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The Veterinarian’s Role in Equine Abuse Investigations

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The following is an article from The Horse.

The Veterinarian's Role in Equine Abuse Investigations
Photo: Courtesy of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Veterinarians must know how to properly document findings and avoid destroying evidence while still putting the horse’s welfare first.

How a veterinarian goes about examining and treating allegedly abused horses can mean the difference between a successful or unsuccessful case against the owner. He or she must know how to properly document all findings and avoid destroying evidence while still putting the horse’s welfare first.

Nicole Eller, DVM, a Minnesota-based field shelter veterinarian with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ Field Investigations and Response team, described the veterinarian’s unique role in animal crime scene investigations during her presentation at the 2016 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 3-7 in Orlando, Florida.

First, she reviewed the basics of evidence identification, collection, and preservation. “Evidence is generally defined as anything that can demonstrate or disprove a fact in contention,” said Eller. In equine abuse investigations, this can include anything from photos of a horse’s injuries or body condition to the moldy hay in his feeder.

Veterinarians must view these cases through the lens of someone looking for and collecting evidence. As the equine expert, the veterinarian will recognize key pieces of evidence that other investigators might overlook.

Eller then described the four phases of processing an animal crime scene.

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Phase 1: Document the condition of the facility or farm upon arrival

The area will most likely have already been secured by law enforcement and documented via photos and video by the time the veterinarian arrives on the scene.

Phase 2: Document each animal and its environment

The veterinarian will conduct what Eller called “critical triage” during the initial walk-through of the property.

“Critical triage is a rapid visual sorting of animals for treatment priority,” she said. “It’s done to identify animals in immediate need of medical care.”

The practitioner should classify horses needing immediate care as “red animals.” Eller said this might include horses with open fractures, seizures, hemorrhaging, etc.

“Document everything as fast as possible before treating, because the live animal is evidence, and treatment alters evidence,” she said.

After caring for the red animals, Eller said the veterinarian should perform a second walk-through and color-code the remaining animals as yellow (in need of treatment before transport), green (ready for transport), or blue (exhibiting signs of infectious disease).

“Given how horses are typically housed, if one has infectious disease, they may all have it,” said Eller. “But if a few are obviously infectious, you would want to handle them last and have an isolation area set up at the clinic or place where the horses are being transported.”

Once the horses have been documented and tended to, then it’s time to document their living conditions and environment. “Demonstrate how that environment may have directly affected the animal,” she said, including taking photographs or directing the person who is.

Any dead horses, carcasses, or skeletal remains on the property must also be catalogued as physical evidence. Once all horses have been removed from the property, the veterinarian should perform a more thorough documentation of the living space. Note the dimensions of each enclosure or shelter as well as how many horses shared each space, said Eller. Take mid-range and close-up photos of “any receptacles, presence or lack of good and water, quality of food and water, shelter and fence construction and possible hazards, feces, and urine,” she added.

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Horse Welfare Report Clears European Parliament Hurdle

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The following is an article from The Herald.

The report from Julie Girling MEP sets out to stop the abuse of horses across Europe and ensure their welfare is catered for

The report from Julie Girling MEP sets out to stop the abuse of horses across Europe and ensure their welfare is catered for.

Major steps to halt the abuse and cruel exploitation of horses and donkeys, set out in a report from British MEP Julie Girling, were approved this week by a key committee of the European Parliament.

The package of measures for equine welfare received the approval of the European Parliament’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee on Wednesday (January 25).

“We are on our way to a better deal for donkeys and horses. Cruelty and neglect is a problem across the continent and we must tackle it,” Mrs Girling declared.

Julie Girling, Conservative MEP for the South West and Gibraltar

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The report sets out to stop the abuse of horses across Europe and ensure their welfare is catered for, whether they are used in farming or sport, for breeding or in tourism and entertainment.

Measures include:

  • Comprehensive guides on horse and donkey care, including responsible breeding and end of life care;
  • Better information for tourists on how animals are treated by attractions such as rides and sideshows;
  • Increased inspections of farms;
  • A pilot project awarding funding to farms committed to good welfare practices;
  • A shorter maximum journey time for all movements of horses for slaughter.

Mrs Girling, Conservative MEP for the South West and Gibraltar, said: “Horses and humans have been best friends for thousands of years.

“Responsible ownership and care of horses should always be expected as a minimum but given the number of health and welfare problems faced by Europe’s horses and donkeys today, it is clear that it is too often neglected. Action is therefore not only necessary, but also overdue.”

She continued: “This is an important first step to ensuring fully that welfare is sufficiently upheld. The report does seek additional legislation. I want to improve and strengthen the rules that already exist and to tackle ignorance through putting together guidance based on best practice across Europe.

“It is in everyone’s interest for the animals involved in these businesses to be healthy and productive. Many of the measures I propose are simple to introduce but would make a big difference to both the welfare of equines and their economic potential. It is a win-win for all involved.”

The measures include better information for tourists on how animals are treated by attractions

The EU equine sector is worth more than £80 billion a year and the equestrian sports industry alone supports 900,000 jobs, often in rural areas.

The report is expected to be considered by a full session of the European Parliament in March. If approved, it will be passed to the European Commission with a recommendation for action.

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Donation Brings Companion To Kona’s Most Famous, Loneliest Donkey

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The following is an article from West Hawaii Today.

KEALAKEKUA — Loneliness isn’t just a human phenomenon. Its existence has been well documented throughout the animal kingdom, from elephants to primates to canines.

It’s even prevalent with donkeys, the beasts of burden that served a fundamental function in the development of the coffee industry on Hawaii Island.

Just this week, perhaps the island’s most famous donkey — Charlie, the 30-year-old pack animal who has spent the better part of the last 15 years as a staple of the Kona Coffee Living History Farm — finally found himself a friend to share the load.

The Kona Historical Society, which operates the farm, announced Tuesday that its crowd funding campaign, “Charlie Needs a Bestie,” had resulted in the donation of a 6-month old donkey.

“We used to joke his only friends were chickens,” said Gavin Miculka, assistant program director at the Kona Historical Society.

“And those chickens were kind of selfish friends, because they’d just come around when he was eating and steal all of his food,” added Carolyn Lucas-Zenk, volunteer coordinator and development associate with the society. “He’s getting old in age. We wanted him to have a friend. Wouldn’t everybody want a friend instead of being here lonely, by yourself, with some selfish chickens?”

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The new animal, yet to be named, won’t just fill a long-existing void in Charlie’s personal life, but will also one day take over demonstration duties at the farm, during which visitors are offered a glimpse of how the coffee industry operated in Kona during the first half of the 20th century.

The new companion was donated by Gary Yamagata, a fourth-generation Kona coffee farmer at Yamagata Farms, which was started in 1898.

Yamagata said he offered the young donkey to help preserve historical authenticity at the only living history coffee museum in the United States.

“Donkeys played an important role in the setting up of the coffee industry years ago,” he said. “That was our main way of packing the coffee from the field to the point where it could be taken to the mill.”

Yamagata made the donation on Dec. 27, 2016, but it wasn’t until Tuesday that the two donkeys finally met.

Miculka described the new friends’ first interaction as a heartwarming affair.

“When we unloaded the donkey, Charlie’s ears went up. When we brought her over to him, he was very curious,” Miculka said. “It was really cute just watching them nuzzle each other, nose to nose.”

The crowd funding campaign began in December of 2015 and raised just shy of $10,000 from more than 90 donors around the world. Those donations and help from dozens of volunteers made possible upgrades to the farm that were necessary to accommodate Charlie’s new pal. Work included clearing land of weeds and invasive plants, some tree removal, and the purchase and installation of new fencing.

“In order to make that happen, the community completely stepped up and helped us out a lot,” Lucas-Zenk said.

She added the farm has a special place in the hearts of many residents, who came as children and have returned in recent years with kids of their own in tow, either as parents or teachers. Many of them remember Charlie from their first trips to the farm.

The site is also visited by travelers from across the globe, Miculka said.

To help keep the experience authentic for everyone who makes the jaunt to the farm, Charlie will serve as a mentor to the new donkey, showing her the ropes until one day, she takes over some of the demonstrative duties he now struggles with in his advanced age.

The final step in the process is naming the new donkey. Because the community was so crucial in making this new friendship possible, Miculka and Lucas-Zenk said they want the public to participate in the naming process as well.

Anyone interested is invited to suggest possible names, which can be submitted until Sunday on the society’s Facebook page.

After that, a committee from the Kona Historical Society will select the top few names, which will be announced on its Facebook page, as well as at the farm and on the society’s website — www.konahistorical.org.

Voting requires a $1 donation, which can be paid at the farm or on the website. The donkey’s name will be officially chosen on March 1. All the money collected will go to care for the donkeys.

“The community was a crucial component in making improvements to our pasture and bringing the second donkey to the farm,” Miculka said. “We’re excited to now have the community play an active role in naming her.”

And Charlie’s excited, too, he added, as Kona’s most famous donkey won’t have to live out any more of his years alone, surrounded only by aloof farm cats and selfish chickens.

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CHARITY FEARS DONKEYS ARE BEING ‘BLUDGEONED TO DEATH’ FOR SKIN TRADE

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The following is an article from Horse & Hound.

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An animal charity has called for a halt to the global donkey skin trade after finding shocking welfare concerns and suffering on a mass scale.

The Donkey Sanctuary has conducted an investigative report into the trade, titled Under The Skin, and has found that as many as 10 million donkeys are at risk.

It is lobbying for an immediate end to the trade until it can be “proven to be sustainable and humane.”

“We have seen reports of donkeys being skinned alive, being bludgeoned to death, being transported for long distances with no opportunity to rest, feed or drink,” said Alex Mayers, the charity’s international program manager.

“The welfare of any donkey, both during and at the end of its life, is paramount and should be the primary concern, as for any food-producing animal.

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“Sadly the welfare of donkeys used to produce skins and meat is frequently reported to be ‘severely compromised’ during sourcing, transport and slaughter.”

donkey

A rise in demand for ejiao — a traditional Chinese medicine that uses gelatin from the hides — is thought to be behind the hike in the donkey skin trade.

The report, published yesterday (Monday, 30 January), reveals the trade has resulted in an “explosion” in the number of donkeys from Africa, Asia and South America being sourced, stolen and slaughtered for their skins.

It claims that both the illegal and legal trade is resulting in a “chain of welfare issues”.

Burkina Faso and Niger have banned donkey hide exports, and the charity is concerned the huge demand could also have a negative impact on the people who rely on the animals for their livelihoods.

“Donkey populations cannot continue to be decimated and communities must not be deprived of their only means of survival,” said Mike Baker, chief executive of The Donkey Sanctuary.

“Action must be taken now to curb this trade, in the interest of both animal and human welfare.”

The charity is calling for:

  • A halt to the trade in donkey skins to produce ejiao until its impact can be assessed and shown to be both humane for donkeys and sustainable for the communities that depend on them
  • Countries affected to ban the slaughter and export of donkeys for their skins
  • Governments and the industry to help raise public awareness about the impact of this trade so ejiao consumers can make an informed choice
  • Governments and local authorities to join efforts and support affected communities, protecting them from the illegal trade and preventing the decimation of donkeys through the legal trade

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There Are 100 Million Working Horses, Donkeys & Mules in the World– We Want to Help Them All

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The following is an article from The London Economic.

There are 100 million working horses, donkeys and mules in the world. They are the tractors, taxis and engines that power developing economies, working in the construction industry, carrying food and water, and transporting goods to market. It’s estimated that each animal can support a family of six, so around 600 million people’s lives are supported by a working equine – 8% of the world’s population. Without healthy working horses, donkeys and mules, they wouldn’t be able to put food on their tables, send their children to school or build better futures for themselves and their families. However, it’s estimated that more than half of these animals suffer from exhaustion, dehydration and malnutrition as a result of excessive workloads and limited animal health services

Brooke is an international charity that protects and improves the lives of working equines. The UK based charity works to deliver significant and lasting change, even in some of the world’s most challenging areas. Their teams concentrate on training and support for owners of owners and handlers, as well as local vets, farriers, harness makers and animal traders to improve standards of care. They operate in 11 different countries, and fund small projects in others. Brooke also conducts research, and works with policy makers to make overarching changes to the way governments tackle working equine welfare.

One of the countries that Brooke works in is Kenya, a country with almost 2 million donkeys. Around 50% of people live below the poverty line, so these animals support many people’s lives in both urban and rural areas, transporting food and fuels. Brooke has been working through local partners in the country since 2011, and opened an office in Nairobi in 2013, with programmes stretching from Turkana County in the North to Kajiado in the South. The work focusses on bringing communities together to make donkey welfare a group priority, with a financial focus.

©Brooke/Freya Dowson.

 

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The Kamara Self Help group in a rural location near the town of Molo, Nakuru was set up with Brooke and Farm Systems Kenya (FSK). This group was registered in 2008, with the original aim that group members would help each other through a group micro-credit (“Merry-Go-Round”) scheme. Group savings are lent out to members at low rates of interest, allowing them to buy donkeys and other items. There are around 300 members, organized into four separate groups. Each member in the group has at least two donkeys, and some have up to eight.

FSK members visit the group once a month, implementing training sessions according to a curriculum they have developed. These cover basic animal care, hygiene and first aid as well as handling skills. They also address common myths about how to look after donkeys. For example, people have little knowledge of how to prevent disease, and branding and ear cutting for identification is common.

The members are mostly women who in many cases are the main breadwinners in their family. Although as donkey owners, they are not the worst-off section of society, by UK standards they would be considered very poor. They earn money by collecting firewood from a forest in the area, and then selling it. A timber company fells the trees, allowing the women to harvest the branches for a small monthly fee, which are then carried back by the donkeys. The women have to walk an 18 mile round trip each day that can take up to seven hours, before taking into account the hours of work they need to do when they reach the forest. They do this six days a week, earning up to £3.50 per day for this work.

These earnings cover family expenditure including food, school fees, medical expenses, clothing, savings, and donkey-related expenses including de-worming, hoof trimming and other treatments. They also carry out small scale farming, growing peas, carrots and cabbages to supplement their income. One group member explained that she has just half an acre of land, so the income from her donkey is essential to her family.

In fact, several of the group members explained that the income they get from work with their donkeys was the only thing that allowed them to pay for their children’s education. One said that she had used it to educate her son, who is now studying to be a vet.

According to FSK staff, the women have come a long way in developing their knowledge of donkey welfare and in adopting practices that promote this. They mentioned for instance that group members are now much more likely to seek out professional treatment from vets, and that they have organized themselves to bring all their donkeys together for a day for hoof trimming and de-worming. The meeting was also attended by a farrier and two vets who now work regularly with this group.

Because the donkeys are so essential to people’s livelihoods, groups like this play a vital role in providing a form of insurance to make sure people don’t struggle if a donkey dies or needs medical treatment.

Brooke recently hit a key milestone, now reaching over two million working horses, donkeys and mules each year. In 2016 they also launched a new global strategy to reach even more animals, provide better support for owners, and create lasting change.

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How You Can Help Stop Horses, Camels and Other Animals Suffering On Your Holidays

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The following is an article from Wander Lust.

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“You don’t have to be very bright to see if an animal looks like it’s on Death Row,” says Jeremy Hulme, Chief Executive of animal welfare charity SPANA. “If you’re looking at a horse or mule, and it’s head is down, it’s looking thin and its bones are sticking out, it’s obviously not right. If it’s limping, you know it’s got problems.”

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Most savvy travelers are now clued up on how animal experiences, from elephant rides to tiger temples, might be harmful to animals. Less attention is paid, though, to horses, donkeys, mules and camels put to work in the tourism industry, which is why SPANA has launched a Holiday Hooves campaign.

Thousands of animals are used in travel experiences, from camel rides and horse-drawn carriages to mules carrying gear on expeditions. The animals are often essential to their owners’ livelihoods, but in some cases are cruelly treated, neglected or kept in poor conditions.

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“We have no problem with animals working, as long as they are3 looked after well,” says Hulme (pictured, right). “They need to be well fed, well looked after and not cruelly treated.”

Horse trekking is just one popular activity where travelers should look out for the state the animals are in. “If someone knows about horses, they can tell from a distance if the animals look good or not. That’s the critical thing.

“You should only use an animal that looks well fed, healthy, fit and happy. You can often tell by the way it looks at you, whether its ears are sharp, whether its coat is shiny, or whether it looks dull, lethargic, thin and bony. You don’t have to be a vet to know whether an animal looks good or not.”

“Maybe you turn up to a group tour and there are nine horses that look fine and one that doesn’t look well,” Hulme continues. “I know people don’t like to be confrontational, but they should have the confidence to say to their tour guide, “Hey, that horse doesn’t look fit enough to be ridden.”

Hulme also suggests checking out the state of the stables and gear, if possible. “Those things will reflect on the state of the animal itself. It will still be dirty if it’s been lying down in feces at night, or soaking wet if it’s been out in the rain all night. You’ll be able to see that, and you’ll be able to see the quality of the gear, whether the saddle is falling to pieces or the harness is held together with a piece of wire.”


Check out animals’ stables (Dreamstime)

SPANA operate currently in nine countries, including Morocco, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and Jordan, providing free veterinary treatment to working animals, as well as running education, training, outreach projects and emergency treatment in other parts of the world.

It’s not just horses SPANA look out for. “In Petra in Jordan, for example, there are boys that run donkey rides. Some might be fine, but we should be intelligent enough to say: “No, that’s not right for big adults to sit on a little donkey.” We need to have a bit of common sense.”


Children enjoying donkey rides (Dreamstime)

Travelers should also check out the condition of any camels they plan to ride on, Hulme suggests. “I personally love camels, but they need to be looked after like any other animal.”

How do you tell if a camel, famous for looking grumpy, is ‘happy’? “Perhaps you wouldn’t be able to tell if it’s happy or not. But you can see if they are thin, or their humps have disappeared and their ribs are sticking out. The same common sense rules apply. People can see if it can hardly stand.”


Travelers riding a camel (Dreamstime)

On hiking trips and trekking expeditions, horses, mules and other animals are often loaded – or overloaded – with food supplies and travelers’ luggage. At what point does that become a problem?

“Have a look at the animal’s back and sides before they put the stuff on,” Hulme suggests. “You will see if the harness is bad and has been rubbing. Some animals have open wounds, so it’s an easy thing to check. Then check the general condition. You can see whether it’s a really thin animal, or if it looks well fed and strong. That’s important. And when it’s got the stuff loaded on, you can see if they’re hugely overloaded or not.


Tourist taking the easy way uphill (Dreamstime)

“Mules are strong and noble creatures. I’m really fond of them. They can happily carry the weight of a man. If it’s carrying a couple of backpacks, I’m sure they would cope well. But if they’re trying to carry half a ton of cement, that’s different. You can look at how readily they carry the weight. Does the owner keep beating it to make it move? Is it limping? If it is, say something to the owner or your guide.”

According to a SPANA survey, 28 per cent of British adults who’ve been on holiday abroad have taken part in animal activities like camel rides or horse-drawn carriage trips, where they’ve been concerned for the welfare of the animals involved.

SPANA’s produced a Holiday Hooves guide to help people choose responsible animal tour providers and to advise people on what to do if they see animals being mistreated abroad, the campaign backed by Simon Reeve.


Simon Reeves who’s backed the Holiday Hooves campaign (SPANA)

“Traveling around the developing world, I’ve seen for myself how families rely on working animals for their livelihoods,” says Reeve. “But a life of work shouldn’t mean a life of suffering. These animals work hard and they deserve to be treated with respect and compassion.”

The Holiday Hooves campaign, says Reeve, “is about helping holiday-makers to make informed choices, recognize healthy animals and know what to do if they see mistreatment. It’s also about encouraging tour operators, animal owners and governments around the world to take the issue seriously and – with the public’s support – sending a message that only the highest standards of animal health and welfare are acceptable.”


A happy-looking camel? (Dreamstime)

SPANA’S survey also found that over one in five British adults have seen animals being mistreated when on holiday, but over three quarters of them made no attempt to report the incident.

In the countries where they work, Hulme suggests contacting SPANA if they see signs of mistreatment or neglect. Elsewhere, he suggests using positive pressure, that travelers should praise, use, promote and re-use companies they felt treated animals well, and report negative experiences to local tour operators and hotels, so they don’t use the bad companies.


Horse trekking in the desert (Dreamstime)

“People should go to the tour operator and say, “I’m really disappointed. We went there to have a ride and the horses looked awful. No one is going to use them, so it’s bad for everybody. It’s bad for the owners who wont get any income. It’s bad for the horses because they don’t get fed properly. It’s bad for you guys because it looks bad that you’ve recommend them.” Tour operators will be able to speak the language and try to get something sorted out.”

Above all, Hulme says, it’s about travelers being aware and using common sense. People shouldn’t be put off or stop taking part in thee kind of experiences, Hulme argues. “We need to realize that a lot of these animals are working in countries, like Egypt, where there’s been a drop in tourism and there’s less money. People there absolutely depend on these animals to make a living. We are absolutely not saying, “Don’t use these animals”. We’re just saying, “Use common sense and use a good company.”

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Prey or Predators?

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Are equines prey or predators? Although some trainers base their methods on the idea that equines should be approached as “prey,” this blog post by Sara Annon explains that the answer may not be that simple.

An excerpt:

The real lesson in this is that the predator/prey model of horsemanship is inaccurate. Rodents are prey animals. Horses are herd animals.  Their enemy is the weather (click here  and here). Horses die from hypothermia in winter, drought in summer, and starvation when grazing is scarce. Weakened animals are picked off by the occasional courageous wolf pack or lion. I say courageous because it only takes one quick smack with a hoof to break bones, and for a predator that is a death sentence.