HAWC - EYE
Voice of the Hooved Animal Welfare Council
PO Box 7l54, Erie, PA 16510 (814) 739-9680
2007 NEWSLETTER
Annual General Meeting for Election of Officers on Tuesday, June 12th 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 12th for Vice President (Sandy Blount), and Secretary (Linda Wheeler) as well as two board member positions (Joan Rutledge and Rea Dalla Torre) and one open.
June Membership Dr ive: Please send in your membership or renewal for 2007 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. Three 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. The total training will cost $460.00. 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 21 complaints last year; all were resolved satisfactorily by educating the owners on proper care. The cases involved goats, ponies and horses. Four horses were surrendered to us, rehabilitated and adopted into responsible homes. Thank you to all that notified us about your concerns for these animals. Please do not hesitate to notify us if you see neglect or abuse. Please call our volunteer Humane Investigating Officers listed below. If you would like to adopt a horse or other hooved animal, please call Linda at 739-9680 so we can put you on our list of potential adopters.
Sandy Blount (814) 774-2800 Vicki Musolff (814) 474-5633
Darlene Rosthauser (814) 899-0960 Robin Kulik (814) 756-0906
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 at www.hawc-eye.org with links to help you find information on livestock care and issues. Remember you can donate to HAWC by purchasing items thru the iGive site (over 600 stores to choose from) 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. HAWC has received many emails from people visiting 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.
2007 Events
Dan Rice Days is our biggest fundraiser of the year and lots of fun for everyone. It will be held August 3rd and 4th 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!
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 Robin Kulik at
756-0906 or visit the HAWC website for more information.
Updates on livestock legislation
HORSE SLAUGHTER BILL REINTRODUCTED TO CONGRESS for 2007 - The American Horse Slaughter Prevention ACT (H.R. 503/S.311) will prohibit the slaughter of American horses for human consumption. Americans don’t eat horses, but last year alone more than 100,000 U.S. horses were killed for their meat, which was exported to Europe and Asia. Also H.R. 249 restores protections for wild horses and burros that were undone by the passage of the 2005 Burns Amendment to the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act. These bills were introduced in the 109th Congress in 2006. Although both had strong support and advanced significantly through the committee process, Congress unfortunately recessed for the year before either bill could be passed. Both bills have been reintroduced and currently passed a Senate committee. If you believe that horses are American icons that deserve a better end than ending up on dinner plates abroad, please contact you senators and representatives today and ask that they support these important bills. Please visit ASPCA.org to take action today and www.horse-protection.org for more information.
The Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act (S. 394/H.R. 661) bans U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspectors at slaughterhouses from approving meat from downed cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, horses, and other equines. The Act also requires immediate humane euthanasia for any animal that goes down. "Downed" animals—those too sick or injured to stand or walk on their own—are often kicked, dragged with chains, prodded with electric shocks, and pushed by bulldozer in an effort to move them to slaughter. They may be left to languish for days without food, water, or veterinary care. Downed animals are also at a higher risk of carrying harmful diseases, such as mad cow, E. coli, and Salmonella. At least ten of the eleven cases of mad cow disease identified in North America have reportedly involved downed animals.
Go to hsus.org for more info on this bill and how to take action to ask your representatives to vote for it.
Premarin Update
PMURescue.org, the online database of adoptable horses once used in the manufacture of the hormone replacement drug Premarin, has connected 2,200 horses with new homes. Visitors to PMURescue.org can search for horses based on gender, location, breed or color. Photos of each horse are included, with notes about temperament and health. Right now, 58 rescue organizations across the U.S. and Canada have listed more than 320 adoptable horses on the site.
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.
STOLEN HORSE NETWORK - NetPosse.com is an excellent informative website on what to do if your horse is stolen and you can list your stolen horse here with this national recovery organization. So visit this website to learn about theft of horses, tack and trailers; horse identification; missing/stolen stories and recoveries; fundraisers for SHI; and local/national news affecting horse theft.
HAWC
PO Box 7154
Erie, PA 16510
· June is HAWC membership month, so please remember to renew your membership for 2007
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