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Post by Tate on Jan 20, 2007 1:33:45 GMT -5
I contemplated if I was going to put a thread on about my personal encounter with the slaughter truck, but decided to share my feelings. Last night driving home around 11:30pm, the freeway was a complete stop, while dot workers were setting up the orange barrels for the construction. I was in the lane next to a huge livestock trailer, my heart sunk immediatetly.
Since the vents are so large I could tell they were horses by their legs showing through and all the light surrounding us due to the construction. It was horrifying to hear the sounds of stomping and almost human like screams coming from this truck. The vision that will always stay with me was the clouds of their breath coming from the vents as they must have been pressed up against the vents for air. I will never forget or give up on trying to save them.
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Post by Charsgma on Jan 20, 2007 1:40:56 GMT -5
I am so sorry!! I can't even imagine how you must have felt..I wonder if it was full of our horses we just lost? Makes me ill just reading this..To bad you couldn't have snuck out and opened the back doors of the truck!! Wishful thinking!!  |
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Post by swissgrl on Jan 20, 2007 2:04:38 GMT -5
I'm so sorry you had to experience this, I can't even imagine how you must feel. I don't even want to think what I would have done if I was in your situation, but I'm sure I would probably not be sitting here typing a note.......
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Post by mickeyfan3 on Jan 20, 2007 3:29:20 GMT -5
I'm so sorry.....there is nothing worse then feeling absolutely powerless to stop that shipment.....we need to work to educate breeders to be more responsible, and not just breed because they can. We need to educate people that horses have feelings, they're intelligent, they have memories, they look at us as part of their famlies and they're not something that can be thrown away when something better comes along. We need to start teaching children NOW that they can make up for the mistakes of their predecessors by being responsible adults in every way.
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Post by atticus on Jan 20, 2007 10:32:35 GMT -5
I am so sorry Tate, it is horrible. I had the same thing happen to me last year after I had adopted Atticus & Hawkeye. We were stopped at a stop light next to one of the rigs that had horses in it. My mind was racing..what could I do, what could I do? And to see what was obviously horses & hear them was horrible. After the truck pulled off I looked down to see I was clutching the doorhandle to the car. I cried about it for weeks.
Stay strong, I think that was the universes way of saying, YOU have more work to do!! The horses need you. We are on the right path, we just have to stick together.
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Post by outspoken on Jan 20, 2007 11:16:43 GMT -5
Guys, I know it is horrible and sickening..but, when you have such an encounter can you, PLEASE,PLEASE, PLEASE jot down the DOT number which is on the cab... It is VERY important for some of us who are working behind the scene to get ALL the information possible on the haulers/shippers. Names on the cab, etc., but mostly DOT number. Thank you!!!
I have never had this experience and I would lose it if I found myself next to a truck like this.
So please remember... DOT numbers. Thank you!
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Post by bridgetah on Jan 20, 2007 11:48:38 GMT -5
My heart goes out to you for seeing that.
I saw something disturbing in Nevada a few years ago - it was a small, open trailer - basically looked homemade - some sort of flat, open trailer with wooden slats attached. It had about 10 horses in it.
The slats came up to their withers so you could easily see their heads and faces.
They were probably on their way to auction or to a feedlot somewhere. They were nice looking horses but no discernable breed. There was a nice big, frightened-looking paint horse at the front of the trailer.
When I saw this rig, I thought, "What a strange way to transport horses," but didn't think any more about it until I got involved here. Now, it haunts me.
Thanks for posting this.
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Post by patrolhorse on Jan 20, 2007 12:25:37 GMT -5
OH TATE- how horrible. I am so sorry you had go through that, especially being stuck in traffic next to them. I am sure it was very traumatic. I have often wondered if those trucks transport in the middle of the night due to the public outcry - if they were spotted by the general public in daylight hours. I drive the I-5 corridor from Arlington, WA to the Canadian border at least 5 times a week at varying hours of the day and night and have NEVER seen horses being transported. I often wonder about this???
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Post by cybercat on Jan 20, 2007 12:29:27 GMT -5
God help them...the horror...
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Post by beejoyfulmk on Jan 20, 2007 12:54:43 GMT -5
may they RIP .
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Post by pikzeedust on Jan 20, 2007 18:05:23 GMT -5
We have to put an end to this! I'm so sorry you had to see that. I remember when I reluctantly watched the CNN segment of the Dallas Crown Slaughter House and how people are wanting it shutdown for numerous reasons. They actually showed a video of what takes place. I had to stop it, I couldn't watch the whole thing. What I did see kept me up for a week. I literally would see it in my sleep. It was very traumatizing. That is why I chose to get involved in this. We have to make that bill pass this year so the best thing we can do is make people aware of what really happens.
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Post by pikzeedust on Jan 20, 2007 18:58:02 GMT -5
Ok, what we all need to do is, e-mail our representatives and senators asking for their support of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. I have sent an email to all of my horse people with the names and web-sites of the senators and reps. If you go into each of their web-sites they have a "contact" option and you can e-mail them and let them know you would like them to support this issue and get it passed ASAP. It's really simple and it's a start!
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Post by sundancer on Jan 20, 2007 19:06:36 GMT -5
I saw a pickup truck with wooden slats one time that was FULL of horses...we were on vacation and driving home in Nevada. I'll never forget the eyes of those horses...frightened, scared...it haunts me to this day. Probably going to auction or a feedlot in Nevada...poor babies.
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Post by outspoken on Jan 20, 2007 23:50:58 GMT -5
DOT numbers!!!
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Post by cybercat on Jan 21, 2007 0:30:19 GMT -5
Hi outspoken...Can you tell me how the DOT numbers are used in horse slaughter? I assume the trucks are pulled over and checked in some manner?
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Post by outspoken on Jan 21, 2007 13:47:00 GMT -5
Hi Cybercat
PM sent
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Post by Tate on Jan 21, 2007 14:29:09 GMT -5
I agree with all of you and a special thanks to Outspoken for the info on getting the DOT numbers. We as a group must stay strong and brave and rally together to put an end to the murder of our horses. I know most of us exhaust every available means by writing,faxing,protesting, etc already. We must prevail for the horses. The nevada rescue I belong to has a campaign "NO HORSE LEFT BEHIND", I think we do a pretty job saving as many as we can too.
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Post by outspoken on Jan 21, 2007 20:10:38 GMT -5
There are a couple reasons we need to take down the DOT information off any truck hauling horses, especially the double deckers. There are people working with us to end horse slaughter who have been focusing on safe transport issues and commercial trucking issues in general. Collecting the DOT information and the date, time, and location of your observing horses being hauled helps them make sure all commercial haulers of horses are on their list. DOT numbers are public record and required by federal law.
Collecting information on the haulers still using double deckers is extremely valuable now since the safe transport to slaughter regulations prohibit the hauling of horses going directly to slaughter from being hauled in doubles . While there is no way of knowing for sure if the double you saw was going to slaughter, getting the DOT number and the details helps this research identify those haulers still using doubles. If you want to post the DOT information here that would be great.
I will forward the information on to the appropriate people.
For those of you who know bryn from some of the other bb's, she is actively involved in this part of the slaughter issue.
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Post by hollyellensburg on Jan 23, 2007 0:32:21 GMT -5
last summer my husband and I were driving down I-90 outside of Cle Elum and we seen a long flat trailer with a tarp type roof on it. there must have been at least 30 horses standing in this trailer. you could see all of them from the neck up. My husband tried to get me looking at something else before I saw this but it was to late I was ill, thinking about where they might be going. I will never forget this sight and the strange trailer they were in. my daughter in the back seat, saying look at all the pretty horses mommy........ next thing we did was adopt tic & tac off the lot.
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