by Theresa Manzella, Willing Servants
Any time we send out a mailing concerning the horse harvesting situation, we always get several responses. Fortunately, most of them are positive and supportive and we thank you for your continued support. But every now and again, someone will challenge our position on the subject, which is completely justified, and we actually appreciate the opportunity for further, detailed discussion.
So the last email we sent out contained the statement:
We recognize that eliminating the harvesting of this animal of livestock opens the door for the taking of rights concerning other animals of livestock such as cows, pigs and chickens.
Someone accused us of being conspiracy theorists, so I thought now would be a good time to review the information that has led us to making this statement. After sharing the evidence, we’ll encourage you to make your own decision as to whether our concerns are valid… or if we’re really just alarmists, trying to create unnecessary concerns.
So the truth is…we’ve actually been ‘hold outs’… not wanting to believe all that we’ve been presented with. My first reaction to this information was “Oh, no! Say it isn’t so! The Humane Society of the United States is an extremist organization, hell bent on creating a meatless, petless society? Can’t be!”
I came home from the Summit of the Horse and invested a lot of hours into research and encouraged our Board to do the same. What we found is truly troubling. Please review the following quotes slowly, allowing the true definitions of the words to sink in, and then make your determination on conspiracy theories:
Concerning the claim that the HSUS’s agenda is to create a Petless society:
“One generation and out. We have no problem with the extinction of domestic animals” CONFIRMED! Quote by Wayne Pacelle, (HSUS CEO) quoted in Animal People, May 1993
“If I had my personal view, perhaps that might take hold. In fact, I don’t want to see another dog or cat born.” CONFIRMED! Quote by Wayne Pacelle in Bloodties: Nature, Culture and the Hunt by Ted Kerasote, 1993, p. 266
Concerning the claim that the HSUS’s agenda is to create a Meatless society:
“My goal is the abolition of all animal agriculture.” Quote by JP Goodwin, employed at the Humane Society of the US. Quoted on AR-views in 1996.
“If we could shut down all sport hunting in a moment, we would.” CONFIRMED! quote by Wayne Pacelle, (HSUS CEO) Associated Press, Dec 30, 1991
“Our goal is to get sport hunting in the same category as cock fighting and dog fighting.” CONFIRMED! Quote by Wayne Pacelle, Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Oct 8, 1991. (personal note: In talking to our State Senators, we confirmed the HSUS’s attempt to lay the ground work to do exactly this in Montana… but lucky for us, our Ag committee is on to them.)
Now, if you’ll take note of the dates, you’ll see that the quotes are all from several years ago. We certainly believe that people can change their minds. After all, Wayne Pacelle has recently said that Michael Vick, convicted dog fighter, “would be a responsible dog owner” AFTER receiving a $50K donation from Vick’s professional team. We fully support the practice of second chances and forgiveness, we just don’t think it should come with a price tag. If you review their web site today, you’ll find a more moderate speaking, politically savvy, Wayne Pacelle. But don’t overlook their published goal to eliminate the use of spurs and ban rodeo. I wonder if Wayne Pacelle has ever even ridden a horse.
Need more proof?
The excerpt below is taken from Humane Watch, which is a wonderful watch dog group created to expose the truth about the HSUS and promote local animal shelters.
While speaking at a 2006 animal-rights gathering, HSUS’s vice president for farm animal issues plainly stated the organization’s goal for animal agriculture: to “get rid of the industry.” We have the audio.
http://www.humanewatch.org/index.php/site/post/hsus_plays_chicken_with_whole_foods/
HSUS Plays Chicken with Whole Foods | Humane Watch
www.humanewatch.org
”… we don’t have the luxury of waiting until we have the opportunity to get rid of the entire industry. And so because of that, a number of organizations including the Humane Society of the United States, we work on promoting veganism.”
So the above evidence takes us up through 2006. Let’s move to the present, and the bill currently before Congress:
Do you realize that by the language in their bill, you can kill a horse in any manner you wish… machete, hammer, spur ‘em to death…you just can’t eat them. Soooo…. they really don’t care how you kill them… just so long as you don’t consume them. Come on! You really think this is about horses? No! It’s about power, control and the consumption of meat! It’s our belief that they have focused on the horses because they knew they could easily propagate the emotional hysteria necessary to get this animal of livestock off the books and into their ‘win’ column (along with 550 other laws they’ve lobbied for and won which includes one amendment to a State (FL) Constitution that eliminated pig farming. How many livelihoods do you think were destroyed over that? Obviously, they have no intention of quitting at eliminating horse harvesting)
I find it strangely interesting that the HSUS employs 30 full time attorneys, but not one veterinarian. “Huh?” That falls into the “things that make you go Huuummmmmm” category…
In our humble opinion, there are a lot of well meaning, horse loving people who are fighting the horse harvesting fight and have no idea that they are basing their decisions on erroneous information and are being duped by a brilliantly, but unethically run, massively funded, theatrically dramatic, politically driven, extremist organization with an agenda to destroy agriculture and eliminate meat consumption in the USA.
If you want to support animal rights, then by all means, be an animal rights supporter, but be sure you understand the full impact of that decision, and at least be upfront and honest about your beliefs. Share with people that you think that animals should have equal rights to people and the opportunity to lawyer up and own property. We think you’re very wrong, but we can respectfully agree to disagree. What we find offensive are those who are masquerading as animal welfare, but are secretly and covertly pushing the animal rights agenda. Unfortunately, we know a lot of them right here in our valley. When you attack, and lie and make things up and propagate bogus information to advance your cause, not only do you discredit yourselves and your cause, but you also need to know that we’re going to call you on it whenever and wherever we can and expose you for what you are. We’ve been silent too long, hoping to find the middle ground. We’re thankful for the attacks, lies and unfounded accusations because in doing so, you show yourselves for who you really, not to mention putting our learning curve on fast forward.
Every American animal lover/owner should Google and read: “The Secret World Inside the Animal Rights Agenda.” Sixteen pages of enlightening, but very alarming information, written and published by people we trust. Guess who’s at the heart of the wolf issue?
Not so fun fact for the day: Hitler was a vegetarian. And Hitler held animals in very high regard. He even assembled a team of trainers who tried to teach dogs to talk. Killed millions of human beings, but is reported to have revered animals. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.
Meghan Anderson says
This is an excellent!!! A big thanks to the writer of this. It takes alot of class, facts and passion to write about such a divided subject. Thanks again to the author!
John Doppler Schiff says
Theresa, I’d say you were giving us ammunition, but you’ve already used that ammunition to shoot yourself in the foot.
All those quotes were confirmed, eh? Too bad you twisted the meaning and eliminated all context.
http://humanewatch.info/blog/myths/myth-quote/
HSUS wants to create a petless society? Then why is the HSUS website full of pages on how to choose, adopt, and care for pets? Why do they publish a book on creating a pet-friendly workplace?
The *fact* is that the “one generation and out” quote you toss around is not about pets, it’s about not needing an endangered species act to preserve heirloom breed of cattle. You know, the breeds that farmers have created and are now abandoning in favor of more commercially viable breeds?
Theresa, are you setting up a sanctuary and breeding program for these “endangered” breeds, by any chance? No? [gasp!] You must support the elimination of all agriculture!
And while you smugly paint yourself as “animal welfare”, you advocate for the bloody, terrifying, horrible deaths of thousands of horses for PROFIT. Not welfare. Slaughter (or “harvesting”, as you dishonestly try to sugar-coat it) is not humane euthanasia. It is an utterly inhumane, abusive process from transport through slaughter.
Horse lovers don’t eat their horses, and they don’t consign them to torture and death to make a quick buck.
So I’ll leave you now with this wonderful quote from a CONFIRMED liar, manipulator, and conspiracy theorist:
“When you attack, and lie and make things up and propagate bogus information to advance your cause, not only do you discredit yourselves and your cause, but you also need to know that we’re going to call you on it whenever and wherever we can and expose you for what you are.”
PS: Hitler was not a vegetarian, he just avoided meat in the later part of his life due to a stomach condition. Apparently, all that beef played havoc with his colon.
Jay J Smith says
The Hitler comment is a bit over the top don’t you think? Come on and get real!
As for the Google search – one should also Google search “Horse Slaughter”.
And as for you, Theresa saying that you would be happy if people would copy your words and re-do them a bit to suit them and publish – wow! Don’t YOU sound a bit like Hitler. What – other people can’t come up with their own thoughts or what??!?! You are pathetic!
And if you are so for horse slaughter go see it first hand and then eat the toxic meat. 🙂
JJ Smith DVM
Mellony says
The H$U$ and other animal rights groups pushed for closing of the US horse processing houses with the argument that the practice of horse harvest would end. It has not and has only resulted in these animals having to endure longer trailer rides and to meet their deaths in less regulated and sometimes unregulated facilities. Approximately 160,000 horses were shipped to Canada and Mexico last year for food consumption. That is even more than was being harvested in the last few years before the US closures. The closing of US horse processing plants coupled with the downed economy has led to a depression of the horse industry and to the neglect and abandonment of animals. Horses are now being given away like unwanted kittens. Horses are livestock and this is what happens when the salvage value of an animal is removed. As for the remark that this being about money, you are certainly right about that! The H$U$, rescues and other organizations use this issue to raise millions of dollars to put in their coffers.
The animal rights activists keep talking about over breeding. The public and horse owners need to full y realize that what they actually mean is “any breeding”. These people are out to eradicate domestic animals.
I do not know of any horse breeder that is operating at the capacity that they were 10 years ago. There is not a horse registry that has not shown at least small decrease in numbers, and with the larger popular breeds, the drop is breath taking. The overall horse population is down. We will not know how far it has fallen until the next horse census, but there are fewer horse sales, many boarding stables are closing or operating at below capacity, there are fewer horse shows and suppliers have seen a dramatic drop in feed and other supplies being bought. Horse shoers now pursue new clients when they use to have an established client base and many young horse trainers are leaving the field because of the drop in young horses being produced.
But this is not really about slaughter. This is about the animal rights activists attack on horse owners and the horse industry. Slaughter is the easy target and as our personal property rights to our livestock are stripped away they will attempt to stop racing, jumping, futurities, rodeo and other forms of equine competitions. And the trail riders should not think that they will be exempt.
Horse owners should also be concerned about the efforts of animal rights activists to change the classification of horses from livestock to companion animal. Some of these people believe that horse owners should be taxed to support the rescues and that legislation should be passed to regulate breeding thus requiring licensing and permits. I have been told by some of these activists that horses should not be bought and sold but adopted for life and that breeders should be willing to take an animal back at any time during its life time. What a pleasant thought, 25 years after you raised a foal that you would be responsible for that animal’s retirement.
Elaine S says
We have the same thing in dogs. Change “horse” to “dog” and it reads true for us.
Lori Stauffacher says
This is an excellent article . I love & work with horses and knowing the horse world as I do, I see the bad effects of the closing of the slaughter houses has done to the entire horse industry. Very good article!
Carla McDonald says
This is an excellent piece of work. Your group is doing a job that many older or economically disadvantaged could not do on their own, with love and patience.
The most important part of this article is the expose of the Humane Society, of course – the Secret World Behind The Animal Rights Agenda is an eye-opener, especially when you get to the No Hunting part, and the numbers of the elk decimation. There does not appear to be an answer to this problem at this time – we do not want to lose the rest of our elk (as suggested as a ‘solution’) on Ambrose Creek, nor do we want to be overtaken by wolves. The wolves are reproducing much faster than anyone ever imagined, and the question is – what will they eat when everything else is gone? Unless we take the original number planned for this state, collar, neuter and spay them,paint them orange and kill the rest, we are in big trouble. Thank you for your enlightening article, and the work you do.
Melissa says
Who ARE you? This is the biggest load of bollocks! You are the one that sounds like you’re pushing an agenda. And for the record, Hitler was a vegetarian because he had intestinal problems and thought meat was the culprit. He was not a vegetarian because of love for animals. The fact that you even brought that up discredits this whole load of hog wash.
Jay J Smith says
AMEN to that! LOL! The whole article was an eye opener but those last lines about Hitler – PATHETIC!
CanAmFam says
Triple Amen. It’s just crazy wild paranoia, delusion and quotes taken completely out of context.