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To:

Mark Perrier ~ Coordinator, Educational Programs/Policy Analysis

Manager, Horse Identification Program

From:

Valerie James-Patton

Email valerie_jamespatton@yahoo.com

November 2, 2005

Dear Mr. Mark Perrier,

I have been studying the information on the Hip website, and have a few questions regarding the HIP program, and the enforcement of the recovery of stolen horses from the horse slaughtering facilities in Texas.

Since most of the horses slaughtered in Texas, are imported and come from other states, as well as Canada and Mexico, what benefit will the HIP program created by the TSCRA, bring to its enrolled members, since TSCRA does not have jurisdiction for this program outside of Texas and Oklahoma? Because horses from Texas are not always slaughtered in Texas, but are exported, what added benefits or enforcements will HIP have that the current law enforcement system by the TSCRA doesn't already employ?

Will horse owners who do not become members of the HIP program still be provided for, under the current stolen horse protection program mandated by the law enforcement rules in the Texas Agricultue legislation, through TSCRA, and will they continue to enforce those laws even to non members of HIP? What will be the difference of the investigation and recovery attempt between HIP and non members? Can you explain to me what the differences will be from enrolled HIP members who have paid the registration fee for the protection of each horse, as to enrolled members who do not register their horses, as well as the Texas horse owners who are not members of HIP, and will there be different rules for enforcing horse theft recovery provided by the TSCRA?

Due to the $30 enrollment fee to horse owners for each horse registered for the first 2 years, then dropping to a $10 fee for every year after the initial first 2 years, will the TSCRA still collect a $5 dollar slaughter fee, § 148.029. Fee for Horses Sold to Slaughterer from the slaughter of every horse slaughtered in Texas, paid to TSCRA for the enforcement of the stolen horse recovery program which is already in effect?

I know that there is already a nationwide equine information data base, that is provided by Stolen Horse Int, the Net Posse Network and is used for the nationwide recovery of stolen horses. What advantages will the HIP program provide that is not already currently provided for?

Your website also says that just because you are an enrolled member to the HIP program, there is no guarantee by the TSCRA and HIP that you will receive TSCRA’s Law Enforcement Personnel or HIP Staff to personally investigate the case.

From your website:

In the event an enrolled horse is stolen, the HIP Program’s main function is to disseminate the vital horse ID information to specific target areas as a tool to aid in the search and recovery. It is not a guarantee that TSCRA’s Law Enforcement Personnel or HIP Staff will personally investigate the case.

Important:

In order to safeguard the effectiveness and validity of the HIP program, TSCRA and the HIP Staff reserve the right to refuse enrollment to horses that lack proper identification information or photo criteria as well as horses known to be stolen or missing prior to application for entry into the HIP Program.

When horse slaughter was banned in California in 1998, statistics clearly show that horse theft dramatically decreased, as did horse theft in Illinois during the closure of Cavel, Int. Because of the high volume of horse theft and stolen horses associated with horse slaughter, TSCRA has employed field inspectors at the Texas horse slaughter facilities. Can you tell me why the TSCRA and the HIP program support the horse slaughter industry, when it is this very industry that is often supplied with stolen horses to fill their demand, and which promotes horse theft? Even the HIP website advises horse owners of a stolen horse to check daily at the horse slaughter facilities, as that is the best chance for the recovery of a stolen horse, and because the field inspector may not always have knowledge of a stolen horse, this will better the chance of recovery. I think the better chance for recovery, is to get rid of the root of the problem, stop the slaughter of our horses, and close down the horse slaughter facilities.

I hope that it is not because of a fear of losing a $5 horse slaughter fee, that the TSCRA remains in support of an industry promoting the slaughter of horses. According to the information on the HIP website, it is more than likely that stolen horses will be found at the horse slaughter facilities. Besides that $5 dollar profit gained by TSCRA, I see no reason for this association, to support the industry, when at the same time they are offering their help to horse owners to protect them from their stolen horse going to slaughter, as the facilities hold open the door....

It does not make sense to me, to trust a program that claims it will protect horses and owners against the crime of horse theft, when that program was created by an association that supports and profits from an industry known to promote the theft of horses. Since 1997, as per law to Ag code 148.03, the association, TSCRA, has already been receiving a fee for every horse slaughtered, as payment to the TSCRA, for the enforcement of the law for the protection, inspection and recovery of stolen horses found at the facilities. Since it is already the duty of the TSCRA to protect the horses and the horse owners from this crime, regardless of enrolled horses or membership to the HIP program, why then is the HIP charging membership, and enrollment fees for each horse covered under the program, when they have already receive payment to perform this duty? With all this in mind, can you tell me the reason TSCRA and the HIP program support and justify the horse slaughter industry in the United States?

I am very anxious to hear your answers to these questions, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you again,

Valerie James-Patton