Proposed Kentucky Legislation Would Help Lighten Financial Strain From Animal Control In Abuse Cases

Animal cruelty and neglect cases are often fraught with legal and logistical challenges for the law enforcement or animal control officers handling them – not the least of which is what to do with animals that must be seized. A 2016 case of large-scale equine neglect in Mercer County, Ky., highlighted many of those challenges as dozens of horses had to be kept in place and fed by volunteers with donated hay while authorities investigated and worked to determine their ownership. One of the challenges in that case was finding someplace for the horses to go once volunteers received clearance to move them.

That case received plenty of publicity and horses were dispersed to rightful owners or to rescue facilities quickly, but in many lesser-known cases in more outlying areas, animal control officers don't have many resources to care for seized animals. Animals seized in the course of a cruelty investigation cannot be adopted out or sold until the case is closed or unless the owner gives consent, sticking already-strapped local law enforcement with months' worth of bills. When horses are involved, a seizure can be even more expensive than a case limited to dogs or cats.

Kentucky State Rep. Cherylynn Stevenson (D-District 88) is hoping new legislation could make that burden lighter. HB100 could make the owner of an animal seized during the course of a cruelty investigation responsible for the cost of the animal's care during the course of the criminal case or until the animal is relinquished.

The bill was born from a discussion Stevenson had with an animal control officer in her home district of Lexington, but improving Kentucky's animal care laws has been on her radar for some time.

“As I was campaigning and going door to door canvassing, we realized that nine out of ten houses in my district had an animal, so we started carrying cat treats and dog treats with us,” said Stevenson. “We realized that it was a really great bridge for the political divide. A lot of people care about animals and want to see [animal welfare] improve here in our state.”

For many years the Animal Legal Defense Fund placed Kentucky last on its rankings of states based on the strength of their animal welfare laws. Stevenson said that ranking may improve slightly after the state amended a law last year that had previously prohibited veterinarians from reporting suspected animal cruelty.

The cost of seized animals is no small consideration – Stevenson recalled one seizure of over 100 cats where board bills for the animals topped $80,000. Many local authorities don't have facilities to house horses at all and are reliant on non-profits to find a stall or pasture space. Then they're faced with the fact that horses are even more expensive to feed and maintain.

“I think we'll see a greater number of animals be saved if this goes through, because there will be a recourse then for all the upkeep, any vet care,” she said. “Ultimately if shelters aren't doing this and taxpayers aren't paying for it, that's a win for everybody.”

Legislation on other types of animal welfare topics has sometimes faced an uphill battle in Kentucky, where agriculture is prevalent and many residents have strong feelings about private property rights. Stevenson admitted this bill could face some opposition from those factions, as well as from defense attorneys who might bristle at the idea their clients could face financial judgments in addition to fines or other sanctions. It's not uncommon for attorneys or clients to prolong cases a part of their legal strategy, which would result in a higher care bill for the animal's owner under the proposed legislation. Sometimes, Stevenson said, animals are returned to their owner prior to the end of a case because the county can no longer afford to care for them.

The bill does have bipartisan support however, and the Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) has placed its support behind the language.

“I think getting that equine stamp of approval is very helpful,” she said. “I think there's going to always be some folks out there who look at that property rights issue and they're not going to budge. And that's ok – not everyone has to agree all the time … we're trying to be as transparent as we can and have conversations with folks before it comes up before committee.”

Stevenson expects the bill to come before committee on Feb. 17.

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From The Racetrack To The Super Bowl, Thoroughbreds Can Do Anything

A horse with Kentucky roots was scheduled to attend Sunday's Super Bowl, but not to watch the game — he was to assist with crowd control at the event. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported on the story of Track Shill, a former racehorse who finds himself patrolling crowds these days instead of running before them.

Track Shill was foaled at Brookdale Farm in 2014. By Artie Schiller, the dark bay won his one start at Gulfstream Park before owner William Sorren retired him. The gelding's career ended when he broke a sesamoid in his right front leg during training. 

Sorren wanted to ensure the horse found a good home once he retired from racing, so he enlisted the help of William and Lyn Rainbow, who broke the gelding. The Rainbows suggested that Track Shill be sent to Track to Trail Thoroughbreds, a program in Naples, Fla., that focuses on taking injured racehorses directly from the racetrack or training farm, rehabilitating them and finding them homes in Lee and Collier counties. 

At Track to Trail facility, Track Shill was introduced to Corp. Aaron Eubanks, a sheriff's deputy for Lee County who had recently lost his patrol horse to colic. Eubanks fostered Track Shill for a month and then adopted him, renaming him Deputy Maverick. 

Eubanks believed Maverick would make a quality police horse and the gelding was deputized once he completed mounted patrol training. Maverick has his own badge, which is the same one Lee County detectives wear.

The gelding was part of a fleet of officers invited to assist with crowd control outside the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, where the Super Bowl will be held on Sunday, Feb. 7. 

Though a last-minute injury to his left front leg will keep him from attending the actual event, the gelding has raised awareness as to what racehorses can do once they retire from the track.

Read more at the Lexington Herald-Leader

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New York Poised To Pass Legislation To Make Transfer Of Thoroughbreds For Slaughter Illegal

A bill that would seek to interrupt the slaughter pipeline for Thoroughbreds in New York has passed the state's senate and gained bipartisan support, according to a report by the Thoroughbred Daily News. Senate Bill 1442, which is sponsored by Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-15th District), would prohibit the slaughter of racehorses and breeding stock, and would make it illegal for a person or other entity to “import, export, sell, offer to sell or barter, transfer, purchase, possess, transport, deliver, or receive a race horse or race horse breeding stock with the intent of slaughtering or having another person, corporation, association or entity slaughter such race horse or race horse breeding stock.”

The bill also prohibits similar actions in cases where the person knew or “should have known” that the horse was intended to go to slaughter. It additionally requires breeding programs to designate money to go to aftercare.

The bill would give the New York State Gaming Commission the power to take action against the licenses of anyone found to be in violation, and could also stop breeders from receiving breeders' awards in the state.

There is currently no other law in any other state that makes it illegal for someone to sell or transfer a racehorse for slaughter. Horse slaughter itself is not illegal in the United States, but has not taken place commercially for more than a decade because there is no funding allocated for federal inspections of horse slaughter plants. It remains legal for horses to be exported to Canada or Mexico for the ultimate purpose of slaughter. Anti-slaughter policies are in place at some racetracks, but their enforcement is considered a private property matter and racing commissions do not participate.

Addabbo said the state's owners and breeders came to him with the idea for the bill, and he anticipates no problems with the bill passing the New York State Assembly.

Read more at Thoroughbred Daily News

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Virtual International Forum For The Aftercare Of Racehorses Series To Take Place April 2021

The International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) announced today that it will be hosting its fifth forum as a virtual series on each Tuesday during the month of April. The sessions, which will include a combination of prerecorded content and live discussions, will be held on 6, 13, 20 and 27 April at 7 a.m. EST and will each last approximately one hour. The timing has been selected so that people can dial in wherever they are in the world – evening for the Australasian time zones, middle of the day for the European time zones, and early morning for the American time zones. Recordings of the events will also be made available on the IFAR website.

Expected topics to be covered during these sessions include owner and trainer responsibility, traceability, the use of racehorses in equine-assisted therapy, case studies for aftercare progress in different racing jurisdictions, and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on racehorse aftercare. The full list of topics and speakers, which will include representatives from around the world, will be announced at a later date.

“Although the continuing effects of COVID-19 have prevented us from being able to host a traditional live IFAR conference, we are looking forward to being able to reach an even wider global audience to discuss aftercare and its importance to the racing industry,” said Di Arbuthnot, chair of IFAR. “We wanted to advise the racing and breeding industries of our plans as soon as possible so that interested parties could save these dates in April for what promises to be an enlightening series of presentations and discussions.”

IFAR has previously been held in conjunction with the Asian Racing Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, in February 2020; the European & Mediterranean Horseracing Federation's General Assembly in Oslo, Norway, in May 2019; the Asian Racing Conference in Seoul, South Korea, in May 2018; and the Pan American Conference in Washington, D.C., in May 2017.

IFAR is an independent forum that recognizes geographical and industry differences among racing countries and is designed to enhance Thoroughbred aftercare worldwide. Working with the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, IFAR will raise awareness of the importance of welfare for Thoroughbreds, improve education on lifetime care, and help increase demand for former racehorses in other equestrian sports.

For more information on IFAR, click here.

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