On March 9th, 2008 we learned that the Alberta Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) had seized more than 100 Arabian horses from a ranch where at least 29 others had been found starved to death. These horses have now been moved to a feedlot in Alberta where they are being prepared for auction. If and when this auction takes place as planned, many of them face the prospect of slaughter. Arabian horses are usually too expensive to be acquired by slaughterhouses - but many of these horses are currently in such poor physical condition that they would be unlikely to fetch a sufficiently high price to deter butchers from acquiring them. We the undersigned hereby appeal to the Government of Alberta to fund a stay of execution for these horses. Specifically, we ask that the Alberta government fund the veterinary care and maintenance of these horses for a 3-month period, thereby giving them a chance to return to a healthy state and improving their chances of being acquired for recreational and other (non-slaughter) purposes. ***GREAT NEWS!! UPDATE MARCH 11 ******* It has just been decided that these horses will not be auctioned. The Alberta SPCA released the following statement at 16:00 EST: Rescued horses to be cared for until placed in new homes March 11 2008 For immediate release The Alberta SPCA has partnered with a group from the equine community to provide ongoing care for the horses seized from the Andrew area on February 26.