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We advocate on all animal protection and exploitation issues, including experimentation, factory farming, rodeos, breeders and traveling animal acts.

Animal Defenders of Westchester
P.O. Box 205
Yonkers, NY 10704

Letters

There's no excuse for beating horse

Published in THE JOURNAL NEWS www.thejournalnews.com , 1/20/06:

(Original publication: January 20, 2006)

To Steve Robbins, whose Jan. 14 letter defends the Carmel woman charged with a misdemeanor for abusing a horse, saying it might have been a justifiable act of self-defense: This woman wasn't walking in the jungle where she suddenly had to fight off a startled tiger � she took this horse into her custody. While people are still allowed to "purchase" or otherwise "own" animals, it behooves them to not hurt the animal under any circumstances. Parent who abuse their children say they were "disciplining" the child. Animals respond to kindness; smashing them with a chain on the nose is not acceptable "discipline" for animals, children or any living being.

It is ridiculous to compare a possible medical situation requiring euthanasia to "murder." This is only a smokescreen; most animal cruelty cases are woefully underadjudicated, which is one reason we advocate stronger laws to apply for other animals besides just cats and dogs.

If Mr. Robbins has "been around horses (his) entire life," and found that they are "often" prone to attack, he is either doing something wrong � or he should stay away from horses and find something else to do with his time and money � no one is "forcing" him to be around horses. He makes a conscious, deliberate choice; we expect it to be a responsible, moral and decent one that does no harm to any sentient beings.

Kiley Blackman
Yonkers
The writer is spokesperson,
Animal Defenders of Westchester
 

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