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Saving The Innocents:
A Cross Country Journey to say “NEIGH” to PREMARIN
Posted 07/20/2006
Press Release
On Sunday, May 21st, Heather Evans left the Live and Let Live Farm, an Equine Rescue facility in Chichester, NH, to walk 2400+ miles to Manitoba, Canada in an effort to raise awareness about the cruelty to horses in the production of Wyeth-Ayerst’s PREMARIN. PREMARIN is a Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), used to treat menopausal or post-hysterectomy women and it is made from PREgnant MARe urINe.
To produce Premarin, pregnant mares are hooked up to rubber urine-collection bags and tethered in stalls so small they cannot even turn around or lay down comfortably. They are forced to stay in this position for 6 months, while their bodies are producing the most estrogen. They are also deprived of water, to maintain the concentrated estrogen in the urine. Within days of giving birth in the spring, the mares are re-impregnated. Fertile mares may go through this process many times, over years in their lifetime.
The foals---all but a few kept for stud purposes or to replace worn-out mares, are sold at auction. From there, most go to feedlots to be fattened for slaughter. The mares too are slaughtered once they can no longer become pregnant or if they become too lame to stand in the small stalls. Up until November of 2005, Live and Let Live Farm was one of many rescue havens that were pre-adopting these foals and mares in advance of them being sent to auction/slaughter. However, the pharmaceutical company Wyeth reneged on the last load of animals that were pre-adopted and have cancelled the program. Now, all farmers must take their offspring to auction or lose their subsidy from the drug company.
Heather Evans, has chosen to fight a brave fight on behalf of these innocent animals, and urge women to choose a synthetic estrogen alternative to Premarin. She has raised money to support her trip through generous donations and the support of the Live and Let Live Farm’s philanthropic network. Heather, along with her dog Badger, will travel an average of 25 miles per day, walking on foot for the first two weeks to condition her horse, Tux, and plans to arrive in Manitoba in approximately 4 ˝ months.
Once Heather has reached Winnipeg, Manitoba, the location of many Canada’s Premarin ‘pee’ farms, she hopes to return home with a truckload of Premarin mares and foals for adoption at the Live and Let Live Farm.
It is the hope of all the people supporting this noble effort, that Heather will be greeted by media coverage and the kindness of strangers along her route. She will be dependent on compassionate Americans to provide her with an overnight accommodation, water for her, Tux and Badger, a flake of hay, or just a corner of land to pitch her tent. Any and all donations of time, money, food, shelter or a hot shower will be welcome!
To learn more about Heather’s route, Premarin, Live and Let Live Farm, or to make a donation/commitment to help along the route, please contact one of the following:
Live and Let Live Farm, Inc.
Teresa Paradise, Executive Director
20 Paradise Lane, Chichester, NH 03258
v: 603.798.5615
f: 603.798.3643
e: info@liveandletlivefarm.org
Website: http://www.liveandletlivefarm.org
Lissa Watson, Director, Public Relations
603-493-6690
ahaahchief@hughes.net
Heather’s Route and more information on Saving the Innocents:
http://www.savingtheinnocents.com |
