The Horse on the Hill: January 15, 2008

By VIVIAN GRANT

The papers are full of news on the impact of closure of three remaining U.S. horse slaughterhouses last year. Abandonment, abuse, and horses found left on the roadside by the hundreds. They have even been asserting ridiculously that there are now thousands of unwanted horses roaming around the country. They then warn that passing legislation to ban horse slaughter and export for slaughter will have even more dire consequences for our poor horses than what we are seeing now.

Whoever the PR Firm is the pro-slaughter camp hired, they must have paid top dollar. These guns for hire are brilliant at placing slanted articles, and the pro-slaughter people are certainly getting their money’s worth. It is all blood money. The blood of young, healthy, innocent horses. Every single drop.

We have been asked what IFH are doing about it.

IFH is doing what it always does. IFH has a full-time editorial writer who watches the internet and newspapers for stories on horse welfare issues, and responds either congratulating and thanking the writer, or setting the record straight and offering a truer perspective when called for Where an email address is provided, she also corresponds with the writer.

What she has been encountering in the recent rounds of smear tactics against the horse slaughter legislation now pending in Washington DC is quite amazing. She has been unable to get 7 out of her 10 letters in print, and it has been occuring since this past Thanksgiving. This is someone who is so excellent at what she does that she has normally has 100% success rate with everthing she submits.

Now papers and their writers virtually ignore her. When they do respond, they are condescending and some even downright rude. One writer with a major news outlet even went so far as to tell her that what she submitted to him was absolute nonsense and nothing he could take into serious consideration. She asked him to make a few quick fact checks. He hung up on her.

How about placing full page ads exposing these lies, we hear. Why not hire a PR Firm too? They cost thousands of dollars. If we had the same huge coffers of money at our disposal as our opponents do, we most certainly would. However, we do not. Pro-slaughter folks know that, and take advantage of the fact that groups such as ourselves have to beg often and hard for every funding dollar we get.

Those who want to see America’s horse protected from the horrors of horse slaughter need to take action, to keep pushing their legislators to pass HR 503 and S 311.

A great opportunity is just before us. Next week, January 22, 2008, is National Call In Day for Horses. Horse lovers and activists will be telephoning their federal legislators to ask them to quickly pass the amendment to the Horse Protection Act banning horse slaughter and export for slaughter.

Call your 2 U.S. Senators and 1 U.S. Representative. Politely urge your Senators to co-sponsor and vote yes on S 311; ask your Representative to co-sponsor and vote yes for HR 503.

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