Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Over 200 attend Horse Summit

by Judith East
 

	Auditor Pat McCarthy explains the Horse Summit to participants at The Lodge in Frontier Park.

Concerned horse people thronged into Frontier Park's Lodge last Tuesday evening, April 15, to try to develop some solutions to the growing problem of abused and neglected horses in Pierce County.

Organizers Pat McCarthy, Pierce County Auditor, and WSU Pierce County Extension expected perhaps two dozen people to attend. In spite of the standing-room -only crowd, they managed to focus into three discussion groups to address:

• What factors contribute to the problem?

• What solutions are possible?

• What resources are available to help?

Some of the responses were:

Major contributing factors

Economics: the cost of hay, fuel and property taxes have all gone up;

Education: shree the basics of equine care;

Slaughter: costs and regulations force some people to keep horses that should be put down;

Zoning: loss of pastureland;

Aging: owners may have difficulty caring for the horses they have had for decades.

Suggested solutions

Change veterinary regulations;

Mentor new horse owners;

Form hay co-ops;

Stop exporting hay;

Address disposal costs;

Change legislation on slaughtering, property taxes and cruelty definitions;

Enforce existing regulations;

Create a rescue center for horses similar to the Humane Society;

Form "neighborhood watch" groups.

This latter suggestion generated some emotional testimony. "Anonymous" phone calls to Animal Control may not be so anonymous if you live in an isolated area with very few neighbors - and those neighbors might reply with a shotgun if they are reported for abuse or neglect.

Frustration with attempts to report abuse was also expressed. A group of neighbors who tried for four years to have the fifteen Waller Rd. horses rescued was told to look forward, not into the past; that this summit was called to prevent similar problems.

Horses also fall through some legislative cracks: they are not protected under the federal "Pet Act" because they are not live-in animals, but neither are they considered "livestock" in order to benefit from that designation. Because horses are considered property, there are limitations on Animal Control's authority to remove them from their owners.

Only four animal control officers cover all of Pierce County, which has possibly the highest number of horses of any county in western Washington.

Possible Resources

Vet tech programs

WA Horsemen's Association

Back Country Horsemen

Pierce County 4H

WSU

Ferriers and feed stores

Local vets

In the end, McCarthy promised to post a summary of the evening's ideas on the Auditor's website. She will also arrange to have a website created for horse owners, providing information.