Must See TV!
Oct 12 2010
I am beyond delighted…the MTV show World of Jenks chose to cover the issue of the illegal horse slaughterhouses in Florida!
This show is getting great ratings and a LOT of people will see this.
If you are as happy as I am that this got coverage, make sure to leave a comment on the episode page, or on their Facebook page. Â We want to make sure the media get properly thanked when they try to help horses and totally get it right! Â :-)
40 comments to “Must See TV!”
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I watched that show with much interest the other day. I’m a police officer at a department in the next county. I have friends who work down in that area, and I can tell you that way more sh*t goes on down there than what they show on Jenks. The only reason why that area of Dade County is called a third world country is that there is no such thing as a FOURTH world country.
A surprising majority of the people running the illegal slaughter houses are Cubans, and they live on these digusting “ranches” collecting up animals for Santaria sacrifices, etc. Anyone that puts up a free ad on Craigslist for a horse, chicken, goat, dog, or any animal that has resale value for food, religion, or some other use can expect it to end up down in unicorporated Dade County. These same guys also frequent the every other Friday night animal sale in Okeechobee at L-Cross Livestock Auction. They will buy day old Holstein calves from McArthur Dairy, hogs, billy goats, geese, roosters, mini horses, ponys, llamas, etc. They all say they have pet stores and petting zoos. If all they want is horses, the supply of freebies down here is unlimited. We have Gulfstream, Calder, Hialeah, and Pompano race tracks within a half an hour of each other. They don’t even have to bother driving two hours to Okeechobee to get a free horse.
I just rescued a OTTB May 1st from a Cuban who had starved him down to about 700 pounds since the beginning of March. He weighs 1100 pounds now. The SPCA knows where the rest of his horses are, but there are soooo many others down here as bad or worse and they have at any point about 40-60 horses that need adoption. It’s not unusual for them to get to the ranch in the morning and find another one tied to their fence.
Glad Jenks brought it out a little more into the public light. The media blurs out all the carcasses on the news reports because of how disgusting it really is. As an officer, it does bother me that they have to trespass and commit the equivalent of burglary to get the evidence, but it is a very tight community down there, and if you are not part of the immediate circle and know someone personally, you will not get on the main farm. They will just continue with what they are doing, and no one will stop them.
While I’m thinking of it, I will also give props to Laurie Waggoner and the South Florida SPCA. It is NOT a county funded agency as some people think. http://www.spca-sofla.org/
She and her volunteers do an amazing job trying to put a stop to what is happening to so many horses in Dade County. There is no need to go to slaughter auctions to save horses when all this is happening in our backyards. The starving baby mini horse and mother on the website were a pair that I rescued from a farrier’s customer in Broward County. I called the SPCA and took them to Laurie because I knew there was nothing I could afford to do for them other than euthanasia, and I wanted them to at least have a chance to try to survive.
Unfortunately, being so far south, not too many people are willing to adopt or ship a horse from Miami and the SPCA is always full to capacity. You would think that people would be making donations left and right after seeing all the horrors in the media this year, but Miami is the poster child for apathy and “every man for himself”, so the money is just barely enough for them to do what they can to help. So, mucho props to Laurie and her organization. It is one of the toughest areas in the country to do rescues, and has some of the worst abuses on record. She does a hell of a job!!
Wonderful! I hope there is no backlash from them airing their faces etc.
I’m glad this issue has been given broader coverage.
I’ve been reading and lurking for quite some time on your blog, finally signed up LOL. LOVE your blog BTW, I’m sure you have saved many equine lives with your words
I posted the link on my FB page, commented on Jenks’ page,and also told my horse/animal lover friends to send some kudos their way as well. Blessings to you and yours!
I couldn’t actually see the episode (it said the video was currently unavailable) but the comments said it all. Good for Jenks for taking on this tough topic… Love to see stuff like this get to the mainstream
http://36andsingle.blogspot.com/
I saw the episode…I was glad that this kind of thing was exposed…wished they would of shown more!
It is so awful down there…and seeing what they kill them with is even more sad…blah. Horses would prolly rather die by bolt…then have them sawing at their throats…
ugh!
Hope more people get involved and side up with anti slaughter…do I have answers…no, but I still don’t have to be for the slaughter of horses.
The pro slaughter think that we should take all the burden…We are just “trying”…irritating…
Fugly! Look at this:
http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/local/central/horse-shot%2C-limbs-severed-left-by-road-
Horse shot, limbs severed left by road
NM livestock inspector responsible
Updated: Tuesday, 12 Oct 2010, 7:59 AM MDT
Published : Sunday, 10 Oct 2010, 11:09 PM MDT
* Reporter: Crystal Gutierrez
SOCORRO COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – A Socorro County family discovered its pregnant horse shot in the head with three of its limbs cut off and left on the side of a busy road; a state livestock inspector said she had to do it.
The Barela family said they found the mare on Saturday on a dirt road off U.S. Highway 60. For dozens of Socorro County residents it’s the only way to get to town, and that’s why the horse’s owners found it so fast.
“I wouldn’t like seeing that,†Carlos Barela said.
Carlos Barela is the owner’s grandson. Barela said the family’s ranching horse was months away from delivering a colt.
The Barelas heard the mare had gotten stuck in a nearby cattle guard and that a state livestock inspector shot it and then dismembered it.
“The two back legs missing and the front hoof up here,†Barela said. “After they dragged it out of the cattle guard they dragged it around and just left it right here.â€
The two back legs were cut above the joint. The front leg was severed above the hoof.
Livestock Inspector Bea Bell said she was called out just after midnight Saturday. She said it only took a few minutes for her to decide that the mare would have to be put down.
“The Palamino mare was in the cattle guard,†Bell said.
Bell said the mare’s hind legs had fallen all the way through the cattle guard. The front leg was also stuck and broken.
“It was obvious it was broken,†Bell said. “It was dangling by skin and the tendon.â€
Bell said the horse was struggling to get out and even banged her head on the asphalt to get free.
“It was very devastating to have to do that to an animal,†Bell said. “We could not leave her in the cattle guard because that’s safety hazard for traffic. So we had to dismember her to get her out.â€
Bell did not call the Barela family that night or even the next day. She finally talked to them on Sunday after we called her and told her who the mare belonged to.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Mr. Barela, but it would be inhumane to let the horse sit there and suffer longer than she did,†Bell said.
“It’s more inhumane just to leave her like that,†Gilbert Barela said.
“You could have called me like you do all the time,†Barela said.
“Mr. Barela I didn’t know the horse was yours,†Bell said.
Bell said the horse was lying on its brand marking that night. It was clearly visible on Sunday but Bell said she could not find it in the branding book.
The Barelas thumbed through the book and found it in about 15 minutes. Bell said a piece of the brand looks a little different from the book markings.
The Barelas claim they may have been able to save the horse by using a torch or jaws-of-life to open the cattle guard.
Bell said the Socorro County sheriff’s deputies on scene that night did not have the jaws-of-life hydraulic tool carried by some fie and rescue crews.
The Barelas said they will not remove the animal because they want the livestock board to do it.
The inspector said she will not be able to contact Socorro County to see if it can dispose of it until after the holiday weekend on Tuesday.
She said she is worried about kids heading to school on Tuesday because there is a bus stop just feet from the decaying horse.
What a clusterfuck. I don’t think shooting the horse was the wrong thing to do.
This is why horses shouldn’t be allowed near cattle guards. Sad.
Agreed. Putting her out of her misery was the right thing to do. As far as Mr. Barelas comment about it being more
in-humane to leave her body lying there after removal from the cattle guard is bewildering to me. She had already been released from her agony…
I understand the upset with finding her that way or other people seeing her that way, but that is inhumane to humans, not the mare.
Sad story. Totally preventable!
I hope the inspector doesn’t get into too much trouble over this. It sounds like they’re definitely trying to make trouble. How did the mare get into that fix in the first place? Did she jump over a fence?
This reminds me of something that happened at my High School. We had a huge Ag program, and lots of farm animals. These animals were being raised *as* farm animals, i.e. for meat, milk, eggs, etc. The teacher was also a certified vet tech.
(warning – description below might be considered a bit graphic)
Anywho, ants had gotten into the rabbit hutch and one of the rabbits must have fallen asleep on the ant bed or something, as it was being eaten alive. You could hear the screaming as you approached the hutch (if you’ve ever heard a rabbit scream, you know how horrible it is). The teacher made the decision to put it down right there rather than let it suffer waiting for a vet to come do it. She sent the students away and snapped its neck. Apparently this infringed on the delicate sensitivities of one of the students and she turned the teacher in. She ended up being suspended without pay… possibly fired (there was talk of it, but I never heard the final outcome). Keep in mind, this teacher was a vet tech and had been working there for over a decade… delivering calves, dehorning cattle, castrating bulls, etc. She knew what she was doing. People are just too squeamish about reality sometimes >.<
It sounds like the family has a few horses and that they are all loose; hence the inspector talking about not recognizing their brand – it sounds like it is a common occurrence for their horses to be loose. Which is a shame, because it means they are either getting caught in cattle guards, or very very close to roads, and probably not fenced in at all.
And it does sound like the family is going to make a big deal about it; or at least the writer seems sympathetic.
I didn’t post this here to be all “oh, poor horse, bad inspector” by the way, just to reinforce a “why” for some of the major points Fugly brings up a lot (mostly, don’t be stupid!).
I may have met this lady (the inspector)…there’s not too many female livestock inspectors in NM.
Very sad story…until I got to the last part about the bus stop, then I cracked up laughing. It made me think of the scene in the beginning of Napoleon Dynamite where the farmer shoots the cow in front of the bud load of kids.
I am sorry for going a bit OT, but does anyone have any experience with this rescue? They focus on OTTBs and look pretty damn good.
http://www.mahrnfp.org/index.php
The website looks good, and the blog has been updated recently, but what caught my eye was the Wish List on the how you can help page… They want Halter-lead combination’s, from Clinton Anderson’s website.
Regardless of how you’re training, I think if I was running a rescue, I’d settle on a rope halter and lead from Jeffer’s for around $12 instead of spending the money for the Anderson one… I’m sure you could buy more then a couple bags of feed for the price of the Anderson halter…
I have been hearing about them for awhile and so far there has been nothing negative. I know they take a lot OTTBs and that they have placed several of them. They say they are always open to anyone visiting but I’m not close enough to have ever gone there.
I just spent some time perusing MAHR’s website, and I have questions and comments. They DO “appear” to be a legitimate outfit, in some regards. HOWEVER, I saw some things (and didn’t see some things) that raised my eyebrows.
I will try to find a copy of St. Louis magazine (I live here) to read the article about them. I think it’s fascinating and maybe a bit concerning that they have a TB on the track that they rescued as a yearling. I’ve certainly never heard of a rescue doing that before… not sure what to think. Maybe if he wins a bunch of money for them, it’s a good idea?
Another major thing is, where are the webpages of adoptable horses (I believe I read they have 65) or “success stories?” There’s NOTHING. Very, very strange for a rescue of any kind not to have that kind of info on their website! Lots of details on how to give them money, though…
And finally (this is rather nit-picky but I do some graphic design myself so it jumped right out at me), WTF is up with their logo??? What is it supposed to represent? It sure doesn’t look equine-related to me. If anything, it’s looks to me like the profile of a big cat (e.g. leopard).
So I don’t know. They may be the World’s Best OTTB Rescue and have legitimate reasons for all my concerns, but I am left wondering about the full story. If someone here really knows about them, please let us know!
I caught that request for Clinton Anderson rope halters and leads as well. Now that is just reee-diculous… I would expect a rescue, which relies upon donations of money or stuff for everything last time I checked, to even tie their OWN rope halters if they want them that badly!
(And please allow me to interject how much I personally despise rope halters. I understand the principle of how they work/are supposed to work, but I’m sorry, I liken leading the WB I’m currently riding in his rope halter to moving a T-Rex with dental floss, every time I’m asked to use the damn thing – gimme leather, all the way, thankyouverymuch!)
I hate them too! HATE the fricken’ things. Give me a nice old fashioned halter that BUCKLES!
But they’re great for teaching a horse to lead!
Sure, they’ll teach a horse to lead – by punishment with pain. If that’s what you want…
(And please allow me to interject how much I personally despise rope halters. I understand the principle of how they work/are supposed to work, but I’m sorry, I liken leading the WB I’m currently riding in his rope halter to moving a T-Rex with dental floss, every time I’m asked to use the damn thing – gimme leather, all the way, thankyouverymuch!)
Now that made my evening. I’ll never understand the fascination with those halters.
Yes, after seeing how badly those rope halters can burn a horse if they pull back in one, ( and good luck getting it untied at that point) I pretty much stay away from them.
Yes. That was one of my concerns that brought me to post here. I have no way of really seeing the property, condition of the horses, success stories…even though they *look* good. If anyone can dig up any info on any placed horses that would be great!
Right now it is looking more and more to me to be run by someone who knows the people at the track (and races too.) This person picks up horses that are not running (possibly at a flat rate) and retrains and sells them (1000-2000 re-homing fee). That is a trader last I checked. Traders should not be 501 or accepting donations or in any other way appearing to be a rescue. They take OTTBs and in a way that sounds like they get them straight off the track/farm or nearly so, but use the words neglected and abused. No before and after pics…usually a rescue is proud of the help they do and WANT to show off.
That being said, if they are taking animals that would otherwise be difficult to re-home and fixing them up the right way, kudos.
I just wish I had the whole story.
Fugly! Can you please check on these people?
It also seems their adoption fees are a bit high. $1000-2000? Every horse I have owned has been a rescue horse, and the highest fee I’ve paid was for a CANTER horse, and it was $800. If they have $65 horses available, what are they chances that they are sound and would fetch a price of $1000-2000 in a depressed horse market?
Also, just wanted to comment, there is a rescue in the Cincinnati area that has a racehorse, too. Is this a trend that’s becoming more popular?
Fugs, I just got this in an email from our local Arabian club President. I don’t have any other information but thought you could get the word out.
“Based on information received in conversation with Spirit Wind Horse Rescue of Hotchkiss, CO and the Delta County Sheriff’s Office, a serious situation has come to my attention regarding Bellinger Arabian Horse Farm in Paonia, CO and the Arabians that have accumulated there.
As of this afternoon, 20 head of horses, the ones in the worst condition, have been removed with Ms Bellinger’s cooperation from the Farm by Spirit Wind Horse Rescue. The Delta County Sheriff’s office and the State Veterinarian will continue to monitor the remaining 30 Arabians, at this time considered in fair condition, at the Bellinger Farm in order to ensure those horses’ well being.
The courageous mares, foals, geldings and stallions that have been thrown into this unfortunate situation need our help now. I encourage each of you to find a way to contribute to the rescue effort and bring these Arabians back to the life they so richly deserve. The Horse Rescue is in need of hay, monetary funding and foster care for the Arabians they currently have in their possession. If you can help please contact Beth Keenan at 970-921-5646 or 970-589-2172 (cell). For more information on Spirit Wind Horse Rescue, go to http://www.spiritwindhorserescue.com.”
I live in Colorado and am contacting Beth Keenan now to see what I can do to help.
Not available, but I’ll keep trying.
This is exactly what happens when you live in a nation that is chock full of politically-correct progressives who say “We must let our immigrants stay in touch with their ways! They don’t need to assimilate into the American culture! Animal abuse/ritual slaughter is their right!”
Don’t shoot the messenger. I wish our law enforcement officers were allowed to arrest, vigorously prosecute and ultimately have ICE deport those who are participating in such a horrid thing and are not here legally, and revoke green cards for those who are.
UrbanAmish, thank you for your service. Stay safe out there!
Thanks for the props. Fortunately for me, I work in an incorporated municipality, not at a county sheriff’s office, so I even though I hear plenty, I don’t have to see first hand what is going on in Miami. I am the hurricane animal liason for my department if we have a storm, and I also get called for all the livestock issues. I have been to some Miami ranches on the Dade/Broward border with friends who did not say I’m a police officer, and I’ve seen some very poor conditions even on properties where nothing illegal is going on. They just treat their animals like crap. During the rainy season it’s all mud and bugs and rusty junk and weeds and garbage and for some reason, they don’t mind living that way. I grew up in the midwest, and I can’t wrap my head around living in a smelly muddy junk yard with live animals. My horses get all my spare money. I feel guilty getting my eyebrows waxed because it costs the same as a bag of feed.
The situation in unincorporated Miami unfortunately will never completely change. There are too many people here from other countries that have absolutely no empathy towards providing a decent life for any animal. It’s just something you make money off of or keep in your yard because you can fit it in there and eat it or sell it later. If it dies, they just go get another one. I’m glad someone decided to try to at least put a dent in what they are doing. As private citizens, they can get away with more than law enforcement can. If they expose enough of the bad sh*t, it gives the county reason to start surveillance and try to catch the douchebags in the act.
Caligirl, who says that?
Crazy people in the San Francisco Bay area and elsewhere in bankrupt California. I am surprised we don’t have our own “dirty little secret” when it comes to equines out here.
Though one might argue we do. Mexican rodeo. That’s a prime example of the California mindset. “It’s cultural.” And cock fighting and dog fighting. The animals always pay somehow …
A few members from my FFA and I ended up watching that the night before our Horse Eval. Comp(which was ok but the judge seemed to favor the halter-looking horses over the more athletic ones) and we all ended up crying…it was so freaking horrible(what the do to the horses, not the show itself)!!! My topic for my FFA prepared public speaking is now about anti-horse slaughter-anyone have any good sources???
Hey when I was in FFA, my team and I did an agricultural issues presentation on horse slaughter. That was still when it was up in the air to close the slaughter plants in the U.S. It was hard to present both sides of the issue but we did pretty good. Good luck on your prepared public speaking! I’ll try and dig up some resources for you.
I went all the way to Nationals a couple years ago for Equine CDE and it’s always the case that they favor the halter type- personally, I had a lot of problems with the classes they showed us at nationals (a little 5 year old without a helmet on a tall-ish bulldog QH, and then a bunch of odd Morgan mares) but that’s a separate issue.
Look to see if they have the prompt for the group orals for nationals the first year they were in Indianapolis- I believe it was about slaughter (got the impression the FFA in general is pro-slaughter).
JustSayNeigh! – As someone who also competed in FFA prepared public speaking back in the day, I encourage you to very, very closely evaluate ANY source for legitimate information. Unfortunately, I have not yet found any (in my opinion) source that I consider unbiased. Too many websites, groups, etc. use emotional arguments which will not stand up to reasonable debate. Also, be prepared to offer suggestion on how YOU would solve the problems of unwanted horses in the US. It may be worth it to structure your speech topic in a way that examines the problem/issue from both sides & provide a solution. Good luck!
Just Say Neigh! John Holland is an excellent source to contact, google him & horseslaughter, and he can guide you to all kinds of things. Good luck and thanks for your dedication, you need to reach your generation. Sorry about ours.
Cattle Guard mare, yeah bummer they had to see her, but what was the officer to do? It’s not her responsibility to dispose of the mare, that’s the owners. There was a mare who spooked while being ridden and she backing into the cattle guard on that farm – not much cattle, but it kept the sheep in. Mostly. Anyway, same results. Sad.
That should be backed in. That farm referring to a farm I used to manage, sorry, it’s late…
OT, but …
I was browsing the sale ads last nights and stumbled what may be the horse gem equivalent of someone asking $100,000 for some of their “collectible” 5 year old Fiats: http://www.akhalteke.cc/forsale.html.
I like that they compete and do eventing, their horses look cared for but the constant raving about color and soft eyes and those prices are like … like … are we really talking the same currency?!! In US dollars? O_O Those are some funky looking mares for 35,000 in this market (and I say that as an actual admirer of Akhal Tekes in all their weird glory). There’s a couple in there that are maybe decent horses (?) but my God the prices are like they threw darts at numbers on a board,
It also seems like a bad idea to show the pedigree with photos that show the ancestors looking markedly better in their photos than the actual horse you’re supposed to buy.
Hmm. We need a conformation/training based horse price calculator application, stat.
I got in contact with Brogan, to let her know that her story had made the blog
, I’m sure if you asked she’d be willing to do a guest blog type thing, and maybe let people know what it’s like to be right on the front lines… might be interesting?