Ex-Racehorses Starve as Charity Fails in Mission to Care for

[Patuxet]

Yet another black eye for the sport as reported in today's NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/sport ... es.html?hp

[Jane]

Some big names on their Board of Directors and even bigger names on their list of Donors. How can they possibly explain this I wonder?

[francesca]

This looks like no one actually was in charge and that alot of inflential people although on the BOD, did not have a hands on role. I wonder how many horses they took on, too. If there is no specific person in charge, they should hire someone. The problem is that there are alot of retired thoroughbreds out there and they live for a long time. Keeping them healthy isn't cheap. The past couple of years OTTBs have been found abandoned in woods, starving in pastures, it is truly upsetting.

[Jane]

They had staff that didn't seem to miss any of their paycheques. They also list an Executive Director, wouldn't that be a paid position of responsibility?

This was the organization that was held up as a shining example of how a good rescue could work, that creepy Ernie Paragallo must be laughing from his jail cell, wasn't a bunch of his neglected horses rescued by TRF just so they could be neglected and abused all over again?

[Bedouwia]

What a sad situation. It will not only hurt the efforts there, but those across the country where there are some honest and hard working rescue groups. I hope that they get this mess cleaned up asap.

Bedouwia

[clh]

I read this on another board and I was saddened and disgusted by it. Hopefully they will get the horses the care they need as soon as possible.

[Crystal]

things like this adds to my paranoia of rescues..

[bayrabicano]

I wonder if the Jockey Club is going to rethink the future donations...

January 19, 2011

The Jockey Club to Continue Retirement Checkoff Program in 2011
The Jockey Club has renewed the retirement checkoff program that enables owners and breeders to support Thoroughbred aftercare programs at the time they register their foals in 2011, and will once again donate $100,000 to each of the program’s two beneficiaries, it was announced today by James L. Gagliano, the president of The Jockey Club.

The Jockey Club donations and the checkoff proceeds benefit the retirement, retraining and adoption efforts of Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) and the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF). With its donations in 2011, The Jockey Club, through its four commercial subsidiaries, will have contributed $300,000 to both TCA and TRF since the inception of the retirement checkoff program in 2009. The commercial subsidiaries are The Jockey Club Information Systems Inc., The Jockey Club Technology Services Inc., InCompass Solutions Inc. and The Jockey Club Racing Services Inc.

"Many Thoroughbreds can be retired to a supportive home or transitioned into a productive post-racing career, and we encourage all owners and breeders to consider making a contribution through our retirement checkoff program when they register their foals this year,” Gagliano said.

[karenkarenn]

Well where did all their auction money that they made go to? They certainly help our retirement places here.

[Linda_d]

They had staff that didn't seem to miss any of their paycheques. They also list an Executive Director, wouldn't that be a paid position of responsibility?

One of the big problems with many, many non-profits is that the exec director and the administrative staff make big $$$ while the supposed beneficiaries and their direct care staff are short-changed. This isn't just an issue for animal rescues, it's also an issue for non-profits that provide services for the mentally retarded, the physically handicapped, the poor, etc.

You also find this sometimes in museums, historic sites, etc where, again, the exec director and office staff make good money while the curators and grounds keepers are poorly paid and the collections/properties are allowed to deteriorate.

[dublino]

One of the big problems with many, many non-profits is that the exec director and the administrative staff make big $$$ while the supposed beneficiaries and their direct care staff are short-changed. This isn't just an issue for animal rescues, it's also an issue for non-profits that provide services for the mentally retarded, the physically handicapped, the poor, etc.

You also find this sometimes in museums, historic sites, etc where, again, the exec director and office staff make good money while the curators and grounds keepers are poorly paid and the collections/properties are allowed to deteriorate.

Thats one thing I don't understand about non-profits, surely nobody should be making money from them and any time given to these organisations should be without pay i.e. you are not profiting from your work.

To me non-profits don't make sense.

[madelyn]

You should see the IRS code for a 501(c3) designation - it is at least six inches thick. If you've ever seen the books for a big charity, you might be struck by how Much Money is being paid out to executives and staff and how little actually goes to the cause or causes it is supposed to support.

I don't believe that they start out that way. There was some altruism at the founding of each.

[cng]

For the most part, "rescues" are comprised of bleeding heart know-nothings who have nothing better to do than "saving" horses by slow starvation. Most haven't a clue in the care and feeding of livestock. To them an occasional carrot or peppermint has far more nutritional value than clean hay and oats.

Trainers must, at least, pass some sort of proficiency test to become licensed but these "rescues" are made up of mental defect hoarders and overzealous nuts that mark their "saves" much like charlatan preachers mark up their converts.

This should not be a black eye for horse racing it should be a black eye for "rescue" organizations. It is about time we rethink horse slaughter in the US, since the alternative promoted by these same slimy "rescue" groups have proved to be a total failure. Humane slaughter is always better than starvation.

Another side of the coin is NEVER TRUST A NY TIMES STORY:
http://www.timesunion.com/sports/articl ... 199454.php

[Marli]

You should see the IRS code for a 501(c3) designation - it is at least six inches thick. If you've ever seen the books for a big charity, you might be struck by how Much Money is being paid out to executives and staff and how little actually goes to the cause or causes it is supposed to support.

I don't believe that they start out that way. There was some altruism at the founding of each.

This sad news is exactly the reason why for the past several years, when involved in efforts to transition ottbs, I never suggested the TRF. To me it was like a house of cards that could fold and according to this news it looks like it's started, imo.

And while I do advocate for horses/anti slaughter position- I'm also a realist and understood a long time ago that any one organization cannot continue to intake horses at the rate this org. did and conversely pay out salaries and accomadate other "perks" while having over 1000 mouths to feed- my opinion.

As far as I'm concerned, this organization was in trouble a long time ago- and it's only now that it's surfacing, imo.

[erhrdt3]

Just another reason to stop the NONSTOP BREED BREED BREED ways of this industry. Breed more horses when there are those already here suffering? How does this make sense? Each one of those horses were brought into this world by a person who made the decision to BREED. This will continue to happen unless there are severe limits on the amount of foals brought into the world by people. This is so sad.
I really hope they throw the book at those 'people' who did this to those poor horses.