Annual General Meeting for Election of Officers on March 28th at 7:00 p.m at the Zukor Club 908 West 38th Street in Erie (in downstairs meeting room)

A Video on the Hormone Replacement Drug Premarin Will Be Shown

Elections will be held March 28th for President and Treasurer as well as three board member positions. Anyone wishing to place a name on the ballot, call Linda Wheeler at 739-9680 by March 20.

Our first fund raiser of the year will be at the Shadow Facs Farm Open House, 2160 W Welch Road, Waterford on April 2nd, starting at noon. Help support us by purchasing a HAWC t-shirt, sweatshirt, one of our new cotton tote bags or a raffle ticket for a framed horse print entitled "Moon Dancers".

Our next fund raiser will be the Pet Care Expo to be held May 6th & 7th at the Family First Sports Park at 8155 Oliver Road at I90 and Peach Streets. The hours are Saturday 10 to 7 and Sunday 10 to 5 HAWC t-shirts, sweatshirts and our cotton tote bags will be available. We will also continue our raffle of a framed horse print entitled "Moon Dancers". Come join us in celebration of Be Kind To Animals Week.

A new fund raiser for 2000 will be a "Poker Run" Trail Ride to benefit HAWC on June 17th. Bring your horse, family and friends and come ride with us on 16 miles of trails. A donation of $5.00 per rider is requested. Registration starts at 8:00 a.m. with the ride starting at 10:00 a.m. Lunch and a dinner buffet will be available for a small fee. A bake sale and Chinese Auction are also planned. Primitive overnight camping is available. Ride will be held at Diane Law's farm at 26444 North Beaver Road, Springboro, PA. Contact Joan on 774-9516 or Vicki on 836-1212 or Diane on 587-6012 for more info. Flyers will be distributed throughout the local area in May. Don't miss out on the fun, come ride with us this summer.

Dan Rice Days is our biggest fund raiser of the year and lots of fun for everyone. It will be held August 4th & 5th in downtown Girard, PA. Take a chance on the Chinese Auction and raffle tickets on an antique grape cart. Hope to see you there! If you would like to help at the booth or donate an item, please call Sandy Blount at 774-2800.

The HAWC Booth at the Albion Fair was a great success last year. Come visit us again September 12-16. Your support helps us continue with our rescues.

Remember, HAWC is strictly volunteer so we depend on the public for support. You can help raise funds for HAWC by just clicking on this website, iGIVE.com, HAWC will receive a donation, it's that easy!. If you purchase any item from a store on the iGIVE website, HAWC can receive a donation up to 12% of the purchase price! Please click on this site for more info. So far we have raised $ 59.17 from iGive.

We are still in need of foster homes and adoptive homes to help rehabilitate any animals that might need help. If you have a barn and pasture and are experienced in horse care, please call us so we can add you name to our list. Rehabilitating an animal can be very rewarding. Call Sandy Blount at 774-2800.

If you would like a presentations about HAWC for your community group, contact Darlene Rosthauser at 899-0960 or visit the HAWC website for more information at: http://www.hawc-eye.org HAWC continues it's success in improving conditions for livestock through education of owners on proper animal care; but remember you must be willing to give your name along with other pertinent information in order for our investigating officers to investigate the complaint. All information is strictly confidential. If you see a case of abuse or neglect, please call:

• Sandy Blount (814) 774-2800
• Darlene Rosthauser (814) 899-0960

HELP END THE SLAUGHTER OF AMERICAN HORSES FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION OVERSEAS
On September 18th, 2000 there will be a march in Washington, D.C. to protest the slaughter of American horses for meat to be sold overseas. This march is vitally important to let our government officials know that the general public opposed the slaughter of our horses for human consumption. American horses are sent to a horrific death on a daily basis hundreds at a time. Proposals will be submitted to the legislators on not only the slaughter issue, but the humane transportation of all horses and the confinement of pregnant mares on PMU farms for the production of horse urine for use in the medication Premarin. For more information on this march, please contact the H.O.P.E. rally, (Humane Organization to Protect Equines) by email at resqus@hotmail.com OR subscribe to Carousel-subscribe@onelist.com at www.onelist.com. If you cannot attend the march or do not have internet access, please send a postcard to show your support to: H.O.P.E., c/o B. Gilbert, 24 East Street, Litchfield, CT 06759. For more on the horse slaughter issue visit these websites:

• Equine Placement Network
• Equine Advocates

EQUINE INFECTIOUS ANEMIA OUTBREAK IN PENNSYLVANIA
The PA Department of Agriculture has confirmed that 26 horses have tested positive on the Coggins Test for Equine Infectious Anemia. EIA. This brings the total EIA positive cases in PA to 29 for 1999. Only one case of the disease was reported last year in Pennsylvania. Equine infectious anemia, similar to HIV in humans, is a viral infection that affects the immune system of horses. It is most commonly spread by biting flies and mosquitoes transmitting blood from infected animals. There is no treatment or vaccine available for the disease, and infected horses carry the disease for life. While the virus has no reported effect on humans, most states require that infected horses be euthanized or permanently quarantined. Eighteen horses from Pennsylvania have already been destroyed. State agricultural officials became aware of the potential for the spread of the disease when two infected horses were discovered at a horse auction in Susquehanna County September 18. The infected horses were traced to a Wayne County dealer's farm which supplies mounts to summer youth camps and quarantined the horses throughout October 1999. During that time, 10 of 29 horses stabled there as well as seven others it had sold to private owners tested positive for EIA. The infected horses were taken to a Texas slaughterhouse and their meat sold for human consumption overseas. The Texas slaughterhouse is over 1500 miles away. The horses were transported in an overcrowded cattle trailer, that was boarded up, with no food, no water and no rest for 2 days. This dealer had purchased one of the infected horses from the New Holland Auction located in the Harrisburg, PA area May 10th. That auction is the largest livestock auction on the east coast and sells nearly 200 horses each week. Pennsylvania has the sixth highest population of horses in the United States. Reports of the disease have many horse owners, particularly in the northeastern section of the state, very nervous. Pennsylvania agricultural laws do not require EIA testing (Coggins test) and health certificates prior to change of ownership, contrary to US Department of Agriculture guidelines. Those guidelines recommend that all horses entering auctions or markets be tested. Only when animals cross Pennsylvania borders from other states do state laws require a negative Coggins test. Our bordering states of New York, New Jersey and Maryland do require a negative Coggins test prior to change of ownership. Keep a Coggins test in mind when purchasing a horse.

CONTAMINATED US MEAT
The European Union is poised to begin a new and potentially damaging trade war with the US. The dispute concerns the safety of US meat and the belief in Europe that the Americans are unable to guarantee the purity of the meat they export. The EU is so concerned about eating contaminated meat from the US that they have banned all meat exported from the US as of March 15, 2000 (this includes horsemeat). Samples of tainted horsemeat revealed medications that are harmful to humans if ingested. Almost every medication used on horses states that the product should not be used on horses meant for human consumption. This includes everyday wormers, pain killers (Bute) tranquilizers and numerous other medications.

RABIES SHOTS-WHY YOU MUST HAVE THEM FOR YOUR HORSE
Rabies is a widespread infection of warm-blooded animals. It is caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. Once the symptoms of rabies develop, it is 100% fatal. There is no cure. Protect your equine. Horses as a species are very sensitive and susceptible to rabies if exposed. It is difficult even for a vet to diagnose rabies in a living animal. An affected horse may show some or all of these signs: depression, go off feed, excessive salivation, trouble swallowing, colic, paralysis, convulsions and aggressive behavior. The rabies vaccine is only effective if given prior to exposure. Horses as young as three months of age should have a rabies shot then annually thereafter. You should always maintain accurate records of all animals. Include the date and type of all vaccines administered. Stay on schedule with all preventative medications. If you even think that rabies could be a problem, please don't hesitate to call a vet. Remember, only you can prevent your horse from dying a cruel, horrible death with an inexpensive preventative shot.

TOOTH TROUBLE - FOLLOW THESE TIPS FROM STEVE GOSS, DVM
Do you have trouble getting your horse to track straight when you ride? The problem could be his teeth. Here are nine signs of tooth trouble. If you spot any of them, have your veterinarian or a qualified equine dental technician check your horse's teeth for uneven wear and other problems.

At feed time: Uneven or excessive tooth wear, discomfort in the mouth, or the loss of baby teeth (in a young horse) can keep your horse from chewing properly and getting the nutrition he needs. Signs of trouble:

• Your horse's appetite is poor.
• He dribbles feed from his mouth.

When you ride: Tooth and jaw problems can interfere with bit action and affect your horse's way of going. Signs of trouble:

• Your horse constantly tosses his head, and/or opens his mouth.
• He fights the bit.
• He won't track straight or is resistant in one direction.
• He won't flex at the poll. (He may be sore in the joint between the jawbone and skull).
• His back is sore, (He may be tensing his back muscles in an effort to escape his mouth pain).

Anytime: Be suspicious if:

• Your horse is losing weight (This is especially common in older horses with excessive tooth wear).
• He constantly moves his tongue, especially if he uses it to probe only one side of his mouth.