First and foremost there has to be a total ban put inplace against Horse Slaughter. There is not a need for it in this country because we do not raise Horses as a food animal. Horses are companion animals and have been so since the days the American Indians discovered them. They have been a noble and intricate part of building this country working side by side with their human CO-WORKERS. As you read the facts below please consider these words: The Horses slaughtered in America are done in foreign owned processing plants for foreign tables. Thousands of healthy horses with long, healthy, productive and loving lives are killed monthly to line the pockets of these foreign plant owners. Horses are brought from good loving people under false pretenses and lies and taken straight the the slaughter plants. They are also stolen almost on a daily basis from good loving homes and their wonderful lives horribly ended. Please continue reading and do whatever you can either by getting involved, your donations or contacting your representatives. There are links towards the lower part of this page to contact them. Keep our Horses in the Stables and off the Tables!
A BRUTAL END
Currently, two foreign-owned slaughterhouses in
the United States are killing horses for human consumption. They are Beltex
Corporation in Ft. Worth, Texas and Dallas Crown in Kaufman, Texas. According to
the US Department of Agriculture, 49,325 horses were slaughtered in 2003.
In addition to the horses killed in the two
US-based plants, thousands more are transported under deplorable conditions
across our borders into Canada and Mexico to be slaughtered. Horses are often
transported for more than 24 hours without rest, water, or food, while
unprotected from weather extremes in thin metal-walled trailers. Sick and/or
injured horses frequently are forced onto double-deck trailers that were
designed for short-necked animals including cattle and sheep. Following years
waiting the US government approved substandard regulations aimed at improving
the conditions in which horses are transported to slaughter.
Once at the slaughterhouse, the suffering and
abuse continue unabated. Often, horses are left on tightly packed double-deck
trailers for long periods of time while a few are forcibly moved off. Callous
workers, using long, thick fiberglass rods, poke and beat the horses' faces,
necks, backs, and legs as they are shoved through the facility into the kill
box. Due to extreme overcrowding, abuse, deafening sounds, and the smell of
blood, the horses exhibit fear typical of "flight" behavior ? pacing in
prance-like movements with their ears pinned back against their heads and eyes
wide open.
While Federal law requires that horses be
rendered unconscious prior to having their throats slit, recent documentation
shows that repeated blows with captive bolt pistols are often necessary, causing
excruciating suffering. Horses writhe in the holding stall (known as the "kill
box"), legs buckling under their weight after each traumatic, misguided and
ineffective blows to their heads. Death is not swift for these terrified and
noble animals.
We have researched and found the horrible fate that horses are destined for when a kill buyer purchases them. The problem that we have with this fate is that horses that have grown to trust humans are being betrayed and sent to auction where they are being purchased by kill buyers that load these frightened horses into a stock trailer that is not designed to transport horses.
On the way to slaughter some of the horses are trampled to death. The ones that are unlucky enough to make it to the slaughter house are then herded into small corrals where they await their ungodly fait. The horses are then herded into shoots which lead to the stun box. Horses have a very keen since of smell so while they are being driven down this shute they can smell the death in front of them. They are shaking and very frightened and know the fate that awaits them.
Once at the stun box the horses are hit with a 4 inch nail between the eyes to incampasitate them. This nail is not meant to kill them but to just make them pass out. Most of the time the horse have to be shot with a nail numerous times because the workers keep missing. This works on some of our equine friends but on others they are awake during the whole slaughter proceedure.
Once they have been stunned they are hung by their back feet upside down and sent on a conveyor to have their throat slit where if they are not stunned they must go through the agony of bleading to death. Then they are sent through for processing.
This is a cruel fate for a pet and any horse that has been be-friended by a human and they should not ever end up with this type of fate. I know that horse meat is a delicatessen in some countries but can not bare the thought of any of my equine friends going through this. Therefore we started this rescue to save as many of our equine friends as possible.
There are close to 75,000,000 horses in the world today. However, over 3 million American recreational horses have been secretly purchased and slaughtered for the foreign markets in the last two decades. That's 4% of the world's horses KILLED and GONE! And because of the lack of disclosure on the part of the agents for the foreign owned horsemeat industry, people's horses can and have been stolen and their pets purchased under false pretenses. This practice has contributed to crime and consumer fraud. Just how long do you think it will take for the Horse to become an Endangered Species at that rate? Don't sit by and do nothing to stop it! There are many things even non horse owners can do. You have to act TODAY for tomorrow more of our beloved horses will be killed.
Commonly only one unacceptable option exists for rejected and maltreated horses - that of the killer market. Typically the transportation to slaughter houses is extremely inhumane, thus perpetuating cruelty. Countless horses suffer compounded pain and misery, as well as death, before arriving at their fatal destination. Fairbanks Horse Rescue is offering a second chance at life for these horses.
Fairbanks Horse Rescue Mission and Goals:
Fairbanks Horse Rescue is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing shelter, care, rehabilitation and adoption services for abused, neglected, abandoned and unwanted horses. We rely primarily upon donations for our support. Because we believe in the humane treatment as an alternative to slaughter or public auction for abused, neglected, abandoned and unwanted horses, Fairbanks Horse Rescue's primary purpose is the prevention of equine abuse. Fairbanks Horse Rescue is a refuge offering a second chance at life for these horses.
We accept horses from owners who wish to relinquish ownership for various reasons, including financial hardship. Many of these surrendered horses are healthy and are merely in need of a new adoptive family. We obtain legal ownership of surrendered horses accepted into our guardianship with the goal of placing them into suitable adoptive homes. We search for and examine potential adoptive owners for horses in our custody. Our adoption procedures involve conducting interviews with potential adopters and schedules meetings with candidates to acquaint them with the horses. Our Goals are to provide shelter, quality care and treatment, rehabilitation, foster care and adoption for abused, neglected and unwanted horses. We place these horses in homes that will provide patience, kindness and will be beneficial to both the horses and their new owners. Every effort is made to match a horse with a compatible new owner or family that best suits the horse.
If legal action is taken by the state, local and other authorities because of maltreatment by the horse's owner, we can serve as a shelter and provide care for these legally impounded animals. We are also provide urgent care for horses in peril and medical treatment for abused and/or injured horses.
Our Rescue is looking to expand to help more horses in need. We are non profit and rely on your donations to continue our work. We are looking for any kind of donations for the needs of the horses we rescue. These donations will be used for re-training, feeding, vetrinarian bills, and fairrer services. We also need larger horse trailers. Once a horse has completed its training we will place their photos here and screen each prospective request for safe adoptive homes for each horse so that we can rescue more horses. Our final goal is to have each horse placed in a loving environment and live out it's days as a friend and companion. We are hoping to continually raise funds for the ongoing salvation of not only the American Horse but all horses world wide. We are helping the slaughter bound horses that end up at meat auctions, PMU's or just the unwanted and abused.
What you do have to realize from this time on is that there are very devious buyers out there looking to buy any horse they can get their hands on. They very willing to lie by saying the horse they purchase from you will be taken to a great place to live out it's days with constant good care. These people are only driven by GREED and have BLOOD on their hands from the many horses they manipulated from good loving owners and taken them straight to the Slaughter House!
If you can help by donating please do so our friends need you. If you are unable to help and would just like to drop us a line to just let us know what you think we would appreciate that also. We will be happy to post your comments,
Please donate by credit/debit card, through PayPal using the button below. We and the Horses we save, Thank You for your Generosity.
We feel that the heartfelt support of the ones that do help to support this cause should not go unrewarded. For our part we will give each contributor 1 month of Dialup Internet Access for each contribution of $15.00 or more.
We will post updates in this area as they are realized. Thank YouWe hope that this tells you why we started and plan on continuing this for a long time to come. If you have any questions or you are an overburdened horse owner who wishes to relinquish ownership for any reason please feel free to contact us. We will do whatever we can to either help you ourselves or find help in your area.
Fairbanks Horse Rescue
888-820-9228
E-mail us by clicking on the running Horse:
We will continue to update this page with content or links. Please be advised that some of this content will contain GRAPHIC photographs. We feel this is neccessary to give the full story and STOP HORSE SLAUGHTER!!
Please read the following but have you kleenex handy:
I Am Famous Now
I was born today.
My Daddy is very FAMOUS. I have lots of half brothers and sisters.
My Mother is very FAMOUS. Since she got FAMOUS, she has only had foals.
No more loving hands, no more daily grooming .... just foals.
She is always sad when they leave her.
I left home today. I didn't want to go so I hid behind my mama.
I didn't like you.
But, one day, they said, I would be FAMOUS.
I wonder, is famous the same as fun and good times?
So, you picked me up and hauled me away,
even though you were concerned that it took an hour to catch me.
I don't think you like me.
My new home is far away,
I am scared and afraid.
My heart says be brave. My ancestors were.
Did they go to good homes like mine?
I'm hungry because I can't eat too much, it will be bad for my bones.
I can't play with the other horses because I might get hurt.
I just wander around my small dirt paddock, and pretend,
I'm in a big green field with the butterflies and robins and frogs.
I can't understand why they hate me!
I am quiet but the man hits and says loud things.
The lady doesn't feed me good things like I had with my mother.
She just throws dry, dusty hay on the ground, then goes away,
before I can get too close for touching and petting.
Sometimes my food smells bad but I eat it anyway.
Today I had a baby.
He is so wonderful and warm.
Am I FAMOUS now?
I wish I could play with him but I am so tired.
I am so young that it is hard to be a good mother.
I am so hungry!
I wish somebody would throw me some food.
I am so very thirsty.
He got cold during the night and we have no shelter
I couldn't make him warm again.
We are very weak.
Maybe if I whinny someone will notice us and give us food and water.
Today they took US away.
To a place with many other horses.
There were lots of people and loud noise.
Someone grabbed my foal. He was so scared.
That was the last time I saw him.
Is my baby FAMOUS now?
I hope so because I miss him.
He is gone.
I was put into a large trailer with many others in it.
It is crowded and smells of urine, fear and sickness.
Why am I here?
I was beautiful like my ancestors.
Now I am hungry, dirty, in pain and unwanted.
Maybe the worst is unwanted.
No one came, though I tried to be good,
No one spoke to me in gentle tones or stroked my soft neck.
I am in a small pen with many other horses.
I am SCARED and ALONE.
Today someone came.
They chased us from the pen and into a room.
One by one we were herded into a chute.
I hear screams of agony, sounds of thrashing, and then silence.
Someone came and put me into the chute.
Someone reached in and patted my nose.
I felt tired and laid my head over the last one who cared.
I am ready for what will come next.
Today, someone cared, for just one-second...
I AM FAMOUS NOW...
Here is another that quite simply tells of a forgotten friend.
A Horse Once Loved
I used to be a happy horse
A family nice and true
My owner came and said to me
"You know, I really love you"
I was always hayed and fed
and before each night was done
she came a long and kissed my nose
and tucked me in for bed
The days and weeks went by
and less of her I saw
"I wonder where she went" I thought
"Why's she not here by my side?"
I was hungry, cold and weak
I hadn't been feed in days
all I could do was shiver and stare
and think and hope and pray
The weeks turned into months
my ribs showed through my skin
I was getting weaker by the second
Very thin
I am taking my last breath now
being looked out for by a dove
I now am a lifeless horse
A horse who once was loved.
To Make Your Generous Donation mail Money Orders or Checks. Please make them payable to: Horse Rescue.
Mail money orders or checks to:
PO Box 205
Fairbanks IN 47849
