Federal Vets Ignored Misuse of Coggins Certificates at Presidio Holding Pens
By Steven Long,
Photo Courtesy Ray Field
HOUSTON, (Horseback) – The highest ranking federal veterinarian with jurisdiction over the controversial C-4 holding pens at Presidio, Texas told Horseback Online Thursday that he has never held a Coggins certificate from horses at the facility in his hands. Moreover, he says he was under orders to ignore the place.
“My boss in Austin told me not to go anywhere near those horses,” said Dr.
William Brown of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS).
The pens are a way station where horses are held awaiting transport across the border to a Mexican slaughter facility.
“They removed the funds to pay me,” he said. “They are paying a private veterinarian.”
Brown said the private vet provides him with a certificate that he routinely signs, preferring to inspect incoming horses and cattle from Mexico, rather than outgoing horses destined for slaughter across the border.
Late last year, more than 60 horses were seized from the pens in various stages of starvation, dehydration, and illness. Several died, and a dumping ground of horse carcasses was discovered in a flash flood prone creek that runs behind the pens and empties into the Rio Grande River.
Despite the risk of spreading infectious disease, the pen owner was chided by the state agency and given a slap on the wrist by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Horse owners are required to have Coggins certificates indicating the animal has passed a test showing it is free of equine infectious anemia, (EIA).
Late last year Horseback learned from Texas Animal Health Commission inspector Richard Wagner the same Coggins documents were being used again and again for different horses going to slaughter and held at the pens. The state official said nothing at his level was being done because his agency’s budget had been cut by the Texas Legislature and simply didn’ t have
the manpower to take action.
The Coggins certificate is a federal document, and it is a federal offense to falsify the form. Violations could result in a fine of $10,000 and imprisonment of 5 years or both.
Brown told Horseback, “I know of a guy who works for the state who told me they were surprised when he actually wanted to go out and look at those horses, they don’t want you to look at those horses,” he said.
Horseback attempted to contact Browns superior, Dr. Jim Amend in Austin, as well as Amend’s boss, Dr. Kevin Varner of the USDA. Neither returned our call.
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There might not be money to pay the vet in the article, but someone is DEFINITELY getting paid off!!!!
Stop irresponsible breeding of horses, and much of this problem will cease to exist.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!! My sympathies exactly!! All pro-slaughter people are the irresponsible breeders and ignorant backyard breeders!! If you were a horse lover, A TRUE HORSE LOVER, you would not be pro-slaughter and you would not indiscriminately bring horses into this world that are not wanted or needed at this time.
Thank you. You are absolutely right!
Why have precautions if they are going to be ignored. BLM does the same thing hauling wild horses off Nevada range and taking them to Utah. What a bunch of jerks. If a contagion were to get out and destroy privately owned horses then there would sure be hell to pay… but they are going to behave this way until then? Good thinking, guys. Slide by and pretend all is well!
Does anyone know why the inspectors don’t want to do their job? Whether to check paper or the animals? What is it about horses that opens the door for every stinking criminal, (cussword), (cussword) to deal their destiny? I just do not understand how there could not be an army of right thinking people who want to be sure the equines are given a fair shake. And if they don’t ave the manpower to take action – then the industry needs to be shut down. It is simple. If the law is being broken, the actions breaking the law need to stop. What is so hard about that?
Isn’t that funny? Who would have thought most of those horses, who have been shipped to Texas from all over the US (the same as when Dallas Crown was open), didn’t have the proper paperwork..? Should we go into the fact that most of them get processed before their proper holding time is up? Or they get processed with BANNED substances in their system?
Yes, that trucker that delivered horses that recently gave an interview stated the horses were all given steroids when they off-loaded to fatten them up. Guess that wasn’t reflected in that paperwork that Wallis and ilk put such faith in. Horse killing seems like prostitution and gambling, it attracts the lowest of the criminal element wherever it goes.
This is why the anti-slaughter bills have never passed in ten years of fighting horse slaughter. To kill these animals equals a fast easy buck. And these crooks have no interest in ever shutting it down. They are all being paid off from the local cops to every person in between. It looks like the EU inspectors are as worthless as the ones from the US.
Oh but it can’tbe true, Sue Wallis says these are profesionals who would never risk their jobs by not being truthful. I only pray that somehow someway, these people pay for their crimes against the innocent lives of these pure creatures.
The problem is – and Wallis knows this as well as we do – that the “professionals” are NOT risking their jobs by lying.
Those involved should lose their jobs immediately and be criminally prosecuted to the fullest extent possible. The disregard for the welfare of the horses and outright cruelty is shocking and disgusting. Yet another reason horse slaughter and transport for slaughter must stop. This is further proof that once these animals enter the slaughter pipeline they become helpless victims of sadistic, uncaring people whose only concern is making a buck in any way possible.
It doesn’t matter if horse slaughter is carried out on US soil or over our borders, those involved will always have the same disregard for the horses and the horses will suffer horribly from beginning to end. This country can’t even regulate the slaughter of the animals we raise for food and the abuses run in the tens of thousands every year. The attitudes of the USDA veterinarians in Steve’s article show why we need to pass legislation to stop the slaughter and transport of American horses. Thank you Steve for a great piece of investigative journalism.
I agree. The only thing the politicians seem to pay attention to is scandle and how it related to each person in our government. Arrogance will eventually give them away. Like the tree spineless bastards that removed the language from the ag. bill that legalized this bull shit in the first place. Its pass the buck and still continues. Accountability needs to be the aim of it. The federal Vet is turning a blind eye and the ones who told him not to do anything are further enforcing the misdeeds of it all. Since its the state of Texas you need to find a friendly republican horse loving politician to make things happen or make heads roll which ever the case. At this point it see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil.
There is a strong smell of influence peddling in this story. If the vets are being “dissuaded” from carrying out inspections and horses on the “exit route” are exempted from humane regulations, one has to wonder why? And more specifically, who? Because, behind the why is undoubtedly a self interested & slaughter invested WHO. (I also have to wonder when public servants got the idea that they are not, in fact, employed by the public. Makes me want to say NO to taxes until they get their heads straight.)
It’s clear that there’s a war against horses in this country, brought to us by the vile cattle ranchers and their myriad political puppets. I recommend eliminating anything connected with cattle from our diets.
Good job Steve. Important information that we all knew was happening. Great that you got the quotes that confirms it. Let’s see USDA can’t do the job they are already tasked with but they are going to add inspecting horse slaughter plants with the same budget? How’s that work?
You horse people who live in Texas should be OUTRAGED!!!!! You all had better get on your high horse and let the USDA and the guy’s boss in Austin know he has put your horses health in jeopardy. I would be mad as hell if this was happening in my state.
Lynn, better keep your eyes open for these horse transport trucks. Those Presidio horses were transported from the Northern US–no wonder thay were in such horribe shape, get the trucking co name and DOT no. These horses have NO FRIENDS anywhere! Report them to DOT and –I almost said USDA APHIS– but we know that doesn’t work.
Illinois is a little out of their way going to Mexico. Belive me I use to look for them when our slaughter house was open. But I don’t get out much at night now and that is the only time they move the horses. But I tell you if I saw horses going down the road I’m not sure what I would do. Maybe follow them to the next stop and look in on the horses. I only know I would be mad as hell and who knows what I might do. I do wish I was closer to the border to see what is really going on down there. I have some vacation time coming up and I might just take a ride down there for some summer vacation fun. So watch out kill buyers who abuse horses in Presidio, Momma might be heading your way. : > )
Welcome to how our inspection services often work (or don’t work.). There are some good people working for some of these agencies but from actual experience I can say that ag and inspection agencies routinely ignore or violate the law and higher ranking officials don’t care. If you want to see blatant disregard for the law, come to Nevada
The truth about slaughter comes to light. I agree with everything that’s been said so far. The congressmen and everybody responsible for the blatant disregard of the law needs to be severely punished..from top to bottom.
This is so more than depressing, disgusting and really sickning why isn’t something done about it?? People should not take their horses to auctions and I guess some don’t know they they go into the slaughter pipeline, this too has to be stopped please everyone we need to pass SB1176 HR 2966 please do all you can to get this task done and be the voices of the horses they will appreciate it very much!!! I don’t know why it is taking so long to get these bills passed hopefully someone has the answer for us soon!!!!
With as much media attention that slaughter has gotten lately I don’t see how anyone could fail to know. They just “choose” not to know. I know people can be tricked and their horses end up in auction but if they take them there, they know.
The West Texas 25 herd saved last summer knows this nightmare all too well…
They all had “Dirty Papers” ….
The horses referred to in this article were saved by Rachaels Firelight South Ranch!!
Where are the comments from the pro-slaughter folks? Hmmm….
This should also cause another concern for horse owners. If this has been an acceptable practice here, where else is it acceptable. When you got to shows,riding in parks or trails, cross state lines etc NO ONE comes to verify the Coggins is for the horse you have with you. They simply require a Coggins Test,ANY COGGINS TEST. There is No One verifying that the horse you have matches the Coggins you have.The truth of the matter is that the Coggins Test makes a lot of money for a lot of people; the vets,the state etc. Researchers have established EIA IS NOT a highly contagious disease. In fact, the chances of EIA being spread from a positive horse to a negative horse right next to them is 1 in 6 MILLION. So, why are all horse owners required to pay for these yearly tests when the Dept of Agriculture doesn’t really monitor the use of them. I operate a non profit horse rescue in Florida that saves EIA COGGINS TEST POSITIVE HORSES. We have a mixed herd of negative and positive horses and we have NEVER had a transmission of the disease. This is since 1987. We work with the University of Kentucky by letting them take blood samples to try and come up with a cure and/or a vaccine or a treatment for EIA. My question to all of you is, Do you realize the Coggins test is good only the moment you take the blood sample? You pay all that money every year to know if your horse has the disease, when you took the blood, but don’t feel safe because your horse could have it now, when you get the test. Did you know that over 90% of the horses are inapparent carriers? They show NO OUTWARD signs of the disease, NONE. They live full, long lives. I agree,that if they can’t even verify their OWN REQUIREMENTS governing the Coggins Tests being checked,WHY WOULD YOU THINK THEY ARE GOING TO MONITOR THE SLAUGHTER HOUSES????My gosh, if they can’t check/verify a Coggins Test,(paperwork) how are they going to stand there and watch/govern the Slaughter Houses?
BINGO!!!! The pro slaughter folks are so stupid to think that we believe the crap they are trying to sell about well regulated horse slaughter. It was not well regulated when the plants were opened and they won’t be if, I say if, they open again. Who do they think they are kidding? Even Temple Grandin knows they won’t be humanely regulated. And to think that they are going to check all the horses and save the ones that can be retrained and rehome them is such a crock of bull. They will be no different then they are now or then they have been in the past. I remember when a young girl had asked if she could check the kill pens for her stolen horse and the slaughter house said no, for sure he wasn’t there. Later an employee said the horse was there and they slaughtered it anyway rather then let her have her horse back. This is the kind of business it is and it will never change. Don’t beleive Wallis and her horse killers that it will be different. Time is money and horse slaughter is all about the money.
Speaking of who is behind this revelation, be assured someone is. Remember the exposure of the Texas Cattlemen’s Association that was being paid $3.00 per head of all the horses being slaughtered in Texas? No wonder organizations like theirs and probably some of the other agricultural associations don’t want to see the end of horse slaughter. Follow the money, honey!
I got a return call from Dr Amend today. When I get results, I will post them. As to following the money, exactly. That needs to happen.
I have to believe that we can bring a stop to the transport of US horses to slaughter, as well as have a permanent ban to the slaughter of horses in this country. I sign petitions, write letters, make phone calls. If all of the real horsemen and women in this country would speak up, we could stop this. The criminals involved in this need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We can’t relent or back off – we’ve got to push forward with all we’ve got. The transport of horses for slaughter,and the slaughter of horses has to stop. Their is absolutely nothing humane, kind, or civilized about it. It’s just evil greed by the most callous of individuals. Disgusting. With Obama’s horrible record for animal welfare since he took office, and with the broken promises he made regarding horse slaughter during his first campaign – There is absolutely no way I can vote for him. What a disgrace.