WHY WE LEFT CBER~PAST VOLUNTEERS/SUPPORTERS

[Kirsten]

I thought it would be beneficial to have one thread that allows previous volunteers and supporters to share their reason for leaving CBER.

There are many highly respected and honest women that have decided to leave CBER.

So, feel free to share your story of what made you leave CBER. I know some of you have posted it before on other threads...but if you can post again, it would be appreciated! This way it will be easy for people to read and see, not just one story, but MANY stories and perhaps this will have an impact on some people and perhaps just maybe they will start to question their support of CBER.

Thanks!

[Kirsten]

I volunteered for CBER for exactly 13 months. For myself, I did not leave on my own accord. I was asked to step down as a PS, and then eventually I was banned and deleted from the cber board.

At first I never wanted to leave, I wanted to try to make CBER "better", I had hopes that CBER could be upfront and be more straightforward.....but as I found out, it simply could not be so.

I was known as the "loose cannon". I'm a very honest and open person. If I see an issue~I call on it. If I become suspicious of something~I call on it. If I feel something is just not right~I call on it. If I see members are asking questions and other volunteers want to ban that member for asking questions~I defend that member. For this...I guess I dug my own grave at CBER. They did not like the fact that I wanted them to be HONEST and UPFRONT. So, eventually they worked it out so that I would be asked to step down. Well, as I am sure all of you are aware...I am not going down without a fight. I have posted info that they had hoped to keep secret.....and I will continue to do so.

CBER is a 501c org. They do NOT have a right to hide financials, hide where some horses have ended up, hide the truth...and the sad part is..if they just would have told the truth in the first place it would have made them look better....but NOPE..they have to just keep on hiding and being deceitful.

I have posted my stories in a organized fashion on the truth is out there board. The link is here;

forums.delphiforums.com/thetruthisout1/messages?msg=24.1

[jenm]

My decision to leave CBER was a difficult one. I became a CBER volunteer after having a successful adoption of a horse I love dearly. Many of you know our story of how she ended up being pregnant and I now also have her surprise baby, a mule!

As a volunteer, I had grandiose dreams of the many positive changes I thought I could help bring about. I began working closely with three women I respect immensely: Tash, Michelle and Staci. We seemed to all share the same vision for helping make CBER a more transparent, professional organization. We came up with some great plans and strategies and were looking forward to announcing positive changes and a new start for CBER. We all put many, many hours of time beyond our regular jobs into CBER. I personally also gave thousands of dollars to the organization.

The ironic thing is that while the four of us were invited into the "CBER Inner Circle" to help, we soon learned that our thoughts and opinions didn't really matter and that all kinds of negative behind the scenes activities were being kept secret from us. How in the world was I supposed to provide PR for an organization that had deep, dirty secrets? Sadly, despite the fact we were told our opinions and expertise mattered, important decisions were still made only by the President.

I only regret my time as a CBER volunteer because I couldn't help in the manner in which I intended. I will be grateful for the amazing horse and mule I have because of CBER, but sadly I do not have anything positive to say about this organization.

I really enjoyed working with Tash, Michelle and Staci. For a while, it seemed as if things would work out and for a brief moment, it was a great feeling! My hat is also off to Wendy, who also worked so very hard to try to make things right.

I'm glad Kirsten started this thread. Good for her for speaking up.

[halfwayhome]

You guys won't like hearing this, but one of the later things that led to me leaving was a sweet old skinny sorrel horse that wasn't adopted, was shipped by Chuck, and that ended up getting sent back to the lot ( by then somewhat lame from the shipping treatment) I saw him there and asked about him and was told he was sent back and I was overjoyed, because he didn't get killed and i felt he had a reprieve and we could now save ( or at the very least euthanize) him since the meat buyer sent him back. Sam told me we weren't placing him and that Chuck was going to fatten him up and have him slaughtered there for horse meat for himself. Needless to say, I was horrified and said that it wasn't right and we needed to find him a home if possible. I was told he was lame and no good and had I ever eaten horse meat? I gagged and said "NO, NO WAY" and that this was sick, that the poor horse survived all that only to be killed and eaten anyway. I do not know if this is true or not, maybe she was trying to shock me, but Sam told me she had eaten horse meat. I was told there was nothing I could do about it and that it was not illegal to kill a personal horse for meat, because I wanted to report it. Right then, I knew I was not compatible with the mind set, even though it tore me apart to think of all the horses who may not see the light of day if I was not an advocate going to the lot. It also began the time of her beginning to shut me out of going to the lot and not. informing me of the day to day on the deal, because I wasn't always agreeing with her or going along with her ideas of who should be saved or who should be listed. Long before many of the people speaking now, I pleaded for open, honest and better communication with the people on many issues, I even posted as such on the old BB's. there are those who know I tried to get her to tell people when Blaze and Adam and Casino were returned to the lot and was told we couldn't and that it would be revealed later when they were "better", and that someone else she trusted told her not to tell people. I did tell some old trusted supporters at the time and they know I am speaking the truth on this. I personally, in all the time I was there did not see horses returned to the lot, but found out that I was lied to about a "good ranch home" that she sent Coffee, and others to, which was in fact the Wayne we later heard all about. At the time we were told no names and only believed her. She knows I never would have stood for a horse I helped to go back to the lot ever. I spoke up for other horses she mentioned returning and said we couldn't do that, and I know this saved some horses. The story some people tell about the one early horse before I came being "unsaved", I think her name was Sonja? When I heard that story, I asked Sam about it and was told that the horse was dangerous, the money fell thru, and whole bunch of other excuses.
At the time I believed her, but the story on the other side is very different. There are so many little things that I kept finding out were either lies or I was not told the whole truth, or I began to see more unethical ( in my eyes) things happening that had not occurred when I first began to volunteer. I found out that S will use you as long as you fit into her plans, but once you cannot be placated or cajoled or disagree/have your own mind you become expendable, no matter how much you do or know. I was also exhausted, sick at heart, disappointed and wrung out with all the dealings trying to save horses I touched and saw and could not go on against what I saw as not changing. There is much more, but I can only say it was the horses themselves who kept me there as long as I was and I did believe they deserved to live and rejoiced in the ones I helped save ( and still hear from).

[lorsadoon]

It took me awhile to come to my senses. Sometimes it is a process of evolution.

I will start at the beginning. The first horse I adopted from there I drove 4 1/2 hours through snowy mountain passes. When I got there I was informed that I owed Sam another $100. No one said anything about any additional funds due. And I had talked to them on the morning before I left from my home. Well, thank goodness my mom had cash on her as I did not have any checks in my check book that day. Then I came to find out that the money had already been paid by the original adopter. I had adopted a horse who had been previously adopted by someone on the east coast. She had paid all the horses expenses and I had paid her back for them. So Sam actually got paid twice. This was actually the only time I personally met Sam. I remember her pulling up at the feedlot in a Jetta with a couple of Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs who had literally trashed the back seat area of the car. It was a muddy mess. She seemed friendly enough. We walked through the lot chatting. She was trying to get me to take another horse. I remember the other one I wanted at that time was Castenet. But I did not have the money for another horse and she looked like she might of been getting sick and I could not afford to bring home a sick horse that might infect my herd.

A few months later I fell in love with the face of a horse. A bucking horse. One no one seemed interested. I begged and pleaded with people to give her a chance. Just look at that face I said. A few people offered her to me. It was at a time of group adoptions. If I could take her, they would pay for her bail. In a moment of temporary insanity, I said yes. So I spent almost $500 to build her a shelter to come home too. The only trouble is, they had the wrong horse assigned to the wrong picture. So I got not the original horse I fell in love with, but a different horse. I love my horse I have now and would of never sent her back. But still, I got the wrong horse. But I still believed in CBER.

I went with a friend who was also a CBER adopter. She wanted an older buckskin named Linen. We went to pick him up at Shelly R's house. OH MY GOD, the horse was a mess. He could not even whinny he was so full of mucus in his throat. I had NEVER heard anything like it before. We stopped to get lunch before heading back to Oregon City. I had put some feed in a corner feed bad for him. I opened the drop down window and there was about 2 inches of slime in it. I thought for sure that he would be dead in my trailer before we got home. This horse should of been euthanized. Not adopted out. She had him just a few weeks and tried to save him, but he was beyond hope.

Saving Morph. Talk about a screwed up mess. He had how many people "adopt" him. When he was threatened with the auction down in Eugene. I could not believe it. I did have some correspondence with Michelle P. regarding sending him back to CBER once again. But in the end, it was myself and my husband who got off our butts, drove to Eugene to get him and I found him an awesome home. CBER had two or three chances to do it right and failed. I did not figure they needed another chance. And with Morphs limited sight, I figured they would just euth him anyway. As a side note, when this was all going down, djrepp offered to pay for a complete vet exam to have him evaluated, but quickly deleted her offer.

All along the way, over the last few years I have just paid alot of attention to all the things said. The things that could be backed up with proof. I began to doubt the word of CBER as there was just too much evidence. I became cautious.

The last straw came with Lavender and Meadow. Two older Arabian mares. I love Arabians. And have always tried to help them when they were on the lot. I helped pay for them to be bailed. I asked for updates often. Never got one. Then BAM, one day I read they had been taken somewhere and shot. I sat here and cried. I am crying now. And the lies that were told about them. From the way they were killed to the reasons they were killed. All lies. (I do want to take a moment to thank Shawna for meeting me during all this. It took a lot of back bone to come meet me when she knew how upset and pissed off I was about this.)

Since the murder of Lavender and Meadow, I have since helped two more of CBERs horses I had previous personal involvement with. Mindi and Mandi. They were headed to the Woodburn auction. Their owner had been trying to get them back to CBER for a long time and they always had an excuse why they could not get them. They are now safe at Hytyme. At a place with people I trust to care for them.

I finally got the boot from the CBER board when I questioned the shipping of two well trained horses who had donations and interest. When they chose to keep the two Keigers, Obidiah and Jedidiah. And when I brought up the fact that Jeff was a cat killer. They said they wanted the proof, so I supplied it. That was the end.


I would still like to know what happened to Antigua? She had such a distinctive face, it would be easy to spot her if she was being used as a brood mare by Wayne. My guess is she ended up being shipped.

Even to this day, I still feel sorry for the horses. I used to think the lucky ones ended up at CBER, now I think it is the unlucky ones. Sam has screwed up any chances most of them have. The blame falls on her. We tried to help. Many of you tried to change the way it ran. In the end though, it is not our fault. It is hers. And hers alone.

[lorsadoon]

Heidi, I am so sorry. It has been hard for those of us who live far away from the lot and the horses. I imagine it must of been hell to have actually been there and seen them.

[Admin]

I personally don't believe any horse was ever "shot". I think they were shipped. Why would they shoot them when the money hungry bastards could make money selling for slaughter???

[halfwayhome]

Yes Tash, I do believe too that the ones that were not saleable or usable by Wayne were probably shipped, I do know in the early days that many were actually shot. For example, Moonstruck, the crippled TB mare, I saw her at an alternative location long after S supposedly sent her to a new home out of state, she never did go anywhere, she looked really good, had gained weight and walked up to the fence to see me and I fed her a treat. I was happy she looked so good and got around well and did not appear in pain I remember. When I asked about her later, I was told she had been on the pasture at his place, but then she had Dr. Ball shoot her out back behind his place where it butts up to the Indian Reservation land out in West Valley when it got to be winter time because she had trouble getting around. I was sad at the time thinking she looked pretty good from what I saw, but thought maybe she had gone downhill and maybe it was kinder to PTS. I believed her. Meanwhile she never told people about Moonstruck, but let them think she was adopted somewhere. I was told he had put down a number of horses for Sam out there ( this was prior to the time he told her he wouldn't do it anymore, after which she had to either get the vet or later Wayne. ) I was present for plenty of actual vet euthanasias at the lot that I helped with or some that my husband and i personally paid for, ( still have some of the receipts)so that they would not suffer,. We or Chuck had to use our trailers to take them to the landfill as she would not use her trailer for that ever. so her BS later about using bullets only was just a cover for not getting a vet for those later ones IMO as she never had a problem with Euthanasia before...

[halfwayhome]

Sorry, it was pointed out to me and then I realized it was Dean not Tash that posted the prior statement to mine. I glanced quickly at the avatar and didn't pay close enough attention, so in the previous statement, I should not have said, "Yes Tash..." because it was not she who posted!

[jenm]

I would have loved to have seen Heidi take over and start a real "rescue" at that feedlot...sigh...and I know I'm not alone in this opinion.

[Kirsten]

I've heard many people say the same thing Jenm...and I've also had other individuals tell me how much they would love to go onto the feedlot and buy a horse off Chuck...but because Sam is "in tight" with Chuckie, these people are no longer allowed on the lot....truly sad....only hurts the horses more...especially when you can buy a horse from Chuck for $200-$300! Not $1000.00 that CBER wants.

[halfwayhome]

As for people buying them direct from Chuck, I never understood why that would make her mad until I learned later that for her it was about the money thing. I would always say, "good, thats one less for us to have to save, and now it can be out of here", etc and was then told that it would jeopardize CBER getting them out if Chuck was bothered, etc etc and I said, "if he gets his money, why would he care?" Unfortunately, the actions of some people in trying to prevent Cber there for a while only made Chuck mad enough not to want certain people buying direct, he did not like being picketed or the sheriff being called, etc etc. once that started interfering with his "business" he became less inclined to sell to outside people unless they were some of his "regulars" ( like the "Dancing Horse" Mexican, the Cutchie brothers and others who traded with him regularly. He like Aimee Wheeler and would sell horses to her on the side, etc.) He has plenty of people who can still go there and buy a horse who dealt with the lot and Gary Seal for years prior to CBER. He used to tell us at times that a horse we listed was sold by him, so he did do it even on the listed horses, and to my knowledge, will still do it if a person is cool, non judgmental & displays cash. I know he got ticked at some people and was there when he said he would not sell to them, etc, and who knows what S has told him, but he still does deal privately if he thinks its in his best interests. (bird in the hand, so to speak)

[michellep]

Just to clarify, in the earlier above post regarding Morph. I sign on here as MichelleP and never once did I have any discussion with anybody from CBER or Rescues only regarding this horse. Want to make that crystal clear just in case there is any confusion.

[rodeo51]

Jan 6, 2009 11:26:45 GMT -5 michellep said:

Just to clarify, in the earlier above post regarding Morph. I sign on here as MichelleP and never once did I have any discussion with anybody from CBER or Rescues only regarding this horse. Want to make that crystal clear just in case there is any confusion.

Lorsadoon is not talking about you....she is talking about former BOD member Michelle.

[michellep]

Good, dont want to get my name thrown around in all this mud.....

[michelle]

Jan 6, 2009 11:26:45 GMT -5 michellep said:

Just to clarify, in the earlier above post regarding Morph. I sign on here as MichelleP and never once did I have any discussion with anybody from CBER or Rescues only regarding this horse. Want to make that crystal clear just in case there is any confusion.

She was referring to me. On the old cber bb, I was michelle p. I had contacted Laurie to see if there was anything I could do, and offered financial assistance, not from cber, but from myself. I am incredibly grateful that Morph did not go back to cber.

[hasinger]

I volunteered for cber for about six months- spending countless hours away from my family and farm, trying like hell to find homes for the horses. One horse was Ted E Bear. I must have had a gazillion emails for him and at least 4 applications in for him. He was absolutely darling. A few weeks later I went to the Enumclaw auction and saw Ted, a horse named Spike, and Ying Yang ran through the sale. I was livid. So many offers for Ted- and Kay bought him and ran him through the sale. I do not know if there was a reserve on him, but it didn't matter. He did not 'satisfy' the length of qt required by cber, and was ran through the sale. It felt terrible after spending so much time trying to place him. It left a horrible taste in my mouth.

[caryn]

I have "left" CBER a couple of times since I began volunteering in late 2005, pretty close to early 2006. I did not leave because I had any ill will towards CBER. Heck, this last time, when I asked Shelley to take on the CBER applications director position, it was for the same reason as the previous time when I asked Stacie to take over. I was TIRED and emotionally exhausted. I have full time employment ( sometimes more than full time), 4 horses, a diabetic cat, and a personal life ( family, boyfriend, friends...). Add volunteering for CBER and exhaustion is pretty much inevitable. That's the case for most CBER volunteers. I did not think that CBER was an unethical organization. I left because CBER feedlot rescue IS emotionally exhausting. The truck is constantly coming, the applications were constantly coming and the volunteers were coming and going. Sometimes it was just me in the apps dept. Every application that took an excessively long time to get to or finish weighed on my conscience. Each app was a potential home, a horse's life could be saved. I have 2 horses from CBER. Two amazing horses that I love and adore. Even now, I honestly believe that I have helped lots of horses escape a horrible fate and find a forever home or a second chance home ( wonderful people willing to rehab and rehome ) by volunteering for CBER.

I worked with some wonderful people. Many of those people are sharing their stories now and have opened my eyes to the abhorrent and unethical behavior by Sam and some others. People and horses have suffered. It is horrifying and heartbreaking.

[Kirsten]

Jan 7, 2009 18:22:59 GMT -5 hasinger said:

I volunteered for cber for about six months- spending countless hours away from my family and farm, trying like hell to find homes for the horses. One horse was Ted E Bear. I must have had a gazillion emails for him and at least 4 applications in for him. He was absolutely darling. A few weeks later I went to the Enumclaw auction and saw Ted, a horse named Spike, and Ying Yang ran through the sale. I was livid. So many offers for Ted- and Kay bought him and ran him through the sale. I do not know if there was a reserve on him, but it didn't matter. He did not 'satisfy' the length of qt required by cber, and was ran through the sale. It felt terrible after spending so much time trying to place him. It left a horrible taste in my mouth.

Well, here is what I got from Sam regarding all of this...back in april when I first found out that Kay had taken those horses to the auction. Interesting point though is that Kay has "adopted" more horses since....not too sure where those horses are now....

From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: RE: Kay Selling CBER horses at AUction?
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2008 17:52:05 -0400

Sam~I won't say anything to anyone about this. I just wanted to hear from you that Kay will no longer be taking anymore horses....thanks!

Kirsten




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Kay Selling CBER horses at AUction?
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2008 14:12:32 -0700
To: [e-mail]

kay informed me this morning what she did, i told her no more horses. I feel betrayed - Kay has saved many, many horses and has done right by them - she lost her job and could not support them.


i am freaked out by this as are you.


Sam




On Apr 7, 2008, at 1:44 PM, Kirsten Janz wrote:


HI Sam...

What...i dont even know how to start....four cber horses were at the auction yesterday?? Including TED.E.BEAR?!!! WHY?? Why would Kay do this? Is she a horse trader...do you know how many people were interested in Teddy?? I am sick......not putting any blame on you...but just..how could this happen...how do we even know where these horses are going toe nd up ??!!

[TashGaia]

Jan 8, 2009 0:06:28 GMT -5 Kirsten said:

On Apr 7, 2008, at 1:44 PM, Kirsten Janz wrote:

HI Sam...

What...i dont even know how to start....four cber horses were at the auction yesterday?? Including TED.E.BEAR?!!! WHY?? Why would Kay do this? Is she a horse trader...do you know how many people were interested in Teddy?? I am sick......not putting any blame on you...but just..how could this happen...how do we even know where these horses are going toe nd up ??!!

Who was the fourth horse?

[Kirsten]

That may have been a typo on my part...I just checked with Hillarie..and as she said Spike, Ted and Ying Yang were run thru.....I was pretty livid when I wrote that....

[hasinger]

I remember that you absolutely adored Ted E Bear. Didn't you name him Kirsten?

[Kirsten]

Jan 8, 2009 0:32:55 GMT -5 hasinger said:

I remember that you absolutely adored Ted E Bear. Didn't you name him Kirsten?

YES!!! I loved him!! And yes, I named him....he definitely reminded me of one big teddy bear!! I only hope he is okay.

[hasinger]

me too. I remember thinking how adorable he was at the sale and really paid attention, thinking how familiar he looked. Spike was described as a Paint/Draft- I think cber listed him as Morgan. I figured they were still in Yakima as they were recently on the feedlot. It really REALLY pissed me off. I know that there was a wonderful home out there for Ted. We had way too many inquires on him. He is just so darling.

[hasinger]

didn't he 'track' the person doing the assessment? Like a little cowhorse?

[jenm]

Does anyone else find it interesting that Sam wrote to Kirsten via email that Kay M. will get "no more horses" and she feels "betrayed" by Kay's actions, yet she then appointed Kay to the CBER BOD?

Also, in established non-profits, it is a formal process to have new members join a board. This means exisiting Board Members make the decisions on who new Board members shall be. Directors are only appointed when a non profit is first forming.

[MustangAppy]

Our first adoption of a CBER horse went well, so I was supportive and tried to donate when I could. Then came Dazzler. I won't rehash his story here, it is available in full under the "RIP" thread. It is my opinion that his condition was fully the result of being starved in quarantine.

[murphypoo]

I never volunteered at CBER, but did adopt an elderly, loving pony (Pauly...re-named Josie in '05) and Martini (Belgian, now named Libby). Supported CBER until I saw how the adoption fee's varied constantly and not by weight which was first stated how the fee was assessed, but by desirability. Then, haulers told stories of horses on the website sold by Sam to "friends" and when the horses were delivered (remember Cupcake the draft that later went to auction) starving, skinny drafts were found at the friends home. So, very apparent the horses were not the forefront of the rescuing effort. Things just kept surfacing and nothing ever added up and I lost the faith. Love what I got, but very dismayed in CBER.

[TashGaia]

These horses mean everything to me and CBER used to as well. The whole time I was volunteering for CBER I was putting my whole heart into the organization who had allowed me to save my horse, Tarkh. I gave up so much for CBER... tens of thousands of dollars, thousands of hours, friends, family etc.

For so long I was CBER's defender. I was called CBER's "pit bull" and Sam actually assigned me to defending CBER on these boards. I believed in CBER and Sam 110%. I really cannot express to you how much I believed in CBER... it was such devotion that any time I heard anything negative about CBER I immediately became defensive and I almost felt as though my own self was being attacked. My faith in CBER was absolute and I felt that they were doing God's work and saving those poor horses. I thought they were Angels and I felt privileged to be able to help.

Eventually I started to learn too much. To see too many things. To become aware of lies, deceit, pettiness, fraud, and serious unethical financial issues. But still I was unwavering. The horses were being saved and that was what mattered. It was all for the horses. Then there was Spring. Spring was bailed with money for QT and someone told me that Spring had shipped. I called Sam about it and asked and she said she had just seen Spring the other day in QT and she sent me a picture of Spring and said she was doing well. My degree is in multimedia and I could tell the picture of Spring was a falsified one... it was of a different horse with Springs colors and markings applied to it. I called Sam and asked her about it. Finally she admitted to me that she had never pulled Spring off the lot. She had the money to pull her and money for QT, but instead left her then to ship to slaughter. There was no remorse. But still I stayed with CBER. I felt that what happened to Spring was a terrible mistake but that all the other horses at least were safe.

Then there was a campout and Sam got drunk. She told about Peachy and some other horses that were shipped or sent to Wayne to kill. But again I looked the other way.

Then there was Lavendar, Meadow, Dandelion and Vesper. All shipped out together and all dead before anyone had any idea what was happening.

When she went to the lot to get one mare and had the money for her but instead decided to pull another horse because it was "nicer". Even though the first mare had a home and people who wanted her.

Then when she herself told me that she took Maple, a 2 year old filly with a home to go to, back to the lot and traded her for a more marketable horse named Midge... which was sold outside of CBER and the money kept privately.

And when the great lie was told about Cozumel that he had a home down in New Mexico... then the story changed and he was at a trainers in WA... when in reality Sam had sent him off to die.

I started to become suspicious now, but still supported CBER. They were saving horses, right? Horses with no other hope!

Then I heard about folks going to the lot and getting one of the horses that CBER had listed. Sam was furious and I didn't understand why. The horse was safe, why does it matter that it didn't go through CBER. She ranted and raved and called Chuck and insisted that no listed horse be allowed to be sold outside of CBER. These horses might have been saved outside of CBER but she created a situation in which CBER was now their only hope. This was not about the horses.

Then I started to learn about more horses that were sent to KBs or back to the lot.... Aqua Bay, Spruce, Moonstruck, Coffee, Lauren, Autumn, Perfection, Shining Star, Warm Mahagony, Sonja and more... I spoke to a KB at my local auction and he told me that he had bought horses from CBER too. He thought it was amusing that they "rescued" horses from one KB and then sold them to another.

I spoke to the rest of the BOD and we called for a vote. We wanted to make official policy that CBER would not take any horses back to the feedlot or send them to any KBs. The vote won the majority but was then vetoed by Sam. She would not allow such a policy. What kind of a rescue will not implement a policy not to send their horses to slaughter? That was enough for me. Myself and the majority of the BODs all quit together. At this point all those BODs are gone and the longest standing volunteer is Karan who has only been there since the beginning of April. Everyone else has walked away but new people keep joining and not understanding the past.

After I was already gone I learned that more horses had gone to kill. Including a six month old foal that I had offered to home myself. He was a reservation horse... a little black appaloosa colt and I named him Cocoa. His mother a white Appy mare named Powdered Sugar was sent off with him. That is when I began my crusade against CBER. It was for the killing of a foal who had a home to go to but instead they chose to send him to a KB. WHY? That is the question that resonates in my soul. WHY would they rather see a foal dead then in an approved home? I was an approved adopter and adopted horses both before and after that foal... I was a bloody BOD member at the time he was sent off... why did they leave him to die? He was SAFE! He had been in QT for over a month! He was sent from safety, from a home offer, to a KB.

People ask what will happen to the horses now... I will tell you. I highly doubt that CBER is going to give up and let someone else rescue out of there... but if they do, there are other rescues and individuals who are willing to step up. CBER is not rescuing horses, they are making money... the horses are a side effect and are treated as such. The list of horses that they have betrayed could go on and on and on... and Sam tells her lies tailor made to fit whoever she is speaking to. She is one of the most charismatic people that I have ever met and she tells you exactly what you want to hear. It is a real gift with her, but she is not using it for good.

[beckybee]

Thank you Tash.