Golden Days

4/10/12

Front Range Equine Rescue Discovers New Mexico Horse Slaughter Plant

Breaking News

FRONT RANGE EQUINE RESCUE DISCOVERS NEW MEXICO HORSE SLAUGHTER PLANT

April 10, 2012 (Larkspur, Colorado) -- Through its own investigation, Front Range Equine
Rescue (FRER) has discovered that Valley Meats Co., 3845 Cedarvale Rd., in Roswell, NM, has
applied for inspection of horses to be “custom slaughtered” and “processed” for human
consumption. According to the facts uncovered, the facility has been involved in extended
discussions with the Denver office of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The FSIS
inspects animals and meat in American slaughterhouses under the auspices of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture.

Horse slaughter for food is a national disgrace, given the iconic nature of American horses and
the especially brutal methods used to kill them. FRER has mounted an extensive legal battle to
keep American horses from being slaughtered for food, in or out of the country, in light of last
November’s Congressional appropriation of funding for horse meat inspections. In the last three
weeks, along with the Humane Society of the United States, FRER has filed two Petitions for
Rule-making [http://frontrangeequinerescue.org/front-range-equine-rescue-horse-slaughter.php],
asking the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the FSIS to enact rules and regulations
which would prevent American horses from being slaughtered. The Petitions have gotten
significant attention, and FRER intends to continue to amplify its legal strategy for as long as it
takes to eliminate the possibility of horse slaughter in America.

If it is allowed to open, the Roswell plant would be the first U.S. horse slaughterhouse opened
since horse slaughter in the U.S. ended five years ago. A recent poll shows at least 80% of
Americans oppose horse slaughter. Valley Meats and any other horse slaughterhouses must be
stopped, and the USDA and FDA must see the danger and illegality of producing horse meat
from American horses. FRER calls on all concerned citizens and groups, in and out of New
Mexico, to support its efforts by contacting state, local and federal officials and voicing your
strong objection to the resumption of this horrific practice in America. For more information on
how to help, contact info@frontrangeequinerescue.com.

4/9/12

Why The Issue With Bute?

EATING HORSES

Int'l Fund for Horses

EU Drug Regulations, Phenylbutazone and the Disquieting Truth about Toxic Horse Meat

Part 2: Why the Issue with Bute?

“BUTE” is by no means the only drug under scrutiny in the sport horse and racing industry however its metabolic activity and "decay life" in animal tissue is in direct contrast to many other legally permissible medications which are transient in nature and are biologically eliminated from the system over established intervals.

Of particular note however is the fact that “bute” is the most widespread anti-inflammatory in the global horse racing industry today. It is estimated that 98% of NA professional sport and pleasure horses have received phenylbutazone at some point in their lives and is widely used in other horse industry jurisdictions around the globe.

The kinetics and drug activity of phenylbutazone and its metabolites (e.g. oxyphenbutazone) are characteristic of a bi-exponential decay rate (the sum of two single exponential decays) meaning, in theory, that regardless of the elapsed time there will always be residuals present in blood plasma (i.e. the concept of infinite division). [1]

An exponential decay rate can be expressed in terms of "half-life" where one half-life represents the amount of time it takes for the substance undergoing "decay" to decrease by one half of the original concentration. Half-lives remain constant over the decay period and as the concentration approaches zero, the time to eliminate any residuals remaining in the system approaches infinity. In other words, there will always be some residuals present regardless of the passage of time.

Table 1 and Figure 1 together illustrate a simple model of exponential decay.

Of particular note is that regardless of the number of half-lives denoted by "n", the fraction or percentage of the original concentration of the substance under analysis will always be greater than zero.

Table 1: Exponential Decay Concept

Number of Half-Lives Elapsed	Fraction of Original Concentration Remaining	Percentage of Original Concentration Remaining
0	1	100
1	1/2	50
2	1/4	25
3	1/8	12.5
4	1/16	6.25
5	1/32	3.125
...	...	...
n	1/(2ⁿ)	100/(2ⁿ)

Where n = number of half-lives

Figure 1: Exponential Decay Curve Showing Persistence of Residues

Decades ago phenylbutazone, a compound originally used in Europe as a solubilizing agent for various analgesics given by intramuscular injection, was introduced to the drug compendium in the US for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and gout, nonetheless with fateful brevity.
Admitted in 1949, and shortly thereafter banned by the FDA for human use, by the year 2003 the ban extended to animals intended for human consumption given that investigation by FDA and State regulatory counterparts determined that phenylbutazone residues were discovered in culled dairy cattle. [2] [3]

At the time this did not include horses or dogs as in North America neither are considered food animals.

"Phenylbutazone (PBZ) was marketed in the United States for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and gout in 1952. Serious and often fatal adverse effects such as aplastic anemia and agranulocytosis appeared in the literature within three years of its use . . . . . The serious adverse effects of PBZ culminated in its unavailability for human use in the United States."
[4]

Apart from aplastic anemia (bone marrow suppression) and agranulocytosis (reduction in infection fighting white blood cells), phenylbutazone and its principal metabolite oxyphenbutazone have also been implicated in thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), leucopenia (decreased white blood cells), pancytopenia (reduced red and white blood cells and platelets), hemolytic anemia (abnormal breakdown of red blood cells) and can cause hypersensitivity reactions in the liver leading to death. [5] Moreover, phenylbutazone is a carcinogen, as determined by the National Toxicology Program. [6]

Clearly there is apt rationale for banning phenylbutazone for human use as well as animals intended for human consumption both as a function of its toxicity and the causal certainty that residues will always be present to some extent in the blood and hence tissues of animals slaughtered for food. Additionally, what is most disconcerting is that the lethal adverse effects in humans are not always dose-dependent and demonstrate unique outcomes contingent on a particular individual’s susceptibility. In essence what this implies is that even in small quantities phenylbutazone and its metabolites can have deleterious effects on human health. [7]

To this end, the FDA has banned the use of phenylbutazone in horses destined for slaughter.
Moreover, there are no farming associations that raise horses for food in North America (unless the AQHA can be considered eligible). And despite the fact that horse slaughter in the US has been outlawed since 2007, there is no pretense about what happens to more than 100,000 horses sold annually at auction who are shipped to Canada and Mexico. Once butchered, their meat is exported to European and Asian locales where it fetches top dollar and is considered a delicacy.

The fact is that the majority of these horses will be administered phenylbutazone during some point in their lives to relieve musculoskeletal pain and inflammation.
This in itself is not entirely inappropriate as there are valid reasons for its use in the treatment of lameness providing the recommended dosage is abided by, as there are also potential life-threatening side-effects to the horse (e.g. severe gastric ulceration).

Instead, the glaring inconsistency is the unmistakable fact that these horses enter the food chain; perhaps not in North America but elsewhere through export to foreign countries nonetheless. What’s more, since the residues of phenylbutazone and its metabolites reside primarily in the blood plasma of the tissues there is the complicating factor of the inherent differences between slaughtered cattle and horse carcasses.

"As stated above, almost all of the PBZ remains in the bloodstream. . . . To provide a point of comparison, a 1400 lb cow has 60 ml/kg body weight or almost 10 gallons or 0.71 gallons per 100 lbs of cow. The ratio is 1.25/.71 = 1.76:1. Thus, a horse has 1.76 times as much blood per pound of body weight compared to a cow." [8]

Potentially this means that there is a calculated measure of risk of the presence of higher concentrations of toxic residues in horse meat than in beef. In actual fact there is no "risk" of higher concentrations in horse meat in light of the fact that the drug has been banned in other animals, such as cattle for example, intended for human consumption since 2003: the residues are undeniably higher in horse meat. Still the quandary exists.

"The FDA, like the EU and UK, specifically bans the use of PBZ in any horse destined for slaughter for human consumption. Yet, this ban is being circumvented because there is no pre-slaughter mechanism to determine and remove horses that receive PBZ during their lifetime. This is because horses are not regarded as or treated as food-producing animals in the United States and there are no USDA regulations to prevent them from being given banned substances like PBZ." [9]

Horses may not be perceived as food-producing animals in the US, but they are certainly treated as if they are in the same appalling manner.
Continue reading >>

_______________________________

[1] www.beautysequinerescue.org/images/bute_contamination.pdf
[2] http://web.me.com/stevescrutton/Failure_ConMed/Apdx._Banned,_withdrawn_pharmacological_drugs.html
[3] http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm124078.htm
[4] Ibid at 1.

[5] Ibid at 1.
[6] http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/a?dbs+hsdb:@term+@DOCNO+3159
[7] Ibid at 1.
[8] Ibid at 1.
[9] Ibid at 1.

Related articles

3/28/12

Experts Calling for Slaughter Ban In Wake of United Horsemen Summit Cancellation

Experts Calling for Slaughter Ban In Wake of United Horsemen Summit Cancellation | Horse Back Magazine

March 27, 2012

CHATHAM, N.Y., (Equine Advocates) — Horse experts from across the country will converge on Equine Advocates Rescue & Sanctuary http://www.equineadvocates.org/ in Chatham, NY for the 2012 American Equine Summit on Saturday, March 31st and Sunday, April 1st with one objective — to reverse the damage done by Congress in Nov. 2011 by mobilizing an effective grassroots movement to end the slaughter of America’s horses in the US and abroad. The attendees will be comprised of press, lawmakers and those involved with equine welfare and the horse industry. Interested parties are encouraged to “like” Equine Advocates on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @EquineAdvocates, and for live updates during the Summit, use the following hash tag: #AES2012.

“It’s just plain wrong when lobbies for the Agriculture and Quarter Horse industries can influence members of Congress to supersede the will of the more than 80% of Americans who want a federal ban on horse slaughter,” said Susan Wagner, President of Equine Advocates. “The ‘eighty percenters’ deserve to be heard. Instead, lawmakers controlled by special interests prevailed and gave horse slaughter proponents exactly what they wanted. It’s not only egregious, it’s downright un-American.”

The Summit will be opened by legendary concert promoter and horse lover, Ron Delsener. Two new speakers have been added – Dr. Caroline Betts, who will discuss the discrepancies in the 2011 GAO report on the closings of horse slaughterhouses in the US, and former US Congressman John Sweeney (R-NY), who was the primary sponsor for the successful passage of H.R. 503, the House version of the 2006 American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.

Other speakers include Cathleen Doyle, former head of the California Equine Council and Save the Horses, John Holland, President Equine Welfare Alliance, Dr. Kraig J. Kulikowski, D.V.M., Katia Louise, director of the film, “Saving America’s Horses,” Victoria McCullough who helped pass Florida’s “Equine Protection Act of 2010,” Jo Anne Normile of Saving Baby Equine Charity and founder of CANTER and Paula Bacon, former Mayor of Kaufman, Texas who led the fight to close Dallas Crown, a horse slaughterhouse operating in Kaufman.

Said Bacon, “I believe a horse slaughter plant is among the very least desirable things a community would want. It ranks with a lead smelter plant and strip clubs, the dead opposite of economic development. A horse slaughter plant creates big, expensive environmental problems for taxpayers and stigmatizes the community as ‘that place where they slaughter horses’ — and good development goes elsewhere.”

States currently trying to revive and reopen horse slaughter plants include Oregon, Missouri and Tennessee.

Founded in 1996, Equine Advocates is a non-profit equine protection organization and Horse Sanctuary based in Chatham, NY. Its mission is to rescue, protect and prevent the abuse of equines, especially through banning the slaughter of American horses, through education, investigation, rescue operations and public education. Email info@equineadvocates.org or call 518-245-1599 for more information.

3/15/12

Letter From Cynthia MacPherson To Attorney Dan Erdel

Mountain Grove, Missouri is indeed fortunate to have an attorney like Cynthia MacPherson to represent their best interests. Especially when the question at hand is whether or not to allow Wyoming State Representative and the President of Unified Equine, Sue Wallis and her associates to construct a HSHC (Horse Slaughter for Human Consumption) plant in their town.

After an excellent presentation of the non-existent pros and the many cons, the town decided that there was no way Wallis was going to construct something like that in their town. A great decision, for more reasons than were clear at the time - as the following letter makes crystal clear.

3/13/12

@zebrafinch Glad you enjoyes the pic. Ah, yes! Spring! Indy's a Springer but Ami's not bad either.. :)

via TweetDeck

3/11/12

Sue Wallis Alleges Death Threats to YMCA Director

This is the latest from the Equine Welfare Alliance on Sue Wallis and her ill-fated attempt to force a horse slaughter plant down the throats of the people of Mountain Grove, Missouri. Folks, I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.

March 10, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

John Holland
540-268-5693
john@equinewelfarealliance.org

Vicki Tobin
630.961.9292
vicki@equinewelfarealliance.org

Horse slaughter promoter alleges death threats to YMCA director

Mountain Grove, MO (EWA) – A bizarre chain of events has followed the contentious meeting of the
Mountain Grove City Council on March 6th concerning the Unified Equine proposal to build a horse
slaughter plant near the town.

Unified Equine CEO Sue Wallis claimed that the project would be a 50% partnership with Belgian
company Chevideco, and that they would invest $6 to $7 million in a plant that would be designed
by Dr. Temple Grandin.

But during the meeting city residents became inflamed by a presentation given by attorney Cynthia
MacPherson, cataloging the pollution and crime that Chevideco’s Dallas Crown facility had brought to
the town of Kaufman Texas.

When banker Roger Lindsey rose to defend the project he was shouted down and left the meeting.
The unanticipated public anger touched off a series of events. First, the director of the Mountain
Grove YMCA announced that he would no longer permit Sue Wallis to hold a planned meeting there
on the following Monday.

On her facebook page, Wallis explained this apparent snub by saying “We have not spoken to him
directly, but it is my understanding that the YMCA director received death threats to his family, and
to sponsors of his organization, We have heard directly from other community members that they
have received threatening letters just for publicly expressing their support for the project.”

EWA contacted the Missouri State Police, the Mountain Grove police department and the YMCA
director, Chad Watson. State police captain Duane Isringhausen, told EWA’s John Holland that he
had received no such reports. The Mountain Grove police said they had heard the report and
investigated but that they could find no evidence of threats being made to anyone. YMCA director
Chad Watson said he had received no threats and had moved the meeting when he learned of its
subject. “This place is for the children”, said Watson.

Wallis announced that the meeting had been moved to the Wright County Livestock Auction, and
that while the public was welcome, anyone being “disrespectful” would be evicted. On March 10th
the auction owner, Nathan Kelly, said the meeting would be closed to the press. Kelly said he had
been “lambasted” by people opposed to the project.

MacPherson told EWA that she is encouraging people to stay away from the Wallis meeting; however
postings on the popular Topix blog show some residents plan a peaceful protest outside the auction.

The media ban was not the end of this bizarre episode. In subsequent interviews, Wallis was quoted
contradicting her earlier claims of backing from Chevideco saying that she did not have an
agreement, and that she would likely depend on local investors. This revelation follows the earlier
statement by Grandin that she knew nothing of the project.

EWA’s John Holland summed up the situation saying “It now appears that Wallis, rather than
bringing millions of investment dollars into the area, intends instead to borrow millions from the
people of Missouri to have someone who had not been told of the project build them a horse
slaughter plant that they don’t want! What could go wrong with that?

#

The Equine Welfare Alliance is a dues-free 501c4, umbrella organization with over 220 member
organizations and hundreds of individual members worldwide in 18 countries. The organization
focuses its efforts on the welfare of all equines and the preservation of wild equids.

www.equinewelfarealliance.org