It's a Boy! It's a Girl!

Recently we told you that AHDF was expecting. Meet our newest arrivals Phoenix and Comet.

Phoenix is a little boy born on August 5th around 5 am. We had hoped to catch the birth on a foal cam to share with everyone, but mom didn't want to be filmed. Sugar was checked at 4:30 and was anxious, but that was nothing new. At 5 am she was checked again and she was delivering. By the time everyone got to the barn little Phoenix was there. Phoenix is a little black Appaloosa colt.

Phoenix's mom is Sugar a nearly 20 year old mare that was saved from slaughter. Sugar came in with 5 other mares that are pregnant and still expecting.

Comet is a little girl from a wonderful mare that we picked up from an owner surrender/neglect case that is very complicated. Comet was born in the pasture of people taking care of horses for an owner who was facing marital/financial problems. Previously 2 other mares had delivered and lost their foals due to the poor conditions. All 5 mares were signed over to AHDF by the owner to have them saved from the bad conditions she had found her horses in. However, it took several trips and legal issues to actually get custody of the horses. In the meantime, Star delivered Comet. Comet was born on July 29th and is an almost exact replica of her momma. Star is a registered Quarter Horse mare.

From the group that Comet and Star come from we are still expecting a foal from one more mare.

If you are interested in sponsoring Phoenix, Comet or any of the pregnant mares visit AHDF's website. If you cannot sponsor a horse consider donating a halter, hay or other needed items on our website.

Oklahoma Horse Theft Alert

The following Alert is from Stolen Horse International. Please take care to protect your horses.

Oklahoma Horse Owners Take Heed

While Holly, Halston, and Cody are home safely, your horse could be stolen next.

By Angela Kirby

Currently, there is growing concern regarding stolen and missing horses in the state of Oklahoma, specifically Oklahoma County. Stolen Horse International, aka NetPosse, has processed several reports that seem to be more than coincidence. While NetPosse only receives a fraction of the estimated thousands of thefts each year, trends can be seen in data collected, and the amount of thefts in Oklahoma is alarming.

Susan Ballard awoke last Christmas morning to find that her paint roping gelding, JP Cody Moon, had been stolen Christmas Eve from his stall in Harrah, Okla., after thieves cut through a fence and led him to an awaiting trailer.

Four months later, on April 20, in nearby Oklahoma City, the Wilson family made a startling discovery – Anne Wilson’s wedding gift from 25 years before had been stolen from her stall during the night. Thieves bypassed the younger paint horses and targeted her beloved Holly Belle, a sorrel quarter horse mare.

A few days after the theft, Anne learned about NetPosse and immediately filed a report. The day after the NetPosse.com Idaho Alert (the horse community’s Amber Alert) was sent out for Holly, the Wilson’s received a strange call from a man saying he had her horse. The transaction that took place that evening was suspicious at best, but Anne, drained from the worry during the previous week over Holly, was too relieved to have her mare back to think clearly. It was not until a few days later that things began to fall into place.

After contacting Stolen Horse International about Holly, Anne mentioned that she was aware of other thefts. Shortly thereafter, Halston, a Spanish mustang gelding stolen on April 14, was listed with SHI. Following Holly’s return home, Halston was quickly located and recovered. Then the news Susan Ballard had been waiting for came – five months after his theft, on May 29, Cody had been found alive!

The case broke under the diligence of the lead investigator, David Spears, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, who pieced together the thefts of several more area horses, including another mare belonging to a 12-year-old girl. As of June 13, 2007, Spears indicated that the investigation was proceeding well. However, in an effort to protect the investigation, it is not possible to release details of the criminal activity surrounding these thefts. But suffice it to say, if you live in Oklahoma, specifically Oklahoma County, your horse could be in danger.

These horses were stolen from stalls and pastures. None of these horses had permanent identification, but all were fortunate. Spears has been determined and relentless in his efforts to locate other stolen and missing horses that could be connected to these cases, and will continue to make efforts to eliminate this criminal activity.

Until the thieves are brought to justice, NetPosse founder and president, Debi Metcalfe, cannot stress enough the importance of taking preventative measures that can be found on NetPosse’s website: www.netposse.com.

If you have a horse that is missing or stolen, please contact NetPosse today so that we can help. It is imperative that anyone in Oklahoma that has been a victim email or call so that we take a report and then pass along your information to investigating officers.

These horses are being targeted for a specific reason, and the purpose of this notice is not to overly frighten owners, but to cause you to take proactive measures so that your horse isn’t the next one stolen.

For more information on horse theft prevention or to view the horses listed with Stolen Horse International, please visit us on the Web at www.netposse.com.

Action Alert!

Don't Let Congress Undo State and Local Animal Laws

When citizens and their state legislatures decide that a practice is so inhumane that it must not occur within their state's borders, the federal government shouldn't be able to trump the will of the people. Yet that's exactly what legislation now under consideration would do.

A small provision—Section 123—tucked into the pending Farm Bill in the U.S. House of Representatives would prohibit states and localities from banning activities they deem to be contrary to public health, safety, and morals. Section 123 would undo bans on horse slaughter, intensive confinement of pigs and calves raised for veal, force-feeding of ducks and geese to make foie gras, and other important laws. It's an outrageous power grab that would undermine the democratic process and deny citizens the right to pass state or local laws on issues of humane treatment or food safety.

This could be the most urgent alert ever! If we don't get rid of Section 123, people who've worked so hard to get state and local animal protection laws passed—investing hours and hours in good faith that their involvement in the legislative process matters—will find out that their hard-won achievements are wiped out by this heavy-handed federal law.

TAKE ACTION
Please make brief, polite phone calls to your two U.S. Senators and one U.S. Representative and urge them to oppose Section 123 of the House Farm Bill. You can reach your federal legislators by calling the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121, or click here to find their Capitol office phone numbers.

Information Alert

Sadly, the judge extended the injunction allowing Cavel horse slaughter plant to remain open until he rules or until June 28,2007 whichever comes first.

Attorneys for the plant said that closing the plant would deprive 55 people of jobs and is unconstitutional because it violates interstate and foreign commerce clauses of the Constitution. many welfare groups were represented and all of their representatives and attorneys were disappointed in the ruling.

If the judge rules that the new Illinois law banning horse slaughter is unconstitutional expect challenges to be filed once again in Texas and in California. Our best hope is that the federal bills will be passed quickly and take the decision away from the judge, as he seems to be allowing the plant great latitude.

For more information on the issue of horse slaughter visit our website at www.AHDF.org.

Meet AHDF's New Mascots

Hannah Montana and Tinkerbell are the newest staff at AHDF. These two tiny foals have a big job, to represent the AHDF as our mascots and later they will serve as Ambassadors and educators on many of the AHDF's issues.

Hannah Montana and Tinkerbell are nurse mare foals. This means that they were seprated from their mothers at a very young age and are being fed milk replacement and special grain several times a day.

The nurse mare industry is a small and little known issue in the equine industry. A brood mare's job is to deliver foals to supply the equine industry. When the mare is from an excellent bloodline or from a racing or show background gives birth they either must get back into shape for the show season or they are immediatly bred back. This means they have to be shipped and due to insurance restrictions their foals often cannot accompany them. This means they need to be nursed by another mare. These less expensive mares are bred so they will have milk and they are seperated from their own foals so they will accept the new foals. Their own foals used to be killed for their skins. Pony skins are used in the fashion industry. Today more and more of these nurse mare foals are rescued by organizations.

Hannah Montana was less than 2 weeks old when seperated from her mother and Tinkerbell was less than a month old. The AHDF decided these foals deserved a chance and they are at a foster home receiving intense care. Now the girls are thriving and developing personalities. Hannah is now nearly 3 months old and Tink is almost 4 months old. They are getting lessons in leading, lifting their feet and learning manners.

Please watch here for future updates on our little mascots.