Please Note:    The Annual General Meeting for Election of Officers will be held Monday, April 28th at 7:00 p.m. at the Zukor Club in the East Meeting Room, 908 West 38th Street, Erie, Pa.  Program by Laura Flanagan of Riding for Independence, Inc. on Therapeutic Riding

Contents:

Election of Officers:  Elections will be held Monday, April 28th for Vice President (Sandy Blount), Secretary (Linda Wheeler) as well as two board member positions (Robin Kulik and Joan Rutledge).  Anyone wishing to place a name on the ballot call Linda Wheeler at 739-9680 by April 20th.

April Membership Drive:  Please send in your membership or renewal for 2003 now.  Family memberships are still $20.00 and Single memberships $15.00.  All memberships are tax-deductible.

Website:  Please check out the HAWC website address and links to help you find information on livestock care and issues.  Remember you can donate to HAWC by purchasing items thru the iGive site, Jeffers (for pet and livestock supplies) and PetsMart.  If you go to our website and click on their logo to order online, a percentage of your order will be donated to HAWC by Jeffers (8% of your total) and PetsMart (15% of your total and 5% on repeat purchases).  It’s easy and a great way to donate.  Please check out our new web site for more info on donating:  http://www.hawc-eye.org

 HAWC has received many emails from people seeing our website.  Some let us know about neglected animals and some ask questions about adoption and where they might be able to retire their horses.  We will continue to do our best to answer all questions accordingly so do not hesitate to email us at majek25@hotmail.com 

2003 Events

• Dan Rice Daysis our biggest fundraiser of the year and lots of fun for everyone.  It will be held August 1st and 2nd in downtown Girard, PA.  Take a chance on the Chinese Auction and raffle tickets.  If you would like to help at the booth or donate an item, please call Sandy Blount at 774-2800.  Hope to see you there!
  

• Trail Ride at Circle B Saddle Club– NEW!!!!  We have a new fund raiser this year to help raise money so our investigating officers can attend state mandated training.  HAWC will be holding a guided trail ride at the Circle B Saddle Club (near Beaver Center) on June 29^th.  Riders and horse drawn vehicles are welcome.  Donations are only $5.00 per rider.  Further information will be mailed at a later date.  So pack a lunch and plan to spend the day riding with us.  Hope to see you there!

Foster Homes Needed

We are still in need of foster homes to help rehabilitate any animals that might need help.  If you have a barn and pasture and are experienced in hooved animal 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.

Presentations

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 http://www.hawc-eye.org  Complaint Contacts

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 a complaint.  All complaints are strictly confidential.  HAWC  handled many complaints last year resulting in 14 cases; all were resolved satisfactorily by educating the owners on proper care.  The cases involved cows, ponies and horses.   Please do not hesitate to notify us if you see neglect or abuse.  Please call our Humane Investigating Officers listed below.

• Sandy Blount- 774-2800

• Darlene Rosthauser - 899-0960

• Vicki Musolff - 474-5633

Remember,  Pennsylvania Law  §5511, Cruelty to Animals states:  (c) Cruelty to animals.-A person commits a summary offense if he wantonly or cruelly ill-treats, overloads, beats, otherwise abuses any animal, or neglects any animal as to which he has a duty of care, whether belonging to himself or otherwise, or abandons any animal, or deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, drink, shelter or veterinary care, or access to clean and sanitary shelter which will protect the animal against inclement weather and preserve the animal’s body heat and keep it dry.

Updates

New Investigating Officer  HAWC has a new investigating officer, Vicki Musolff completed her PA Humane Officer training last May in Harrisburg as required by PA law and is now certified to investigate complaints of abuse and neglect.  Your memberships and donations help pay for this required training.  Our thanks go to Vicki for taking time from her busy job to attend this training so HAWC can help end animal suffering.

HAWC investigating officers recently met with District Attorney Brad Foulk to introduce ourselves and explain our goals as a livestock rescue group in Erie County.  This was a very successful meeting and we look forward to working with the DA’s office should the need arise.

Horse Slaughter  A Federal bill (HB 857) to ban the slaughter of horses in the US as well as the transportation of horses to slaughter has been re-introduced in the US House of Representatives by John Sweeney (R-N.Y.) and Congressman John Spratt, Jr., (D-S.C.).  This legislation has the backing of New York Racing Association (NYRA), National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), and Breeders’ Cup.  To track this bill go to:  http://thomas.loc.gov  For more on horse slaughter visit this website hosted by Equine Advocates go to http://www.equineadvocates.com 

PMU Farms  Another issue is the use of pregnant horses to produce urine for use in hormone replacement drugs for menopausal women.  Thousands of horses suffer needlessly every year and their foals sent to slaughter as “by-products”.  Pregnant mares are forced to stand in barns for months without exercise with a urine collection device attached to them until ready to give birth.  Then the foals are taken from their mothers at 3 months of age of younger and sold for slaughter for overseas human consumption.  As you probably heard, Federal researchers halted a study which found significant health risks to women who were taking Premarin.  Those risks included heart disease, stroke and breast cancer.  Do not use Premarin, Prempro, Premphase and Prempac.  Ask your doctor to prescribe a hormone replacement drug derived from plants or a synthetic alternative for hot flashes.  For more information call this HOTLINE number:  1 800 566-9768 or visit this Premarin website hosted by United Animal Nations: www.uan.org  PMU farms and processing plants can be eliminated only if women refuse to use hormone replacement drugs that are processed from horse urine.

Recommended Checklist When Choosing Boarding Stable for Horses

• Do knowledgeable personnel own and operate the stable in a professional manner?
• Does the stable have a vet available in case of an emergency?
• Are horse owners required to sign a release giving the stable permission to summon a veterinarian in case of sickness or injury?
• Does the stable require regular immunizations by all boarders?
• Is an isolation area provided for new animals?
• Are all owners required to deworm their horses (at least four times annually)?
• Are barn rules posted to encourage health and safety and are they enforced?
• Is regular hoof care a requirement?
• Are stalls, aisles and paddocks well-maintained and free of litter and protrusions, which could injure a horse?
• Are paddock fences and gates as horse proof as possible?
• Is a regular feeding schedule maintained and do other horses appear to be in satisfactory condition?
• Are stalls cleaned and bedded regularly and manure properly disposed of to reduce the fly population?
• Is there evidence that excessive rats or other vermin (including birds) have access to feed supplies?
• Are horses checked between chore hours or monitored in some way?
• Are regular hours listed and followed?
• Are adequate and realistic safety rules posted and strictly enforced?

Horse Treat Recipe

Ingredients:  2 cups flour, 5 cups oatmeal (not instant), 1/2 cup corn oil, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 cup diced carrots

Combine all ingredients and form into small round balls, press down with a spoon on a microwave dish and microwave 6 minutes per batch.  Cool and store in a cool place and watch your horses enjoy these treats!

Horseman's Dictionary

Barn Sour– An affliction common to horse people in northern climates during the winter months.  Trudging through deep snow, pushing wheelbarrows through snow and beating out frozen water buckets tend to bring on this condition rapidly.

Endurance Ride – The end result when your horse spooks and runs away with you in the woods.

Colic– The gastrointestinal result of eating at the food stands at horse shows.

Feed– Expensive substance used in the manufacture of large quantities of manure.

Flies– The excuse of choice a horse uses so he can kick you, buck you off or knock you over without being punished.

Grooming– The fine art of brushing the dirt from one’s horse and applying it to your own body.

Heaves– The act of unloading a truck full of hay.

Hobbles– Describes the walking gait of a horse owner after his/her foot has been stepped on.

Have a safe and happy summer!!