EQUINE PROTECTION NETWORK


Press Release
January 11,2002
Equine Protection Network, Inc.
equineprotectionnetwork.com
Contact: 570-345-6440
info@equineprotectionnetwork.com
December 20, 2000

NY Shipper Guilty of Illegal Transport, Again!

Note: Governor Pataki closed the loophole that allowed Kiehl to plead to lesser charges.


Arlow Kiehl Pleads Guilty Again In NY to Illegal Transport

Barker, NY- Arlow Kiehl, Watertown, NY pled guilty in Barker, NY Town Court on December 21, 2001 to one misdemeanor count of New York Agriculture & Markets Law, Article 26, Section 359-a. Kiehl paid the maximum fine of $1000.00. In addition Kiehl received a conditional discharge. Kiehl's activity will be monitored for one year in lieu of imposed jail time.

Kiehl purchased horses at the New Holland Sales Stables on Feb. 19, 2001. Kiehl loaded cattle into the nose deck of the trailer at New Holland. Kiehl then had other dealers, including Zweist, bring him the horses at the Lebanon Valley Livestock Market in Fredricksburg, PA. Under the cover of darkness the men unloaded the horses from the stock trailers into the sale barn & then forced the horses into the bottom deck of the Eby double deck cattle trailer.

New York State Police stopped Kiehl when he crossed into NY in the early morning hours of February 20, 2001 on I-81.

Kiehl purchased horses at the New Holland Sales Stables on Feb. 19, 2001. Kiehl loaded cattle into the nose deck of the trailer at New Holland. Kiehl then had other dealers, including Zweist, bring him the horses at the Lebanon Valley Livestock Market in Fredricksburg, PA. Under the cover of darkness the men unloaded the horses from the stock trailers into the sale barn & then forced the horses into the bottom deck of the Eby double deck cattle trailer.

Several horses desperately tried to avoid being loaded into the darkened bottom deck of the double deck cattle trailer. The terrified Standardbred, draft horses, pleasure horses and mule were forced through a loading chute by whips and what appears to be electric cattle prods. The horses can be heard scrambling for footing on the metal floors and ramps.

A picture of the opening that these horses were forced to jump down into is on the EPN website in the Slaughter section.

Drug runners use the cover of darkness to commit their illegal activity. Just as drug runners turn on the runway lights so the approaching aircraft can land, Kiehl flashed his lights in the darkness so the stock trailers could locate the double decker parked in the darkened parking lot.

Due to efforts by the EPN, NYSP have stepped up their enforcement of NY law banning the use of inhumane double deck cattle trailers to transport horses.

On August 25, 2001 PA outlawed the use of inhumane double deck cattle trailers to transport horses. The Horse Transport Law applies to all horses, no matter what their final destination.

The EPN sponsored the Horse Transport Bill and provided testimony, video and photographic evidence demonstrating the continued use of inhumane double deck cattle trailers to transport horses from PA horse auctions to slaughter for human consumption. The EPN also provided written support from PA and national horse organizations for our efforts to pass this legislation. Thousands of individuals also sent written support of the EPN's efforts to the PA legislature. The EPN pressed for a law that applied to ALL horses, not just slaughterbound, ensuring the successful prosecution of offenders. The EPN supported language that was engineering based, (specific) instead of performance based langue, (vague).

Kiehl History

Fines Paid under NY Ag & Markets, Section 359-a: $4600.00 Convicted on 55 counts of NY Ag & Markets Law, Section 359-a. 54 violations and 1 misdemeanor.

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