This is an exchange of letters between Dr. Chester Gipson, the Deputy Administrator for Animal Care with the USDA, and the Celebration/SHOW CEO Dr. Doyle Meadows. The letter was written following the Celebration's Spring Fun Show in response to that show. Dr. Meadows decided to publish both Dr. Gipson's letter and his own letter back at him. The letters are linked from the Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration website--click here for the link.
Click here for Dr. Gipson's letter.
Click here for Dr. Meadows' letter.
Unfortunately I can't post pdfs on the blog, otherwise I'd just save them here.
My thoughts: It is a bit shocking that in Section 6 (C) of the HPA, we can find this: "Whoever kills any person while engaged in or on account of the performance of his official duties under this Act shall be punishable as provided under...." KILLS. For the love of God, what does that tell us about the TWH industry? This should give everyone an idea of what we're truly dealing with here. If you don't believe there's something seriously wrong with the TWH industry, the fact that the HPA has to specifically call out penalties for anyone who kills a DQP should tell you.
THIS IS MADNESS.
Kudos to Dr. Gipson for sending the warning. Of course, I would love to see SHOW shut down since all it is is the NHSC with a new name. I think the rest of us can see that Dr. Meadows' letter is just a whining complaint. Here, a spoiled child who has continued to get away with bad behavior is finally being told NO, and he doesn't like it and is finding every excuse to fight it. He might as well walk into Dr. Gipson's office and throw himself on the floor and cry.
"Today, Tennessee Walking Horses are known throughout the industry
as the breed that shows abused and tortured horses."
~ Jim Heird, Ph.D., Do Right By The Horse, February 2010
"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity,
you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men."
~ St. Francis of Assisi
1 comment:
Are you kidding me?
Is this a joke?
It isn't, I know.
This is madness.
holy good grief..
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