I volunteer at J&M Acres Horse Rescue in BC, Canada and on October 18, 2010, we rescued two Thoroughbred foals, whose story is not only sad, but reads the same for many other equines across Canada.
Mickey & Minnie were rescued from a local stockyard for $0.09/lb. They are both a year old, thin and have umbilical hernias. But they are still worth saving!
Putting A Price on Life
Regardless if it is the life of these foals or your grandmother, life cannot be measured by $0.09/lb. If it can, then what is the point to life? If you want to measure these foals lives in cents, you might as well measure mine that way too. In which case, I would be worth $13! Is my life really worth that little too?
The Answer to this is no and here is why:
As a race, we value human life over all others. Perhaps 10% of the population is an exception to this, but for the other 90%, humans are the only ones who think and feel. In a country where there would be uproar over human babies, two foals can be tossed out and no one cares.
I am very happy we managed to save two lives, but they are only 0.002% of slaughter-bound equines. How many of the other 99,998 being slaughtered in Canada each year are just like Mickey & Minnie?
Not A One Time Thing
This story will repeat for thousands of horses until the equine industry stops using horses slaughter as a means to rationalize overbreeding and Bill C-544 is passed, which will end horse slaughter in Canada on the basis that horses are not for human consumption.
Mickey & Minnie are individuals who deserve life. They, along with the 99,998 other horses each year, should not be thrown in the trash because someone does not “want” them anymore. There are no “unwanted” horses. There are only homeless horses.
Until we can treat these animals as more than a commodity or a prize to be won and then thrown out when they have been used up, the term “humanity” no longer applies.
Amy Lizee
Bravo for the work you do, Amy!
Thank you for posting this, and thank you to Amy who was able to help others understand how horrible this, and that we can’t put a price on a life…any life.
who we are as a society can be measured is how we treat animals…it is time to step up. Thanks Amy
Awesome work by an Awesome Girl!! Thank you Amy!!
But, what if the horse is unable to be cared for, and no one will buy it? Is it better for it to suffer and die a slow and painful death? Or is it better to die a fairly quick death? You tell me, Suffering or Humanity? Waste or use? what is the full picture here? Why do the horses wind up there? Do you know? probably not, Yet you give yourselves to judge? Please explain.
If a horse can no longer be cared for, the owner has the responsibility to find someone who can. If you can’t find someone to buy it, why wouldn’t you call a local rescue? There are three in my area and we are always willing to take in horses. None of us have been full yet… If you send to the stockyard or auction to essentially go to slaughter, why wouldn’t you call a rescue and save a life? It is better for the horse to be put in the hands of people that can care for it. And the slow and painful death is the slaughter… it is not a quick death. Most horses do not die right away and are left half-conscious while going through the slaughter process. You tell me which is worse.
Keely, more and more unwanted horses are showing up in local stockyards because of the economy and the hard cost of owning a horse. Horses who are slaughtered die in an inhumane slow and painfull death. Google it. Youtube it. Its awful and disgusting. These babies have so much potentiel, and that is why I am adopting them. To give them a new chance, a fresh start. Just because someone can’t care for a horse, doesn’t mean that no one can. Thanks Amy, love the article!