HAWC - EYE
Voice of the Hooved Animal Welfare Council
PO Box 7l54, Erie, PA 16510 (814) 739-9680
2006 NEWSLETTER
Annual General Meeting for Election of Officers on Tuesday, June 28th at 7:00 p.m at
9907 East Peach St., Girard, PA
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Election of Officers: Elections will be held on June 28th for President (Darlene Rosthauser), Treasurer (Open) as well as two board member positions (Vicki Musolff and one open).
May Membership Drive: Please send in your membership or renewal for 2006 now. Family memberships are still $20.00 and Single memberships $15.00. All memberships are tax-deductible. Your membership dollars go directly towards the cost of humane officer training and rehabilitation of livestock. One of our humane investigating officers will be attending the mandatory 10 hour Humane Officer’s Seminar in Harrisburg in May to remain certified in Pennsylvania. We also have a member that attended the 32 hour Humane Society Police Officer training to become certified. The total training cost was over $1,500. So we need your membership and donations to continue with our rescue efforts now more than ever. Please tear off the attached membership form and send it in now.
Complaint Contacts
HAWC continues its 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 21 cases; all were resolved satisfactorily by educating the owners on proper care. The cases involved cows, donkeys, ponies and horses. Two horses were surrendered to us, rehabilitated and adopted into responsible homes. Please do not hesitate to notify us if you see neglect or abuse. Please call our Humane Investigating Officers listed below.
Sandy Blount (814) 774-2800 Vicki Musolff (814) 474-5633
Darlene Rosthauser (814) 899-0960 Robin Kulik-Spellman (814) 756-5934
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.
Website Address: 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 and Jeffers (for pet and livestock supplies). 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 iGive. It’s easy and a great way to donate. Please check out our web site for more info on donating at www.hawc-eye.org. HAWC has received many emails from people seeing our website. We will continue to do our best to answer all questions accordingly so do not hesitate to email us at majek25@hotmail.com.
2006 Events
Dan Rice Days is our biggest fundraiser of the year and lots of fun for everyone. It will be held August 4th and 5th in downtown Girard, PA. Take a chance on the Chinese Auction and raffle item. 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!
Junior Membership Program. This program will cover the care, rescue and rehabilitation of hooved animals. Please contact Vicki Musolff at 474-5633 for more information
Foster Homes Needed - We are still in need of foster homes to help rehabilitate livestock. 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 presentations about HAWC for your community group, contact Darlene Rosthauser at
899-0960 or visit the HAWC website for more information.
Updates
US Department of Agriculture Refuses to Implement Congress’ Ban on Horse Slaughter
The USDA has issued regulations approving a petition submitted surreptitiously by the three foreign-owned horse slaughterhouses in the United States (two in Texas, one in Illinois) that would enable the horse slaughter industry to fund its own inspections. This will allow the slaughter of tens of thousands of horses for human consumption overseas in 2006—circumventing Congressional intent. Last year, Congress passed an amendment to a spending bill that prohibited the slaughter of American horses for food exports for most of 2006. Due to begin on March 10, 2006, the ban would save tens of thousands of horses destined for human consumption overseas. Because horses hold a unique place in U.S. history, the ban received overwhelming public and Congressional support. After a tough conference committee fight, the amendment remained in the final 2006 Agriculture Appropriations bill, and President Bush signed the legislation into law in November 2005. But now the USDA has circumvented this law.
Congress must move now to enact legislation that will permanently protect horses. The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503 and S. 1915) has been introduced in Congress and would permanently ban horse slaughter.
Go to www.hsus.org and click on Take Action to urge the USDA to halt horse slaughter as Congress has demanded. This website provides phone numbers for your legislatures, email addresses and a sample letter. For more on horse slaughter visit this website: www.horse-protection.org
Premarin Update
PMURescue.org, the online database of adoptable horses once used in the manufacture of the hormone replacement drug Premarin, has connected its one thousandth horse with a new home.
Visitors to PMURescue.org can search for horses based on gender, location, breed or color. Photos of each horse are included, as are notes by the current caregiver about temperament and health. Right now, 58 rescue organizations across the United States and Canada have listed more than 300 adoptable horses on the site. UAN has also granted nearly $9,000 in adoption incentive funds to offset the costs of transportation for some of the neediest horses posted on PMURescue.org.
Premarin, made from the urine of pregnant mares, was the most popular hormone replacement drug until a 2002 health study revealed such drugs cause increased risk of heart attack, stroke, dementia, cancer and other serious health problems. As a result, the demand for Premarin plummeted. Mares that are no longer useful in the production of Premarin are typically sold to slaughter, as are their byproduct foals. The decreased market for Premarin has put thousands more of these horses at risk of immediate slaughter.
NEW
Senate Bill 618 limits civil liability for injury or death that occurs in connection with equine activity. The bill protects owners from lawsuits where no party is at fault for injury or damages. Passage of the bill should increase the number of carriers offering liability insurance to stable owners, and the competition should make insurance more affordable. The bill addresses individuals, businesses and groups that sponsor, organize, conduct or provide the facilities for equine activity. The bill specifies that stables must conspicuously post signs in two or more locations that read, "You assume the risk of equine activities pursuant to Pennsylvania law." Stables that do not post the sign as required would not be covered. Nor are stables or individuals who are negligent. The non-profit Pennsylvania Equine Council intends to offer the signs as a service to members beginning in February 2006.
EALAs do not stop lawsuits, but they discourage frivolous lawsuits and make it easier to dispose of actions early in the legal process, reducing the expense and the stress for those who are sued. In the 44 states that have an EALA on the books, lawsuits are often dismissed on the strength of the state’s EALA, and those decisions are often upheld in the appeals process. For more information on this bill go to: www.pennsylvaniaequinecouncil.com.
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HOW TO FIREPROOF YOUR BARN - Here are tips you can use to fireproof your barn, protect your animals and make sure you're ready for the worst. 1. Start outside. Remove brush, tall grass and debris from around the barn. 2. Protect against lightning. Install a grounded lightning rod system to protect your barn in electrical storms. 3. Try to have both a water supply and a power supply installed outside your barn. Keep a hose attached to your external water supply. 4. Install smoke detectors. Make sure you check them regularly. You may also wish to connect the smoke alarms with a loud, external alarm that will sound somewhere it can be heard if no one is in the barn. 5. Store hay and combustibles like shavings in a separate building. 6. Make sure that the hay you store is cured properly and that it's kept dry. Wet hay can start fires through spontaneous combustion. 7. Don't use extension cords. If you really need to, use an industrial-grade cord and don't overload it. Check electrical cords for damage and replace any that may have been chewed by mice or squirrels. 8. Consider installing a sprinkler system. Check with your insurance agent to see if they offer discounts for barns with sprinklers. Some may cut your annual premium by as much as 50 percent. 9. Place fire extinguishers within reach and make sure they are charged. 10. Keep your barn clean. Dust and cobwebs are fire hazards, as are oily rags and paper towels. 11. Keep a halter and lead rope on every stall door. Consider marking each with glow-in-the-dark paint or reflectors. 12. Ban smoking in your barn (and within 20-30 feet, at least). 13. Keep important numbers where you can find them quickly and have an emergency plan in place -- along with a plan for how emergency equipment could access your barn most quickly. |
HAWC
PO Box 7154
Erie, PA 16510
· May is HAWC membership month, so please remember to renew your membership for 2006
NEGLECTED AND ABUSED ANIMALS CAN’T HELP THEMSELVES;
On Behalf of the animals, THANK YOU
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MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
FOR THE HOOVED ANIMAL WELFARE COUNCIL (HAWC)
Name ____________________________________________ Phone _________________
Address __________________________________________________________________________
City _______________________________________ State _________________________
Single Membership $15.00 Family Membership $20.00
Donations gratefully accepted
Make check payable to: H.A.W.C.
Mail to: P.O. Box 7154, Erie, PA 16510
All donations are tax deductible
501(c) (3) Non-profit Corporation