Obama: The Great (Pet) Emancipator
Posted on 03/22/2009 3:39:49 PM PDT by Lorianne
The sound of pounding hooves thunders in the high desert air. A cloud of dust marks the trail of a herd of wild horses as they race across the arid plain. This is Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue, a shelter for wild mustangs and unwanted horses near Lancaster, California.
Lifesavers President Jill Starr says she and other shelter operators are witnessing an equine crisis.
"People have lost their homes, their jobs, their hope," she said. "And they are giving up their animals."
"We've had horses come onto the property in a horse trailer, unannounced, and just offloaded and [owners] ask us, beg us, if we could take these skinny horses," she said.
Starr says she has taken in so many unwanted horses in the past year that her resources are stretched to the breaking point. Watch rescue center that cares for horses »
"All of a sudden it's like somebody flipped a switch and people started bringing back the horses they adopted from us," she said.
"There are no hard numbers on this," said Michael Markarian of the Humane Society of the United States. "The states don't seem to be keeping numbers. The economy has been hard on everybody, and animals are no exception."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
I would like to suggest taking back an inbred Kenyan Donkey, but I don’t think they have the resources for it, either.
The EPA needs to investigate the environmental impact.
It is a shame to see this but it was predictable. Few people have any idea what it takes to keep a horse. Use them or not they require constant care and feeding.
On pasture they require 3 times the space of a cow and are very rough on the ground which is why you see these “paddocks” at the “acreage” developments absolutely devoid of grass of any kind.
They may have their place again one day if fuel becomes scarce but I will have an electric tractor with solar cells before dealing with a horse if it comes to that.
One of the big problems people face is what to do with dead animals.
Extra horses, can’t afford food, what to do...?
With the economy going the way it is, it won't be long before dead horses become known as "Richmond steak".
Note to self: buy Elmers stock on Monday.
... or let the French do it... ?
I agree. We have way too many “wild” (actually feral) horses in Nevada. If we simply got rid of the stupid laws against hunting them, hunters would control the population for free. Actually, they would pay the state for the privilege.
I live on a small lot and it isn’t the cost that keeps me from getting a horse. I’ve heard you can’t house break them.
LOL you beat me to it!
Horse burger ping
A couple of years ago this was also a huge problem across the Soth. Due to the extended drought hay and other feed were scarce and very expensive when available.
Rodney Dangerfield: “This steak still has marks where the jockey was hitting it”
No hunter I know would want to hunt horses.....
There's also demand for the meat, if it were legal.
And we hunt deer, elk, pigs, turkey, etc....
As someone mentioned earlier, horsemeat is considered a delicacy, in some other cultures. There would be demand for it.
Apparently the disappearances are being linked to illegal aliens living in FL.
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