8/16/13

Rewarding Bad Behavior By Horse Owners, Vets and Auction Houses

http://equineprotectionnetwork.com/cruelty/enforces.htm

"Just Plain Failed To Report The Crime"

The words at the link above couldn't be any better stated with respect to cruelty that goes on weekly at New Holland Sales Stable, as well as many other horse/livestock auctions in Pennsylvania.  The words completely explain and validate the message this group wants to impart to the horse rescue and donor community.

(At the bottom of the page we have included a link on how to report a veterinarian in Pennsylvania.  More will be forthcoming on other organizations to contact in the next few days.)

In particular, these words very accurately describe what took place at New Holland last Monday that we discussed in this blog:

http://theethicsofequinerescue.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-face-filled-with-agony-amongst-deaf.html


We'll include some salient points from the page, but please go to the link and read it all.  Thank you, Equine Protection Network.  

(Note: all the words in italics below are from the link at the top of this page and are the words of The Equine Protection Network housed in PA)

PA and many other states have laws against selling sick, lame, or debilitated horses and laws that limit the transport of these horses except for limited purposes. All of the horses on this page and at the links, were sold in violation of PA law as demonstrated by the guilty verdicts in New Holland Court. All of the horses sold at New Holland were during a time that Dr. Holt was employed by New Holland Sales Stables. In all of the cases there were horse welfare organizations that either failed to cooperate with law enforcement, interfered with law enforcement, or just plain failed to report the crime.

An employee of a business that benefits from the sale of an item, in this case a horse, is not the person to determine if it is a violation to sell the horse. Any vet employed by an auction/livestock market has a conflict of interest with law enforcement.

A vet does not determine whether or not the cruelty law has been violated. The court does that.

A vet does not determine whether or not the elements of a crime of cruelty have been met, an officer trained in law enforcement does that.

A vet is the medical expert that determines the medical condition of the horse. 

Horse welfare organizations fail to realize that the law applies to them also. If a dealer or "killer buyer" cannot transport the horse to New Jersey, then neither can they transport the horse to New Jersey. The nearest appropriate place for medical treatment from New Holland is New Bolton Center, less than 45 minutes away. The law does NOT apply to people purchasing horses, only those selling or transporting. The intent of the Legislature is clear. No owner should profit from the sale of an injured, sick, lame, or debilitated horse, nor should such a horse suffer from needless transport. 

Horse welfare organizations have engaged in heated arguments at the sale and on the Internet and in the media because an organization might purchase a horse and then put it down, all the time missing the point. The point is that owners are the ones who need to be held accountable for their actions and must be taken to task for the failure to provide necessary vet care as required under PA law, and offering for sale and/or transporting the sick, injured, horse. 

The goal of enforcement is compliance, not taking owner's horses so they welfare organization can claim they "saved" it. The organizations rush home and put the picture and description of the poor horse on the Internet seeking funds to rehabilitate the horse. What should be happening is law enforcement takes the horse into custody, collects the evidence to prove the elements of the offense, and depending on the circumstances of each case, filing charges against the owner. If the owner is found guilty, then the affiant asks the court for forfeiture of the horse, if still alive, and restitution for expenses incurred in caring for and disposing of the horse if necessary.

That is how an owner's bad behavior is punished.

Anytime an owner is given money for the violating the law, society is rewarding the bad behavior.

The EPN is curious as to how horse welfare organizations plan on improving or changing the problem of neglect or abuse, if they refuse to cooperate with law enforcement in holding the owners accountable?

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How to Report a Veterinarian in Pennsylvania:


Go to the link above and you’ll see “File a Complaint”


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