In November when I first saw the ads on Craigs List and wrote about them, I had no idea we’d be talking about it now months later. Shall we review a couple screen shots of these ads again first ?
And wow people, this is my blog. When a person enters comments on a blog for the purpose of public display, he/she can be construed giving an implied license at least for that display and the incidental copying that goes along with it. So, if you don’t want everything published, don’t comment. If you don’t want everything published, don’t write threatening comments. If you don’t want to be known you are commenting…don’t comment. But you can’t expect to write in and think we are just going to be pen pals. When people deal fairly, I have no issue. But I will not tolerate threats or bull twaddle.
I did not go looking for all this stuff about horse rescue, it was stumbled upon. I have no interest in horse ownership or riding at this point. I just happen to like horses and admire those who care for them well. I also know a thing or two about how legitimate rescues work. I have people commenting left and right so how can there not be something wrong? If this was a giant non issue would everyone be talking about it?
You know what I want? For this issue to be put to bed. I know traditional media and others are looking at this, so it is only a matter of time until it all comes out.
I want Barbara Luna and Turning For Home and Parx Racing to stand up and explain how they are caring for horses and to show that every horse that leaves the track for any rescue is o.k. After all, what legitimate animal rescue doesn’t have copious records? She gets paid to do a job, so this should be no big deal, right?
I so wanted to give Jessica Basciano and Off The Track Thoroughbred Rescue the benefit of the doubt, and can it be said part of me still hopes she can explain it all? I still believe she got into rescue for the right reasons, but is she now in over her head? And if she is in over her head, isn’t it o.k. to say so and call in other horse rescues to help her out?
And why can’t she open up to the public on the horses she has rescued? Where did they all go? Do they have all their paperwork and records? Are they all safe and cared for? Did she check references on those adopting horses? Were home visits conducted to see if the horses were doing o.k. after moving through the rescue? Is there paperwork for a non-profit? Is there incorporation of this rescue as a straight up business? How does this rescue train their volunteers and prospective adoptive families? How many rescue horses leave her organization and cross state lines? How are out of state adoptive families vetted? Are there special rules for shipping animals like horses across state lines?
Animal rescue is serious business, and the larger the animal the more expensive and often all the more serious. If horse rescue were all so hunky dory, people like that Deborah Jones I have read about would have nothing to do but sit home and eat bon-bons.
But as the weeks go on, there are no answers out of either of these rescues. But people are getting harassed and threatened for asking questions aren’t they? And that would be on the blogs, bulletin boards and in real time, isn’t that correct?
If horse rescue were so cut and dry, Joe Drape from The New York Times would have nothing to write about. I mean do you think they are only talking about horse rescue in Chester County and on this blog? Ok, then check out this article from January 23rd out of Lousiana:
Rescuers rally behind starving horses
Written by Vickie Welborn Shreveporttimes.com
NATCHITOCHES — Dozens of emaciated horses are in the care of the Louisiana Horse Rescue Association after being surrendered by the owner of a Natchitoches Parish horse breeding farm.
For two, the rescue was too late as they died at the organization’s quarantine facility shortly after arrival. Others are in such poor shape their survival is questionable, according to Sunny Francois, volunteer director of the Louisiana Horse Rescue Association.
Could more have been done to prevent the deaths of those horses and perhaps dozens more evident from skeletal remains and shallow graves on the grounds of Ryder River Ridge Farms? That’s the question of rescuers who have bombarded local, parish and state agencies in recent days with complaints about the horses’ condition and lack of enforcement action…..The day before is when photographic evidence was provided to investigators by Donna Keene, owner of Remember Me Rescue in Burleson, Texas. Keene rented a helicopter and flew over the Ryder property to document emaciated horses standing in the pastures, along with scores of intact and scattered horse skeletons. The ground was marked with what appeared to be shallow graves, some of which had skeletal remains partially exposed through the dirt.
If these two horse rescues, Turning for Home and Off The Track Throughbred Rescue are on the up and up and every horse can be accounted for with all proper paperwork, all those coggins things, medical records and so on and so forth, why do people keep complaining out there? Is it really a giant conspiracy theory come to life and attack of the zombie mean girls or is it where there is smoke there is fire?
And just to be fair, check out these comments about Turning for Home off that Deborah Jones’ public Facebook posts:
So I don’t know this Deborah Jones person but she seems to be a major media outlet darling, so I have to ask, is she being unfair? Is she making stuff up? Are all of the other posters of comments about these rescues anywhere and everywhere making it all up??? Really??? And what about the people who have supposedly have court things pending against these horse rescues? Are they making stuff up too? Will everything be deemed made up when the following things move to court:
- Docket Number: MJ-15306-CV-0000001-2013, Civil Action Hearing 02/12/2013 1:15 pm,Magisterial District Judge Michael J. Cabry III
- Docket Number: MJ-15306-CV-0000205-2012,02/05/2013 10:00 am,Magisterial District Judge Michael J. Cabry III
(These came right off the public docket sheets, did not pull them out of thin air)
Prior posts on the topic and all the glorious comments:
wading into a potential manure pile
the funny thing about asking questions about horse rescue…
more ad naseum about horse rescue: along came a comment from oklahoma
but wait….there’s more happy horse scheisse
I have to ask is there so much drama surrounding ferret and cow rescue? And oh yeah who is confusing this whole drama with the coziness of who do you know in Caernarvon Township? File under ToTo you’re not in Kansas anymore or on the board of auditors whatever that is?