wire for over a year, gathering information for the federal authorities, which revealed an astonishing plot twist in the docuseries.
Plot Twist
Tommy Burns claimed in the documentary that he was always forthcoming with the FBI, but in truth, he held back a significant piece of information. If you haven’t watched the Netflix episode, and you don’t want a major plot twist revealed, I suggest you skip down to the epilogue.
The FBI knew that Tommy must have had a connection who was facilitating these contract killings throughout the US. They knew that he was not sufficiently resourceful to establish these connections of his own volition. After Paul Valliere recorded a conversation for the federal agents, they confronted Burns with their discovery of the identity of this “facilitator.” In the recorded conversation made by Valliere, it was Barney Ward who revealed that he would have Tommy killed so that he could not take the stand against them. Since he idolized Ward and took great pains to protect him, Tommy was forced to come to the powerful realization that, not only was the loyalty not reciprocated, he was completely expendable. In no way had Tommy planned to implicate Barney.
Epilogue
Tommy confessed to killing between 15-20 horses. 18 people were charged with revolving insurance fraud. The uber-wealthy George Lindemann Jr was sentenced to 33 months and was ordered to pay a $500,000 fine and restitution to the insurance company. Paul Valliere was put on probation for 4 years and had to pay a $5,000 fine. Tommy’s accomplice in the killing of Streetwise was sentenced to 18 months. Jim Druck collected on a $150,000 insurance policy for arranging the killing of his daughter’s horse in 1982, but he was under investigation by the FBI when he died of cancer in 1990. He never suffered any legal consequences.
Valliere, a former coach for Canadian Olympic showjumper Eric Lamaze, is still giving clinics
Barney Ward was sentenced to 33 months in prison, followed by three years of probation, and was ordered to make restitution of $200,000 to one of the defrauded insurance companies.
Tommy himself was given leniency for his cooperation; he received a sentence of one year in prison.
No one was ever convicted for the conspiracy to murder heiress Helen Brach. Stable owner/conman Richard Bailey was convicted of racketeering and fraud against Helen and other women.
Rielle Hunter (Lisa Druck) was devastated since she loved Henry. She must have wondered how a person could insert himself into her family, have an affair with her mother, and then kill her horse? With her own father killing her beloved horse, whatever family bonds she had must surely have been destroyed.
Why would any super-wealthy person kill a horse when they didn’t need the money? In Druck’s case, he did need the money for his divorce. But for others, the horses were “disappointments.” Their lack of performance was a symbol of failure that reflected poorly; if the horse goes away, you collect the insurance, and the embarrassment is removed. In that way, the owners were able to make themselves “financially and reputationally whole.” Charisma (Lindemann Jr’s horse) evidently performed poorly on the show horse circuit which made him look bad. He had the horse killed to save face. It was apparently easier than admitting he made a mistake in buying the horse. His father was worth around 4 billion so it certainly wasn’t an issue of money. But it’s really evidence of poor character when you kill an innocent animal for no other reason than you are embarrassed – with such wealth he could have simply given the horse away to someone who would have been overjoyed with the gift. For the mega-rich, cashing in an insurance policy on a horse is like redeeming a $25 gift certificate to Tim Hortons for the rest of us.
In cases where insurance fraud is never caught and punished, Insurance companies do what they always do when forced to absorb those losses – they increase premiums for everyone else. But the horses were the biggest losers.
Ag-Gag laws are a growing trend in Canada that’s bad for animals and freedom of expression. The agricultural industry, a huge lobbyist to the federal and provincial governments, is largely protected from even the scant animal welfare laws in Canada, a condition referred to as “agricultural exceptionalism.” There are no statutes that cover what is illegal – only Codes of Practice “suggest” what should be proper treatment and conduct around animals.
Animal activists have provided valuable information of public importance by entering farming premises and documenting mistreatment and abuse. Journalists often resort to extraordinary techniques, including going undercover when there is no other way to get the story. These investigations are of great importance since there is really no information that counters misleading industry marketing practices. In her article entitled “Ag-Gag Laws, Animals Rights Activism, and the Constitution: What is Protected Speech?” Professor Jodi Lazare traces out the analytical framework for evaluating the constitutionality of Ag-Gag legislation in Canada.
Lazare’s article examines the constitutionality of Ag-Gag legislation that has recently been adopted by two Canadian provinces and is on the horizon in others. Ag-Gag laws prohibit activities such as trespass onto agricultural animal operations, gaining entry onto agriculture operations using false pretenses, and interfering with the transport of farmed animals to slaughter. The article contends that Canadian Ag-Gag legislation prevents the communication of messages related to seeking truth, participation in the political system, thus limiting individual freedom of expression. Current legislation restricts or punishes the utterance of specific words or spoken messages. Ag-Gag laws effectively prohibit undercover investigations of agricultural properties, whether by an animal rights activist, an undercover journalist, or anyone else.
Prof. Lazare’s analysis draws on events held at various protests and sit-ins at farms in Canada.
September, 2019 – approximately 90 animal rights activists staged a “sit-in” at a southern Alberta turkey farm – by Liberation Lockdown
December, 2019 – 11 animal rights activists occupied a pig farm south of Montreal – by Direct Action Everywhere
February, 2020 – a main roadway was closed when animal rights activists occupied at King Cole Ducks in Newmarket, Ontario
June, 2015 – protests held on a traffic island in Toronto adjacent to Fearman’s Pork slaughterhouse, by the Save Movement, where activist Regan Russell was killed by a transport truck in June 2020, not long after Ontario’s Bill 156 received Royal Assent.
June 2014 – CTV Vancouver aired “shocking video” of “horrific animal abuse”23 at “the largest dairy barn in Canada.”24 The video showed “cows being whipped and beaten with chains and canes” – by Mercy for Animals
These laws are unnecessarily financially punitive. Trespassing is already illegal and many activists who have exposed inhumane farm practices and conditions have been charged as trespassers. There is no need to layer more penalties on top of existing laws. It’s very frightening to contemplate that someone in a farming environment could perform a citizen’s arrest and lock someone in a shed on the property. Furthermore, barns are separate from homes – nobody lives there except the animals. Activists have no interest in trespassing into homes, so there is no legitimacy to the claim that Ag-Gag laws protect individual safety. Transport issues are not private property issues – how can you be prohibited from standing on a traffic island to protest?
Politicians in Canada have played on the risk of infectious disease risks in pushing Ag-Gag laws. These laws in Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba target individuals protesting on public property near transport trucks or covertly recording conditions while working at farms and slaughterhouses, even though these activities pose no risks to biosecurity. Politicians have promoted the idea that animal activists are implicated in diseases like mad cow, which is spread by feeding pigs and cows contaminated spinal cord tissue from infected cows.
We know that Ag-Gag laws do nothing to protect biosecurity – a report by Animal Justice shows that of more than 1,000 disease incidents that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has investigated since 2000, and none were caused by an animal activisst or a trespasser on a farm. Prion diseases, biosecurity gaps, infected trailers, insect and wild bird/animal vectors, backfeeding, and ticks, are not the result of contact with activists. Similarly, recent outbreaks of COVID-19 on mink farms in B.C were not caused by protesters or people trespassing, but by transmission from farm personnel to animals. A FOIA to the CFIA revealed that no shipments of animals of any species been rejected at a slaughterhouse due to “interference” by animal activists from 2016-2020 either. In Anita Krajnc’s “PigTrial” case, it has already been rejected by the court that activists have threatened the safety of the Canadian food chain. (Rogues Gallery – Read who voted for Bill 156 – 65 PC and 1 Liberal MPP voted in favour…)
“[A]nti-animal rights and anti-food justice laws, that can be broken down into three distinct waves or eras, going back to the mid-1990s, all of which share a common purpose: incapacitating an increasingly influential movement — the animal rights movement.”
In the creation of the various Canadian Ag-Gag laws, legislators have mirrored regulations that have been deemed unconstitutional in the US. Prof. Lazare has asserted that Ag-Gag laws have caused the public to lose confidence in Canadian farm operations.
So, what is the harm these laws are meant to address? Neither animals, nor farm residents/staff are being harmed, and it is the very nature of protests that they all involve a hindrance of some sort. Obviously, the harm is the information that would be revealed. Ag-Gag legislation prevents speech that seeks to spread truth about animal agriculture and disable participation in democratic discourse. Ag-Gag laws protect slaughterhouses and other animal ag industries from anyone who wants to expose their abuses – what other industries wouldn’t love to have these same protections from media exposure? This should not be taken lightly, either by legislators or by courts, as Bill-156 is challenged in court by Animal Justice.
A desperately lame mare was offered for sale at the Rimbey Livestock Auction Mart in Alberta, on June 16th. Video of the mare taken at the auction showed that she could not bear weight comfortably on her forefeet, and still images showed her standing in the classic laminitic stance, and lying down while other horses in the same pen were standing. This was a 13 year old pasture mate, weighing 1,070 lbs, who was described in the owner statement in the FOIA as “arthritic but not diagnosed by a veterinarian,” having suffered some kind of injury at the age of 5.
The mare was sold to a kill buyer and subsequently to Bouvry Exports, after potential rescuers were out-bid at the auction. As video evidence taken at the auction showed that the horse was barely ambulatory, the horse should not have been loaded on a trailer, yet, the mare had been loaded up for the (highly impractical and unnecessary) 4 hour journey to Rimbey and was ultimately slaughtered at Bouvry for the non-EU market on or about July 19, 2021, after being in transit for 3.5 more hours.
From The National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) Equine Code of Practice:
8.1.1 Fitness for Transport
“Horse owners and persons transporting horses have a primary responsibility for determining if an animal is fit for the expected duration of the trip. While the driver should not be relied upon to determine whether the horse is fit for transport, they have the right and responsibility to refuse to load a horse that they recognize as unfit.
Do not load horses with a reduced capacity to withstand transportation. These animals may show signs of infirmity, illness or injury (31). Never transport a horse unless you are sure it is healthy enough to withstand the stress of the entire expected trip (including intermediate stops). Each case must be judged individually, and the welfare of the horse must be the first consideration. If you are not sure whether a horse is fit for the trip, do not transport – contact a veterinarian.
When animals are unfit for transport, you must provide treatment until the animal is fit for the trip or not transport the animal, and, if necessary, euthanize the animal. Per the Health of Animals Regulations, it is illegal to load or unload a non-ambulatory animal unless the animal is being transported with special provisions for veterinary treatment or diagnosis, upon the recommendation of a veterinarian.”
The National Farm Animal Care Council is comprised of stakeholders primarily made up of farmers and veterinarians. What the NFACC has published are merely “guidelines,” which do not have the force of law behind them, as opposed to regulations, which are directly enforceable. So of course, sellers, auctions, kill buyers, and slaughterhouses thrive in the ambiguity of the language and lack of force in the guidelines.
CFIA Response to Growing Public Discontent
The FOIA response from the CFIA revealed that they received many messages of concern (friends might recognize their own message included in the PDF below). So the the Red Deer district office put on their CSI goggles and went to the auction house and contacted the mare’s owner (the EID is included in the FOIA documentation). The inspector’s report of July 22nd specifically made mention of the owner being asked whether the mare was administered any bute or banamine as a result of being “arthritic.”
It’s also revealing that while the owner admitted the horse was “arthritic,” and had a “slight limp” while getting off the trailer, the Rimbey auction response to the CFIA was that the mare was not lame when she came off the trailer, nor was she lame when she went through the auction (??!?) but because they placed her on a concrete pad over the weekend while the pens were being cleaned. Does anyone else think that the “concrete pad” is a convenient excuse for explaining acute lameness away to dismiss any future complaints about horses that can barely stand? And if concrete pads make horses stiff or lame, why put them there? It seems inconceivable after watching the video that this horse could be “offloaded at Bouvry with no apparent problems.” Has any animal ever been deemed too lame to ship by an auction mart or kill buyer?
Where this investigation falls down, as it usually does, is in the lack of accountability for transport by everyone involved, and drug testing of the remains of this poor suffering animal. The auction house claimed that the SPCA was also involved; any action taken by them (highly doubtful) is not included for our review. And as always, the CFIA seems to leave any testing up to the discretion of the slaughterhouse.
It’s my own opinion that it’s heartless and generally illegal to deny an animal pain-relieving medication, especially when a veterinarian or farrier indicates that it is in pain. I can’t decide which is worse – denying an animal medication because it might affect the ability to wring those last few dollars off of it, or “buting” it and sending it to slaughter anyway. This particular owner confirmed to the CFIA that they did not administer bute to lessen this mare’s pain and did not seek veterinary opinion.
When an animal is in this much discomfort, he or she is now on its own timeline, not ours. We can’t choose to euthanize it or otherwise end its life on our schedule. If your animal is diagnosed by a veterinarian as non-viable/in pain/unrecoverable injury, it is now our responsibility to humanely euthanize him or her to avoid further suffering. Auctions are merely dumping grounds used by many miserly, unfeeling owners.
“The pound of flesh which I demand of him Is deerely bought, ’tis mine, and I will have it.I am sorry for thee: thou art come to answer A stony adversary, an inhuman wretch uncapable of pity, void and empty From any dram of mercy.”
In Japan, “premium consumption,” a philosophy in which consumers do not mind spending large amounts of money on trendy products or services, is on the increase. The Japanese are embracing “members-only” clubs and resorts to the tune of ¥355 billion ($4,176,200,000 CDN), up 13 percent from 2015. Horsemeat is increasing in popularity in Japan due in part to a boom in sushi restaurants and exclusive dining clubs, and is sold as sakura nikku (cherry blossom meat) or raw as basashi.
The English language paper The Japan News, provides a first look at these exclusive and often very secretive restaurants serving what must be our Canadian draft horses, who are live exported almost every week on 16-18 hour flights during which time they are neither fed nor watered, generally by Atlas Air. Prior to shipment to Japan, our “gentle giants” are fattened up to gross proportions, and at risk for laminitis. Each horse is worth approximately $20,000 CDN.
In Tokyo, The Roast Horse is a members-only restaurant that has a set course menu of ¥7,500 ($88.00 CDN). The Roast Horse solicited its clientele via crowdfunding to collect money for a custom-made stone oven. The restaurant was able to generate about ¥6 million ($70,000 CDN). Membership at the restaurant is considered a privilege for the investors.
Photo from an Acess-To-Information Request by the CHDC. We know that horses are dying while enroute to Japan, where horsemeat is preferred “fresh,” hence the live export. These flights are illegal as Canada is in breach of two sections of our own Health of Animals Regulations and IATA Live Animals Regulations.
“As the door opened, all 30 or so seats in the restaurant were occupied. Owner Mineyoshi Hirayama was serving customers a series of horse-based dishes, such as raw and roasted horse meat, while describing the details of the horseflesh he bought and the cooking methods. “What’s great about this restaurant is that it is exclusively members who can book a table. What’s more, we can taste horse meat that can’t be eaten at any other places,” said information technology journalist Masakazu Honda, who is a member. “All the people I have brought here have been delighted. This is a special restaurant.”
If you’re not familiar with the entire sordid live horse export business to Japan, please read the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition’s comprehensive investigative report here.
Call To Action:
Please sign and share the active petition to Atlas Air to end the horrid practice of live export to Japan.
Because most efforts at altruism are applied to human suffering, when it comes to horses and other animals, we still face the problem of convincing people that the suffering of horses is worth considering at all. Our legal and legislative efforts can be effective ways to achieve goals for the horses, but most campaigns are lower visibility when compared to shelter pets, and they may only yield results if completely successful. After observing how horse advocacy functions for a few years now (but I am still a relative newbie compared to the seasoned experts who have been advocating for horses for decades) I want to make the following observations on the year 2016:
To be effective, we must continually find the root causes of systemic problems, such as corrupt or indifferent government officials, hoarding issues, and our often reactionary approach to kill buyer sales programs, which are now entrenched methods of adopting horses. This is no small feat considering how decentralized horse advocates are – each person is often doing their own thing and advocating for horses in their own way. As a result, preventative approaches are sometimes overlooked within the movement. Despite exhaustive work by many people, SAFE Act-type legislation, which could provide the best results for horses in the US, hasn’t passed.
We may best be able to capitalize on shifts in the way people think about all animals and their status in society. Results in Canada have been achieved when contracts for horsemeat are lost due to the exposing of cruelty and food quality/feedlot issues. Meat-swapping is also an issue that usually gets a lot of publicity. The supply of horsemeat already exceeds demand otherwise we would see fewer substitution issues – many people are realizing that they are eating horse unintentionally and this causes them to reconsider buying meat in general.
Unfortunately, 2016 heralded in new administration that is not friendly to animals. P-E Trump is known to receive advice from conspiracy theorists and the radical far right – it’s true that we have become a “post-fact” world. Knowing this, how can we best advocate for horses in 2017 and beyond? There mere suggestion that there may be jobs to be found in the horse slaughter industry could be incentive enough to resuscitate it in the US, even though it is a poor investment.
“Donald Trump…represents perhaps the greatest threat ever to animal protection policy making at the federal level. His campaign surrogates and the names being floated as possible Trump cabinet picks for the very agencies that oversee such policies include the most ardent anti-animal voices in the country. Advocates for puppy mills, factory farming, horse slaughter, and trophy hunting of rare species such as leopards and elephants would be at the steering wheel of a Trump administration.”~ Michael Markarian, the Human Society Legislative Fund
Here’s my summation of 2016, with articles arranged in Storify:
The Chemical Horse:
Horsenetwork reported that Pfizer Canada has announced it will increase the amount of pregnant mare urine (PMU) it collects from its facilities in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan in 2016 and 2017. Demand for conjugated equine estrogens declined in recent years following a 2002 Women’s Health Initiative study that PMU drugs were linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. (In 2012, the North American Menopause Society released a position statement that continues to support hormone therapy).
Horse tendons are now being made into an anti-aging therapy to rival botox. The popularity of horse oil from slaughtered animals has increased exponentially and is sold extensively on Amazon, eBay and elsewhere.
A video released in October showed the appalling treatment of horses at antitoxin and antivenom manufacturing facilities in India. The facilities draw blood from the horses, many of them multiple times a month with heavy gauge needles, to manufacture antitoxin and antivenom drugs. The horses depicted in the video (link included below) had festering sores and low body weights.
Live Horse Shipments:
Throughout 2016, the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition continued to release footage of live horse exports to Japan and petitioned Atlas Air executives to stop the practice, which does not adhere to IATA regulations.
Anti-Soring Efforts:
In August, U.S. Department of Agriculture/APHIS proposed changes to the Horse Protection Act that could stop the soring abuse for good.
Anti-soring advocates got the Big Lick kicked out of the North Carolina State Fair
Food Adulteration:
In June, a butcher shop in Montreal was caught adding horsemeat to hamburger patties advertised as being entirely made of beef. An investigation by Radio-Canada found burger patties advertised as being 100 per cent beef from La Maison du Rôti, which supplied meat to many hotels and commercial establishments in Montreal. This is consistent with a study from 2015 that found that nearly 5% of all ground meat products tested in California had horse meat in the product.
In Britain, two Britons and a citizen of Denmark appeared in court over allegations that they passed horsemeat off as beef. It took THREE YEARS after the horsemeat adulteration scandal in to get them this far.
Britain’s food-policing unit, which was created in 2014 following the horse meat scandal has still not resulted in any new prosecutions despite costing the taxpayer £4m. The National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) has not brought any criminal charges against anyone.
Wild Horses:
Aaron Stelkia of the Osoyoos Indian Band, who has apparently provided no care to feral British Columbia horses, decided to claim them and began rounding them up early in the year. On the heels of this event, the RCMP in Penticton B.C., at the request of the CFIA, began investigating horse rescuer Theresa Nolet after she treated a free-roaming horse with phenylbutazone, making him unfit for human consumption. If the CFIA, the RCMP, or the SPCA actually had any concern for horses, they would require the Indian Bands to keep their horses contained and properly fed and medicated. It’s clear the intent was to harass Ms. Nolet, since the CFIA has no problem importing American horses whose drug history is completely unprovable.
DNA genotyping of Alberta wild horses showed a connection to the Altai horse from Russia. These genetic markers permitted the placement of the horses on the endangered list by the Equus Survival Trust in North Carolina.
Forty-five years ago the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 (WFRH&B Act) was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 18, 1971. The WFRH&B Act created the sensation that wild horses were to be protected on public land, but as it did not create actual defined parameters it has been left open to interpretation and/or lack of enforcement by the US judicial system.
Decimation of the Donkeys:
Now that the West African black rhino is extinct and the elephant is well on its way, donkey skins are the new rhino horn, and just like the rhino, the Chinese demand is unsustainable. To that end, a $3,000,000 slaughterhouse has just opened in Kenya – dedicated and purpose-built to kill up to 100 donkeys a day. China is presently responsible for slaughtering four million donkeys a year for traditional medicinal products made from their skin. Already, countries in Africa are seeing their donkey populations drop at an alarming rate – the appetite for donkey skins has risen to such a degree that a worldwide crisis is unfolding for donkey populations around the world. In the United States the population of donkeys is estimated to be between 250,000 and 400,000. The US’ wild burro population ranges between 4,000 to 10,000 total on all BLM public lands. The entire US population of donkeys could theoretically be wiped out in a matter of weeks at the current rate of slaughter.
Cruelty Cases, Horse Seizures, Abandonments, and Hoarding:
The infamous Stanley Brothers have been shipping horses to slaughter for quite some time and also have a long history of animal welfare offenses, among other questionable activities. Boots Stanley, the son of one of the Stanley Brothers, who became millionaires selling horses to be killed, was arrested along with his pal Steven Sadler, for aggravated animal cruelty after slitting a defenseless dog’s throat on the family’s kill lot in Bastrop, Louisiana. Someone who enjoys inflicting pain on an animal may well be a danger to their community soon.
“Big Lick” supporter Sandra Darlene Wood will be serving jail time for the crime of Animal Cruelty – starving Tennessee Walking Horses that were seized from her farm on April 6, 2015.
Logan Allen, a “horse trainer” who won 1st place in the 2013 Iowa Horse Fair found himself under fire after he posted pics to his Facebook wall of a horse with the caption “bad boy…” The horse lay on the ground, his legs were bound, his tongue hung out of his mouth and he had been sprayed with a hose, hence the treatment of the horse was referred to as “waterboarding.” The dismissal of Allen’s case sends the clear message to those in Iowa that abusing animals is acceptable in the state.
The story of Lily, the little pony mare who appeared to have been shot up with a paintball gun and then abandoned at New Holland in Pennsylvania, was a simultaneously uplifting and heartbreaking narrative. The mare, who was rescued and subsequently endured an eye operation for painful uveitis inflammation and days of dental work, was elderly and in poor condition overall. In May, Philip Price Jr. of Rhode Island, (previously convicted of animal abuse) was convicted on all counts related to transporting her to New Holland. He was ordered to pay $13,000 in restitution for Lily’s recovery care costs. Lily was then adopted by former Daily Show Host Jon Stewart and his wife. Although her quality of life appears to have been quite low for some time, she knew kindness and care before she died a short time later in Stewart’s sanctuary.
In June, officials with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture charged trainer Maria Borell and her father, Charles Borell, each with 43 counts of second-degree cruelty to animals in connection with the apparent abandonment of horses at a 121-acre farm in Central Kentucky.
40 deceased and decaying horses were found on a property near Melbourne Australia. Bruce Akers, was charged with 92 counts of animal cruelty and criminal damage.
Another 40 horses (and 15 dogs) owned by a previously convicted mother/daughter team of animal hoarders were seized from a Virginia property.
In July, horse rescuers saved from slaughter several horses formerly owned by the Arnold Reproduction Center, which specialized in cutting horse breeding. A herd of horses bearing the brand of center ended up scheduled for shipment to slaughter, according to social media posts, which the business acknowledged in a statement last week, calling the slaughter designation unintended. Photos posted by the Kaufman Kill Pen Facebook page showed show at least a dozen horses bearing the brand and/or distinctive shoulder numbers, with some described as recipient mares.
Several horses that had been seized from the Peaceable Farm rescue in 2015 have again been taken by authorities from New Beginnings Horse Rescue, where they had little or no food and water. Over 80 horses were originally removed from Peaceable Farm and 11 of those horses went to New Beginnings (the other horses were distributed to other rescues). It’s been a horrible 2 years for some of the rescues in Virginia.
Approximately 550-650 “wild” horses of varying ages, some mares with foals, went up for auction in December when approximately 30 were found starving or eviscerated on the bare dirt pastures of the ranch belonging to the International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros in South Dakota. With no plan in place to prevent breeding and insufficient range land for the number of horses, the pastures had been eaten down to dirt. Photos on social media show severely thin horses, some of them dead, with their ribs and hip-bones protruding. Some have grotesque wounds and injuries or wildly overgrown, untrimmed hooves. A few had been eviscerated, presumably by wild animals. Guidestar shows that despite the charity taking in $600 – $700K in donations per year, there were always feed emergencies – this appears to be another hoarding operation with charitable status. Resources are finite everywhere – uncontrolled breeding with no place to go eventually means there will be a population crash.
Legislative and Public Relations Issues:
Of the most immediate concern to animal advocates may be the virtual certainty that a Trump administration will work to reopen horse slaughter in the U.S., to “dispose” of the 45,000 wild horses who have been removed as “surplus” from the BLM. Furthermore, in 2009 VP-Elect Pence voted against protecting wild horses and burros on America’s public lands. He opposed the “Restore Our American Mustangs Act,” which was introduced to amend the Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971. Simply because you see a picture of someone on a horse, it does not make them an advocate.
It has been announced that the European Commission is set to adopt stricter regulations on the import of horsemeat from non-EU countries following its latest audit, which found that Canadian horsemeat may not meet EU food safety standards. Horses destined for slaughter in non-EU countries but for export to the EU, must undergo a minimum six-month residency requirement. It’s unclear how either the slaughterhouses or the CFIA will control for this requirement.
The Canadian Horse Defence Coalition met with MPs in Ottawa in October on the dangers of horse meat consumption. The CHDC was registered to lobby with Aaron Freeman of Pivot Strategic Consulting. The CHDC continues to consult with legal counsel in a continuing effort to explore legal strategies to stop illegally-conducted live shipments of horses to Japan for slaughter.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency suspended the slaughtering license of KML Meats in British Columbia temporarily, due to the absence of an effective HACCP program.
The CFIA proposed changes to the Health of Animals Act and Regulations, thereby recognizing that the transport of animals in Canada is not aligned with those of other countries (World Organisation for Animal Health – OIE) nor do they align with the National Farm Animal Care Council Codes of Practice (NFACC) or international trading partners such as the US and the EU. Furthermore, transport guidelines, such as they are, do not reflect current science regarding the handling of animals by land, sea, and air.
The March to DC on behalf of the SAFE Act took place September 22nd. Thank you to the dedicated people who were able to attend. Many SAFE-type bills have now died and alternative approaches are needed to make the rest of the US population aware of the atrocities of horse slaughter.
The tall metal fences, chained gates, and decaying metal buildings that were an embarrassment and constant reminder of horse slaughter in Kaufman Texas are now gone. The old Dallas Crown slaughterhouse was torn down.
In Ontario, “horse rustling” has received new attention after two horses, who were temporarily loaned/boarded, disappeared from the same farm and are presumed sold for slaughter. Sargon, owned by Kim Wilson, and Apollo, owned by Kayla Whatling were loaned to the same individual, who told police she sold Sargon to a kill buyer for slaughter without permission and with a faked EID.
EQUUS Film Festival:
The EQUUS Film Festival, dedicated to equestrian-themed film, fine art and authors was subject to controversy in 2016. Noted Equine/Human Chiropractor Dr. Jay Komarek, declined to accept the Equus Film Festival Award for “Best Documentary” Film citing festival organizers for accepting money from two corporate sponsors, “Protect The Harvest” and “Farm Paint,” as his reason for doing so. The sponsor’s principals are Mr. Forrest Lucas (Protect The Harvest and Lucas Cattle Company) and Mr. Duke Thorson (Farm Paint and Thorsport Farm). Slaughtering and soring horses do not create a better world for them and were therefore incompatible sponsors for the event. Clant Seay, a reporter for Billygoboy.com, also had the microphone aggressively grabbed out of his hand by former Sue Wallis buddy Dave Duquette at EQUUS. A positive outcome was that the film “Kill Pen” signed a worldwide/international distribution agreement to circulate the film across the US and Canada, into Europe, and beyond.
Please read more about these and other headlines from 2016, arranged chronologically, inStorify
We’ve known for many years that farm animals have been exploited to produce more meat, milk, wool etc. Embryo transfer in horses is another technology that is unrivalled for its inefficiency and costliness. There’s also some evidence that embryo transfer (ET) is exploitative because it can be painful, requiring analgesics. We recently read about the cast-off recipient mares (the “gestational” carriers that give birth to foals of a different mare/stallion) from the Arnold Reproduction Center who were consigned to the Kaufman kill pen/kill buyer Mike McBarron for eventual slaughter. Once exposed on social media platforms, veterinarian Leea Arnold responded:
“I recently sent some mares to the Cleburne Horse Sale. I certainly never intended for them to end up in the slaughter pen. Many of these mares came to me through the sale barn system, were sick, completely unbroken and certainly destined for slaughter at that time (15 or so years ago). As long as these mares are reproductively sound, they stay in my herd – many probably longer than they are useful. My staff and I have taken the time, money, and resources we have to help these mares become useful and give them a viable purpose.
“I will use another avenue to re-home these mares in the future. If you are a non-profit organization and have your 501(c)3 at hand, I would be more than happy to donate any older or reproductively unsound recipients to your facilities as they become available.”
Dr. Arnold did not otherwise offer to help the animals that were scheduled to be sent for slaughter.
In addition to horses, mules are also being used in at least one euphemistically named “mule mom” program using embryo transfers from gypsy vanner mares. The Gypsy Gold breeding program in Ocala Florida charges up to $14,000 for a purebred gypsy vanner foal carried by a mule, who is often shipped to and from the Gypsy Gold Horse Farm and the contractor of their service. They also helpfully offer a service for purchasers of the gypsy foal who are not satisfied with the quality of their new purchase – they will connect you with an “appropriate buyer” – quite possibly the same buyer who will purchase the mule moms once their fertility wanes. At the moment, this farm offers 11 mares for breeding, so one can only imagine how many times they are being flushed out and the number of “mule moms” that are being used as gestational carriers.
Currently, most equine breed associations permit embryo transfer. Notable exceptions include the Jockey Club (thoroughbreds), the United States Trotting Association, and the American Miniature Horse Association. Brazil and Argentina are currently the leaders in equine ET, although it’s believed that about 10,000 embryos were collected and transferred in the USA in 2014. The practice seems to have become more widespread in 2015, with more countries reporting embryo transfer activities, including Canada, South Africa, France, Poland, Switzerland, the USA, and Mexico.
Why is Equine Embryo Transfer Also A Welfare Issue?
Because veterinarians can only flush fertilized eggs (embryos) from the uterus of a donor mares at specific times the cycles of one or more recipient mares must be synchronized with the donor mare. This is why reproductive vet clinics tend to have a wide selection of recipient mares from which to choose. The number of mares that some vet clinics keep on hand for this purpose varies from dozens of mares to hundreds. In many cases the donor mare is synchronized with two or more recipient mares in the event that multiple embryos are recovered from the donor mare. Obviously, these mares’ “jobs” come with no guarantee of a home placement after their careers are over and may easily fall into the wrong hands.
There are potential welfare issues for a donor mare, including those associated with the flushing procedure and with repeat injections to attempt to induce ovulation when used. Because more than two mares may be involved, the number of invasive rectal and ultrasound examinations is increased. Where recipient mare numbers are limited, greater pharmacological manipulation (often involving repeated injections) may also be used to achieve ovulatory synchronization between donor and recipient mares.
While there are apparently no studies on whether ET is painful in mares, it is known to be painful in other species, especially those in which embryo flushing is a surgical procedure. Perhaps because of this it is common practice to sedate mares both during flushing and ET.
Transvaginal ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration in women is known to be associated with pain, the severity of which is dependent upon needle design. In sheep and goats, repeated surgical egg retrieval has been associated with the development of adhesions. In a study of pony mares who were the subject of invasive follicular procedures, it was observed that heart rates and cortisol levels increased considerably as soon as a needle was introduced into the procedure.
Lastly, the development of the “super ovulation” protocol and the resulting production of more oocytes (cells that develop into an ovum/egg) will heighten the possibility of more foals using larger herds of recipient mares, greater numbers of horses born that aren’t needed, and more slaughter after the recip mares are no longer required.
Drugs/Hormones Commonly Used in Equine Reproduction Practices and Their Withdrawal Times
Sources for withdrawal times were the Meat Hygiene Manual of the CFIA or drug datasheets. It is important to note that withdrawal times are often extended when drug
Most donor mares are sport horses, Arabians or Quarter Horses. It’s an appealing option for those who can afford it, since it allows the option of the owner taking their mare out of competition for only about a week in order to produce a foal.
combinations are used. Drugs used off-label in unapproved species may have differing withdrawal times even though appropriate dosage is given and whether used in combination with other drugs. The dose itself along with the frequency of use (repeated oral administrations can greatly extend withdrawal times) are two of the most important factors. Compounded drugs (as opposed to generic or branded drugs sold OTC or through veterinarians) can vary widely in potency as well. The amount of body fat, the breed, gender and health of the horse are also factors that affect kinetic decay of drugs. Lastly, the amount of stress that the horse is subject to may also affect withdrawal times. And even though a pharmacological effect on the animal may be over, the drug and its metabolites may still be detectable, and those metabolites may also be prohibited. The CFIA manual doesn’t tell anyone this, nor could they expect the lay horse person to understand any of the factors that also affect withdrawal times and drug tests,
Altrenogest/Progesterone/ Medroxyprogesterone (synthetic variant of hormone progesterone)
Use: Clinical uses include synchronizing the ovulations of a donor mare with a specific recipient mare. It may also be used to alter or manipulate the estrous cycle of a mare for a scheduled breeding due to stallion availability.
Class of Drug: non-narcotic, nonsteroidal, analgesic agent with anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activity
Use: Reduces moderate inflammation by stopping the formation of prostaglandins, which are mediators of inflammation. They also reduce the formation of certain pain-causing products of inflammation. Embryo recipients may receive flunixin meglumine i.v. at the time of transfer.
CFIA Withdrawal/Prohibition: IV – 10 days/IM 30 days
Class of Drug: Gonadotropin releasing hormone or GnRH
Use: Can also be administered to mares to accelerate ovulation selectively where needed to improve the degree of synchrony between the donor and recipient mares. Induces ovulation in mares. Induction of ovulation is advantageous if a mare is in a timed breeding, shipped semen, frozen semen or embryo transfer program.
Class of Drug: Gonadotropin releasing hormone or GnRH
Use: A potent, synthetic form of GnRH. The drug is administered as a subcutaneous implant.The most common use in a breeding program is the induction of a timed ovulation, such as when mares are being bred with cooled-transported semen or frozen semen
CFIA Withdrawal/Prohibition: not on CFIA website but listed with a “WARNING: For use in horses (estrous mares) only. Do not use in horses intended for human consumption. For intramuscular (IM) use only. Do not administer intravascularly. Not for use in humans. Keep this and all drugs out of reach of children.”
Class of Drug: Fatty acid compounds with varying hormone-like effects
Use: Prostaglandins are commonly administered to mares in a timed breeding program or after having missed a breeding opportunity to bring mares back into estrus. Prostaglandins are one of the most widely used hormones in equine reproduction.
Class of Drug: Dopamine antagonist. Neurotransmitter
Use: Modulates or suppresses production of the hormone prolactin from the pituitary. In breeding programs it stimulates lactation or the induction of lactation in nurse mares or the induction of follicular development. Also used as a preventative for fescue toxicosis.
CFIA Withdrawal/Prohibition: “no known manufacture for veterinary use in Canada”
Use: Administered to mares for evacuation of uterine fluid and treatment of retained placenta. It may also be used for induction of labor in late term mares and milk let-down.
CFIA Withdrawal/Prohibition: not on website: 0 days
eFSH
Trade Name: FOLLTROPIN®
Class of Drug: Hormone
Use: Facilitates “superovulation” – ovulating from more than one follicle at a time. Development of a s protocol to superovulate mares would allow a top mare to produce several foals in a year, or to have several embryos frozen for later use. The hormone is extracted from porcine pituitary glands.
The welfare of the animal is always compromised when greed is involved. The ability for breeders to implant multiple embryos with no limits caters to the wealthy individuals in the industry. While one might argue that ET is less risky than foaling for a mare, horses should not have litters, especially since there is some question whether it is humane to repeatedly subject both recipient and donor mares to invasive procedures, after which many horses are dumped. The worst but hardly the only offender of this practice, the AQHA, allows multiple-embryo-transfer rules that facilitate overpopulation by allowing mares to have more than one foal per year. Rules about using frozen semen or eggs from long-sterile or dead animals have allowed horses to breed from beyond the grave. Consider that First Prize Dash, a 1988 quarter horse mare – produced 44 offspring! Her sire, Dash for Cash, sired 1,233 foals!
It is also very doubtful that either Canadian or Mexican slaughterhouses have tested for some of these lesser used or less obvious drugs or hormones. Since some drugs/hormones are not even line items in the Meat Hygiene Manual, it would be easy for sellers of horses to plead ignorance of the requirement to disclose on an EID. Embryo transfer therefore facilitates an already unsavory horsemeat industry in novel, previously unanticipated ways.
The 
Written by: Heather Clemenceau
In addition to horses, mules are also being used in at least one euphemistically named “mule mom” program using embryo transfers from gypsy vanner mares. 
While one might argue that ET is less risky than foaling for a mare, horses should not have litters, especially since there is some question whether it is humane to repeatedly subject both recipient and donor mares to invasive procedures, after which many horses are dumped. The worst but hardly the only offender of this practice, the AQHA, allows multiple-embryo-transfer rules that facilitate overpopulation by allowing mares to have more than one foal per year. Rules about using frozen semen or eggs from long-sterile or dead animals have allowed horses to breed from beyond the grave. Consider that 
heatherclemenceau 
