Dear friends,
I sat here this morning trying to find the words to put down on paper how to thank each and every one of you for the concern you have shown about the 30 horses in Cumming, GA. These horses were obtained from an auction at which they were sold following impoundment in a neglect case. Read the article at: http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13539320
To date, this is what our organization knows: Of the 30 horses, at least 15 of them have been sold for $75. Right now all 30 horses are under quarantine by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. They will stay where they are until the quarantine is released. All horses are being vet checked, fed regularly and will not be going to slaughter. Any unsold horses are being purchased by, fed, and cared for by a state rescue, Save The Horses, until foster homes are found.
Sue Crane, CFO of Stamp Out Starvation Of Horses in Clarkesville, GA was kind enough to use our network of contacts to get the word out. Cheryl Flanagan, of Save The Horses, requested our help in getting assistance for “30 Slaughterbound Horses”, and Sue responded by forwarding the request to our SOS network. We never knew how fast and how far and wide this e-mail was going to go. We truly are blessed to have so many caring people respond, and felt our need to reach out to all of you.
Stamp Out Starvation Of Horses, http://www.sosofhorses.com/ was formed in October of this year for the purpose of saving the lives of starved horses here in Georgia. Our goal is to stamp out the starvation that we have witnessed personally over the last several months. Our organization was recently recognized in "TheHorse.com" national publication http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=17259.
Most people go about their daily lives believing that the U.S. slaughter plants have closed and that U.S. horses have been saved from slaughter - unfortunately, this is not true. Yes U.S. slaughter plants have closed, but Mexico and Canadian slaughter plants are up and fully running for the European horse meat trade. As a result, unfortunately, horses are being shipped that much further out of our country to have their lives ended so horrifically. There is no humane method, other than euthanasia, to put down a horse. Horses cannot be euthanized for consumption.
S.O.S. Of Horses stands firmly against slaughter. There are tractor trailers loaded with horses leaving Georgia on a weekly basis for auction sales resulting in our horses being sold to meat buyers in Canada and Mexico. Please, write to our new Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture, Gary Black, and express your feelings regarding the brutal treatment of these precious creatures.
S.O.S. Of Horses is currently in its fundraising stages. With these funds, our goal is to provide assistance to Georgia horse owners, who are financially unable to feed and provide veterinary care for their horses. Additionally, we strive to raise awareness regarding the urgency of bringing this wide-spread problem to an end, so that our horses will no longer suffer from starvation.
The GA Dept. of Agriculture's impound facilities are full. At their auctions, they are lucky to bring in a bid as small as $10, $15, or $25 per horse. There are auction houses throughout the state Georgia where this very thing is happening. Horses are falling into the hands of owners that actually believe they can turn profits, when in fact they cannot even resell them. We have witnessed firsthand auction horses being fed dog food and pig food, living in mobile home parks with improper fencing, being tied to a tree, and even some cases of horses being kept in dog pens, ultimately left to starve to death.
Please visit our web site and view our photos to see some of the cases we have witnessed. We had a very large case right here in Clarkesville, GA with the impound of 40 starved horses. These horses are still impounded and need our help with feed assistance until their owner can be brought up on charges in State Court. There is no telling what will happen to these horses, as the case is still pending.
We are very excited about the interest we have received regarding the unique niche that our organization fills in the world of horse rescue. If you would like more information, or would like to know how you could help, we would love to hear from you.
For those of you who have contributed to our cause, we thank you on behalf of the horses of Georgia. Please continue to monitor our web site for updates.
We would be happy to respond to anyone with any questions or concerns. Feel free to download and print our brochure describing SOS' mission. Spread the word and send them to your horse friends and groups, and post them at your local feed store.
Lastly, any donations would be greatly appreciated and most certainly will be put towards feed and hay for the horses, such as the ones in Cumming. You can send checks to 1111 John Wood Rd. Clarkesville, GA or donate on line through PayPal at http://www.sosofhorses.com/
Sincerely,
Doris J. Buckley / CEO Stamp Out Starvation Of Horses, Inc.
cc: Sue Crane / CFO
cc: Cindy Singer / Secretary
