In violation of Illinois' humane laws, horses and bulls at the NHSFR were shocked in the chute.

While there was a great deal of other cruelties inflicted on rodeo victims at the finals, these were the most clearly prosecutable incidents.� But you wouldn't know that to read the letter from Charles Hartke, Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture:�

Thank you for your letter expressing concern about how animals were treated at the National High School Finals Rodeo. The Illinois Department of Agriculture is authorized to investigate allegations of abuse under the Illinois Humane Care for Animals Act and local states’ attorneys prosecute violations of the Act.

At the National High School Finals Rodeo, the Department had its investigators present throughout the term of the rodeo to ensure compliance with the Humane Care for Animals Act. The Department made unannounced inspections at various locations and had personnel present in key areas to determine whether violations of the Act were occurring. Department investigators did not observe any violations of the statute. If you are aware of specific instances of abuse that were not observed by Department investigators, you should bring those matters to the attention of the Sangamon County State’s Attorney, who has jurisdiction to prosecute violations.

Sincerely,
ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Charles Hartke
Director

Here a rodeo thug thrusts a hidden wire device into a bull as he exits a chute.

In the first paragraph, Hartke's letter correctly states that it is the Department's job to investigate cruelty.� The second paragraph then claims that his investigators, stations in "key areas" of the rodeo, were unable to witness any cruelty.� This indicates that either his department is completely incompetent, or completely corrupt, or both.

The second paragraph of Hartke's letter also indicates that he has no interest in pursuing an investigation, and he tries to pass that responsibility off onto the Sangamon County State's Attorney's Office.�

Nice try Charlie, but we all know the state's attorney isn't going to go forward without an investigation to uncover who the perpetrators are, and other vital information vital to prosecute the case.

At the press conference we called on Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to assign a special investigator to conduct an investigation and see to it that the rodeo animal abusers are brought to justice.�

Not only were animals abused at the rodeo, but one bull who was shocked ended up coming down on his 18-year-old rider.� As a result, the kid had to be taken out on a stretcher and hauled off to the hospital in an ambulance.� That means that while the guy shocking the bull should be charged with animal abuse, he should also be charged in connection with the injury to the kid, because a bull stuck with 5,000 volts of pain is going to react a lot differently than one that is not.

By the way, despite media coverage of yesterday’s press conference by local television and radio stations, the State Journal-Register, rodeo rag that it is, didn’t even bother to show up. Here is an issue that converges on criminal animal abuse, human injuries, political corruption and inept government offices, but the area’s major newspaper fails to deem it newsworthy? So much for real newpaper journalism in the Land of Lincoln.

As soon as the press conference was over, we went right to the governor's office to give him a press pack, which included a DVD of the shocking and spiking of animals.� That video and photos can be viewed on our IllinoisCorruption.com web site.

The governor's staff wasn't happy to see us, especially with a couple media cameras following us.� The cameras weren't allowed inside the governor's office.� I told the two goons in the office why I was there, and they told me to stay where I was while someone was called to meet with me.� The entire time we waited, about ten minutes, the two goons stood like statues with the arms folded in front of their laboriously inflated chests.� It was an outrageously comical scene that we couldn't have bought.

Finally a young woman showed up to accept my packet.� I tried to talk to her about the case but she indicated that she knew nothing, and I believed her.� She didn't appear to know anything about anything whatsoever.� So much for confidence in government.

I should mention that in the three previous days leading up to the press conference I called the Governor's office every day and nicely asked to talk to someone from the Governor's staff about the rodeo issue.� Every day I was refused.� Every day I stated that there would be a press conference on Thursday, and that I wanted to give the governor a chance to do the right thing.� I also told the staffers about the kid who was injured after riding a shocked bull.

Obviously, Cowboy Rod doesn't care any more about an injured kid than he does abused animals.� Clearly none of this matters to a man as corrupt as Governor Rod Blagojevich.� This sellout to the Rodeo Mafia apparently believes that if he holes up long enough that we will all just go away.

Right: One of the most cruel and ridiculous events at the NHSFR--the slamming and tying of baby goats.

I hope you will help me prove to Rod Blagojevich just how wrong he is.� I hope you will call this corrupt politician every day until there is justice for the victims of rodeo.

We are the only hope they have.�

We have hard evidence that you can see for yourself at IllinoisCorruption.com.

Keep in mind that the videos we have released already clearly show criminal abuses, but do not nearly begin to cover ALL the animal abuse and injuries at the National High School Finals Rodeo. We are still working on a large portion of SHARK’s documentation.

Extensive trauma and cruelty to animals at the NHSFR went on, but as is sadly the case with most “livestock” animals, the majority of the abuse is horrific but legal. It is a powerful tool for use with the public and rodeos’ sponsors. Those that inflict abuse that is illegal must be prosecuted.

Please do look at what these animals endured at the hands of the Rodeo Mafia and its minion Governor Blagojevich, and don't let their suffering go unpunished.

Please Contact:

The Honorable Rod Blagojevich
Governor of Illinois
207 State House
Springfield, IL 62706

Phone: 217-782-0244
Fax: 217-524-4049
Email Here

Time Magazine Glorifies Abuse as Entertainment

Courtesy DawnWatch: The current edition of Time Magazine, (September 25, pg 70) has an article glorifying animal abuse as entertainment, headed, "Bring on the Bulls." It is by Sean Gregory.

It opens:

"Ride a bull for a living, and you can be the richest rag doll on earth. All you have to do is last eight excruciating seconds on an agitated 1,800-lb. animal that would like nothing more than to smash you against the sideboards of the arena, fling you off its back and gore you with its horns. On the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) tour, concussions and broken bones are as common as Wranglers and brass-buckled belts. 'Most bull riders are what you call gristleheads,' says Mike Lee, 23, who has won $2 million in five years of riding. 'If you're intelligent, you wouldn't do it.' Win the PBR World Championship, though, and the payoff is sweet: a $1 million check that can go a long way toward easing the saddle sores (or worse) that you'll have the next day. Or week.

Bull riding has always been about macho cowboy culture. Now it has something else going for it: a burgeoning TV audience. On cable channel oln, bull riding is among the highest-rated shows, handily beating broadcasts of NHL hockey games. An nbc broadcast of the PBR finals last year drew more viewers than the average audience for the Stanley Cup finals. And now Fox is on board. After Sunday football games this fall, the network plans to show two PBR events, including a broadcast from the finals in Las Vegas on Oct. 29."

The article tells us that the bulls are the stars. We read: "As terrifying as it can be to climb aboard an irate bull, riders want the beasts plenty riled up. The bull's performance counts for half the rider's score--out of a possible 100 points--and the harder it bucks the better. Indeed, what separates a star bull from the herd is his ability to get bucky on demand. Each year the bulls are shuttled to dozens of events from California to Connecticut, and one never knows how they will emerge from the ride. 'Everywhere we go, the hay and the grain might taste a little different,' says Cody Lambert, the PBR's livestock director. 'The good ones learn to relax through all of this and not let it stress them out.' Dehydration is a risk, and can leave a bull lethargic for an event. And no one wants a sleepy bull."

What the article doesn't tell us is that it is common practice (illegal but overlooked) in rodeo is to rile up the animals with electric prods. Visit www.RodeoCruelty.com for undercover pictures of cowboys shocking trapped animals, including horses, before letting them out of the chute.

In no way does the article question the use of other animals as objects for human entertainment.

You can read the Time Magazine article on line at: http://www.time.com/time/ magazine/article/0,9171,1535809,00.html

Please send a letter to the editor expressing disappointment in the tone of the coverage, and highlighting the dark side of this type of entertainment. Please be sure always to use your own words.

Time Magazine takes letters at: letters@Time.com

Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor. Shorter letters are more likely to be published.

(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at DawnWatch.com.)

No Rodeo, an Australian anti-rodeo organization, run by Jeanie and Troy Walker, has made strong strides against rodeo animal abuse their country. Please take a moment to learn about their great efforts and help them out with this urgent issue below. From Jeanie Walker:

---

Help needed to stop convicted rodeo animal abusers from re-offending

An application has been lodged with the South Australian Department of Environment and Heritage to hold ANOTHER rodeo at Marrabel next weekend (October 1st). This is despite the rodeo organiser from the 2004 event being convicted of failure to comply with the permit conditions in April of this year. �

� The stock contractor from the same event also had charges laid against him and went to trial, but the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were forced to withdraw the charges halfway through the first day after ‘loopholes’ were found in the Code of Practice in regards to the use of electric prods on bulls confined in the bucking chutes. This proves once and for all that rodeo animals ARE NOT protected by a strong code of Practice like our politicians say, and if any more permits are issued for rodeos then the government does so knowing full well that animals will not be protected.

Another trial against the other stock contractor STILL at the same rodeo is due for a pre-trial conference next week. It has already been adjourned 4 times!

The Minister for Environment and Heritage, Gail Gago, is still claiming that ‘if they comply with the permit conditions then we will give them a permit’.

They have proven that they do not comply with the permit, and at the 2005 Marrabel Rodeo which was also allowed to go ahead, we filmed further abuses against animals, including a ‘handler’ throwing sand into a trussed calf’s eyes to stop him struggling while he tried to untie him after a calf roping event!

If Minister Gail Gago issues a permit for this rodeo to go ahead then this will prove once and for all that she does not care at all for the animals in rodeos and should not be in the position of power that she is, and certainly should not be in charge of the Office of Animal Welfare.

Her office are still claiming that ‘we have not yet issued a permit’, although Marrabel Rodeo are spending big dollars on advertising. Obviously someone has given them ‘a wink and a nod’ that they WILL get a permit.

Please write to the Minister for Environment and Heritage, Gail Gago immediately at minister.gago@saugov.sa.gov.au and urge her NOT to issue permits to convicted animal abusers for ‘entertainment’. Tell her that Marrabel Rodeo can not go ahead unless she wants to receive world wide attention for her cowardly act.

She has all the reasons and evidence to put a stop to rodeos in South Australia and yet seems to want them continue.

� For more information go to www.norodeo.org

In closing, please remember to contact Gov. Blagojevich and watch our latest video releases of shocking and wire stabbing.

Kindest Regards,
Steve Hindi and your SHARK Team

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