JUSTICE FOR THE "KIM HOLLINGSWORTH" HORSES AT LAST!!

[phill mckraken]

A while ago a young lady posted a blog in regards to a lot of horses owned by "KIM HOLLINGSWORTH" in nsw. Well the RSPCA are now seizing those horses!!! Its a great day FOR ANIMAL LOVERS AND ACTIVISTS EVERYWHERE. And its a great day for some of the horses. Being saved after all this time of being grossly neglected by former prostitute KIM HOLLINGSWORTH. So to all those people that gave that young lady who posted the blog a hard time...here is your humble pie served with some egg on your face!!!!

A successful protest rally was held at yagoona RSPCA and a lot of people never gave up they fought for these horses and it has paid off. Congratulations to you all you should be so proud for not giving up and so very proud for helping the horses, i take my hat off to you all. This is what real people who care are all about.

Where is KIM HOLLINGSWORTH now? with all her fake comments and clap trap?? 

JUSTICE FOR THE HORSES. HIP HIP HOORAY

[Kylie Glessing]

Amanda,

Are you fairly new to animal rights advocacy?  I've been an abolitionist vegan for about six years now, and I'm always learning new things--there's a lot to learn!

Anyway, animal rights advocates don't think we should just let our cats, dogs and other "companion" animals into the streets to fend for themselves--that would result in some pretty bad things for them!  But we do feel that people should not keep animals as companions.  "Why not?" you might ask.  "I treat "my" animals well and they love me and are healthy."  It's great that you treat companion animals well--I live with three cats and two dogs, all unwanted animals I adopted from shelters.  I treat them well, and I love them, but I honestly feel that they should not be with me.  Think about what life is like for these non-humans in our human world.  They are considered property--we call ourselves their "owners".  We try to suppress their natural behaviours (barking, peeing where they want, scratching) because those behaviours annoy us.  They must walk on leashes, and they go out only when we say they can.  No matter how much I love them, or how well I treat them, they are still subjugated to my whims.  They are basically slaves.  They may be happy slaves, but they are still slaves.  They still do what I want them to do, when I say they can do it.  And I may be nice about that, and try to give them as much freedom as I can, but it still comes back to me, not to them making their own choices about their own lives.  Animal rights advocates believe in taking care of the companion animals who are here, now, but we believe that all breeding of these animals should stop.  Ultimately, "pets" would be "phased out".  Same with animals raised for food--no one is saying we should just throw open the doors and release them to take care of themselves.  Obviously we feel that these animals should be allowed to live out the rest of their days free of human exploitation, but cared for by responsible humans, and that no more should be bred. 

I hope you understand what I've meant here.  Just because we feel that animals should not be kept for companions, or for any reason, by humans, doesn't mean that we want bad things to happen to them or that we don't respect them or value them--quite the contrary!  We want them to live free of human interference and exploitation.  I hope that makes sense to you now   :)

[Tim Gier]

Amanda,

Your guess is wrong. I don't suggest (and no serious animal rights advocate would suggest) that we should release all "our animals". What we suggest is that the mass breeding, confining, raising, using and eventual slaughter of billions of individual animals needs to stop. If people stopped purposefully breeding horses, cows, chickens, sheep, pigs and so on - all species that we have genetically altered to suit our own wants and needs - then in a generation or two the problem would be largely solved. Also, no one connected with ARZone has ever argued that the horses in Kim's care would be better off without human contact or support, or better off starving and dying. To suggest such a thing is ridiculous. What we have repeatedly said is that if some people had evidence that Kim was not doing right by the horses in her care that those people ought to have provided that evidence to the appropriate authorities. As far as I can recall, the RSPCA began investigating Kim's operation months ago. If they've decided that the best thing to do for some of the horses was to remove them, then that's as it should be. No one connected with ARZone would object if the investigation was a fair one and the best interests of the horses were served.

[Amanda H]

I apologise if I've offended you Tim, I really don't understand the 'Rights of Animals' obviously.  Am I guessing from the 'ideas' of animals rights you suggest we should all release our animals and let them run free of human contact and oppression, to eat each other and fight and scrawl to the top of the food chain.  We as 'Animal Lovers' should allow them to have no human contactm that be no veterinary care, food or 'Love'??  I may have many animals for apparently my own entertainment, all within the safety of closed fences and gates of my property.  But isn't this better than having them multiply continuously and ultimately die at some time when territorial behaviour takes over the millions of animals on the earth...  I'm so very surprised this forum has totally disregarded the rights of those horses to have a loving, well cared for &  'productive' life.  Maybe you think it is better that they reside free of human contact and support on Kim's properties?  They had no human contact yet they were starving and dying.  Very much a contradiction in itself.

[Tim Gier]

Amanda,

I'm sorry that you're disappointed in ARZone and hope that you would stay long enough to learn something about the variety of information the site provides to those interested in animals' rights. 

Please let me clear the record though. Carolyn Bailey is a long time advocate for other animals who has been involved in many protests and demonstrations for the rights of other animals. She founded ARZone almost 3 years ago in order to provide an education resource for advocates and activists. The work she does managing the site (almost single-handedly) occupies most of her time. She does this without any compensation; the site takes no donations, charges no fees and has never profited in any way (the site doesn't even run any advertisements in order to create income). 

Part of the problem in this discussion is the confusion over what animal rights represent. Of course, "caring for animals" and "animal welfare" can be seen as good things - it's surely better that horses are treated well and cared for rather than treated poorly and neglected. But "caring for animals" and "animal welfare" aren't issues of animal rights. Animal rights is about respecting all other animals for who and what they are, and that means that other animals are not ours to eat, wear, use for pleasure or entertainment, experiment on and so forth. So, while if some of the horses in Kim Hollingsworth's care are better off in the hands of the RSPCA, that's a good thing, but it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with animal rights. What happens next to those horses? Are they going to be made healthy so that they can be given to other people who will use them for own purposes? Are they going to be "put down" because they can't be rehabilitated? Neither of those outcomes would be acceptable from an animal rights perspective. Maybe what will happen next will be respectful of the rights that those horses ought to have, I don't know, but I think that the RSPCA isn't an animal rights organization so I won't be surprised if the outcome hasn't much to do with animal rights.

Anyway, if people who haven't really taken the time to really understand what the philosophy of animal rights is all about, then it would probably be a good thing for those people not to come into an animal rights forum and be dismissive of the concept of animal rights or disrespectful of the people who are trying very hard to make the world a place where the rights of all other animals are respected.

[Amanda H]

I'm a little disappointed with this forum, having only joined yesterday I'm thinking of disabling my account when this post is complete.  I've watched a group of people tirelessly strive for the rights of these horses who have been left and forgotten in the paddocks of Kim Hollingsworth for months now.  I've offered support where I could being a long distance away cannot do that in person but be that supportive ear for these people to know their word is getting out.  I'm so very confused with Caroline Baileys continuous disregard for these animals whilst blowing her own horn on 'her own' ideas of animal activism... Seemingly you have none!!  All you have mentioned is your ideas and somebody elses theories...None of which I'm sure you've left your house to do....  Maybe just acknowledging there is a problem and offering those thanks for the movement 'others' have created and bought to fruition would be a great way to show you in fact care for the welfare of animals.  I'm only seeing distaste and ignorance and it truly surprises me you are an Admin of any animal care group at all!

[Carolyn Bailey]

Sonia, you seem to be very confused about the concept of animal rights. May I suggest reading some of the theories of animal rights philosophers such as Professor Tom Regan? 

http://arzone.ning.com/profiles/blogs/animal-rights-philosopher-tom

Or Professor Gary Francione: 

http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/

It may help you to understand the difference between animal rights and what you are currently involved in. 

[Carolyn Bailey]

Sonia, it would be easier to take your motives a little more seriously if you didn't make comments such as this in your closed Facebook group: 

Sonia Tribe Those Arzone. People are thoroughly ridiculous. I find it amusing that they pick arguments where there isnt one and how stupid to ask me what the Rspca intend to do, I'm not a mind reader and I don't have a crystal ball.

If you are claiming this to be a "victory", yes, you should have some idea of what that "victory" entails in regard to the horses involved. Not just your own personal "victory" over Kim. 

If by "picking arguments", you are referring to my question of "Which part of this is "justice" for these individuals, and which part is a "great day for animal lovers and activists everywhere"? ", that would only be considered an argument if you were unable or unwilling to provide a reasonable response to my question. 

If by "picking arguments" you were referring to the fact that I recognise that horses are individuals who should not have their spirit broken and be dominated and oppressed by humans who wish to use those horses for their own pleasure, I'm afraid I don't quite know how to address that issue with you. Many people tried, and failed, in the thread from a few months ago which Kate chose to delete, and I don't have either the time or the inclination to revisit that "argument" again at this time. If one wishes to deny certain forms of exploitation are what they are because they gain from that exploitation, unfortunately, there is not a great deal I am able to say or do to open their mind to the realities of their actions, until they are prepared to allow the realities to be recognised. 

 

[phill mckraken]

All evidence and complaints WERE reported to the RSPCA by hundreds of people. 

[Tim Gier]

It would be helpful to those who wish to understand all that has been alleged to have happened in this case that someone provide a link to a unbiased source for this story, please.

[Tim Gier]

What I argued in the last conversation we had about this is that those people who were posting photos on Facebook and making accusations in online forums ought to have taken their complaints and any evidence they might have had to the appropriate authorities. Whether those people did that, I don't know, but if the authorities have taken appropriate actions in this matter, then that's as it should be. I think no one will complain if the RSPCA does their job fairly.