OMNIVORES PROTEST AGAINST HORSE SLAUGHTER!

On Wednesday, June 18, 2008, The American Horse Counsel (AHC) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are co-sponsoring a forum on The Unwanted Horse Issue: The all-day forum will be held on Wednesday, June 18th, 2008 at the Department's Jefferson Auditorium in Washington, D.C.

The forum will piggy-back onto the AHC's 2008 National Issues
Forum, which will be from June 16 through the 18th in Washington. The
Unwanted Horse Forum is open to all. By holding it immediately
after the AHC meeting, those who attend the AHC meeting will have the
opportunity to also attend the Unwanted Horse Forum.

There is little data about the size of the problem, the numbers of
unwanted horses, the ability of the current system to care for
them, whether there is an increase in neglect and similar issues. This
forum will be an opportunity to focus on the many factors that
surround the problem of the unwanted horse and bring some clarity
to the extent of the problem.

Various newspapers and other media have recently reported that
state agencies and horse rescue groups are seeing a growing number of
horses that can no longer be cared for by owners. Some of the
reports suggest that rescue groups are being overwhelmed and may have to start turning horses away. The media reports suggest numerous
factors for the increase, including overbreeding; the downturn in
the economy; sharply rising costs of hay; the drought that has affected
many parts of the U.S.; the costs of euthanasia and carcass
disposal; and the closing of the nation's three slaughter facilities.

Whatever the causes, and they probably include all of these
factors, this is not an optimistic forecast and reinforces the need for the
horse industry and others to proactively address the unwanted horse
issue.

The one-day educational forum is free and open to all. It will
focus on the current situation and the next steps that might be taken.
Invited speakers will discuss the knowns and unknowns of the
unwanted horse issue at this time, as well as possible solutions and options to deal with the problem and decrease the number of unwanted horses in the country. The forum will cover a variety of topics including
historical, ethical and general perspectives on the unwanted horse
issue, the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, transportation issues,
and potential solutions and options.

For more information on this Unwanted Horse Issues FORUM, please
visit the AHC website, www.horsecouncil.org. To register, send
your name, affiliation and email address to Marsha Stephens Hurd, 800
9th  St. SW, Room 3150 Waterfront Centre, Washington, DC 20250-2220;
telephone: 202.401.5352; fax: 202.401.6156; or email either
mhurd@... or rreynnells@...
NOW FOR THE IMPORTANT PART:
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THREE DAYS of Anti-Slaughter PROTEST  DEMONSTRATIONS are PLANNED by Friends of Equines (FOES) of Equine Slaughter. Permits will be in place for three days of peaceful demonstrations by equine lovers and protectors from all over the world DEMANDING an end to equine slaughter NOW. 

From June 16th through June 18th Washington will be abuzz with people talking Horse-Slaughter issues. There will be PLENTY of Pro-Slaughter folk there voicing their opinions as to why they believe equine slaughter to be a "necessary evil."  The two-day "National Issues" Debate at the Hyatt Regency is a closed meeting but we will be standing outside with our banners and our signs letting them and the world know our position. The June 18th UnWanted Horse Forum is an all day event and free to the public. Many people from both sides of the fence will be in attendence.  You can have your say at this Forum and then come on out into the streets and join the Friends of Equines Demonstrations. We think June 16th through June 18th would be a wonderful time to hold peaceful demonstrations outside of the two locations hosting these events; the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill on June 16-17 and the USDA Building, Jefferson Auditorium, on June 18th. We need to make our voices for the horses heard loud and clear above the "pro-slaugher" noise. This petition is ONLY for those who want to travel to DC on June 16th through June 18th, 2008,  for the sole purpose of DEMONSTRATING  with us on these days. Please DO NOT sign this petition if you cannot join us "on the picket line" during any one or all of these days. This will be NO "animal rights / PETAish" demo as we are going as a "meat-eating" delegation of horse-lovers against horse-slaughter. WE MUST make that distinction because the Pro-Slaughter people think only "Animal Rights" extremists,  PETA-"Nuts" and/or vegetarian types are the only ones against horse slaughter. WE MUST show them that there are horse lovers and protectors among us who eat meat that are against horse slaughter. We must remind them that 90% of Americans are against horse-slaughter and that 90% of Americans EAT MEAT. When we go down to DC to DEMANDING and end to slaughter we will be proudly carrying our signs saying, WE ARE NOT PETA, WE ARE THE AMERICAN PUBLIC - MOST OF US EAT MEAT - BUT NOT OUR CATS, DOGS or HORSES; STOP THE SLAUGHTER NOW!
We are looking for at least 100 people to commit to demonstrating with us. Wont you join? This may be the last chance we have to make our voices heard on such a grand scale for the horses.

READERS PLEASE NOTE: By signing this petition, you are COMMITTING  to  demonstate with us. Please DO NOT sign if you cant come in person for at least one of these three days. Also, in order to get the required permits we will need to have an idea of how many will be coming, so if you intend to come for one, two, or all three days, please contact us at: Recruit@nycap.rr.com to let us know so we can add you to our "census" of participants. 

Here is also a link to a YahooGroup "June16-18Anti-SlaughterDemosDC," formed soly for the purpose of organizing these demos, participants are not required to join but would be a good way to keep informed of the latest news, so we encourgae you to join:

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/June16-18Anti-SlaughterDemosDC/ 

NOW is the time! 

"Never believe that a small group of concerned, dedicated individuals cannot change the world. It is the only thing that ever has" - Margaret Mead