Horse Advocates and Rescues. This is my story. A couple of years ago I got involved with the advocacy of the horse due to the horror I discovered was happening to the magnificent animals in the slaughter pipeline. I thought it was wonderful that so many people cared and worked so well together for the good of the horses and their situation. As time progressed I found there were some very nice helpful people who were willing to educate others on the issues facing our horses, and I found there were many who was in it for themselves. I also became very passionate about trying to get those in need of a safe place to land to that safe place. I found this to be most disheartening. This was filled with turmoil and animosity. I was a newbie, someone who cared enough to want to make a difference but did not know the ins and outs of what I was getting involved in. I was determined to be a voice for those without. I made many mistakes and many enemies very fast. I followed some good advice and also took some bad. I grew up in the show horse industry in Kentucky. My family showed horses and I remember rooms that had so many trophies that you could not walk through them. As a child and the same goes today, I loved all animals none of them had more or less value in my eyes. All animals have feelings and emotions. All animals respond to love and kindness. Most find it amusing that as a child and teenager I found it abusive to ride horses, that since has changed, I laugh now when I think about that. Back to the advocacy, I was fortunate to find one of the kindest Ladies I know in the advocacy. One who cared enough to reach out to me and steer me in the right direction. She has been and in my heart still and always will be someone very near and dear to my heart. I have made a road trip with her and she also loves all animals and places no greater or lesser value on them. I have made some incredible friends In the advocacy and it has taken me to places I would have never dreamed of going before. My life before the advocacy was much like everyone else’s who is unaware of the horror that animals face in the meat industry as well as the entertainment arena. I was blind to the extent of abuse and cruelty involved. We are so caught up in our everyday lives that we fail to see how what most consider lesser beings go through. Animal advocacy has opened my eyes and I cringe at what I see yet I refuse to look the other way. My dear friend pointed me in the direction of another Lady. She was stern and spoke with a very confident voice. This Lady I could tell had been around the block, (not in a bad way) LOL. She was incredibly knowledgeable about the slaughter pipeline and many, many other things that though her kindness in sharing just a small fraction with me has changed my life. I admire this woman and adore her with all my heart. As I set and write this I can hear her now (are you writing a book?) she will jokingly say. I feel very fortunate to have this awesome Lady in my life. Still as much as she has turned around in my life I have not quite yet learned to bite my tongue when I should and from time to time professionalism falls by the wayside. I decided to write this because there are many coming to join our fight, many who are just as I, new and willing to do whatever they can to make a difference in the life of an animal, To help one without a voice no matter how near or far away they are. These are our partners in this war and we need to embrace these new advocates and share with them what others have shared with us. Be patient as I nor many others gained our knowledge overnight and they will just as we make mistakes just as I and others still do. None of us are perfect. There are just as many bad people lurking in these issues as there are good. Ones who think an award is going to be given for saving horses. There is no awards, only small teams of people who find others they can work well with to try and get horses into safe places. I am fortunate enough as well to have some wonderful friends in this arena. Beware that there are those who will use you to get horses and will try and make money off them. We know these people as horse traders and they troll groups that network horses. On the subject of rescues there are many of the same issues. We have good ones and we have many bad ones. We have those who sacrifice all in their lives to make a difference in a horse’s life and will go the nines to save them. These rescues are what I call real rescues. They don’t mislead the public by trying to raise large amounts of money to save the animal and not give that money to the care of that animal. Many Orgs. I have seen over the past two years have an agenda for themselves to make money which goes into the owners hands not where donors believe it goes. Watch out for these Orgs. And watch for red flags. It’s not hard to spot them if you follow what they do. All Org’s have their own audience and by this I mean people who support them for what they do. Some donors are being mislead because they do not run in the circles as many of us do. These Org’s are ones I personally find it hard to bite my tongue about. If someone pops up and no one knows much about him/her and all of a sudden they are the best thing since sliced bread, be careful as smooth talkers come and go and generally they are scam artist. Worms who look to gain financially and many do so until they are brought into the light. Be careful of those types. Political differences in this battle has made mortal enemies and divided many advocates. It is not our battle. I see evil in both parties as far as the animals go and I see politicians on both sides of the fence being lobbied by those who intend harm to come for those we fight to protect. Let each be on this issue just keep it out of our arena. I stand against any politician who does not support our fight right or left. If you are a newbie find someone you can trust. Make sure what you present to others is a documented fact and is a current fact by looking at the date of articles that you share as many like to boast and laugh because you presented something out dated. All any of us have in this is our credibility. Yeah we have our share of those who will make a fool out of us because of small things but don’t be discouraged we all make mistakes. Don’t be someone’s flunky, You have plenty of people who will kindly help you to establish yourself in the advocacy and guide you sometimes you just need to ask the right person. I hope people will start to understand this is a war and the horses and animals we fight to protect are the casualties. We all need to be more patient and understanding with each other. Pro slaughter is always lurking with their spies who eat it up when we have turmoil in our own camps. If you see someone struggling to help but has incorrect facts don’t make a fool of them, kindly point them in the right direction and share what we all strive for (knowledge) and if we combine it we have a very powerful team. Thank each of you for all you do, Special Thanks to those in my life who cared enough to help me better myself and all you have shared with me. Kelly Blevins.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Aug 2013 13:19:23 +0000
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