80 Horses, Mostly Shetlands, Euthanized ...

[Marty]

"I loved my horses, I was their mother, " said the owner, Gail Carlson,

who said she was spending $2,000 a month on hay. "I couldn't just keep

doing that." She called the decision to put the horses down difficult,

but didn't trust anyone else to care for them properly.

OH PLEASSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEE spare me the BS.

There are multiple rescue organizations that will band together in times like this to help re-home the animals. Hay or no hay, you do not conduct yourself a mass murder like this woman did without reaching out for help first. Someone would have picked up the ball if only anyone had known. Possibly another one of many hoarding situations going on in leaps and bounds all over the place where the animals always seem to loose out, in this case they lost everything. This was just plain wrong.

 

[Sanny]

Just another update......I was on the website of the MN hooved Animal Rescue and saw a note about this farm that says she also had Llamas, goats and donkeys that were euthanized along with the minis/ponies/horses. I guess no one else could care for them as well as she could either.

(including the rescue organization.)

MN Hooved Animal Rescue

 

[A Yankee In NC]

Yesterday our local paper also covered the topic of abandon animals as a result of foreclosures. While this is a very tough topic on which to be brief.........

Here's my take:

Years ago, I too, lost a home to foreclosure and had the following animals....11 guinea pigs, 4 chinchilla, a parrot, 3 parakeets, 2 house rabbits, 3 dogs and a gecko. I rehomed every single animal to loving homes. Only one dog had to go to a retriever rescue as he had a multitude of special needs.

Leaving an animal to starve to death in inexcusable.

Putting older animals down that have a poor chance at rehoming...I totally understand.

I would gladly take in one or 2 animals (much to my husbands chagrin) to help out someone in need and I live on a very tight income and have only the pets I can afford..but who cannot give up eating out every once in awhile to help end suffering.

Tough topic...interesting thoughts and points from all of the members.

el

 

[Denise]

She makes me want to

How do you get that many horses?? Hellooooooooo quit breeding and quit buying them!

Not being able to find decent homes is BS. She's a hoarder that got in over her head and took the cowards way out.

 

[Lewella]

I just talked to someone I know who lives in that area and they had tried to buy some of the Shetlands from her and she would not sell them......

I agree with you Denise - she is a hoarder. And what's going to keep her from starting all over again?

 

[Sue S]

I agree with Ashley, this woman must of known for awhile that she couldn't take care of them, this just did not happen over nite, She should of started earlier putting horses up for adoption or fostering, This is one reason I do not want any more horses than what I got, things do come up that you can't afford the hay and so on but its easier to get the money for a small herd than a big herd, I have a small herd and thats the way its going to stay just in case something happens to me or hubby.

 

[Sue_C.]

There should be something she can be charged with... I am in full agreement that any sick, old or infirm should be put-down rather than going through the stress of moving again, and possibly yet again...but a complete farm full of animals; that could and should have rightiously been rehomed...even if for free. Absolutely not.

Also...I cannot imagine any Vet condoning this...let alone participating.

 

[Reijel's Mom]

I have mixed feelings on this whole topic, mostly my thought is that she should have worked with someone or a group to help find these animals home.

I also wonder what that vet bill was like to euthanize that many animals? And proper disposal??

 

[Denise]

I'm afraid now that her "slate has been wiped clean" whats going to stop her from starting all over? I bet in a few months she has animals back on her place.

 

[Buckskin gal]

I am a little shocked from some of the responses here...not that everyone isn't entitled to their opinion on a matter but because it seems a lttle outrageous to condemn a woman for euthanizing her animals because she couldn't afford to care for them and yet we know that year after year horses are sent off to slaughter by people who just want to make a buck on horss they don't want to keep. Is it okay for a horsebreeder to send them off to auctions and slaughter but not okay for a person who owns her horses to euthanize them on her own place? Just seems like double standards. Why isn't the large horse breeder who takes in 30 or 40 in a month, to an auction and have them sold to slaughter buyers put in the newspapers for people to see what has happened to them? We don't know what kind of shape these ponies were in and just maybe they wouldn't have been suitable, any more than some big horse suitable for adoption. Who knws where those ponies would have ended up at. Many of you have said that anyone that doesn't pay a fair price for a horse really isn't able to take care of a horse.....they could have been shoved around from one place to another, used for breeding or been abused before they ever reached their natural death. I personally think there is a lot we don't know for judgements to be made. If they were bought at auctions, there is a good chance she was just doing her best to try and save them from something worse. Many horses sold at auctions are no more than someones throw aways. I know of people who will take other peoples throwaways minis. They then get used for breeding or sold to someone else for the same.

Not happy about this situation at all, but the world can be a cruel place for animals and that is why we do need more responsible animal owners.

Mary

 

[Songcatcher]

I have not read this entire thread, but only skimmed it. It appears this woman may be mentally ill or simply unreasonable. There may be no way to help her or any of her animals due to that condition.

Here is the fact that bothers me:

The problem has been exceedingly acute for horse owners, who werealready facing high feed costs because of rising commodity prices and the

recent elimination of horse slaughterhouses in America. That market -- a

federal ban recently closed the last three such slaughterhouses in the

United States -- once provided horse owners with an option that paid

about $600 per horse, when there was nowhere else to turn.

I have never sold a horse to a slaughter house, so I can only assume this statement is correct. It says they paid "about $600 per horse". Assuming that due to the size difference that a Mini or pony would bring only $100-$200, for 80 head of horses that would be $8,000-$16,000. The attitude that it is more responsible to euthanize these animals (at who knows what cost plus disposal) than to sell them for slaughter upsets me. I love my animals, but they are animals and my obligations to people superceded my obligations to animals.

I know there will be some who disagree with me on this. To them I say, "Feel free to send me a check to help support my hobbies and think nothing of it when I cannot repay because my obligations to animals is more important than my obligation to you."

 

[Denise]

There are always 2 sides to every story but she went around to sale barns buying them up, to do what with them? She was in over her head and didnt ask for help, didnt try to find them homes just put them to sleep. I'd feel something for her if she would have tried. The not trying part is what I am stuck on and feel no sympathy for her. You just don't acquire 80 head and realize your heading for trouble. What about all the other animals on her place too, the donkeys & goats? They deserved a chance at life but noooooooo it was easier for her to kill them then to look for homes for them. The rescue would have helped her!

I'm sure if she would have spoke up people would have poured in there with feed and hay. They would have helped place some of those animals. There were rescues that could have taken those animals!

 

[disneyhorse]

As a vegetarian, I don't understand why people get so hung up on people euthanizing their animals? When people are willing to eat animals that led a horrible life until they got slaughtered? Perhaps a vet coming and humanely destroying unwanted animals isn't THAT bad?

What about the thousands of cats and dogs that are euthanized every day?

What about the hundreds of animals that you eat that are killed with a bolt gun? More than 80 cattle are killed for slaughter and no one complains about that.

I hate to see animals be killed to eat, but fact is even with "pets" there are sometimes just too many and perhaps better to euthanize than send to a worse fate?

It CAN'T be an easy decision to euthanize all your horses. Why be critical?

Now the rescues can go around and find 80 different horses to "save." I'm sure they will find some soon enough.

Andrea

 

[pinck43]

If she thought taking care of them is costly, what were her fees for putting them down and having a rendering service pick them up? I had a horse put down 7 years ago and the rendering cost was 150.00. dionne

 

[heart k ranch]

She most likely had they buried in the back pasture some where

 

[Lewella]

Perhaps a vet coming and humanely destroying unwanted animals isn't THAT bad?

I haven't been able to verify it yet but I'd be very surprised if she had a vet do it.... As for disposal she's only a hop, skip and a jump from a rendering plant but getting them to take horses is nearly impossible.

I know of at least one person who tried to buy some of the ponies from her (apparently they were all together - all ages, all sexes and regularly fought) and she refused to sell any of them.

I've been going through my old sale catalogs and I know of 41 Shetlands that she bought at sales since 1999....

 

[Suzie]

This woman was a hoarder...pure and simple. It happens all the time around here with dogs and cats. The ASPCA goes in and finds 40 to 50 dogs and cats, and carcases and starving animals at places where people just keep hoarding them up. The owners think no one else can care for them. It is an obsessive/complusive disorder and they are collecting living THINGS to excess.

Then everyone gets all up in arms about it. Then usually some judge steps in and forbids the person from having any more animals.

I worked with an animal hoarder for years. She would go and steal animals from people because she was convinced they were not cared for properly. She would spend more on dog food than she earned and then beg her coworkers for money so she could eat. She would not neuter or spay anything because she felt it was unnatural. Ultimately she started having litters of half-wit mutated animals because brothers were breeding sisters..... It was pathetic.

This other woman probably euthanized the horses and other animals and buried them on her farm to keep ASPCA from finding out and the government getting involved. Now she wants to blame it on the economy. And get sympathy in the boot....

Give me a break. When I get to the point I can't feed and care for mine, they will leave here free if I have to for a good home placement.......

 

[Boinky]

ok i have to say it does bother me..right now they could still have probably found homes.. give it a year or so the way this is going and you wont be able to find homes for the unwanted horses because there are going to be so many at this rate.. that is when i think euthanasia will be more important than ever. I don't condem anyone for euthanizing especially looking at the future of how many animals are being dumped now and we already know the problem is going to get worse. It's unfortunate. I have a 21 year old mare that i'd bury before i found her another home if god forbid i couldn't keep her. and if the times keep looking worse like they are i'd even consider it for the rest rather than send them out and HOPE someone isn't "getting in over their head" and they get neglected, starved or abused. It was very short sighted to shut down slaughter now especially with the way the economy is it was BOUND to have serious lash back effect!