This is PETA.. What we'll be facing..

[Kasept]

Below find a letter from Ingrid Newkirk to PETA 'subscribers'... If it isn't an obvious fund raising opportunity, I've never seen one. The highlights are mine... The industry had better be properly prepared to deal with these vindictive and sick people. And frankly, we've given them a huge head start...

Obviously full of lies and misrepresentations, but that's they way they operate.

-----------------------------------------------------------


Dear "*****"

In the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, Eight Belles ran for her life and was fiercely whipped as she came down the final stretch, when she was no doubt already in a great deal of pain. Like 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, she was destroyed because of her racing injuries, caused by the greed that motivates this dirty "sport."

No horse—and no animal—should suffer for the sake of someone's amusement.

Will you make a special gift today so that we can take on their abusers?

Within hours of Eight Belles' death, we were hard at work both publicly and behind the scenes. Our goal is to pressure the racing industry to reduce the cruelty that it imposes on horses. Specifically, we are calling for the following:

• The suspension of Eight Belles' jockey, Gabriel Saez
• An investigation into how much her trainer, Larry Jones, and any veterinarian on the track knew of her condition
• The barring of her owner, Richard Porter, from racing other horses
• A ban on the whip
• The use of softer synthetic surfaces that would better protect horses' bones and joints
• An end to the use of young horses, whose still-developing legs are highly susceptible to injury when stressed
• Of course, we would like to shut down every race track. But short of that, we want those who harm animals to be held accountable.

Not only will we keep the pressure on the Kentucky racing authority, we will also take similar action with Maryland and New York racing authorities in the coming days and leading up to the second and third races of the so-called Triple Crown—the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes.

Our activists have already sprung into action with a demonstration in Lexington, Ky., outside the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority. We have done dozens and dozens of media interviews, taking the horses' case to nearly every major news outlet in North America. We are working hard to expose the horrors of horse racing.

Horses like Eight Belles are the victims of a multibillion-dollar industry that is motivated by money and rife with animal abuse, profit-mongering, drug abuse, and race-fixing. It's not in horses' best interests to be used as athletes and discarded for the dinner table, which is the fate of most of them. Their "careers" usually end in slaughterhouses in Europe, and their flesh is sold for human consumption.

We cannot win this fight without you. Our ability to speak out and stop cruelty to animals is a direct result of the support that we get from caring people like you. Please make as generous a donation as you can right now.

Don't let the racing industry get away with nothing more than a black eye! Those involved in horse racing—jockeys, owners, trainers, and others—put these wonderful animals at risk, sometimes dosing them with large quantities of drugs to keep them going. This is pure greed.

Let's force these exploiters to start taking concrete measures to stop the cruelty.

If you do one thing today to help end animal abuse, please let it be supporting PETA's work to stop the suffering of animals in all forms of entertainment where live animals suffer and die.

Thank you for all that you do for animals!

Sincerely


Ingrid E. Newkirk
President

P.S. NOW is a defining moment to help us make real change happen in the horse racing industry. Your generosity will make a difference and help us hold accountable those who harm animals in the name of sport and amusement. Your support counts. Please make your special online donation today.

[pick4]

So PETA is using this unfortunate breakdown of Eight Belles to raise money.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by pick4

So PETA is using this unfortunate breakdown of Eight Belles to raise money.

It's their raison d'etre.

[pick4]

They are big time opportunists. You mentioned a great point on your show today which I've never heard mentioned before.

They have the guts to harass old ladies in mink coats but avoid the likes of men such as Hells Angels, the Latin Kings, or any other biker gang types.

[Riot]

PETA is fairly well-known nowadays for what they really are, and if they don't continue to get publicity this week they'll take the money they can grab and run. They don't pay for a presence in DC, and they don't really care about any animals, changing any laws, etc. They just want the money.

If this backs off a bit, dies in the public eye, and people don't send in donations, they won't even bother to be at Pimlico. Nobody should bother to talk to PETA.

On the other hand, a worry to horse racing would be the Humane Society of the United States. They just keyed in on the Eight Belles incident as a money-making opportunity this week, too, and now are thinking they may want a place at the table if they can slip in.

Please note that HSUS doesn't actually "help" any real animals, either, they exist to get restrictive animal laws passed across the country - no hunting, everything must be neutered, no purebred dog breeding allowed, etc. Pretty much strictly lobbyists.

Their President, Wayne Purcell, is very photogenic and literate in public, and this organization throws alot of smart money towards lobbying efforts. But HSUS is also an animal rights organization (not animal welfare). You can google Wayne Purcell and see where his heart really lays, in discussing animals (none should be owned).

HSUS works by approaching towns or cities as a "friend of animals" and suggesting laws that sound pretty good on the outside, but upon closer examination work against ownership of animals.

The American Kennel Club has spent alot of money fighting HSUS laws over the past few years. The dog people are already visualizing and talking about the probable HSUS attack on racing, and talking about how they can help to stop it (very organized anti-HSUS groups in many states now, due to the many laws HSUS has been trying to pass against dog ownership and purebred dogs)

HSUS is also still trying to explain it's horrendous behaviour after raising thousands and thousands of dollars to "save animals" during Katrina, but not doing anything and keeping the money.

I would worry hardly at all about PETA, but very much about HSUS.

Because while PETA is visually nuts, HSUS is very smooth, literate and cooperative. HSUS could get a law passed banning whipping horses on the race track at a state government level, and keep it private in committee until it's passed through the state senate/reps (added on to some other weird bill) - and racing would never know until afterwards.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Mumtaz

PETA is fairly well-known nowadays for what they really are,

Bread?

[Riot]

People Eating Tasty Animals

[Bobby Fischer]

I think Larry Jones has done pretty well in his part as far as responding. They had a piece on espn that I partially caught.

[Slewbopper]

I think that deer should be allowed to walk down every main street in every town of America. I think that if a deer should jump in front of your car and cause $5000 in damage, that, you, the vehicle owner should be arrested for reckless driving and cruelty to animals. And if you happen to whack one in your back yard because it was infesting your property with ticks and eating your prized arbor vitae, and be caught dragging the carcass to the wetlands behind your house, you should do at least 5 years in jail.

I used to think my pump bb rifle was a good deterrent for varmints... Now there are packs of coyotes in West Haven CT. I really don't want my 100 lb dog ravaged. Need to upgrade my fire power...and not because of any human threat. I have a Samurai sword for them

[Oaklawnfan]

Steve, just a thought, while it seems impossible to get the industry alltogether on the same page to respond to this BS, maybe we could just form a PAC to address the best postion of the game on our behalf. It doesn't have to agree to all the various organizations, groups, etc. Just a PAC that supports our sport. Period. Simple, funded and ready to fire when needed. Some one who would jump and say "Hey wait a mininute!"An organization in place just to protect our industry. Not make policy, just provide protections.
I would donate andI'm a Republican.

[ALostTexan]

I heard a great talk earlier this year about the difference in "Animal Welfare" groups and "Animal Rights" groups (aka PETA). A great website was mentioned called ActivistCash.org which shows a great deal of what is behind groups like PETA and HSUS.

Definately worth a look...

[10 pnt move up]

Honestly though you have to give PETA credit, their organization makes horse racing look like romper room.

[pick4]

All this PETA nonsense is about raising money for their special interest group. I think the letter Steve posted clearly shows that PETA leadership are using this terrible event to suck more money out of their gulliable members.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

Honestly though you have to give PETA credit, their organization makes horse racing look like romper room.

Steve made a good point about "what we're facing", and a caution about underestimating the opposition.

Never, in my lifetime, would I even imagine that the 200-plus-year-old sports of foxhunting and greyhound coursing would become illegal and outlawed in England.

We in the U.S. haven't lived in a primarily rural or agricultural society for two generations now. It shows.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Oaklawnfan

Steve, just a thought, while it seems impossible to get the industry alltogether on the same page to respond to this BS, maybe we could just form a PAC to address the best postion of the game on our behalf. It doesn't have to agree to all the various organizations, groups, etc. Just a PAC that supports our sport. Period. Simple, funded and ready to fire when needed. Some one who would jump and say "Hey wait a mininute!"An organization in place just to protect our industry. Not make policy, just provide protections.
I would donate andI'm a Republican.

I thought NTRA had a PAC?

[FGFan]

Originally Posted by ALostTexan

I heard a great talk earlier this year about the difference in "Animal Welfare" groups and "Animal Rights" groups (aka PETA). A great website was mentioned called ActivistCash.org which shows a great deal of what is behind groups like PETA and HSUS.

Definately worth a look...

Good point...there is a huge difference between animal welfare and animal rights, I am a huge advocate of the former and not the latter.

As Mumtaz has mentioned PETA, although extremely vocal and rely upon theatrical rallies to garner attention, are not well represented in DC mainly because they are associated with ALF and ELF and listed on the FBI's most dangerous domestic terrorist groups.
BUT as Mumtaz has mentioned there are more powerful mainstream groups such as the HSUS. Wayne Pacelle is a great face for them, he is articulate, well versed in politics and very charismatic. I actually met him during Katrina and as much as I hate his politics it was very hard not to like him.

I strongly urge everyone to visit their websites. I do subscribe to these groups in order to know what is the next thing they want to do away with. They are very good at what they do. It starts with a little thing, no one really pays attention and then they chip away, and chip away. They tag legislation onto very odd bills, they lobby daily in every state and the Fed.

And as far as their "talking points" well we need to bring up how these groups have huge budgets for lobbying yet still retain their 501C3 status. They don't contribute to animal rescue, although unfortunately I have to say that HSUS does have a pretty good disaster response team, although the monies they recieved during Katrina cannot be balanced with what they spent.

If we can do anything in a small part attention needs to be drawn to these groups and the literally millions they recieve and how much lobbying they do. Point you cannot maintain a 501C3 if you spend a certain portion on lobbying. I don't know the exact figure but these groups are spending well over what the law states the may use.

Please visit these sites, subscribe so you know what is going on. I would be willing to bet that PETA has recieved "donations" in the area of 50k to 100k since that mailing Steve posted. Their main theme is to ban the exploitation of animals, so they turn around and exploit Eight Belles death. I am sickened over this. The minute they said something had happened I got that pit in my stomach, here we go again, and now it's on NBC.

Alternatively, I have actually seen Eight Belles in person at the Fairgrounds. She was a beautiful, huge, fast filly and grey, love the greys. It was so much fun to see her win by 15 lenghts at the Fairgrounds. I have met Larry Jones and his wife, they are great horsemen. I had bets on her. As all in the racing community I am truly saddened by her death, but I will remember that day she won by 15 lenghts. She did die doing something she loved to do, unfortunately the animal rights groups don't understand that.

If you don't pay attention and we ignore them, PETA, HSUS, UAN, Best Friends, et al, we will lose. I personally don't have a problem with synthetics if the track requires a surface change, some do. But as California did knee jerk reaction to make it a LAW. I can base it on my own track, while accidents occur, the Fairgrounds is usually a pretty safe surface, we are on silt, a natural cushion. So should we be mandated to change because the bunny huggers are exploiting a tragic event?

I urge everyone to be informed how insidious these groups, visit these sites.
And thank you to Steve for all his comments on the talk show. It takes a voice, they have millions we have a few and Randy Moss sold us out.

http://news.bestfriends.org/index.cf...3A8DBBA531A041

http://www.hsus.org/ see the blog

http://www.hsus.org/horses_equines/

http://www.peta.org/

http://www.uan.org/ they have nothing on their site, but I've already recieved an e-mail from them, got in an arguement with them.

[Split Rock]

This is pretty amazing stuff. Unfortunately for PETA, when they speak out on an issue, even a legitimate issue, they lose all credibility.

I can tell you this, as a 23 year dedicated horse player, I would personally back PETA (send money or do whatever it took) if they would focus their attention on irradicating illegal drugs in horse racing. I very much feel the drugs are inhumane and border on cruelity. I would support anything that attacks the people that use these drugs at the expense of the horses.

[AeWingnut]

Originally Posted by Split Rock

This is pretty amazing stuff. Unfortunately for PETA, when they speak out on an issue, even a legitimate issue, they lose all credibility.

I can tell you this, as a 23 year dedicated horse player, I would personally back PETA (send money or do whatever it took) if they would focus their attention on irradicating illegal drugs in horse racing. I very much feel the drugs are inhumane and border on cruelity. I would support anything that attacks the people that use these drugs at the expense of the horses.

What do you mean by irradicating illegal drugs? That if PETA gets involved then they will really be in trouble for breaking the law?

if you back PETA the only thing that will happen is someone will have a payment for their charter jet, SUV or million dollar office/ mansion.


And there's a slow, slow train comin' up around the bend.

[letswastemoney]

Originally Posted by AeWingnut

What do you mean by irradicating illegal drugs? That if PETA gets involved then they will really be in trouble for breaking the law?

if you back PETA the only thing that will happen is someone will have a payment for their charter jet, SUV or million dollar office/ mansion.


And there's a slow, slow train comin' up around the bend.

not that different from high ranking track executives....and we all support them by playing this game

[AeWingnut]

Originally Posted by letswastemoney

not that different from high ranking track executives....and we all support them by playing this game

o-well, I guess if everybody does it than nevermind