Abandonment Epidemic

Stormyheart6160 · 06-03-2009, 04:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super Step

The mod who has agreed to monitor these slaughter threads does not have the time to deal with the personal "Someone like you" comments. Make it personal and the member will be removed from the discussion.

I have seen no one slander the anti side in this thread. We do not need to play that card unless it is valid.

OK! "Someone like you" was mean't as "pro slaughter", and most already know that, but would prefer to take that as me saying something derogatory.

Should I edit that post to "pro slaughter", or is it too late now?

nicz2cu · 06-03-2009, 04:54 AM

I am on the fence...... I see it as jobs lost and families losing a valuable income with the closing of slaughterhouses.

I also see it as a pitiful way for a horse to die, but so is starving to death and one I will try to make sure never happens to mine .

For the record , I do take in rescues that have quality of life and have offered to take in a couple in order to have them put down...... as that was the only viable answer for them.

So...... where does someone with my point of view fit in ?

horsesare1 · 06-03-2009, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rider23663

Yes, but before we let the argument of I'm for/against slaugher take over this thread... we might want to address the issue it brings up.

There IS an Abandonment Epidemic going on right now -- not just horses, but pets in general.

However, we, as the horse community, might want to do something constructive about it before some government official (who would probably need an encyclopedia to know what a horse looks like) decides he needs to "save us" from the "imminent crisis" of abandoned (and/or terrorist) horses.

If we don't at least work together on this issue, we might find ourselves with regulations forbidding anyone to own more than one horse, and a requirement that we bolt license plates to their hind-quarters.

John

Agreed. I continue to think that anti and pro should work TOGETHER to solve the problems. Not argue about who's right and wrong. We all have the same goal. The help the horses that need help. We're just going at it in the wrong way in my opinion. As long as we continue to fight it out..... the horses are still the ones that suffer.

Slaughter or no slaughter......... there are several thousand horses out there waiting for us humans to get it right.

horsesare1 · 06-03-2009, 05:05 AM

Hmmm.... just a random thought bouncing around.....

Unwanted horses. Now that's something. I think they are only unwanted by the person that previously owned them.

OR maybe......... they are unwanted by those that deem the horse 'useless' for whatever reason.

Im sure that a large percentage of 'unwanted' horses WOULD and COULD be 'wanted' by someone.

I have 4 'unwanted' horses. Funny how once they look good to the eye and are healthy that people inquire on whether they are available.

Goes back to the old saying 'if wishes were horses.......'

I WISH I had the money to take in every horse that was in need or 'unwanted' .

Unwanted. What a horrible label for ANY animal to carry.

maggie08 · 06-03-2009, 05:54 AM

Here's my thought only a thought. There are some horses out there that just aren't worth the time and effort, and re-homing and re-schooling aren't an option. What do you do with those guys? Some horses just like people are unstable and down right dangerous, what do you do with them? Keep them around until someone is serious hurt, or even killed. A buck is a buck in this day and age, I'm not for slaughter, nor am I against it.
This economy has drove alot of people to do questionable things. Perhaps things they never thought they ever would. But I'm sure alot of rescues are way overcrowded now, and assuming alot of people aren't going there as they can't afford to buy there either.
I believe that people are abandoning there animals as they see no other way out, and have either tried or exhausted other avenues. They to obviously chose not to take there animals to slaughter but set them free. I don't condom this but obviously they aren't that heartless, as there were other avenues like auction and chose not to.

spinandslide · 06-03-2009, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rider23663

Yes, but before we let the argument of I'm for/against slaugher take over this thread... we might want to address the issue it brings up.

There IS an Abandonment Epidemic going on right now -- not just horses, but pets in general.

However, we, as the horse community, might want to do something constructive about it before some government official (who would probably need an encyclopedia to know what a horse looks like) decides he needs to "save us" from the "imminent crisis" of abandoned (and/or terrorist) horses.

If we don't at least work together on this issue, we might find ourselves with regulations forbidding anyone to own more than one horse, and a requirement that we bolt license plates to their hind-quarters.

John

Good post John..I know our local humane society is FULL and lots are owner surrenders due to the economy..it is EXTREMLY sad.

spinandslide · 06-03-2009, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stormyheart6160

We did that! We got better tranportation laws, and they have been totally and completely ignored, and are NOT being enforced!

IMO, if as much effort was put into trying to revamp transportation and the slaughter process as was put into trying to CLOSE the plants..we could have had reform. I never heard anything about pushing for reform..but I heard lots about the closings of the plants.

mftx4 · 06-03-2009, 06:46 AM

I understand that many people are very passionate on both sides of these issues. Some of us are actually in the middle with a feeling and thoughts for both sides. This subject has been discussed over and over with no concrete answers given. I've thrown out many suggestions, for good or bad. Many rescues are turning horses away, law enforcement usually don't want to become involved and where do people go for education on the care of these animals?
'Susie wants a pony', so Mom and Dad buy a pony, put it in the back yard, throw hay at it now and then, and there it stands. Now what? So pretty soon, Susie's tired of the pony so less and less attention is payed to the pony.......and so the story goes. Should the seller of the pony have questioned Mom and Dad about their ability to care for it? Afterall, he wants to make a buck and couldn't care less about the pony's welfare.
Where does the pony end up?
What about the old guy, that's had horses for his entire life. Perhaps he has a barn or pasture full of maybe not the best quality animals. He's up in years and can't take the best care of them anymore but he loves them all and just can't part with any of them. Would you be willing to stop by every day and help him out? After all, we have busy lives today and don't have much time ourselves.
What about the folks that buy a horse, board it at some facility and then never see it again? They pay their boad religiously or maybe not at all. To me, this too is abandonment. What happens to these horses?
Are these people cruel and heartless?
Come on folks. I'm sure some of you have some ideas for solutions.

sorrell · 06-03-2009, 07:01 AM

I don't think one wrong condones another wrong. You could say the same thing about human children and whether the parents had them because they really loved children and wanted to raise them or just because they didn't feel like worrying about birth control or were hoping they could make a profit off the government, etc...
The kids, and the horses should not have to suffer because the parents/owners made bad mistakes. If people were responsible, sensible, realistic and not out for a quick buck, then the problem would not exist. the housing market, stray cats, all fall into the same category. Killing stray cats is not the answer to the stray cat population anymore than slaughtering horses solves the abandonment problem. i don't wish to be rude, but it does not take a genious (ed: though it does help to spell genius correctly :-) ) to figure that one out.
I don't think we want more government regulation into how many children we can have according to our ability to raise them, nor be told we cannot own a horse because our income level is too vulnerable, etc. We don't want to be fined $1000 for not spaying our female pets or breeding them hoping to sell the babies and then finding no one wants them, etc.
It is a matter of taking personal responsibility for ones actions and doing the right thing and supporting organizations that do find homes for the homeless and are willing to help people until they can get back on their feet. Those are actions most animal lovers take... helping support adoption agencies, helping provide food and shelter for an unwanted animal, helping to train an unwanted animal to help it get a better home, etc.
All good actions I think, as opposed to destroying something that has now become an inconvenience and needs to be gotten rid of not due to any fault of its own.

notanumber · 06-03-2009, 08:03 AM

I don't have the concentration this early (and after a few margaritas the night before!) to make a long, thoughtful post, but here's a thought:
There is obviously an overabundance of horses right now, especially in the US (but I believe also way up here in the Great White North). There are thousands of unwanted horses producing more unwanted horses contributing to the problem. I think maybe more attention should be diverted to stopping the hemorrhage rather than how to siphon off the excess. Breeding licenses? Horse ownership regulation? Required castration? And then maybe the painful questions of what to do with all these unwanted horses will be a little more manageable. Yes, they are unwanted. I hate the idea too.

06-03-2009, 04:54 AM	#32
nicz2cu Senior Member+ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Georgia USA Posts: 2,214 Images: 52	I am on the fence...... I see it as jobs lost and families losing a valuable income with the closing of slaughterhouses. I also see it as a pitiful way for a horse to die, but so is starving to death and one I will try to make sure never happens to mine . For the record , I do take in rescues that have quality of life and have offered to take in a couple in order to have them put down...... as that was the only viable answer for them. So...... where does someone with my point of view fit in ? __________________ God Bless the Whole Herd

06-03-2009, 05:05 AM	#34
horsesare1 Senior Member+ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: up state Ny Posts: 2,302 Images: 152 Blog Entries: 1	Hmmm.... just a random thought bouncing around..... Unwanted horses. Now that's something. I think they are only unwanted by the person that previously owned them. OR maybe......... they are unwanted by those that deem the horse 'useless' for whatever reason. Im sure that a large percentage of 'unwanted' horses WOULD and COULD be 'wanted' by someone. I have 4 'unwanted' horses. Funny how once they look good to the eye and are healthy that people inquire on whether they are available. Goes back to the old saying 'if wishes were horses.......' I WISH I had the money to take in every horse that was in need or 'unwanted' . Unwanted. What a horrible label for ANY animal to carry. __________________ Gotta Love 'Em Horse.. You are truly noble, for you fly without wings, and conquer without sword

06-03-2009, 07:01 AM	#39
sorrell Senior Member+ Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,470 Images: 47 Blog Entries: 7	I don't think one wrong condones another wrong. You could say the same thing about human children and whether the parents had them because they really loved children and wanted to raise them or just because they didn't feel like worrying about birth control or were hoping they could make a profit off the government, etc... The kids, and the horses should not have to suffer because the parents/owners made bad mistakes. If people were responsible, sensible, realistic and not out for a quick buck, then the problem would not exist. the housing market, stray cats, all fall into the same category. Killing stray cats is not the answer to the stray cat population anymore than slaughtering horses solves the abandonment problem. i don't wish to be rude, but it does not take a genious (ed: though it does help to spell genius correctly :-) ) to figure that one out. I don't think we want more government regulation into how many children we can have according to our ability to raise them, nor be told we cannot own a horse because our income level is too vulnerable, etc. We don't want to be fined $1000 for not spaying our female pets or breeding them hoping to sell the babies and then finding no one wants them, etc. It is a matter of taking personal responsibility for ones actions and doing the right thing and supporting organizations that do find homes for the homeless and are willing to help people until they can get back on their feet. Those are actions most animal lovers take... helping support adoption agencies, helping provide food and shelter for an unwanted animal, helping to train an unwanted animal to help it get a better home, etc. All good actions I think, as opposed to destroying something that has now become an inconvenience and needs to be gotten rid of not due to any fault of its own. __________________ Buy Avon and Mark On-line FREE SHIPPING with $30 order... Great Jewelry buys and Skin-So-Soft for horse bug sprays!!! www.youravon.com/benglish $9.99 Christmas Watches! Derek Jetter Colonge, wrinkle filler creams and more. Last edited by sorrell; 06-03-2009 at 08:37 AM.

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06-03-2009, 05:54 AM	#35
maggie08 Full Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 253 Images: 6	Here's my thought only a thought. There are some horses out there that just aren't worth the time and effort, and re-homing and re-schooling aren't an option. What do you do with those guys? Some horses just like people are unstable and down right dangerous, what do you do with them? Keep them around until someone is serious hurt, or even killed. A buck is a buck in this day and age, I'm not for slaughter, nor am I against it. This economy has drove alot of people to do questionable things. Perhaps things they never thought they ever would. But I'm sure alot of rescues are way overcrowded now, and assuming alot of people aren't going there as they can't afford to buy there either. I believe that people are abandoning there animals as they see no other way out, and have either tried or exhausted other avenues. They to obviously chose not to take there animals to slaughter but set them free. I don't condom this but obviously they aren't that heartless, as there were other avenues like auction and chose not to.

06-03-2009, 06:46 AM	#38
mftx4 Senior Member+ Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Cordova, Ill. Posts: 1,956 Images: 43	I understand that many people are very passionate on both sides of these issues. Some of us are actually in the middle with a feeling and thoughts for both sides. This subject has been discussed over and over with no concrete answers given. I've thrown out many suggestions, for good or bad. Many rescues are turning horses away, law enforcement usually don't want to become involved and where do people go for education on the care of these animals? 'Susie wants a pony', so Mom and Dad buy a pony, put it in the back yard, throw hay at it now and then, and there it stands. Now what? So pretty soon, Susie's tired of the pony so less and less attention is payed to the pony.......and so the story goes. Should the seller of the pony have questioned Mom and Dad about their ability to care for it? Afterall, he wants to make a buck and couldn't care less about the pony's welfare. Where does the pony end up? What about the old guy, that's had horses for his entire life. Perhaps he has a barn or pasture full of maybe not the best quality animals. He's up in years and can't take the best care of them anymore but he loves them all and just can't part with any of them. Would you be willing to stop by every day and help him out? After all, we have busy lives today and don't have much time ourselves. What about the folks that buy a horse, board it at some facility and then never see it again? They pay their boad religiously or maybe not at all. To me, this too is abandonment. What happens to these horses? Are these people cruel and heartless? Come on folks. I'm sure some of you have some ideas for solutions.

06-03-2009, 08:03 AM	#40
notanumber Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: BC, Canada Posts: 938 Images: 76	I don't have the concentration this early (and after a few margaritas the night before!) to make a long, thoughtful post, but here's a thought: There is obviously an overabundance of horses right now, especially in the US (but I believe also way up here in the Great White North). There are thousands of unwanted horses producing more unwanted horses contributing to the problem. I think maybe more attention should be diverted to stopping the hemorrhage rather than how to siphon off the excess. Breeding licenses? Horse ownership regulation? Required castration? And then maybe the painful questions of what to do with all these unwanted horses will be a little more manageable. Yes, they are unwanted. I hate the idea too.