A video of a Roswell slaughterhouse employee fatally shooting a horse after swearing at “animal activists” has sparked outrage across the country.
Officials with the state Livestock Board also are investigating to see if the video depicts animal cruelty, according to the Albuquerque Journal. The board executed a search warrant Thursday at the Dexter home ofTim Sappington, who had worked in maintenance for the Roswell area Valley Meat Co., the Journal reported.
Sappington, who is shown in the video, was quoted about how he enjoyed eating horse meat in a report by Bloomberg News. Members of animal support groups began contacting media outlets about the year-old video Thursday after the Bloomberg report was circulated.
Valley Meat Co. is seeking USDA inspections so it can begin slaughtering horses to export the meat to Mexico and overseas markets. It issued a statement confirming that the man in the video is Sappington. It also said Sappington has been dismissed.
The company’s Albuquerque lawyer, A. Blair Dunn, said Valley Meat fired Sappington after becoming aware of the video, which has now become the focus of a public relations campaign by the Horse Plus Humane Society, according to the Journal.
“We agree that his (Sappington’s) comments were regrettably crass, not contributing anything to this dialogue so we do not condone his statements,” according to the Valley Meat statement, “but he was within his lawful rights to slaughter and butcher a horse and he was not acting as an employee of the company in that action.”
Dunn told the Journal that since Valley Meat began trying to become the first company in the U.S. since 2006 to slaughter horses for the consumer market, the company’s owners and staff have received death threats and bomb threats. The slaughterhouse has also been burglarized and vandalized, Dunn told the Journal
“Do you know, I don’t give a fxxxxxg shit if someone gets ill from eating any part of a horse…because it serves them bloody well right. We kill more than enough animals that suffer horrendous lives; just to adorn our dinner plates. I’m sick of writing about the reasons why horses shouldn’t be eaten, irrelevant of the drugs that will harm humans!! It’s just another animal that humans have realised can still be worth money in death!! Sickening…if you would eat a horse, then you would also eat your pet dog or cat, or any other animal that humans refer to as pets! And that word say’s it all…PETS…not livestock!! Remember…if it lives in a stable; it’s not meant for the table! There would be a hell of a lot more veggies or vegans if slaughter houses had glass walls; humane slaughter…ha..there’s no such bloody thing!”
Congress Introduces Safeguard American Food Exports Act to End Horse Slaughter
Dear Humanitarian,
Horses are not raised for human consumption in theUnited States and are regularly administered drugs that are expressly prohibited by federal regulations for use in food animals. While the drugs may be perfectly suitable to treat injuries in horses, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)has declared that hundreds of them—including some highly toxic to humans —are “not for use on horses intended for human consumption.” For example, a common pain reliever routinely administered to all types of horses, phenylbutazone or “bute,” is known to cause potentially fatal human diseases.
It is important not to forget the toll horse slaughter takes on families and the horses they care about. Brittany Wallace and her horse Scribbles were reunited after Omega Horse Rescue in Pennsylvania saved him from a kill pen at the New Holland Livestock Auction. Read about Scribbles’ unbelievable journey, as told by Brittany in the upcoming Spring 2013 AWI Quarterly.
There is currently no system in the United States to track medications given to horses to ensure that horse meat is safe for human consumption. A recent New York Times article highlighted the plethora of drugs used on race horses—including cobra venom and cocaine—and the resulting food safety threats. Thousands of these horses are sent to auction—and subsequently on to slaughter in Canada or Mexico—within hours or days of their last race, virtually ensuring that these toxins are in the horse meat that is sent overseas. Many substances and drugs regularly used on horses have never been tested on humans; the potential danger of ingesting these chemicals is completely unknown.
Despite opposition to horse slaughter from bipartisan leaders of New Mexico, including Governor Susana Martinez, Attorney General Gary K. King, and State Land Commissioner Ray Powell, D.V.M, theU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced plans to process an application for inspecting horse slaughter operations at a facility in New Mexico. If the application is approved, Valley Meat Company LLC—suspended twice by the USDA in the last 1.5 years for violations of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act—will be the first facility in the United States to slaughter horses for human consumption since 2007.
AWI has long exposed the widespread cruelty and dishonesty of this industry—from inside the slaughterhouse to the backroom dealings of killer buyers misleading horse owners and now to the store shelves of European grocery stores. Against this backdrop, the federal government could now potentially spend its limited fiscal and staffing resources to open new horse slaughter plants at a time when forced spending cuts are already severely affecting animal welfare and food safety inspections for U.S. meat products.
In the midst of the public commotion over horse meat, a positive development is the introduction of legislation, the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, by Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA) andLindsey Graham (R-SC) along with Representatives Patrick Meehan (R-PA) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). This bill would ban horse slaughter in the United States, while ensuring American horses are not exported to Canada or Mexico for the same purpose.
What You Can Do (sorry this appears to be for USA Citizens only)
Please email, call or write your Representative and both Senators today and urge them to cosponsor and act immediately in support of the SAFE Act, before horse slaughter has the chance to resume on U.S. soil.
Please be sure to share our “Dear Humanitarian” eAlert with family, friends and co-workers, and encourage them to send a message also. As always, thank you very much for your help!
Sincerely,
Cathy Liss
President
P.S. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates on the action above and other important animal protection news.
“WTF…the video is at the bottom of this post. I can’t & refuse to believe that he can get away with shooting a horse dead; just to make his fxxxxxg point!! If ever I saw a cowardly piece of shit…there one stands. Just who the fxxk does he think he is? above the law obviously…talk about a fxxxxxg turd; his shit isn’t good enough to be on my boots!”
“You can bet you bottom dollar, that if that scenario was a guy that worked in a
Tim Sappington Kills Horse
kennel, who took a dog out, shot & filmed it to use for or against something…he would be in jail faster than a horse kicks! The video posted on YouTube, isTim Sappington, who is employed by the Valley Meat Company in Roswell, New Mexico!
“If he thinks he can shoot a horse in cold blood & get away with it, he is very wrong. I’m not the least bit surprised he has had to beef up his security, & is getting hate & death calls…I hope they carry on for long time yet! What he did was just sadistic & very wrong…if I was him I would be keeping a very low profile, because there are a lot of people who take great offence at people who purposefully hurt an animal then video it. That is one cold hearted MF who doesn’t give a crap about horses or any animals!!”
“We’re horrified by the video, and we are glad to hear that there’s an investigation going on,” said Keith Dane, director of equine protection for the Humane Society of the U.S. in Washington. “It appears this was made for publicity’s sake and to taunt animal lovers.”
A video posted on YouTube has sparked outrage among animal activists and left death threats against a Roswell meat company.
In the video, an employee at the Valley Meat Company out of Roswell, NM – which is working with the USDA to get a horse slaughter plant in the area – brings a horse out of its pen, swears at activists and then kills the horse with a single gunshot.
“To all you animal activists, f**k you,” Tim Sappington, a maintenance contractor with Valley Meat Company, said in the video.
He then shoots the horse point blank in the head. The horse falls to the ground and dies.
Sappington has received several death threats for the video. People who operate the plant, who contend they had nothing to do with the video, are also receiving threats.
“You know what people should be slaughtering? You f***ing s***cs, should never have been allowed in this country,” one caller said.
Rick De Los Santos, a part-owner of Valley Meat Company in Roswell, has been slammed with hate calls and death threats since a video hit the Web.
“I didn’t have anything to do with that video, that’s the honest truth, but like I said, people will make assumptions,” De Los Santos said.
De Los Santos said Sappington shot the video on his own time and at his own home. The De Los Santos’ say people have also stolen “no trespassing” signs off their property.
They’ve hired a private security firm and installed new surveillance cameras. The family says they support Sappington’s right to kill and eat horses, but not the video.
“He shot a horse, that’s what he eats, it’s not against the law to slaughter your own horse,” De Los Santos said. “Now, putting it on YouTube, I would not have done that.”
They just wish the calls would stop. “I hope you — die and your whole — family, you —in —hole,” another threat said. “This isn’t the last time you’ll hear from me —head.”
This should be considered a hate crime against all of us who have spoken out against the Roswell NM horse slaughter house. The owner of the slaughter house intends to hire 40-100 people, and Tim is the first employee of Valley Meat Co.
What do you expect from, TIM SAPPINGTON; a narcissist, self righteous, bully coward and animal murderer who makes his living from the suffering of horses?
He does this everyday; it is nothing to this piece of shit. He is as cold as they come. Obviously ARA’s are getting under his skin. Good!! Im am soooo sorry this horse had to be the pawn in the ugly. That horse would have died at his hands anyway, on camera or not.
This subhuman is a psychopath. He has no remorse for what he does. Karma is coming his way…. I feel it. He will pay…. some how, some way…..some day. I hope I am alive to witness it.
To see the edited, (no violence or foul language) visit this link: http://tinyurl.com/cylvdxpBelow you will find a list of phone numbers to call in Chavez County where the slaughter house is planning on opening. Send the link to these people, remember be polite with whom ever you speak to!Chaves County Manager – Stanton L. Riggs, Esq. – Phone: 575-624-6602 – Email: sriggs@co.chaves.nm.us
Janetta B. Hicks, District Attorney – Phone: (575)622-4121 – Email: 5thDA@da.state.nm.usNew Mexico Livestock Board: (575) 623-3031
Food Safety Inspection Service at 202-720-9113.The Office of Governor Susana Martinez – Phone (505) 476-2200 or web contact: http://tinyurl.com/4olx7lv
Contacting the news may generate interest in this story, yesterday Fox News put out a poll on horse slaughter, so they may be very interested in the story:FoxNews Hotline – Phone: 888-369-4762 – Email: foxnewstips@foxnews.com.Please make a brief, polite phone call to your U.S. Representative and two U.S. Senators to urge co-sponsorship of H.R. 1094 S. 541, the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act that ends the cruel slaughter of America’s horses as well as their export for slaughter abroad.
You can say something like: “I would like you to please co-sponsor and support H.R. 1094/S. 541, the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act to protect our nation’s horses and keep the food supply safe for consumers.”
The slaughter of horses for meat is not only unnecessary but it is also harmful in many ways. Sign the petition: http://tinyurl.com/bcp7unr
I was hoping to find more petitions but as yet none, I would do one if I had the time to sit at PC, do my usual work & write a petition…hopefully won’t be long before there are some then people can tell the world how disgusted they are with this pig of an inhumane dick!
CHICAGO, (EQUINE WELFARE ALLIANCE/PR Newswire) – Since Congress lifted the ban on USDA inspections of horse meat, several small shuttered cattle slaughter plants have clamored for the USDA to provide horse meat inspections.
Ricardo De Los Santos of Valley Meats, a New Mexico plant, went as far as to sue the USDA for not providing the service. The attorney for Valley Meats has announced it will be opening in three weeks.
Unfortunately for those wishing to bring horse slaughter back to the US, they will have to do so without the ability to sell to theEU, the main market for US horse meat. The Equine Welfare Alliance has received confirmation from EU authorities that “by virtue of Commission decision 2011/163/EUthe US is not authorized to export horsemeat to the EU.”
The decision was made in 2011, when the USDA neglected to comply with new regulations requiring submittal of a drug residue control program. Approval of such an application requires extensive review as well as audits and can take up to several years to complete.
The EU authority (SANCO) went on to say “Our Directorate General, up to now, does not record a recent residue monitoring plan on horse meat submitted by USDA.” In other words, the process has yet to begin.
The scandal over horse meat being substituted for beef in a myriad of products, as well as the finding of the banned drug phenylbutazone in some of those products has further dimmed the prospects for a lifting of the ban.
Secretary of AgricultureTom Vilsack, in an interview with Reuters, said sequestration could cause sporadic food shortages if inspectors aren’t available to examine meat, poultry and egg products. Obviously, providing inspectors for horse meat would further exacerbate the need to protect US consumers. Vilsack shocked many today when he was quoted as saying he hoped that Congress could come up with an alternative to horse slaughter.
EWA’s John Holland explains the bleak prospects for private horse slaughter plants in the US, saying “these plants will have no access to the markets even if the EU ban is lifted because the distribution is controlled by a few multi-nationals, and those expecting to contract with these companies should heed the story of Natural Valley Farms (SK Canada) which lost millions trying to do so.”
Governor Christie signed A.2023/S.1976 on Friday making it illegal to slaughterhorses for humanconsumption in New Jersey. The law also prohibits the sale of horse meat for human consumption, bans the transport of live horses for the purpose of slaughter, and bans the transport of horse meat for human consumption.
Governor Christie signed a New Jersey law that now prohibits the slaughter of horses and the sale and transport of horses and horse meat for human consumption. Credits: Photo by Liz Lamont
“This bipartisan measure is a nod to our decency and respect for horses in our state, ensuring that no horse is slaughtered in New Jersey for human consumption. It also ensures that our highways will not be used to transport horses to slaughter in other states which have not enacted a similar ban on the practice.”
The bill was introduced by Assemblyman Ronald Dancer(R) of Ocean, Burlington, Middlesex and Mercer Counties and Senator Raymond Lesniak (D) of Union County.
“New Jersey does not eat horse meat and our horses will not be taken from stable to a table.”
More than 80 percent of Americans are against the slaughter of horses for human consumption, and even though there are no horse slaughter plants in the United States, over 100,000 American horses are still exported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter.
The law now imposes a fine of $100 and imprisonment of 30 days for anyone convicted of slaughtering or selling horse meat for human consumption. Civil fines ranging from $500 to $1000 will be applicable for each slaughtered horse.
“Now more than ever, it is critical that we do all we can to get Congress to pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. If passed, this legislation would achieve two things: It would prohibit the export of our horses to other countries for slaughter, and it would completely ban horse slaughter for human consumption in the United States. While there is currently no commercial horse slaughter occurring in the U.S., proponents are working to resume it. Unless citizens object, horses may soon be commercially slaughtered in our communities for human consumption overseas. A slaughter facility in New Mexico has already applied for government approval to slaughter horses.“
Animal protection organizations and humane supporters continue to support the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011 – HR2966/S1176 which will prohibit the transport and sale of all horses in the United States.
For more information how you can help, please click here.
DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS BLOG - SOME PICTURES & VIDEOS CAN & WILL BE VERY GRAPHIC - SO PLEASE, VIEW THIS BLOG AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
You can find out more about me & this blog by reading "ABOUT THIS BLOG" on the menu (when i finish it) lol
PLEASE NOTE.....
Not all of my posts will be current news, or even about animal abuse! I do like to share other animal news, uplifting stories or videos; some that are funny or just touch the heart!
If I have anything to say on any post, you will see it in bold blue writing. I try to remain a lady, but it's hard to contain my anger & emotions at the some of the stories I post; I don’t have a heart of stone, tears stain many articles I write!
Lastly, my apologies for any errors; I am learning whilst posting, so if you find anything that doesn't work or a broken link, sorry, I'm only human!!!!
ABOUT THESE POSTS
I would just like to make readers aware, that I search for stories on the internet; regards animal abuse etc. I copy stories etc. from the internet; assuming these stories are correct at time of publishing. Having said that, sometimes the press get it wrong! So I just want to add that at the time of me posting a news story, I presume all the facts seem present & correct.
Please note....all people mentioned in this blog, are presumed innocent, until proven otherwise, in a court of law.
Error: Please make sure the Twitter account is public.
Flag Counter Added May 2012
Face Book – Please Take Notice
For anyone wishing to connect to me via my Facebook page...PLEASE NOTE, ONLY PEOPLE I ADD AS ANIMAL ADVOCATES CAN SEE MY WHOLE PAGE...I do this out of respect for those friends I have who do not wish to see graphic images, videos or links of animal abuse!
As 99% of my page is animal related; anyone not in the above group of friends; will only see a limited amount of posts!!
DUE TO ANIMAL HATERS...I WILL ONLY ADD PEOPLE WHO CAN PROVE WHO THEY ARE via Facebook, Wordpress, Twitter etc. & WHO HAVE A GENUINE INTEREST IN ANIMAL WELFARE... i.e. if your Facebook page has absolutely nothing to do with animals, I see no point in joining my page. My Facebook is solely for animal welfare, I am not interested in playing games etc. I don't mean to sound rude but I am not interested in the amount of friends I have, its the quality of those friends that count.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND REQUESTS FOR YOUR FRIENDS TO JOIN. I do not want anyone to be upset by graphic images etc.
My aim is to educate & raise awareness to the horrors animals face, at the hands of humans, every day, around the world!!
We can not hope to achieve better laws, to protect animals, unless we unite as one, to speak up for those who are voiceless!!
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DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS BLOG - SOME PICTURES & VIDEOS CAN & WILL BE VERY GRAPHIC - SO PLEASE, VIEW THIS BLOG AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
STOP ANIMAL ABUSE 
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