The 2013 Annual American Equine Summit will take place Saturday, April 27 – Sunday, April 28 at Equine Advocates Rescue & Sanctuary in Chatham, NY. This invitation-only Summit will unite the equine community’s foremost experts to speak about how to end horse slaughter which, although opposed by more than 80% of Americans, is now legal in the US.
Said Susan Wagner, founder/president of Equine Advocates, “Horse slaughter goes against our very culture. The outcry in Europe over horsemeat invading their mainstream food chain is a cautionary tale for what could happen here. This unethical and unsavory practice exists because a small group of special interests within the horse industry want a way to dispose of inconvenient equines quickly and for profit, rather than take responsibility for them. It’s downright un-American and must be banned.”
New York State Assemblyman James Tedisco will be the Keynote Speaker. Some of the distinguished speakers coming from across the country to participate in the Summit include:
Patricia M. Hogan, VMD, ACVS (New Jersey): World-renowned equine surgeon will discuss the negative effects horse slaughter has on the racing industry.
Ann Marini, Ph.D., M.D. (Maryland): Award-winning physician will discuss her ground-breaking study on the dangers of the drug Phenylbutazone found in horses sold for human consumption.
U.S. Congressman Chris Gibson (R-NY) will discuss H.R. 1094, the Safeguard American Food Exports Act (SAFE Act).
John Holland (Virginia): Equine Welfare Alliance President will speak about understanding the forces behind horse slaughter.
R.T. Fitch (Texas): “Straight From the Horse’s Heart” author and blogger on the BLM’s agenda to destroy America’s Wild Horse and Burro Herds.
Paula Bacon (Texas) Former Mayor of Kaufman, TX and Vickery Eckhoff (New York), Forbes.com writer, on the issues and impact of opening a horse slaughterhouse.
Victoria McCullough (Florida), Horse advocate/Chairwoman of Chesapeake Petroleum and Florida State Senator Joseph Abruzzo will discuss how horse slaughter impacts food safety in the US and Europe.
Jo Anne Normile (Michigan), author of the book, Saving Baby, principal of Normile Racehorse protection and the founder of CANTER will present a program for the racoing industry on how it can effectively take responsibility for the horses it breeds and races so that no horse ends up going to slaughter.
Billy Smith (New York), teacher & natural horseman of Billy Smith Horsemanship will present a lecture demonstration in the outdoor arena with a former PMU mare who had been severely abused in Canada.
With featured talks by:
Elizabeth Forel, Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages
Stephanie Graham, Domestic and Wild Horse Advocate from Oklahoma
Sue McDonough, New York State Humane Association
Founded in 1996, Equine Advocates is a non-profit equine protection organization based in Chatham, NY. Its mission is to rescue, protect and prevent the abuse of equines, especially through banning the slaughter of American horses, through education, investigation, rescue operations and public education. Email info@equineadvocates.org or call 518-245-1599 for more information.
PRESS: Susan Bang/Emily Collins
Bang + Collins PR
Ph: 917-991-9714 / 518-771-3003
http://www.equineadvocates.org/news.php?recordID=65