Candidate Barack Obama in 2008 pledged to keep the ban on horse slaughter permanent. In November 2011 he and our lawmakers broke that promise.

How many times have we heard the phrase “unintended consequences” in reference to government actions? Some actions have great intentions, but result in a major calamity.

In response to the Dec. 19 commentary, “Horse slaughter a humane option” by Arizona Farm Bureau President Kevin Rogers:

Bridle in hand, 12-year-old Madison Marino guides Sassy out for an afternoon stroll in the corral at Horse Rescue of North Scottsdale.

SCOTTSDALE - Bridle in hand, 12-year-old Madison Marino guides Sassy out for an afternoon stroll in the corral at Horse Rescue of North Scottsdale. They’ve been together for two weeks now, and Sassy has become a favorite as the shelter tries to find the mare a new owner.

Last week, food safety officials in United Kingdom, France, and Sweden found traces of horse meat in ground beef sold across Europe. Massive recalls and lawsuits are ensuing.

Mesa police are investigating why parts of slaughtered horses were scattered on two roads on Tuesday. At 12:30 a.m., the first grisly discovery was made in the 100 block of West Southern Avenue.

Some people are finding it impossible to keep their horses as the economy worsens, leaving owners scrambling to sell or find shelters for their animals. They occasionally wind up setting horses free to fend for themselves.

RENO, Nev. - The U.S. Bureau of Land Management will round up fewer wild horses and try to shuffle funds within the agency to hold off for now on killing large numbers of the animals in an effort to control herds and spiraling costs, an official said Monday.

Brandy’s matted coat is stretched thin over her rib cage and spine, hugging the contours of the bones underneath. Months without adequate food have forced her body to consume itself, fat and then muscle, in its desperate effort to sustain life.

Love horses? So do the folks who volunteer at Gilbert’s WildHorse Ranch Rescue, a 501(c)3 sanctuary for horses in need. You can be part of the rescue’s mission to save horses from abuse, neglect, slaughter and premature death by volunteering for the WildHorse Ranch Rescue Feed Team.

They come to her battered and bruised. One is blind. Another hobbled. Most are just afraid, unwanted, abandoned.

The few dozen horses roaming along the Salt River east of Mesa have galloped into the attention of thousands of tubers, kayakers, photographers and even online fans from around the world as romantic symbols of the West.

“Dear Mr. Arizona Farm Bureau hay farmer (Opinion 2, Saturday), horse slaughter has never been and will never be a humane option, period. The bolt gun doesn’t work.”

"Get ready for a media blitz about how cruel it is to slaughter horses. The HSUS, PETA and other left wing groups never mention the flip side: Abandoned horses starving everywhere in the United States. Horses were raised for years for meat in this country in all of the Western states."

Linens 'n Things will close seven additional stores in Arizona -including three in the East Valley - as part of a plan to shutter 120 locations nationwide.

The Republican-run Congress is back in Washington for its last pre-election session and plans call for lawmakers to knock off and go home to campaign on Sept. 29 and no later than Oct. 6. That means they’ll leave a lot of unfinished business behind.

May 18, 2004

Is it time for everyone to buy a gun and get a dog? Mesa and Phoenix have announced draconian budget cuts. Tempe's next.

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NEAR BASRA, Iraq - British forces engaged a column of Iraqi armored vehicles - tanks and armored personnel carriers - that filed out of the southern city of Basra late Wednesday, a British military source said.

By profession, my brother-in-law in Saskatchewan is a farmer. His passion, however, is Buck and Charlie, a pair of Belgian draught horses that he frequently exhibits at fairs and farming demonstrations. Individually, Buck and Charlie can pull a load of about a ton. As a team, however, they are able to pull five! It is an example of the principle of non-summativity: together they are more than the sum of their parts. It is a lesson we perpetually need to relearn.

By profession, my brother-in-law in Saskatchewan is a farmer. His passion, however, is Buck and Charlie, a pair of Belgian draught horses that he frequently exhibits at fairs and farming demonstrations. Individually, Buck and Charlie can pull a load of about a ton. As a team, however, they are able to pull five! It is an example of the principle of non-summativity: together they are more than the sum of their parts. It is a lesson we perpetually need to relearn.