8/14/13

A Face Filled With Agony Amongst The Deaf, Dumb and Blind



On Monday, August 12th, at New Holland Sales Stable a travesty of justice took place for an intensely suffering horse.  Many, many people were witness to, but no one was held accountable for the pain this poor soul endured.  This picture was posted Monday morning. 
 
It’s obvious to any horsewoman’s eye that his horse is in a great deal of pain.



New Holland Sales Stable on Monday morning is utter chaos.  Horses are packed in like sardines; people are milling around.  The workers are compassionless and brutal as the move the horses around to accommodate the sale.  The meat men and dealers are in attendance checking out the horses and their mental wheels are spinning as they calculate the dollars to be made.  



For a horse to lay down in this chaotic situation, is clear evidence that the horse in in absolute agony.






At nearly 7:00 that evening, after prolonged and intense suffering, the horse is finally radiographed and it is determined that he has foundered badly in all four feet.  This poor draft horse, with rotated coffin bones in all four hooves, nearly through the soles, was transported several times in this condition and left to suffer all those many hours.


 "His coffin bones in all 4 feet had rotated and were only about 1/8 of an inch away from breaking through his soles." 

The xrays posted by the "rescue organization" showed the rotation was beyond significant. The pain must have been excruciating.

Rest in Peace, dear boy.  Your agony is over.

Our fury remains unabated.

Now there are hard questions to be asked.  There is a vet on site at New Holland.  Where was Dr. Holt?  Why did he not come to the aid of this horse?  Why didn’t someone insist he come to the aid of this horse?  It's been reported that someone gave this horse a pain shot.  An experienced vet should expertly and easily have seen that this horse needed a whole lot more help than a pain shot.    Why wasn’t local Animal Control Officer Keith Mohler called immediately?  Why did so many people let the person accountable for this travesty walk away?  In fact, the person who brought this horse to New Holland not only walked away, but was rewarded for his crime with $400 cash.

New Holland Sales Stable is a known hotbed of cruelty violations week after week.  Check out the pens out back.  You’ll see pain and suffering on a weekly basis that goes unreported and unpunished.  Every week you read about the people who witnessed the atrocities (some of whom claim to be rescuers), yet no one, NO ONE, bothers to act.

And it's not just the horses.  It's the cows, the pigs, the calves.  The suffering is boundless.

Dr. James Holt, the veterinarian on staff at New Holland for years, who upon becoming a vet solemnly swore to use his scientific knowledge and skills for the prevention and relief of animal suffering, abdicated his responsibilities in this situation.  This horse suffered in agony for a long time.  Those coffin bones didn’t sink in a day.  But his suffering could have and should have been alleviated within minutes of being brought into that house of horrors that Lancaster County calls a sales stable.  And the person who dragged him in there should have been charged!

It’s unclear who really consigned this horse.  At one point it’s stated that it was a kill buyer, at another point, it was stated it was an Amish man.  Regardless, PA laws were broken and everyone witness involved turned a blind eye to the violations.


(1) A person commits an offense if he wantonly or cruelly ill-treats, overloads, beats, otherwise abuses any animal, or neglects any animal as to which he has a duty of care, whether belonging to himself or otherwise, or abandons any animal, or deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, drink, shelter or veterinary care, or access to clean and sanitary shelter which will protect the animal against inclement weather and preserve the animal’s body heat and keep it dry.

 (d) Selling or using disabled horse.–A person commits a summary offense if he offers for sale or sells any horse, which by reason of debility, disease or lameness, or for other cause, could not be worked or used without violating the laws against cruelty to animals, or leads, rides, drives or transports any such horse for any purpose, except that of conveying the horse to the nearest available appropriate facility for its humane keeping or destruction or for medical or surgical treatment.



The vicious cycle of cruelty goes on at New Holland Sales Stables weekly and even daily.  The Vet on site is absent in the face of suffering.  The local ACO is never seen on the grounds checking for violations to the laws he’s been tasked to uphold.  The auction audience appears more interested in photo shoots, networking and fundraising opportunities than swiftly and immediately alleviating a horse’s absolute agony.


Shame on ALL of you who were there and did nothing to effect JUSTICE.  You've rewarded the wrongdoers and indicated that this behavior is tolerable and even lucrative.  It will happen again and again and again. Shame, Shame, Shame.










12 comments:

  1. Shame . . . and tears and agony thinking of such suffering unabated by witnesses. Could they secretly be thrilled by this suffering? I cannot help but wonder.

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  2. I hope God brings his wrath down on anyone who lets or makes a horse or any animal suffer! God has left the animals in our care. We as humans have done a shameful job! I do not want to be standing next to any of these kind of people on judgement day!

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  3. WOW... Thank you for writing this... Poor Ol Soul out of pain now.. No More Blind Eyes.. this is a travesty.. People Who Abuse Need To Go To Jail!

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  4. The Amish literally do not interpret "dominion over the animals" the same was most of us do. To them it is permission to control, not also the responsibility to care for. This horse is equipment to them, just as are the breeding stock dogs in their puppymills.

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  5. I grieved and still do for this extremely sweet horse who we all would have loved to help and to meet.... Publishing his story and the truth of these places will eventually raise enough awareness to bring accountability to bear. Thank you for writing this.

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  6. I KNOW SOME RESCUERS ARE FEARFUL TO SAY SOMETHING LEST THEY LOSE THEIR CONNECTIONS AT THE SALES...SHAME ON YOU.
    It is time to stop the madness.
    Stop breeding,stop profiting off of pain.
    If you think this can't possibly happen to the horses and foals you have sold, you're DEAD WRONG

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  7. Stay tuned. We will be publishing information on how to turn these offenders in!

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  8. Very sad. From the look of the breed he came from an Amish or Mennonite farm I would put money on that. They should have a person standing at the entrance of the sale watching and patrolling all horses being brought in. Also to fine the people when they bring in a horse like this. But the cruelty laws in this country are a JOKE!! so the sad part is it would have been a tiny slap on the hand. Another sad part is with the slaughter bill being passed it looks like it will only get worse before it gets better. We need to think about who we put in charge of this country sad but true. I am just glad this horse came across a person who cared. RIP sweet horse.

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  9. The vet or his appointed VT should check and inspect every horse brought onto the premises. No horse should ever be hauled off a trailer there or at any other 'auction" without that protection, minimal as it might be. Disgusting beyond belief. State laws ought to at least enforce the minimum protection for these poor forgotten horses.

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  10. Too many years of being allowed to behave badly has left these people with the attitude that they are untouchable. Not so. Social media will be there undoing if people will act & speak on the horses, & the other animals, behalf. Those who are out there bringing these atrocities to our attention are enabling us to force change if we choose to act. Take advantage of the information they present, use it accordingly, & keep fighting for justice & change until the arrogant "you know whats" involved in any way with this or any other auction are forced to conform.

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  11. I am so saddened by this horse's suffering. This article brought tears to my eyes and anger to my heart. I am glad you wrote this. I am posting a link to your article on Facebook and sharing it with everyone I can think of. I will gladly join you in writing to whatever authority there is who can seek to prosecute those responsible for the terrible pain this horse experienced with no relief. I want to do more. Tell me how.

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  12. Considering how many of these horses are misrepresented as to soundness, age, etc. and how many are destined for the human food chain we should have laws as to proof of ownership and a requirement for anyone selling a horse to list those horses under their true identity so that anyone can trace them for any reason. It's bad enough people can legally dump these horses but to be able to do it under the cloak of secrecy (that the auction houses enable) is ridiculous.

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