National Western Rodeo In Denver Exposed for Shocking Horses

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SHARK Update <afinley wrote: In This Issue Rodeo Violates Denver City Ordinances By Shocking Horses SHARK is on a Roll, Let's Keep it Going Quick

Links TheCruelTruth.comRodeoCruelty.comSupport SHARK!More About SHARK Join Our e-List PRCA RODEO VIOLATES DENVER CITY ORDINANCES BY SHOCKING

HORSES Dear Friends, This week at the National Western Rodeo in Denver, CO, (close to where the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Assocation's Headquarter is in Colorado Springs) Steve Hindi, SHARK's president, took undercover video footage of horses being shocked in violation of a Denver city ordinance. This is in spite of ever more diligent efforts of rodeo personnel to hide their abuses. SHARK's video also shows one horse shocked with two prods simultaneously in the neck/face area and on the

hip. Another horse that went down in the chute and didn't want to buck, and should have been released, was also shocked after first being harassed by rodeo ruffians. So much for the rodeo rhetoric claiming the horses are "born to buck". This again proves that horses are prodded and provoked to buck in rodeos. As is usually the case, the multiple devices used on the horses all appear to be the Hot-Shot Power Mite, which outputs at least 5,000 volts of very painful electricity. The following is a brief video of the shocking of horses this week at the National Western Rodeo. A more comprehensive video will be posted on Monday. Shocked Horses at 2008 Denver Rodeo:

At right, from SHARK's video: this horse is being painfully shocked in the neck and rear area, both at the same time, in order to get him to "perform" at this

week's Denver rodeo. Since the National Western Rodeo and Stock Show is being held in Denver, CO, their city ordinances apply and SHARK believes following ordinance has been violated: Sec. 8-131. Cruelty to animals prohibited. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to needlessly beat, inflict violence upon or kill, or to overdrive, overload, drive when overloaded, overwork, torture or mutilate, or to otherwise treat in a cruel, dangerous or inhumane manner, any animal, or to cause any of such acts to be done. A video DVD of the shocking of the horses at the National Western Rodeo and Livestock Show will be turned over to Denver

Police. SHARK is requesting a criminal investigation leading to charges against those responsible. SHARK has also filed a report with animal control and is providing them a DVD, as requested by the Denver Police. SHARK sent out a press release yesterday and has received great media coverage. Three of the stories

are taking comments and so far many of the comments have been pro-rodeo, so please check out the coverage and add your comments afterwards: http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_8071789 http://www.care2.com/news/member/983472137/614765 http://www.myfoxcolorado.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=5581161 & version=5 & locale=EN-US & layoutCode=VSTY & pageId=1.1.1 http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/15134117/detail.html As usual, the rodeo people are scrambling to justify their animal abuse by making numerous false claims. Kati Anderson, spokeswomen for the National Western Stock Show states, "The National Western has been made aware of allegations by animal extremists regarding the methods used to move livestock during the rodeo. PRCA rules allow for the use of a livestock prod in order to allow for the safe exit of horses that may have the tendency to stall in the chutes." So let's get this straight, Ms. Anderson calls someone who quietly goes into a rodeo and gets video clips of animal abuse - extremists. If that is an extremist, what would you call groups of thugs running around with 5,000 - 6,000 volts of shocking devices, sneaking them out of their pockets and shocking tame, domesticated animals trapped in chutes that can't turn around and don't want to buck? This spokeswoman further states, "The livestock prod is powered by nine-volt batteries and allows for harmless encouragement of the horse to leave the chute. It does not make a horse buck, nor does it affect the competition once the horse and competitor have safely exited the bucking chute." First of all, if the shocking device is so "harmless" then why can't SHARK get any of these 'cowboys', or Ms. Anderson herself, to take a hit from it on camera? We've been offering to let them defend this claim for years with no takers. Furthermore, the prod's own manufacturer has declared the Hot-Shot is NOT to be

used either on horses or in a rodeo. Period. Second, of course an animal shocked with 5,000 - 6,000 volts of electricity is going to react differently than a horse that is not shocked. Since half of the contestant's score is how much the horse bucks, the competition is obviously affected/rigged, just like a REAL sports athlete like in baseball on steroids. Cindy Schonholtz, a spokeswoman for the PRCA states "They encourage the horses to move, but

it doesn't hurt them." Perhaps Ms. Schonholtz would be willing to be shocked to show how it doesn't hurt? Rodeo people always tout how the prod doesn't hurt, but none of them are brave enough to take a shock. The National Western Rodeo is another Cervi-produced rodeo. Cervi also produced the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. The horse, "High Life Gal" that went down at the NFR was one of Cervi's horses - see the video. SHARK's emails to Cervi asking how "High Life Gal" is doing have not been answered. Nor have calls to the PRCA been answered either. Michael Eugene Cervi was convicted for tampering with monitoring equipment to hide leaks in the underground storage of chemical-laced wastewater left over from oil well drilling - a felony violation of the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act. Find out more

about the rodeo industry's shameful members at CowboyCriminals.com. Learn more about the shocking of animals and rodeo's cruelty and corruption at RodeoCruelty.com. SHARK IS ON A ROLL, LET'S KEEP IT

GOING It is only the fourth week in the new year, and SHARK has exposed a second rodeo for animal abuse to the world. Fortunately, the media coverage of both events have been very good. We plan to keep the momentum going to build on our significant accomplishments of last year. Your support is essential in helping SHARK keep the pressure on rodeos, their corporate sponsors, the media, and law enforcement officials. Without pressure, changes for the animals won't happen and we have come too far to let up now. Let's make

this a great 2008 for the animal victims of rodeos! Donate Today!

There are everyday ways you can help SHARK that don't cost you anything. By doing your online shopping through iGive.com every time you make a purchase, a percentage of your total goes to SHARK as a donation! This is done at no cost to you. Simply CLICK HERE to shop at hundreds of online merchants through iGive.com. Kindest Regards, Steve Hindi and Your SHARK Team Forward email SHARK | Showing Animals Respect and Kindness | PO Box 28 | Geneva | IL | 60134

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