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:

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/state_board_of_veterinary_medicine/12527/consumer_information/606929

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

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

On Monday, August 12^th, 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.

(c) Cruelty to animals.–  (http://humane-pa.org/resources/pennsylvanias-animal-cruelty-law/ )

(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.

The Meat Man Lied! OR, When It Comes To Profit, U Can't Trust Some People

Sometimes there is no need for words.  Sometimes you just shake your head at the stupidity of people. 

"When it comes to a profit u can't trust some people."

Here's how it started:

QH mare,15-ish years old. 15.2 hands. Rode nice, neckreins. Pushy on the ground. Travels sound but has an rolled over shoe job. FEE $465.00

It seems this poor mare has been passed around and around.  Several observers note she passed through one of these ever-so-reputable "placement" programs some time ago.  The look of despair on her face is heartbreaking.

Several people recognize her as having done the broker program dance before.  :(

Here, the "breeder of many species" incoherently attempts to explain what the program is claiming to do.

A discussion about the "unusual" shoe job this poor mare is sporting.  "Don't let this girl's shoe job deter you from bringing her home!  There's no reason to think she wouldn't be sound with them.  They just enhance performance."

Yes, she's been bounced around before.  These "programs" work out so well for the horses, don't they?  The last comment there is, well, self-explanatory in it's ridiculousness.

Lots of people are offering to take her, as long as someone else will foot her purchase price and transport!

Oh, and BA, this mare and the rest of the load have already passed over the Ohio/PA state line.  Shouldn't they already have a health cert and coggins?  Just askin'.

 And now, the light bulb moment!   From a placement program, diagnosed with navicular, the horse dealer who bought her sent her to Sugarcreek and she ended up with Ron Andio, kill buyer.

 Some painfully astute observations.

No words.

And the former owner shows up!  She sold the horse to the kill buyer.  He lied!  Imagine that.

Remember these words and think about them.  "This is my horse I just called Ron Andio where u got my horse he told me End of Line picked up a load of horses to save. Why would she be in kill pen if they saved her wtf is going on????"


Indeed. The load of horses were picked up in Ohio and saved by the "program," who incidentally does not have a license to broker horses in Pennsylvania.  They were transported across state lines without a coggins.  Not sure if that's a federal or state offense, but it is illegal.


(Sidebar: If the owner sold the horse directly to Andio and then the program took her, why is she sporting an auction tag?)

Sadly, there's a whole history to this horse being dumped.

It IS all about placing horses in the correct homes!

But you see, there is no screening or contracts.  "There is a lotta prayer."  OMG.

Won't be sold as a broodmare?  Several comments were already made to the effect that would be a good use for her.  Prize winning statement?  "Learned a very valuable lesson. No mater how long u have known a dealer (20 years). When it comes to a profit u can't trust some people."

You sold your horse to the meat man.  Are you really surprised by all this?

(apologies to anyone who snorted liquids through their nose as a result of the prize winning statement)

Not kid safe, not ridden in over a year but will stay sound if kept in those shoes?  WTF?

In the end, $465 later and over 200 comments, the horse has been placed:

"I HAVE A HOME! THANK YOU DXXX♥"

This is just another example of a totally screwed up situation involving all kinds of morally bereft people and victimizing a sick horse.  It can only be hoped - prayed for - that she has finally found her soft landing.

Perhaps one of the most important takeaways here is Barb's rather telling comment about this whole situation:

"This is my horse I just called Ron Andio where u got my horse he told me End of Line picked up a load of horses to save. Why would she be in kill pen if they saved her wtf is going on????"


The horses are being picked up and taken out of Andio's killpen, transported illegally into PA from OH, and then sold by an unlicensed horse dealer. They are not in a kill pen, they are at a local barn.  Truly in danger?  Or truly a way to make a profit?